26-08-2016, 01:34 AM
Bay of Pigs declassified: The secret report on the invasion of Cuba. New York: The New York Press, c1998. viii 339p F 1788 B29 1998. President Kennedy was dreadfully fearful of using American military and had it's military been involved in the invasion of Cuba, this would have certainly set off a chain reaction for other communist countries to engage in war with the United States due to an act of subversion on Kennedy's part. North Viet Nam was already receiving support from Fidel Castro through pints of blood sold to the Vietnamese Embassy in Cuba. Russia was also supporting North Viet Nam with Russian backed military equipment, had the United States invoked a war with Cuba, this would have certainly set off a chain reaction of events, events Kennedy wanted to desperately avoid.
Kennedy did approve (8) A4 Skyhawks to be used in air cover for the B-26's, however, (12) boarded the U.S.S. Essex, the plan was to take out Castro's air-force, however, the B-26's only partially did the damage. Kennedy was faced with two options, 1. continue the air attacks using A-4 Skyhawks for air-cover for the B-26s, or, 2. allow them to fight their own battle canceling the air-cover, but yet, make it appear the United States did all they could do in the wake of this disaster.
Was it really just a fluke, a screw up in time that the A-4 Skyhawks arrived an hour late and at the moment Castro finished off the Brigade? According to the Commander, "there were no more B-26's to protect, all is a lost." At that moment the Skyhawks flew back to the Essex reporting, "the battle is over".
Kennedy did approve (8) A4 Skyhawks to be used in air cover for the B-26's, however, (12) boarded the U.S.S. Essex, the plan was to take out Castro's air-force, however, the B-26's only partially did the damage. Kennedy was faced with two options, 1. continue the air attacks using A-4 Skyhawks for air-cover for the B-26s, or, 2. allow them to fight their own battle canceling the air-cover, but yet, make it appear the United States did all they could do in the wake of this disaster.
Was it really just a fluke, a screw up in time that the A-4 Skyhawks arrived an hour late and at the moment Castro finished off the Brigade? According to the Commander, "there were no more B-26's to protect, all is a lost." At that moment the Skyhawks flew back to the Essex reporting, "the battle is over".