THE CAMPAIGN
In the first days of July, 1944, the first Echelon of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force * FEB - left to Europe, aboard the American ship General Mann, in a total of 5.081 men. Originally, the ship should be going to Argel, where the troops would get preliminary training before landing in Italian soil. However, the convoy headed straight to Naples, where the troops disembarked and waited to join US Task Force 45. Later, on the 22nd July, two more ships, Gen Mann and Gen Meigs, left to Europe, with the Second and Third Echelons, with 10.369 men total. The last two Echelons, Fourth, with more 4.722 men and Fifth,with 5.128 men, left Brazil on the last days of November and first days of February '45, totaling 25.300 men.
The first moments of the Brazilian troops in Italy were dedicated to acquiring and training with new equipment, since the uniform and gear of the Brazilian Army would not fit the different climate and tough exigencies of a modern war (yes, it was obsolete). So that, all the gear used by the Brazilian Army was the average US G.I. equipment. The troops were moved to Tarquinia, 350 Km North of Naples, where the US 5th Army, commanded by the famous Gen Mark Clark, was based. The Brazilian troops were incorporated to the 4th Army Core, commanded by Gen Crittenberger. On the 19th August, Churchill himself visited the 5th Army in Cecina, where he was told that Brazilian troops were part of the Guard of Honor. He directed some of his speech to the Brazilian troops that now joined the war effort in Italy.
The Brazilian troops were filling the gap left by several divisions of the 5th US Army and French Expeditionary Force that went to the invasion in the South of France. This straight action with the fresh Brazilian troops was a necessity, due to the great operation at Anzio, to where so many American and British troops were issued. The overall command of Brazilian troops was made from the High Command of the 15th Allied Army Group, headed by Gen Mark Clark and Gen Crittenberger (5th Army and 4th Army Core, USA), Field marshal Alexander (8th Royal Army, England) together with the high staff of the Brazilian Army, Gen Euríco Dutra, Gen Mascarenhas de Moraes, Gen Zenóbio da Costa and Gen Cordeiro de Farias (commanders of several Infantry and Artillery Divisions among the whole of the Brazilian Expeditionary Force). On the 16th November, FEB occupied Massarosa. Two days later, Camaiore and other small towns and cities on the way North. During this period, the Brazilians G.I.s, or “pracinhas”, created the FEB symbol, consisting of a badge with a snake over National colors (Green and Yellow), with a smoking pipe in mouth. This was a big irony to answer a group of the society opposing Brazil entering the conflict, who used to say that it was easier to see a snake smoking than to see Brazilian troops sent to fight the war…
In October, FEB conquered Monte Prano, controlled the Sercchio river valley and Castelnuovo, with first significant losses. Later that month, troops were directed to the Reno valley. This region, at the feet of the Appenines, was the place where FEB would spend the next three months, facing rigorous winter and the fierce resistance of the German forces up on the mountains and hills, the so called Bernhard and Gustav Lines, strong defenses made by the Axis to delay the advance of troops. It was there where one of the great achievements of the Brazilian troops took place: Monte Castelo. In the end of November, several attempts were made to kick the Germans out of this hill, from where they could spot all movements of Allied troops. The freshly created and debuting in the front 10th US Mountain Division, joined FEB in an 18Km front, having the task of clearing Monte Belvedere from the Germans atop of it. The days went by with head-on clashes with the well nested Germans, clearing off mine fields, “booby traps”, ambushes, machine gun nests, all this under a heavy barrage of grenades and mortar fire. It was not until the 21st of February, 1945, that finally the Germans were battered off Monte Castelo. The Brazilian troops paid a heavy toll for this victory, but still there was more to come.
On 5th of March, FEB entered Castelnuovo. During this period, the Offensive for Spring was being prepared by the High Staff of Gen. Crittenberger and the Brazilian High Command. This was a large scale operation (which would endure till the last days of the War), ranging from the Adriatic to the Tirrene, using every single Division of every Army taking part in the campaign. The actions would start with a frontal attack on the enemy lines, and the city of Montese was the target to the Brazilian troops, so as to remove what was left of the German artillery, still causing great damage to the Allies. The city was taken, but late at night, the Germans counter attacked and it took a high number of casualties to finish off with the fight, again, a tough and bloody page in the actions of FEB during the Italian Campaign
At this point, the Germans were trying to regroup after escaping through road 64, the only path down the Appenines. The progress of the troops was fast and in a few days, the city of Parma was taken. Later on, FEB entered Bologne without any resistance. In the end of April, the actions of pursuing the enemy became the main occupation of the Allied Forces. So it was that FEB entered Collechio, still under German artillery. After surrendering a large number of Germans, the Brazilian Forces were preparing to face fierce resistance at the river Taro, from what was left of the retreating German Forces , this time through route 62. The German troops were surrounded near Fornovo and forced to surrender. So that, the entire 148th Wehrmarcht Infantry Division, consisting altogether of more than 16 thousand(!) men, including the 80th Panzer division, several Italian divisions and more than a thousand vehicles(!), surrendered to the Brazilian Forces on 28th April.
On 2nd May, Brazilian Forces entered the city of Turin, in the Northeast of Italy, meeting French Mountain troops in the frontier, while in the North, FEB was on the heels of German Forces still on the run. At this date, the astounding news that Hitler was dead put an end to the fights in Italy. All German troops finally surrendered to the Allies in the following hours.
