NickG
New Member
First Brazilian Fighter Group Italy
1St BRAZILIAN FIGHTER SQUADRON
Although the Brazilian pilots were trained as fighters, the 1st BFS became a fighter-bomber unit in Italy, and its missions were mostly armed reconnaissance and “free-hunt” sorties, giving air support for the US 5th Army, to which the Brazilian Expeditionary Force was attached. By April, 1945, the group of pilots had been reduced to 24, some were KIA, injured and others were taken as POWs. Every pilot flew an average of 2 missions a day, and at the end of the war the group had flown 445 missions, 2,550 individual sorties and 5,465 combat flight hours. They achieved outstanding efficacy, and between 6 to 29 April 1945, although flying only 5% of the total missions carried out by the 350th, the FBS was responsible for the destruction of 85% of the ammunition depots destroyed by the 350th, 36% of the fuel depots, 28% of the bridges, 15% of motor vehicles and 10% of horse-drawn vehicles. Such achievements rendered the 1st BFS the Presidential Unit Citation (Air Force), given by the US Government. Apart from other few USAF units, only the 1st BFS and two Royal Australian Air Force units - Nos. 2 and 13 Squadrons - have received this citation.
1St BRAZILIAN FIGHTER SQUADRON
Although the Brazilian pilots were trained as fighters, the 1st BFS became a fighter-bomber unit in Italy, and its missions were mostly armed reconnaissance and “free-hunt” sorties, giving air support for the US 5th Army, to which the Brazilian Expeditionary Force was attached. By April, 1945, the group of pilots had been reduced to 24, some were KIA, injured and others were taken as POWs. Every pilot flew an average of 2 missions a day, and at the end of the war the group had flown 445 missions, 2,550 individual sorties and 5,465 combat flight hours. They achieved outstanding efficacy, and between 6 to 29 April 1945, although flying only 5% of the total missions carried out by the 350th, the FBS was responsible for the destruction of 85% of the ammunition depots destroyed by the 350th, 36% of the fuel depots, 28% of the bridges, 15% of motor vehicles and 10% of horse-drawn vehicles. Such achievements rendered the 1st BFS the Presidential Unit Citation (Air Force), given by the US Government. Apart from other few USAF units, only the 1st BFS and two Royal Australian Air Force units - Nos. 2 and 13 Squadrons - have received this citation.
