Friday, May 22, 1942 Mexico Declares War on the Axis.

Today in World War II History—May 22, 1942: Mexico declares war on Germany, Japan, and Italy after many ships are lost to German U-boats. United Steel Workers of America is formed.

So notes Sarah Sundin on her blog.

Something little noted by most historians today, the Mexican declaration of war was significant to the United States, as it ended up releasing forces stationed on the border, which included two cavalry regiments from the Texas National Guard.  The US had frankly been concerned about what side of the war Mexico would favor, with the single part state favoring strong central rule and having a wing that favored fascism.  Having said that, the sympathies of the ruling party, the PRI, fell more heavily on the left, and indeed Mexico had teetered on the edge of outright Communism for a time during the 1930s.  A change in leadership in 1940 brought in Manuel Ávila Camacho, the last general to serve as President of Mexico, who was a political moderate.

Camacho took a much more conciliatory view towards relations with the United States than his predecessors since the revolution, even though he had been an officer in revolutionary armies since 1914.  Perhaps ironically, his opponent in the 1940 Mexican election was the retired right wing Mexican officer Juan Andreu Almazán, who traveled to the United States thereafter to seek support from the Roosevelt Administration for an intended revolution against Camacho.  In this context, the US actually did favor Almazán over Camacho.  Almazán's friendship with far right figures in the United States however doomed any support from the US.

In addition to starting the repair of relations with the US, Camacho, who was a practicing Catholic, ended the official PRI suppression of the Catholic Church.

Mexico would play a small role in the war militarily, but strategically its location made a difference to the allies in regard to shipping and control of the seas.  Additionally, the Bracero Program brought Mexican farm laborers in, in a shift in US agricultural practices, that became more or less permanent.

Mexican fighter pilot and maintenance crew of the 201st Fighter Squadron.

In terms of combat units, Mexico contributed a fighter squadron, equipped with US aircraft, in the fight against Japan.  15,000 Mexican nationals joined the American armed forces, something that's rarely noted.

Also on this day, Pan Am initiated the use of corrugated cardboard cartons for cargo, a massive weight saving innovation.

Sparrow Force on Timor ambushes a patrol led by the Japanese "Tiger of Singapore", who was leading the patrol mounted on a white horse.  He was killed.