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Airpower Atthe AIRPOWER AT THE BAYOF PIGS or a few days in April 1961, the US government kept up the pretense that the failed invasion at the Bay of Pigs was the sole doing of “Cuban patriots” seeking to overthrow Fidel FCastro. The cover-up went no better than the operation did. It soon became undeniable that the whole thing had been planned and conducted by the Central Intelligence Agency and that it was a complete disaster. Almost nothing went right with the assault-style amphibious landing of a “brigade” of Cuban exiles on the Cuban revolutionary forces set up southern coast of Cuba on April 17. a four-barrel 12.7 mm anti-aircraft Of the 1,400 that went ashore, more weapon at Playa Giron, Cuba. than 100 were killed and about 1,200 were taken prisoner. The ships carry- ing their ammunition and communi- cations equipment were sunk. Half of 62 JULY 2017 H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM It was a half-baked military operation run by the CIA and OF micromanaged by the White House. BAY PIGS By John T. Correll The wreckage of two CIA B-26 Invad- ers shot down by Cuban fighters during the Bay of Pigs invasion. The aircraft, purchased by the CIA the obsolete air- on preemptive air strikes flown by from USAF surplus, were similar to planes supporting Cuban exiles to knock out Castro’s Cuban B-26s. them were shot small air force ahead of time. down. Three days before the invasion, It was a far- US President John F. Kennedy—fo- secret files. Almost 40 years elapsed fetched venture, cused on political risk and plausible before public acknowledgment that likely to have deniability—canceled half of the ad- some of the air strikes had been flown failed under the vance air strikes against Castro’s air by Americans, including airmen from best of circum- bases. On the eve of the invasion, he the Alabama Air National Guard, four stances. One CIA canceled the next round of strikes of whom were killed in combat. Fidel Castro official—Richard altogether. As a result, enough of M. Helms, chief of clandestine opera- Castro’s airplanes survived to wreck THE CUBAN BRIGADE tions and a future Director of Central the invasion. Castro was initially popular in the Intelligence—would have nothing to All hands shifted into damage con- United States when he supplanted the do with the project, declaring it to be trol. CIA officials blamed Kennedy and corrupt Batista regime in 1959, but the “harebrained.” his advisors; Kennedy and his advisors approval faded fast as he made a trade The idea was to establish a beach- blamed the CIA. Kennedy also blamed alliance with the Soviet Union in return head and hold out against the 32,000- the Joint Chiefs of Staff for not warning for economic and military aid. His firing man Cuban army until the populace him against the scheme. squads executed political enemies by arose to join in the liberation. Any Large parts of the story leaked right the hundreds. He lashed out against the remote chance of success depended away but the CIA kept a lid on the United States in speeches that lasted for Library Miami of University archive; Granma archive; Granma Photos: JULY 2017 H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM 63 Cidad CBB iertad AERIAL INVASION Sa Atoio OF THE BAY OF PIGS de los Baos aaa CUBA Antonio aeo Interational irort Plaa Lara B GUATEMALA F Plaa Giron etalhule Puerto Caeas “Ha alle” CFC C NCARAGUA hours. Cuba extended diplomatic rec- which some 40 The CIA was able to arrange for the ognition to Red China and North Korea. Cuban pilots with US Army special forces to train the The US public and both parties in commercial or ground crews. However, the official his- Congress demanded that President military experience tory of the operation noted “continuing Dwight D. Eisenhower do something. were selected for difficulties” with the Pentagon and the In March 1960—a month after Cuba further training in Air Force “concerning the utilization entered the alliance with the USSR— Guatemala. The of military personnel, particularly air Eisenhower approved a CIA proposal primary Brigade crews.” for “covert action against the Castro aircraft were me- According to the CIA history, Bissell regime,” including the training of a Bissell Jr. dium bombers pur- and his aides were “ready to joust with “paramilitary force outside of Cuba for chased from US Air Force surplus stor- higher echelons in the Department future guerrilla action.” age by Intermountain Aviation, a CIA of Defense” about airpower support At the CIA, the drive to oust Castro front organization. The CIA chose the when another option turned up. The was led by Richard M. Bissell Jr., the Douglas B-26 Invader—not to be con- Air National Guard was willing to help. deputy director for plans and heir ap- fused with the Martin B-26 Marauder A CIA cable in December 1960 reported parent to the aging CIA director Allen of World War II fame—mainly because that the ANG was the “most reliable Dulles, who mostly left covert opera- Castro’s air force had B-26s. and cooperative source of personnel.” tions up to Bissell. The Brigade B-26s were painted with Recruitment and training began Cuban colors and markings in hopes THE ALABAMA CONNECTION within the month for a group of an- that they could be mistaken for Castro A CIA representative went to Bir- ti-Castro émigrés who would be re- airplanes. CIA planners did not know mingham, Ala., to talk to Brig. Gen. membered to history as “the Cuban or paid little attention to the fact that G. Reid Doster of the 117th Tactical Brigade.” The CIA built an airfield and the Brigade B-26Bs had a solid nose Reconnaissance Wing of the Alabama training site at Retalhuleu, Guatemala, that looked nothing like the transpar- Air National Guard. The 117th was the in the Sierra Madre mountains near the ent nose on the Castro B-26Cs. last USAF unit to fly B-26s before they Pacific coast. There was also a staging The roster of the Cuban Brigade were retired from service in 1957. base, “Happy Valley,” at Puerto Cabezas eventually grew to 1,390 volunteers. Doster agreed to recruit volunteers on the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, Its equipment included five M-41 to be advisors to the Cubans, fly some about 600 miles from Cuba. tanks, two landing craft owned by the transport missions, and maintain the The air arm of the Brigade was called CIA, and seven chartered commercial airplanes. They would wear civilian the Cuban Liberation Air Force, for freighter ships. clothing and carry ID with fake names. 64 JULY 2017 H WWW.AIRFORCEMAG.COM Baker Gray Above: Three captured invaders—Cuban exiles—from the “Brigade” are guarded by Cuban forces. The CIA sent 1,400 men ashore during the invasion, and 1,200 were taken prisoner. Right: The four Americans killed during the raid. Ray Shamburger Strict secrecy was to apply, and the rockets. It was a stretch to call them landing would trigger an uprising by participants could not even tell their fighters, but they were better than any- the Cuban populace. In reality, as a families what they were doing. thing the Cuban Brigade could put up. report by the CIA inspector general About 80 ANG members signed said later, there was “no intelligence up, some from Doster’s wing and MISSION CREEP evidence that Cubans in significant some from other states. Additional During the election campaign numbers could or would join the in- volunteers came from organizations in October 1960, Kennedy attacked vaders.” affiliated with the Air Guard. In all, the the Eisenhower administration for The Joint Chiefs of Staff were given CIA put about 130 of them on contract. “permitting a communist menace” to to understand that the mission was Two from the Alabama ANG—Lt. “arise only 90 miles from the shores of the CIA’s and the Pentagon’s role was Col. Joseph L. Shannon, commander the United States.” Soon enough, he to assist and support. Information was of the 106th Bombardment Squadron would have his own chance. tightly controlled. and his friend and operations officer, Upon taking office, Kennedy found In one instance, a JCS meeting was Maj. Riley Shamburger—joined the the CIA a good place to get advice. “If delayed until Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, CIA as full-fledged members. The I need some material fast, or an idea Air Force vice chief of staff substitut- others were employed by CIA cover fast, CIA is the place I have to go,” he ing for Gen. Thomas D. White, could companies. said. He considered Bissell “one of the be cleared for the briefing. LeMay When the first Alabama Guardsmen four or five brightest guys in the whole asked a question but was told, “That reached Guatemala in January 1961, administration.” doesn’t concern you.” they found 16 refurbished B-26s plus There was a big difference between In response to Kennedy’s request assorted transport aircraft waiting for the CIA’s proposal to Kennedy and the for a review, a JCS report said the them. They were outfitted with auxil- program Eisenhower approved the operation had “fair chance” of suc- iary fuel tanks to give them enough year before. The original plan was to ceeding. The actual analysis put the range for the round-trip to Cuba. recruit, train, and infiltrate guerilla probability of success at 30 percent. Castro’s air force consisted of 36 forces into Cuba. That had evolved The “fair chance” wording was in- airplanes, of which 18 were operation- into an overt assault-type amphibi- tended to mean “not too good,” but it ally ready when the Bay of Pigs inva- ous landing of almost 1,500 combat was interpreted as an endorsement.
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