Durante
a Segunda Guerra Mundial, foram identificadas dois tipos de potenciais ameaças
à soberania nacional. A primeira seria uma invasão terrestre por parte da
Espanha (ou por um país terceiro através do território desta), e a segunda uma
ameaça a um dos arquipélagos ou colónias Portuguesas.
No que respeita a uma ameaça através da Raia
(terminologia tradicional usada para nomear a fronteira terrestre que separa
Portugal e Espanha), o mentor e responsável
pela organização e estratégia defensiva de terra do Exército Português foi o CEME
(Chefe de Estado Maior) General Tasso de Miranda Cabral. A principal estratégia
Portuguesa foi inspirada da do Exército Francês e chamava-se Defesa Avançada . O
esquema consistia em dois tipos de forças, Unidades de Fronteira e Unidades de Linha. As Unidades de Fronteira
tinham um carácter operacional, com um elevado grau de preparação para a
guerra, elevado número de efetivos e 100% do seu equipamento orgânico.
Destinavam-se à cobertura da Raia e da costa Atlântica, para permitir a
mobilização do Exército de Campanha ou o desembarque de unidades aliadas na
costa. Estas forças permitiriam em seguida, concentrar as forças
principais mobilizadas, diretamente na fronteira, pelo que todo o território
nacional poderia ser defendido. As
Unidades de Linha tinham implantação Territorial e destinavam-se à instrução
dos contingentes de recrutas e á mobilização do Exército de Campanha. Esta
foi a mesma estratégia militar usado na Polônia , Bélgica e França, os resultados
foram evidentes em 1939-40. Uma
das razões para a Defesa Avançada foi a presença de muitas tropas espanholas
próximas da fronteira Portuguesa, com a desculpa da interdição dos movimentos
de guerrilha que sabíamos , não existiam. Desta forma,
a principal ameaça ao território Português foi considerado a Espanha. Comparativamente
com a Alemanha , o Exército Espanhol não tinha nem os meios, treinamento ou
equipamento para lançar um assalto Blitzkrieg na Raia. Comparando-se
os dois exércitos (Portugal e Espanha), ambos contavam com velhas táticas e eram
bastante conservadores no que respeita a inovação. O
treino dos oficiais era deficiente, havia falta de material de guerra
sofisticado, e ambos apostavam fortemente na Infantaria e Cavalaria . Em 1939,
os depósitos de munições dos portugueses eram estimados para aguentarem apenas
3 dias de combate intenso. O General Tasso de Miranda Cabral acreditava
que, se fosse possível mobilizar os 500.000 homens disponíveis e enviá-los para
a Raia, o Exército Português poderia forçar o fim das hostilidades ou mesmo
destruir o Exército Espanhol. O Exército Português era comandado inteiramente
por oficiais de carreira, o que representava uma enorme vantagem em relação ao
espanhol, que contava com muitos oficiais não profissionais da guerra civil, onde
mostraram muitas deficiências táticas e práticas no comando das unidades do
exército em campanha. Os Portugueses participaram ativamente na Guerra Civil de
Espanha, quer como combatentes por ambas as fações, quer como MPOE(Missão
Portuguesa de Observação em Espanha) (2500 homens), estudando a campanha, o uso
de novas armas e táticas. Em 1938 Portugal recebeu uma missão militar Inglesa,
que aconselhou a preparação para missões de retardamento e guerrilha junto ás
fronteiras, e destacamento de unidades de engenharia para procederem a
demolições e destruições para retardarem o avanço de unidades inimigas. Estas
orientações iam contra a estratégia estabelecida de Defesa Avançada, mas depois
do poderoso Exército Alemão chegar á fronteira Espanhola nos Pireneus em 1940, foram
dadas instruções e efetuadas preparações para procederem com o aconselhado, só
assim poderíamos retardar os Panzers e Panzergrenadiers.
O Exército Português
tinha lutado na Primeira Guerra Mundial , tanto em África (Angola e Moçambique)
como na França, adquirindo
grande experiência , tanto na guerra estática
de trincheiras como em operações móveis coloniais. Esta
experiência originou os regulamentos de campo do Exército Português . Muitos
veteranos da Primeira Guerra Mundial ainda estavam ao serviço no Exército, LP
(Legião Portuguesa), GNR (Guarda Nacional Republicana ), GF (Guarda Fiscal ) e
PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública).
During
World War II, two types of potential threats to national sovereignty were
identified. The
first would be a ground invasion by Spain ( or by third country through Spanish
territory), and the second a threat to one of the Portuguese islands or colonies.
With regard to a threat by Raia ( traditional terminology used to name the land border that separates Portugal from Spain) , the mentor and responsible for the organization and defensive land strategy of the Portuguese Army was the CEME (Army Chief of Staff ) General Tasso Miranda Cabral . The main Portuguese strategy was inspired by the French Army and was called Advanced Defense. The scheme consisted of two types of forces, Border Units and Line Units. Border Units had an operational nature with a high degree of preparation for war, higher manpower number and 100 % of their organic equipment. They were intended to cover the border and the Atlantic coast, to enable the mobilization of the Field Army or the landing of allied units on the coast . This would allow then to concentrate the main forces deployed directly on the border, so that Nationwide could be defended. Line Units planning and implementation were intended for the instruction of the annual recruit contingent and will mobilization of the Field Army. This was the same military strategy used in Poland, Belgium and France, with hard the results in 1939-40. One of the reasons for the Advanced Defense was the presence of many Spanish troops near the Portuguese border, on the pretext of interdiction of guerrilla movements that we knew did not exist. Thus , the main threat to the Portuguese territory was considered Spain. Compared with Germany , the Spanish Army had neither the means , training or equipment to launch a blitzkrieg assault on the Raia. Comparing the two armies (Portugal and Spain), both relied on old tactics and were quite conservative with regard to innovation. The training of officers was poor , there was a lack of sophisticated military equipment , and bet heavily on both Infantry and Cavalry. In 1939 , the ammunition depots of the Portuguese were estimated to withstand only 3 days of intense fighting . General Tasso de Miranda Cabral believed that if it were possible to mobilize 500,000 men available and send them to the Raia, then the Portuguese army could force the end of hostilities or even destroy the Spanish Army . The Portuguese Army was driven entirely by career officers , which represented a huge advantage over the Spaniard, who had not many civil officers during the war, which showed many tactical and practical deficiencies in command of Field Army units during the civil war. The Portuguese actively participated in the Spanish Civil War , either as combatants by both factions , either as MPOE ( Portuguese Observation Mission in Spain ) ( 2500 men ) , studying the campaign , the use of new weapons and tactics . In 1938 Portugal received a British military mission , which counseled delay actions, preparation for guerrilla missions along the borders , and deployment of engineering detachments to undertake demolitions and destructions to delay the advance of enemy units . These guidelines were against the established against Advanced Defense strategy, but after the mighty German Army reached the Spanish border in the Pyrenees in 1940 , instructions were given and preparations made to proceed with the recommended , just so we could delay the Panzers and Panzergrenadiers .
The Portuguese Army had fought in the First World War , both in Africa ( Angola and Mozambique ) as in the trenches of France, acquiring extensive experience, both in static trench warfare or mobile colonial operations . This experience led to the field regulations of the Portuguese Army. Many First World War veterans were still serving in the Army , LP ( Portuguese Legion ) , GNR ( National Republican Guard ) , GF ( Fiscal Guard ) and PSP ( Public Security Police ).
With regard to a threat by Raia ( traditional terminology used to name the land border that separates Portugal from Spain) , the mentor and responsible for the organization and defensive land strategy of the Portuguese Army was the CEME (Army Chief of Staff ) General Tasso Miranda Cabral . The main Portuguese strategy was inspired by the French Army and was called Advanced Defense. The scheme consisted of two types of forces, Border Units and Line Units. Border Units had an operational nature with a high degree of preparation for war, higher manpower number and 100 % of their organic equipment. They were intended to cover the border and the Atlantic coast, to enable the mobilization of the Field Army or the landing of allied units on the coast . This would allow then to concentrate the main forces deployed directly on the border, so that Nationwide could be defended. Line Units planning and implementation were intended for the instruction of the annual recruit contingent and will mobilization of the Field Army. This was the same military strategy used in Poland, Belgium and France, with hard the results in 1939-40. One of the reasons for the Advanced Defense was the presence of many Spanish troops near the Portuguese border, on the pretext of interdiction of guerrilla movements that we knew did not exist. Thus , the main threat to the Portuguese territory was considered Spain. Compared with Germany , the Spanish Army had neither the means , training or equipment to launch a blitzkrieg assault on the Raia. Comparing the two armies (Portugal and Spain), both relied on old tactics and were quite conservative with regard to innovation. The training of officers was poor , there was a lack of sophisticated military equipment , and bet heavily on both Infantry and Cavalry. In 1939 , the ammunition depots of the Portuguese were estimated to withstand only 3 days of intense fighting . General Tasso de Miranda Cabral believed that if it were possible to mobilize 500,000 men available and send them to the Raia, then the Portuguese army could force the end of hostilities or even destroy the Spanish Army . The Portuguese Army was driven entirely by career officers , which represented a huge advantage over the Spaniard, who had not many civil officers during the war, which showed many tactical and practical deficiencies in command of Field Army units during the civil war. The Portuguese actively participated in the Spanish Civil War , either as combatants by both factions , either as MPOE ( Portuguese Observation Mission in Spain ) ( 2500 men ) , studying the campaign , the use of new weapons and tactics . In 1938 Portugal received a British military mission , which counseled delay actions, preparation for guerrilla missions along the borders , and deployment of engineering detachments to undertake demolitions and destructions to delay the advance of enemy units . These guidelines were against the established against Advanced Defense strategy, but after the mighty German Army reached the Spanish border in the Pyrenees in 1940 , instructions were given and preparations made to proceed with the recommended , just so we could delay the Panzers and Panzergrenadiers .
The Portuguese Army had fought in the First World War , both in Africa ( Angola and Mozambique ) as in the trenches of France, acquiring extensive experience, both in static trench warfare or mobile colonial operations . This experience led to the field regulations of the Portuguese Army. Many First World War veterans were still serving in the Army , LP ( Portuguese Legion ) , GNR ( National Republican Guard ) , GF ( Fiscal Guard ) and PSP ( Public Security Police ).
Bibliografia:
EME, Lisboa, 1993
- A Política de Defesa Nacional 1919-1958
António Paulo Duarte, ICS, Lisboa, 2010
