"Senta a Pua!"
Rudnei Cunha - The 1º/1º Grupo de Aviação de Caça - 1º/1º GAVCA has its origins in the 1º Grupo de Aviação de Caça, which was the first unit of the FAB to receive training in modern fighter tactics during World War II. Created on 18 December 1943, the Group (equivalent to an USAAF squadron) was initially trained in the U.S. Canal Zone, where it was engaged in the air defence of that strategic area, using Curtiss P-40C aircraft (of which more modern variants were already available to the FAB in Brazil at the time). Afterwards it moved to Suffolk, U.S.A., where its pilots and groundcrews transitioned to the Republic P-47D-25 Thunderbolt, which was used by the Group in Italy. The history of the 1º GAVCA in the Italian Campaign, 1944-1945, is available here.
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P-47D
Post-war 1º GAVCA P-47D
(by Ney L. Senandes)
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When the war in Europe ended, with the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, the 1º GAVCA was engaged for a short time in occupation army duties. In July 1945 the pilots returned to Brazil staging in the U.S.A. where they picked-up nineteen brand new Republic P-47D-40 Thunderbolt from USAAF stocks (replacing those already assigned to the FAB which had been left at a Naples depot). The 29 P-47D-25 which had survived the Italian campaign were disassembled and shipped to Brazil.
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Green Flight at Santa Cruz, 1946: standing, Bins, Keller
(Flight Leader and a veteran of the Italian Campaign),
Moreira Lima; Berthier, Seidl, Ramos Pereira
(Fernando Ramos Pereira via Paulo Pereira)
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After their return, the 1º GAVCA became part of the 1º Regimento de Aviação - 1º RAv (1st Aviation Regiment), based at the Base Aérea de Santa Cruz, together with its brother unit - the 2º GAVCA. Its pilots and groundcrew personnel were all veterans from the Italian campaign.
Bringing back with them the experience acquired in battle, the 1º GAVCA was instrumental in introducing the FAB to the operational requirements of a modern fighter arm. Today, the veteran pilots unanimously acknowledge that this was their main contribution to the FAB in the post-war years. It was not without cost, though - several pilots, having flown several combat missions (some of them more than 60), were to die after the war while transmitting their knowledge to the new fighter pilots.
In 1947, the FAB was restructured; the regiments were disbanded and its subordinate squadrons received new denominations. The 1º GAVCA and 2º GAVCA became the 1º/9º Grupo de Aviação (1st/9th Aviation Group) and 2º/9º GAV, respectively.
This change in title was not welcomed by the crews, though, and on 14 October 1949, the 1º/9º GAV was renamed the 1º/1º GAVCA (the 2º/9º GAV became the 2º/1º GAVCA).
The 1º/1º GAVCA used the P-47D-40 until May 1953, when the first British-built Gloster Meteor fighters were received. Initially finished in natural metal, both the Meteor F-8 (monoplace) and TF-7 (biplace, equivalent to the British Mk.7) were later to have the nose, engine intakes, wingtips and rear part of the fuselage painted in red (a finish that became known as "ovo estalado" - because the nose painting resembled a fried egg!).
In 1968 the Lockheed TF-33A trainer-fighter replaced the Meteors in 1º/1º GAVCA service (those having been grounded in December 1966). The Brazilian-built AT-26 Xavante was received in 1972 but both types were not ideally suited to the tasks assigned to the Squadron.
A true fighter aircraft arrived in 1975, the Northrop F-5E, which is used until today.
The F-5Es are shared by both the 1º/1º GAVCA and 2º/1º GAVCA (the Squadrons badges are painted in the left and right sides of the fin, respectively).
These F-5Es are finished in "Southeast Asia USAF" camouflage and have a dorsal extension to the fin and an in-flight refuelling probe; these characteristics distinguish them from the F-5Es used by the 1º/14º GAV.
The 1º/1º GAVCA keeps alive the highest traditions set in Italy by the "Avestruzes" (ostriches) from the 1º GAVCA, using the same badge and their call-sign - "Jambock". Its flights use typical WWII-style names: Vermelha (red), Amarela (yellow), Azul (blue) and Verde (green).
Bibliography:
C. Lorch, "A Caça Brasileira - nascida em combate", Action Editora, Rio de Janeiro, 1993.
J.E. Magalhães Motta, "Força Aérea Brasileira 1941-1961 - Como eu a vi...", INCAER, Rio de Janeiro, 1992.
Revista Força Aérea, Ano I, Nº 1, Action, Novembro 1995.
Other links:
Start the engine of the P-47-D
And comin soon the Gripen F-39 E/F.
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