Catalina down!

First U.S. Navy loss in Brazil

After December 7th, 1941 U.S. Navy began deploying VP squadrons to Brazil. The first arrived was VP-52 with PBY-5 Catalinas, a flying boat. It was based at the Rampa, a former Pan Am and its subsidiary Panair do Brasil Seaplane base. They arrived on December 11th.

Meanwhile a second squadron with the more modern PBY-5A (amphibian) Catalina was to be despatched to Brazil. It was VP-83 and they were the first combat squadron to be based in the new Parnamirim Field, which was being built as the busiest U.S. base outside the U.S.

VP83 came in two divisions, the first arriving on April 9, 1942 and the second on 13 June. This day, only five miles to the north of Natal, in a place know as Barra de Maxaranguape, the accident happened.

Catalina 83-P-12, commanded by Lt(jg) Chester H Skidmore in BuAerNo 7252 encountered a severe thunderstorm at 6:20 PM, local time and precipitated into the ocean, perishing seven of the ten man crew. The search began by the other Catalinas when Lt(jg) Cooper located the wreckage and saw them being rescued by Brazilian fishermen who gave them shelter for the night.

On the 14th, they returned to their squadron, arriving in Parnamirim, "the tent city", as it was called in the first days.

Their saviors were Antonio Gomes de Melo, Pedro Severino de Souza, Antonio dos Anjos, Marcos Bezerra and João Balbino.

To them, the U.S. authorities gave a reward of two Contos, which was a good ammount of money.