The Bay of Pigs -- one account of the debacle

[Douglas Caddy]

Bay of Pigs: The CIA’s Betrayal

On April 19, 1961, nine of the invading forces' sixteen B-26s have been already shot down. Admiral Burke asks the President: "Let me take two jets and shoot down the enemy aircraft." Kennedy replies he had warned over and over again that no U.S. forces will engage in combat.

Nonetheless, he authorized one hour of air cover for the B-26s by six unmarked jets from the carrier Essex. They were not allowed to engage in air combat or in attacks against ground targets. Thus, the jets must just frighten the Castro's piltos, but they finally did not rendezvous the B-26s because the CIA and the Pentagon failed to realize the time zone difference between Nicaragua and Cuba.

Meanwhile, a Castro's antiaircraft battery brought down a U.S. military plane near the sugar mill Australia. Papers in a pilot’s body identified him as Leo Francis Berliss, resident at 48 Beacon Street, Boston, with Social Security Number 014-07-6921. At the U.N., Cuba's representative Raúl Roa presented the info and mocked U.S. ambassador Stevenson: "This plane came from the moon."

Castro units close in on the invasion force in Blue Beach. Two U.S. destroyers take position off Blue Beach to determine possibilities for evacuation. Brigade Commander sends his last message: “I have nothing left to fight with. Am taking to the woods. I can’t wait for you”. The CRC issues its final statement claiming that the landings have been inaccurately described as an invasion, since they were just landings of supplies and support for patriots fighting in Cuba and that the bulk of the landing force had reached the Escambray mountains. In fact, around 1,200 invaders were captured.

Militia Battalion 180 and the Police Battalion enter Girón without facing organized resistance. Castro officially reports that the enemy’s last point had fallen at 5.30 p.m. On a dock in Playa Giron, Police Battalion Commander Samuel Rodiles gets closer to Castro, who was switching a flashlight on and off.

—What are you doing, Chief?

—Well, I’m trying to deceive the American destroyers into thinking there are still invaders behind. If they fall into the temptation to approach, we will be shelling them with all the artillery and tanks we have here.

Image: Destroyer USS Eaton (DDE-510) provided naval support to the Bay of Pigs invasion. © U.S. Naval Institute

 

 

 

This account was posted on Facebook yesterday by someone interested in what happened.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Douglas Caddy]

Posted on Facebook today: 

Bay of Pigs: The CIA’s Betrayal

On April 18, 1961, the invaders north of Red Beach (Playa Larga) come under heavy attack in the early morning. Before noon, they would be forced to move to Blue Beach (Playa Girón). The CIA grants use of napalm to contain Castro's forces. With only about a third of the Cuban pilots willing to continue flying, the CIA would also authorize American contract pilots to fly combat missions. Meanwhile, Radio Swan called the citizens of Havana to sabotage the electrical system by putting on all the lights in houses and connecting all electrical appliances.

At the UN, the Soviet delegate read a letter from Premier Khrushchev calling for "an end to the U.S. aggression" and warning to give assistance to Cuba. The U.S. delegate, Adlai Stevenson, read President Kennedy's reply denying any U.S. intervention and claiming there was no evidence of U.S. aggression.

Castro’s forces are marching toward Girón. Battalion 326 is coming from the east. Battalion 123 is reorganized for an attack at dawn with artillery, infantry, and tanks. Other forces are a few kilometers from San Blas waiting for two batteries of 122 mm. cannons and fifteen tanks to join the offensive. Battalion 111 reaches Cayo Ramona and takes positions to prevent any of the invaders from moving north and to ensure their capture.

In the evening, CIA Headquarters asked the Assault Brigade 2506 commander to be evacuated. He replied: "We will fight to the end here if we have to." In New York, the CIA-backed CRC stated: “Peasants, workers and militia are joining the freedom front and aiding the rapidly expanding area already liberated.” But In Washington, Bobby Kennedy told Senator George Smathers (D/FL): "The dooky has hit the fan."

 

 

 

 

Edited April 21, 2022 by Douglas Caddy

[Larry Hancock]

I would offer what I think is probably the most current research on the overall Cuba Project and the events at the Bay of Pigs as presented in my recently published book In Denial.  It offers a largely contrarian view of much of what has been written on the subject in both in the popular history and within the JFK research community....as well as what came to be believed within the Cuban exile community and for that matter by CIA field personnel.  

Given the amount of research I put into it including the discovery of a series of alternative plans that did not come to fruition for a variety of reasons, I've been frustrated by the lack of discussion its generated as well as its failure to even nudge the needle on how what was essentially two full years of effort against Cuba, not just three days at the Bay of Pigs which is how its often viewed.

 https://www.amazon.com/Denial-Secret-Wars-Strikes-Tanks/dp/1734139331/ref=sr_1_2?crid=27ODXKOVOM4RE&keywords=in+denial&qid=1650570416&s=books&sprefix=in+denial%2Cstripbooks%2C238&sr=1-2

 

[Benjamin Cole]

I had the privilege of reading several chapters of In Denial, surely a major addition to the history to this still important and intriguing topic. BTW, Richard Bissell does not come off well.