Argentina's involvement in WW II

[sawbones]

I was just reading a book by W.E.B. Griffin, fiction, with a WW II storyline. It talks about their attempt at neutrality during the war. Anyone have any recommendations for fact based books during the time period ? I m a big history buff, but for some reason Ive completely neglected any literature re: Central and South America during the time period.

[KSM]

I'd be interested in something along those lines, too. Didn't a bunch of Nazi party types flee to Argentina after the war? I always wondered about that...

[sawbones]

Yes they did. Get this, last one found and deported was in 1995, age 82. I ve read/found one online article re: FBI prior to war. Im curious if any support was given for coup in 1942-3 time frame.

[Greenhat]

The Limits of Hegemony: United States Relations With Argentina and Chile During World War II by Michael J. Francis

U-Boat 977: The U-Boat that Escaped to Argentina by Heinz Schaeffer

Hitler's Secret War in South America, 1939-1945: German Military Espionage and Allied Counterespionage in Brazil by Stanley Hilton

There is some information regarding South America here: http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq67-3.htm

Struggle for a Continent: The Diplomatic History of South America, 1917-1945 by Glenn Barklay

New York Times archives:

http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10B11FC3D5510718EDDA10994D8415B 8288F1D3

More info on German espionage efforts in South America:
http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq114-1.htm

From http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/11/sa/ht11sa.htm

1939–45 Colombia assists the United States in ensuring that the Panama Canal remains open during World War II. In 1944, a Brazilian force of 25,000 troops participates in the Allied invasion of Italy. Other South American countries also support the Allied cause in World War II, although Argentina initially supports the Axis side.

A few more links of interest:

http://ftp1.us.proftpd.org/hyperwar//USN/Building_Bases/bases-18.html

http://ftp1.us.proftpd.org/hyperwar//USA/USA-WH-Frame/index.html

http://ftp1.us.proftpd.org/hyperwar//USA/USA-WH-Guard/USA-WH-Guard-12.html

http://ftp1.us.proftpd.org/hyperwar//USA/USA-WH-Guard/USA-WH-Guard-13.html

http://ftp1.us.proftpd.org/hyperwar//USA/USA-WH-Guard/USA-WH-Guard-16.html

[KSM]

Greenhat, once again you prove to be a wealth of knowledge. Thanks for the links!

[sawbones]

GH-Thanks. My reading list just doubled in size.

[ET1/ss nuke]

Greenhat to the rescue!

Just as Spain was "neutral" but not so covertly helped the Axis, so did Argentina provide assistance to U-boats bound for the Indian Ocean during the war and (curiously) support for a significant German military expedition to Antarctica in the 1930s.

[sawbones]

I new you swabbys were good for something.:D Thats the first Ive heard of Germans going to the southpole.

[Longrifle]

While Argentina was claiming to be neutral, Uruguay was in fact neutral. Hitler didn't quite plan on this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_pocket_battleship_Admiral_Graf_Spee).

[Axe]

Im curious if any support was given for coup in 1942-3 time frame.

Read on in that W.E.B. Griffin series and you will learn all about Maj. Cletus Frade of the OSS's daring exploits during the coup. :)

[ET1/ss nuke]

Thats the first Ive heard of Germans going to the southpole.

I don't know that there was any useful thing for them to do down there, but the Germans made quite a flag-waving deal out of it in the mid-1930s. It was all built around a scientific/cartographic mission, but it was carried out and supported by military personnel and naval units. Oddly enough, after WW2 the US, Brits, and Soviets went to the same place in Antarctica with a similar expedition of military-backed scientists to do surveys under the auspices of the International Geophysical Year (or some such title), which culminated with the explosion of two atomic bombs in the sky above the area they had just surveyed, ostensibly for testing purposes. Other than mapping out what Antarctica would look like if it didn't have an ice cap (as in, say, if someone used nukes to melt the ice?), we spent a whole lot of resources to accomplish nothing obvious. Either something in Antarctica was/is much more important than publicized, or our bureaucrats proved they are just as capable of pointlessly wasting resources as the Nazis were. I lean toward the latter interpretation.

[WS-G]

...after WW2 the US, Brits, and Soviets went to the same place in Antarctica with a similar expedition of military-backed scientists to do surveys under the auspices of the International Geophysical Year (or some such title), ....
IGY. The year was 1957.

Re: WW2 and LatAm, Brasil contributed a brigade of naval infantry at Anzio. Also, a Mexican AF squadron saw action in the Phillipines.

[ET1/ss nuke]

Re: WW2 and LatAm, Brasil contributed a brigade of naval infantry at Anzio. Also, a Mexican AF squadron saw action in the Phillipines.

Cool, I never knew that. I learn something new every day, I just wish I didn't forget most of it.

[Johan]

Brazil has fighter squadron that fights for Allied in world war 2. They fly the P-47.

Regards,

[sawbones]

ET-The polar exploration squadron was VX-E6. It had a presence on the southern polar region until I think 2002/04. Home ported out of Pt Mugoo in Oxnard. If you look at their yearbook/deployment book, you'll see a Navy Corpsman with my last name in about 4 of them. Thats my Dad. They did parachute testing, dry suit testing, EXTREME cold weather training, etc. I've got over 1000 slides from Dad's deployments. Nothing cooler than a Herc fitted with ski's instead of wheels.:cool:

Thanks all for the input, keep it coming.

Axe-thanks, but I just finished the series 2 days ago.:D Thats where I got the idea for the thread. I do love the way he,Griffin, blends period facts in with his storylines.

[WS-G]

Brazil has fighter squadron that fights for Allied in world war 2. They fly the P-47.

Regards,

...proving Brasil has also unlocked the secret of time travel as well.

(Schade, Johan! Mach' ich nur ein Witz! :D)

[MailBuoy]

Some links (I know, some Wikipedia in there, so shoot me);

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escuadr%C3%B3n_201

http://www.tau.ac.il/eial/VI_2/mccann.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No._164_Squadron_RAF

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faja_de_Oro

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Expeditionary_Force

http://www.archive.org/details/Brazilat1943

[Johan]

...proving Brasil has also unlocked the secret of time travel as well.

(Schade, Johan! Mach' ich nur ein Witz! :D)

:)

Regards,