CHRONOLOGY
OF MILITARY OPERATIONS
FOR THE BOP's OPERATION
MAY 1961
[Reference: Dade County OCB file #153-D]
CI 153-D
DATE: May 10, 1961
TO: THOMAS J. KELLY, Metropolitan Sheriff
FROM: LT. FRANK KAPPEL, Supervisor, Criminal Intelligence
SUBJECT: CUBAN COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVITIES -
Additional Information
Reference is made to the report under the same case number dated May 1, 1961
containing related information about the abortive invasion by Cuban Counter-revolutionaries
on April 17, 1961.
The following is a chronological succession of military operations as related
by the informant who contacted the writer on April 26, 1961.
According to the informant, the expeditionary force was transported on four
surplus L.C.I.'s leased for the operation from Garcia Lines. The ships
were listed as: Houston, Atlantico, Caribe, and Rio Escondido. Two
P. C.'s, the Braggart and Barbara J., were to serve as command ships and
carried the communications equipment. The four L.C.I.'s had been code-named
respectively Barracuda, Tiburon, Sardina, and Ballena.
The Atlantico (Tiburon) was equipped with eight landing craft consisting
of five 19 foot boats powered by 75 hp Evinrude outboard motors and three
17 foot boats powered by 45 hp Evinrude outboard motors. The crews
of these boats received training for 30 days prior to the invasion; the training
took place in Puerto Cabezas.
The ships of the convoy were assembled at point Zulu and proceeded from there
to point Charlie- Charlie where two destroyers escorted them to the landing
point.
The two United States destroyers were code-named Santiago and Tampico.
Aerial cover was provided by a two-engine observation aircraft.
Enroute to point Charlie-Charlie, the crews and troops were briefed on the
operation and specifically told that the landing was in no way connected
with an uprising from within as the invasion was strictly an operation by
the Brigade.
The Brigade consisted of five battalions with a total strength of 1,258 infantrymen
and approximately 300 men for the supply services. The battalions had
the actual strength of a United States infantry company and almost no heavy
weapons.
There was no artillery and the only support was given by six Mark IV Sherman
tanks which joined the invasion in three L.C.T.'s and were landed before
the infantrymen. Apparently the lack of sea transports forced the planners
of the operation to reload the L.C.T's with the motorized equipment, land
it , and then return to the troop transports to pick up the infantrymen.
Each L.C.T. carried two tanks, two trucks, and two jeeps. The infantrymen
were armed with Garand rifles and M1 carbines plus heavy weapons consisting
of six 60 mm mortars, six 81 mm mortars, an six 4.2 mortars. A number
of 57 mm recoilless rifles and .50 caliber machine guns was also used by
the expeditionary forces.
April 17, 1961, 3 a.m. - Landing operations began with first contingents
of frogmen who were to establish the three beaches Red, Green, and Blue.
The frogmen reached the Bay of Cochinos aboard the Braggart and proceeded
for the shore under the command of their American instructor. Upon
landing, they were discovered by a patrol of militiamen and they were forced
to kill them. The shots attracted the attention of the other troops
and the alarm became general.
April 17, 1961, 5 a.m. - the infantrymen began to land from the transports
with only sporadic opposition from the militiamen. According to the
informant, about 15 militiamen joined the invaders and several peasants of
the nearby village approached the troops with gifts. The landing took
place in Playa Giron.
The L.C.T.'s landed the tanks and other motorized equipment an then returned
to the transports to unload the infantrymen.
April 17, 1961, 5:30 a.m. - At approximately this hour, the first attack
by the Castro Air Force began on the troops loaded in the L.C.T.'s.
The informant stated that at this time, there were no more than three Sea
Furies engaged in the attack. The enemy aircraft came one at a time
an they were often mistaken for friendly aircraft because the only distinguishing
mark was a blue stripe under the wings used by the invaders' air force.
April 17, 1961, 6:15 a.m. - The transport "Houston" entered the narrow Bay
of Cochinos to offer protection against enemy aircraft but her four .50 caliber
machine guns could do very little to alleviate the plight of the troops on
the beach. At approximately the same time the last platoon of Company
F of the second battalion was leaving the Houston where the coastal batteries
from both sides of the Bay began firing on her. The Captain then decided
to beach the vessel and permit the remaining troops to disembark.
While the men of company F were proceeding towards the beach, they were attacked
by an enemy B-26. The aircraft made two passes and on the first one,
the pilot was observed waving at the men below but immediately afterwards,
he turned around and began strafing the landing barge.
The deputy Company Commander, ARTURO M. SANCHEZ, was wounded in the back
by a .50 caliber bullet and the barge was ordered to turn back and proceed
to the Barbara J. With the wounded officer.
From approximately that hour until the end of the day, the Barbara J. Was
subjected to 17 attacks by enemy aircraft.
During the air attacks the transport "Atlantico" shot down a "Seafury" and
the "Braggart" a B-26.
April 17, 1961, 9:15 a.m. - The transport "Rio Escondido" was hit by a rocket
and caught fire. The "Rio Escondido" was the transport carrying all
the ammunition for the tanks and heavy weapons. Also on the "Rio Escondido"
were stored the fuels for the tanks and aircraft. After a futile attempt
to control the fire, the Captain of the ship received orders to "abandon
ship". The "Rio Escondido" later sunk with no loss of life.
April 17, 1961 9:45 a.m. - At approximately this time, the ships engaged
in the operation received orders to close in on the beach and offer what
support they could to the ground forces with their A.A. machine guns.
By this time, the Castro forces had the opportunity to place their heavier
batteries and their fire forced the ships to withdraw out of range.
April 17, 1961, 10 a.m. - The U.S. destroyer code named "Santiago" gave orders
to the transports to get out of range of the coastal batteries. From
that time on, according to the informant, there was practically no contact
with the ground forces.
In the early hours of April 18th, the ships received orders to return to
the beaches and unload some of the material but when they approached the
Bay of Cochinos, the initial order was countermanded.
The informant stated that toward the evening hours of April 18, 1961, the
transports received orders to return to Puerto Cabezas and there await orders.
The group was joined by another transport, the "Lake Charles" carrying the
personnel of "Operation 40" and the convoy reached its destination about
April 22, 1961. There they received the visit of the high representatives
of the Revolutionary Council. "Operation 40" had been prepared to cope
with the internal uprising that was to follow the invasion. These were
the men trained in the South Dade residence reported by the writer in a report
dated February 28, 1961 under this same case number. The officer in
charge of the group, Col. LEON, is reported to have died by his own hand
when the situation became unbearable on the beaches.
Additional information concerning this case will be forthcoming.
Respectfully submitted,
A. L. TARABOCHIA
Intelligence Agent
LT. FRANK KAPPEL, Supervisor
Criminal Intelligence
ALT/rew
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