BRAZILIAN AIR FORCE BASES - FAB AIRBASES
2)BELEM AFB
In 1936 Brazilian Army Air Corps created the 7º Air Regiment. That was the steppingstone of the future airbase. In 1939 the base took delivery of a few Chance Vought Corsair V 65 B. Those tiny slow crafts were employed in patrol sweeps along the inhospitable Northern Brazilian coast surrounded by the close Amazon jungle.
These were the only crafts that could be put in action in view of the outbreak of the war. With the agreements made by U.S. and Brazil, in 1941/42, Belem emerges in importance with the constant flow of thousands of combat airplanes which used the base as a refueling and up keeping point bound for African front.
Brazilian Air Force garrisoned Belem with 13 aircraft. Forming the 1st Patrol Group, 3 PBY Catalinas were the first update equipment to arrive at that remote site at the mouth of the Amazon River. Later four more PBY-5A, amphibians joined the others. Belem was a large airfield operated by several US Navy Squadrons. Their aircrafts were credited for the sinking of 2 Uboats.
3 Vought Corsair VC 65 B
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3 North American NA - 72
7 Consolidated Catalina PBY 5 A
4 Gumann J4F2
