page_title: Brazil during World War I
section_title: Navy
hierarchical_section_title: Brazil during World War I / Military involvement / Navy
caption_attribution_description: Português: CT Rio Grande do Norte (CT-4), navio tipo contratorpedeiro da Marinha do Brasil. Navios veleiros mercante ao fundo. Estaleiro: Yarrow Shipbuilders
context_page_description: During World War I, Brazil initially adopted a neutral position, in accordance with the Hague Convention, in an attempt to maintain the markets for its export products, mainly coffee, latex and industrial manufactured items. However, following repeated sinking of Brazilian merchant ships by German submarines, President Venceslau Brás declared war against the Central Powers in 1917. Brazil was the only country in Latin America to be directly involved in the war. The major participation was the Brazilian Navy's patrol of areas of the Atlantic Ocean.
context_section_description: Brazil's main military involvement in this conflict took place at sea. To fulfill this mission, the Secretary of Navy ordered the use of part of its naval power in the anti-submarine campaign, with Admiral Alexandre Faria de Alencar organising a task force that would allow the effective participation of the Brazilian Navy in World War I. Ministerial Notice No. 501 was issued on January 30, 1918, establishing the Naval Division for War Operations (Divisão Naval em Operações de Guerra - DNOG), a naval fleet composed of units drawn from the fleets that formed the Navy in Brazil. The dreadnoughts  Minas Geraes and São Paulo, two scout cruisers, Bahia and Rio Grande do Sul were some of the major warships of the DNOG.
  The DNOG was composed of the following vessels:
  Scout cruiser Rio Grande do Sul
  Scout cruiser Bahia
  Destroyer Piaui (CT-3)
  Destroyer Rio Grande do Norte (CT-4)
  Destroyer Paraiba (CT-5)
  Destroyer Santa Catarina (CT-9)
  Tender Belmonte fleet auxiliary
  Laurindo Pitta fleet tug
  The DNOG was initially tasked to patrol the Atlantic maritime area covered by the triangle between the city of Dakar on the African coast, the island of São Vicente, Cape Verde and Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean. The Division would remain under the orders of the British Admiralty, represented by Admiral Hischcot Grant. As Commander, the Minister appointed one of the most well-regarded officers at the time, Admiral Pedro Max Fernando Frontin, on January 30, 1918.
  The war at sea fought by Brazil's navy began on August 1, 1918 following the departure of the force from the port of Rio de Janeiro. On August 3, 1918, the Brazilian ship Maceió was torpedoed by the German submarine U-43. On August 9, 1918, the mission reached Freetown in Sierra Leone, staying 14 days, where the crew began falling ill with Spanish flu during a pandemic.
  On the night of August 25, while sailing from Freetown to Dakar, the division suffered a torpedo attack by German submarines, but no casualties or damage were suffered by the Brazilian vessels, the torpedoes passing harmlessly between the Brazilian ships. A successful counter-attack using depth charges was launched, the Royal Navy crediting the Brazilians with the destruction of a U-boat. Subsequently, after anchoring in the port of Dakar, the crews were again severely hit by Spanish flu, which claimed the lives of over a hundred sailors and kept the Division restricted to port for almost two months.
  Among the Allied naval command, there was debate about how the forces of the Brazilian fleet should be used; “The Italians wanted them in the Mediterranean, the Americans wanted them to work closely with US forces, and the French wanted to keep them protecting the commercial maritime traffic along the African coast Between Dakar and Gibraltar“. This indecision amongst the Allied command, combined with operational problems and the Spanish flu pandemic led to extended delays. In the event the fleet did not arrive at Gibraltar until the beginning of November 1918 just days before the signing of the armistice ending the war.
  As another preparatory military mission the navy sent a group of military aviators who served with the RAF on the western front.
caption: The Pará class destroyers
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