Picture Source: U.S. Department of Energy

Brazil is the largest country in South America taking up over half of that continent.

In World War II Brazil fought the axis powers on two different fronts. Not many people know about this. The First Brazilian Fighter Squadron. fought beside the Americans during the war and did so admirably. It was in August of 1942 that Brazil declared was on Germany and Italy.

Picture Source: U.S. Navy

The U.S. had 8 blimps stationed in Brazil during WWII. The 4th Wing, ZP42 Squadron., was stationed at Macelo, Brazil. The total amount of U.S. blimps in the war seems to be 125.

1942 Brazil sends the Brazilian Expeditionary Force to Italy and then puts the first steel mill in Brazil into production.

1ºGAVCA was a Brazilian Airgroup formed on December 18, 1943. It had 350 men which included 43 pilots. It was used as air cover for the Canal Zone in 1944. In 1942 Brazil realizing that all its planes were obsolete, began to buy planes from the U.S.. The first batch of planes contained twelve fighters, four Curtiss P-36, two Douglas B-18 and six NA B-25 Mitchell which were based at Fortaleza (NE Brazil). The Germans began sinking Brazilian ships to prevent the shipping of strategic materials to the U.S.. The Brazilians started attacking the German subs with B-25 Mitchells. In 1943 the Brazilians sunk U199 a submarine raider.

TEMPORARY SUPPLY DUMP IN REYKJAVIK
Picture Source: U.S. Army

The British had established an Icelandic base thus preventing the Germans from doing so. If the Germans had created an Icelandic base, which was within German abilities, from there they could have attacked the Americas.

In an effort to build up the Brazilian Navy the U.S. transferred ships to the Brazilian Navy. One of these ships was the DE-99 USS Cannon. A destroyer with a top speed of 21 knots.

The Brazilian Battleship the Minas Gerais was built by Armstrong between 1907 and 1910. Brazil's dreadnought program was canceled after the crew mutinied on 22 November, 1910. Brazil was going to send the Minas Gerais along with the Sao Paulo to Scapa Flow in 1917 but the ships were in such bad condition that the refitting finished after WWI ended.

The ship was rebuilt during 1934 to 1937. She received a new superstructure and all the machinery was rebuilt. The ship survived until 1954. The Sao Paulo saw only coastal guard duty.

In 1943 Brazil declared adherence to the Atlantic Charter and declared war against Japan.

Picture Source: U.S. Army

A Brazilian expeditionary force served on the Italian front, and in the supply of minerals, rubber, and other raw materials Brazil made a notable contribution to the Allied war effort. In December 1943 a covenant was signed between Brazil and Portugal, strengthening the cultural ties between the two countries. The Brazilian Unit was comprised of 25,000 men and served as a division of the United States’ Fifth Army under the command of General Mark Clark

Brazil was the only Latin American country to send troops to the war in Europe.