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The Bay of Pigs. By: Ebony Montgomery. When?. On April 17, 1961, what is now known of the Bay of Pigs occurred when Cuban exiles launched 1,400 missiles at thee south coast of Cuba. . The Training. The program was approved in 1960 by President Eisenhower.
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The Bay of Pigs By: Ebony Montgomery
When? • On April 17, 1961, what is now known of the Bay of Pigs occurred when Cuban exiles launched 1,400 missiles at thee south coast of Cuba.
The Training • The program was approved in 1960 by President Eisenhower. • The Central Intelligence agency (CIA) set up training camps in Guatemala and by November a small army had been trained in Guerilla warfare and an assault landing. • Jose Miro Cardona was the head of Cuban Revolutionary Council which was an exile committee. He led the anti-Castro Cuban exile in the United States and if the invasion succeeded he was poised to take over the provisional Cuban presidency. • The invasion plans became common knowledge amoung Cuban exiles in Miami even despite the U.S. plans to keep it a secret. • Castro knew about the guerilla training camps in Guatemalla as early As October 1960.
Continued…. • The invasion plan was authorized shortly after the inauguration of President Kennedy in February of 1961. He was determined to keep the United States support in the affair a secret. Part of his deception was the choice of the landing site which was in the southern coast of Cuba, but unfortunately the landing site was 80 miles from refugee if it was needed.
Short Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zCc4XSDgpM
The Plan • The original plan for the invasion required two air strikes against Cuban air bases. 1,400 men would disembark at night launching a surprise attack. Before the invasion Paratroopers would drop bombs to disrupt Cuban transportation and repel their forces. At the same time a smaller force would land on the east coast of Cuba to cause confusion. Then, the main force would set up defenses across the island at Matanzas. The United Revolutionary would then send leaders from south Florida to organize a provisional government, but the plan would only be successful if there were enough of the Cuban population to join in on the invasion.
The Invasion • April, 15, 1961, eight bombers left Nicaragua to bomb Cuban airfields and this is when the first mishap occurred. • During the invasion the CIA used obsolete World War II B-26 bombers but painted them to look like Cuban air force planes. The bombers missed most of their targets and left Castro’s air force intact. Later news broadcasted about the U.S. planes being painted, so President Kennedy cancelled the second air strike.
Continued…. • On April 17, 1961, the Cuban exile invasion force also known as the Brigade 2506 landed on the beaches of the Bay of Pigs and the were immediately fired upon. The Cuban planes sank two escort ships, strafed the invaders, and destroyed half of the invaders air support. The ground force was hampered by bad weather and they had to work with soggy equipment and insufficient ammunition.
The Counterattack • 24 hours following the invasion Castro ordered about 20,000 troops to storm the beaches, and the Cuban air forces still controlled the skies. • President Kennedy ordered an “air-umbrella” at dawn on April 19. Six unmarked U.S. fighter planes took off in hopes to defend the B-26 aircraft flying, but the B-26s arrived late because they were most likely confused about the time changes between Nicaragua and Cuba. Since they were an hour late they were shot down by the Cubans and later that day the invasion was crushed. • Only some exiles were able to escape to the sea while others were killed or imprisoned by Castro’s forces. More than 100 members of the Brigade 2056 were killed and another almost 1,200 members surrendered.
Short Video • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v-BUm312bKM&feature=related
The Aftermath • While the United States was trying to negotiate with Fidel Castro, the brigade prisoners remained in captivity for 20 moths. • The attorney general Robert F. Kennedy made personal pleas for contributions from pharmaceutical companies and baby food manufacturers, so Castro eventually settled on $53 million worth of baby food and medicine in exchange for the prisoners. • December 23, 1962, the first planed landed in the U.S. containing the first group of freed prisoners just two months after the Cuba missile crisis. Saturday, December 29, a week later, surviving members of the brigade gathered in Miami's orange bowl where the brigades flag was handed to President Kennedy. He said “I can assure you that this flag will be returned to this brigade in a free Havana.”
Continued… • The Bay of Pigs disaster had a lasting impact on the Kennedy administration. The administration initiated Operation Mongoose to make up for the invasion. Operation Mongoose was a plan to sabotage and destabilize the Cuban government and economy. The plan also included the possibility of assassinating Castro and almost 50 years later the relationship between Castro’s Cuba and the United States remains strained.
Facts • It was proposed by Richard m. Nixon. • It was planned by Dwight D. Eisenhower. • Robert F. Kennedy championed it. • John F. Kennedy approved the plan. • The Bay of Pigs was carried out by the Central Intelligence agency. • 1,189 invaders were captured and 200 of them had been soldiers in Batista’s army and 14 of those were wanted for murder. • A CIA soldier fired the first shot. • A volunteer teacher was the first Cuba casualty. • 4 American pilots and over 100 Cuban invaders were killed in the battle. • One United States ambassador lied to the United Nations. • The United States president was embarrassed in front of the whole world.
Facts continued.. • The main reason for the Bay of Pigs was to stop communism from reaching the U.S. . • Articles, posters, and even comic books were written to spread cynicism toward Castro and his government. Another propaganda movements was dropping over 1 million posters over Cuba trying to convince people to rise up against Castro. • One reason for the invasion command being given to the CIA was to protect our supply of raw materials that were coming in. The U.S. was afraid that Castro would block the materials and keep them to himself. • The United States wanted to protect the other Latin American countries from being overtaken by the communist bloc. They also wanted to subdue the idea that communism was better than democracy.
Conclusion • The bay of pigs invasion ultimately failed, but that was only the beginning of the United States problems. Since the U.S. was unable to stop the spread of communism with Cuba, they continued to have relations with Russia. All of these events led up to the Cuban missle crisis, which became one of the scariest moments during the cold war and one of the closest moments the world came to nuclear warfare. Thankfully no one was hurt during this encounter and Cuba became an isolated socialist island nation. American has tried many times to eliminate Castro but has not suceeded and the only option left is to wait for a new regime and hope it shares the same democratice views.
Continued… • The Bay of Pigs has affected America in a way that it is nearly impossible to imagine the country and especially south Florida not worrying about Cuba. If the problem is not the trade embargo then it could be the problem with families being broken up because of the defections of the United States. There could be many important ideas and people coming from the United States, but because of the Bay of Pigs the U.S. is confined to waiting for change. This is why this battle will forever be remembered around the world.
