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Air America at the Bay of Pigs by Dr Air America at the Bay of Pigs by Dr. Joe F. Leeker First published on 11 August 2008, last updated on 15 March 2021 Retalhuleu airfield (“Rayo Base”) in 1960/1 (US Government photograph) A) Preparations at Retalhuleu: dropping supplies to Cuban rebels in 1960/1 Already in late 1959, the CIA began plotting to overthrow Fidel Castro, when it had become clear that the Cuban leader embraced Soviet-style Communism. Before Major Aderholt left for Okinawa in January 1960, he already worked on the air portion of a CIA plan to invade Cuba, in which he identified the Alabama National Guard to train aircrews of Cuban exiles. But this plan, which called for bombers and sustained air strikes, was cancelled.1 On 17 March 1960, President Eisenhower officially set the wheels in motion ordering the CIA to organize, equip and train a group of Cuban exiles in a foreign country for future guerrilla operations. “A number of paramilitary cadres” were to be trained at “secure locations outside the U.S.” and equipped with “a small air supply capability under deep cover as a commercial operation”.2 In January 1960, negotiations for a Panama training site began,3 and after receiving “$25,000 of sterile arms”, the Panama training base “was activated 11 May. […] Training in Panama began in June”.4 “In mid-June [1960] 29 Cubans had arrived in Panama to begin training in small-unit infiltration.”5 Indeed, “small unit cadres were trained at Fort Randolph in the Panama Canal Zone for infiltration, the establishment of commo activities, and sabotage.”6 Other locations in the Panama Canal Zone used for a short 1 Trest, Air Commando One, pp. 9+83. 2 CIA proposal of 16 March 1960, approved by President Eisenhower on 17 March 60, reprinted in Peter Kornbluh (ed.), Bay of Pigs declassified. The secret CIA report on the invasion of Cuba, New York (The New Press) 1998, pp.103-5, plus Tab. A-C. 3 “Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation” of October 1961, §8, in: Kornbluh (ed.), Bay of Pigs declassified, p.25. 4 “Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation” of October 1961, §22, in: Kornbluh (ed.), Bay of Pigs declassified, p.28. 5 “Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation” of October 1961, §31, in: Kornbluh (ed.), Bay of Pigs declassified, p.29. 6 Jack B. Pfeiffer, Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation, Vol. II, part 1, p.56 (quotation) + III, pp.45, 47, 83/4, and 92, readable at https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/bop-vol3.pdf , plus photos of Fort Randolph and Fort Sherman online at https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000132537.pdf . 1 time in 1960 were the training site of Fort Sherman and France airfield.7 All of these locations were abandoned, when the Finca “Helvetia” (JMTRAV) in Guatemala became available for training in the summer of 1960.8 Apparently, this was the original purpose of Los Hermanos Sebastian y Gómez of Panama, the CIA front that later seemingly “owned” the Fuerza Aérea de Liberación aircraft.9 The original plan called for air drops of ammunition and arms to anti-Castro groups and for on- the-beach-landings of small groups of Cuban exiles only. Then, in the course of 1960, the plan was expanded to provide for a real invasion of Cuba,10 which was to become Operation Pluto, the fiasco of the Bay of Pigs. Originally, the CIA code for the entire operation was JMARC, but in the summer of 1960, it changed to JMATE.11 Even before that tentative invasion of April 61, Air America aircraft were involved in the preparation of this invasion. In July 1960, the first CIA instructors arrived in Guatemala.12 As to the air drops, the Presidential briefing paper of August 1960 outlined the plan of operations as follows: “The initial phase of paramilitary operations envisages the development, support and guidance of dissident groups in three areas of Cuba: Pinas del Rio, Escambray and Sierra Maestra. These groups will be organized for concerted guerrilla action against the regime.”13 It is known that most of the pilots who flew in the Bay of Pigs operation against Cuba in April 1961 were Cuban exiles who had been engaged by the Double-Check Corporation.14 A list of all Cuban pilots involved in that operation can be found in document no. 141164 published on the CIA’s website.15 Already in August 1960, Los Hermanos Sebastian y Gómez of Panama had announced to Air Asia Company Limited that they wanted to 7 “Panama was involved marginally in the Agency’s anti-Castro effort. Forts Randolph and Sherman in the Canal Zone were the sites initially selected for PM and communications training for the cadres which were to help organize the dissident elements inside Cuba; and ‘France airfield’ in the Zone also was used by Agency aircraft during the course of the project” (Pfeiffer, Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation, Vol. II, part 1, pp.iii/iv, at https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/bop-vol2-part1.pdf . 8 “The initial group of paramilitary trainees was transferred to the Guatemala Base from Panama after two months of training. By 23 August there were 78 paramilitary trainees, 34 communications trainees, and nine staff and contract employees.” (“Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation” of October 1961, § L8, in: Kornbluh (ed.), Bay of Pigs declassified, p.91). Trainees from Ussepa Island, Florida had already arrived at “Helvetia” in early July (Kornbluh, Bay of Pigs declassified, Chronology, p.273). 9 It had been founded in August 1959 as a CIA proprietary airline for eventual support in Latin American crisis situations, especially in Cuba (“Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation” of October 1961, §B5, in: Kornbluh (ed.), Bay of Pigs declassified, pp.24/5). 10 “In late summer 1960, the concept of covert operations begins to shift from infiltrating teams to wage guerrilla warfare to an amphibious operation involving at least 1,500 men who would seize and defend an area by sea and air assault and establish a base for further operation.” (Kornbluh, Bay of Pigs declassified, Chronology, p.275). “On 4 November 1960 WH/4 took formal action to change the course of the project by greatly expanding the size of the Cuban paramilitary unit and redirecting its training along more conventional military lines” (“Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation”, §45, in: Kornbluh, cit., p.32). 11 Jack B. Pfeiffer, Official History of the Bay of Pigs Operation, Vol. I: Air Operations, March 1960-April 1961, vol. I, part 1, p.5, at https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0001237654.pdf . 12 Fursenko / Naftali, One Hell of a Gamble, p.83. 13 “Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation”, dated October 1961, that is document no. 129914 at https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000129914.pdf , § B36, p. 14, that is p. 22 on the website. 14 Hagedorn / Hellström, Foreign Invaders, p. 126, and https://archive.org/stream/nsia-CubaBayofPigs/nsia- CubaBayofPigs/Cuba%20Bay%20Of%20Pigs%2007_djvu.txt . Paramilitary trainees were recruited by the FRD military staff, in cooperation with the CIA’s Miami Base (“Inspector General’s Survey of the Cuban Operation” of October 1961, §46, in: Kornbluh (ed.), Bay of Pigs declassified, p.32). 15 See https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/DOC_0000141164.pdf . 2 purchase four of Air Asia’s C-46s. So in their letter dated 12 August 60, Air Asia offered them Conditional Sales Contracts for 4 C-46s at a price of $ 75,000 each. Air Asia would ferry the aircraft “to an airport designated by you in North America” at $ 1,25 per statute mile, adding: “We offer certain of our technical personnel and ferrying crews for the inauguration of your operation of these aircraft.”16 By September 60, two “squadrons” of transports (C-46s and C-54s), were being put together. Two out of four Air America C-46s17 and two Agency C-54s from Florida arrived at Retalhuleu, Guatemala (code-named “JMADD” by the CIA and called “Rayo Base” by the Cubans), in September 60. According to CIA historian Jack Pfeiffer, the initial 2 TB-26s that arrived in September 60 “had been borrowed from the DC Air National Guard, and subsequently were returned to the DC Air National Guard”.18 Then 2 dual control TB-26s of the Guatemalan Air Force were delivered to JMADD;19 a third dual control TB-26 later arrived from Eglin AFB, Field Three.20 Los Hermanos Sebastian y Gómez, with whom Air Asia had a long-time contract,21 also served as cover, as all former Air America aircraft used in the anti-Castro operation were registered to them probably since autumn 1960. Indeed, after an initial discussion about the type of attack aircraft to be used – US Navy AD-5’s or USAF B-26’s –, the Special Group decided on 21 July 60 that it should be the B-26. Immediately, CIA’s DPD announced “a cost analysis to compare the merits of bringing in 8 B-26’s from the Agency’s Far Eastern activities to Project JMATE with the cost of acquiring B-26’s from Davis-Monthan AFB in Arizona.”22 On 29 July 60, the Agency requested “that 10 B-26 aircraft be reclaimed from surplus storage and placed in the following combat configuration: … with eight .50 caliber machine guns in the nose […].”23 When the Air Force notified the Agency that “four B-26’s configured ‘in 16 Letter dated 12 August 1960, written by Air Asia to Los Hermanos, preserved at UTD/Bisson/B5, microfilm reel 4; the C-46s offered were manufacturer’s serial numbers 22252 (B-870), 22362 (B-864), 22366 (B-866), and 22451 (B-850).
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