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✅The Two World Wars Reached the Azores

The 20th century was marked by two world wars, and in both, the Azores archipelago played a crucial role in the unfolding of operations.

During the First World War, which took place between 1914 and 1918, Portugal participated by sending troops to the borders of Angola and Mozambique, and later, to the battlefields of France. In the Second World War, which lasted from 1939 to 1945, Portugal adopted a stance of collaborative neutrality and was not directly involved in military actions.

However, in both conflicts, the Azores became a battleground for the belligerent forces, particularly in maritime warfare and, more specifically, in submarine activity. German submarines frequently used Azorean waters, as they were a key transit point for Allied convoys crossing the Atlantic, where American navigation could also receive logistical support.

The strategic importance of the Azores was only truly recognized at the beginning of the 20th century, when the need arose to establish coal depots in its main ports to provide logistical support for Allied navigation and to restrict access to adversarial nations.

Until March 1916, Portugal remained a non-belligerent power. However, from that point onward, it integrated into the Allied war effort. About a year later, on April 6, 1917, the United States also declared war on Germany and its allies. From then on, thousands of American soldiers, tanks, ships, and aircraft crossed the Atlantic to contribute to the Allied victory.

On July 4, 1917, an act of war took place in the Azores when a German submarine bombarded the city of Ponta Delgada. Shortly afterward, on July 25, 1917, in response to a request for assistance, five American destroyers arrived in Ponta Delgada to ensure freedom of navigation in that region of the Atlantic. Portuguese-American negotiations continued, and in November 1917, the establishment of the American naval base in Ponta Delgada was officially confirmed. This not only reinforced security for Allied convoys crossing the Atlantic but also transformed the original concept of logistical support.

Whether during Portugal's neutrality, after Portugal entered the hostilities while the United States remained neutral, or following America's declaration of war on Germany, the Azores were always considered crucial to ensuring free navigation in the Atlantic.

The First World War ended in November 1918, and until 1939, the Azores were largely forgotten as a piece on the international political chessboard. However, with the onset of the Second World War, the archipelago was initially seen as a frontier between continental and maritime belligerents. It soon became an essential link between the two sides of the Atlantic. The losses inflicted on Allied convoys by German submarines highlighted the necessity of using the Azores as an operational base. As a result, from October 1943, the Allies began utilizing Lajes Airfield on Terceira Island, which then had the longest runway in the world at 3,280 meters. Additionally, the Santana Airfield on São Miguel Island was available for emergency landings.

Furthermore, the ports of Ponta Delgada, Angra do Heroísmo, and Horta were opened to Allied naval units for logistical purposes. This concession allowed the patrolling of a vast section of the Atlantic that had previously been unguarded. With a base strategically located in the heart of the region, Allied naval units were spared long and exhausting voyages between their bases and their areas of operation. The impact was immediate, resulting in a substantial reduction in losses suffered by Allied convoys, as well as improved detection and attacks on German submarines.

Comparing the role of the Azores in the two World Wars, it is evident that in both conflicts, Allied bases were established in Azorean territory. In the First World War, this was through the naval base in Ponta Delgada, while in the Second World War, the use of Lajes Airfield eventually transformed it into a permanent American airbase, alongside continued logistical support through its ports.

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