Word: 26s
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Dates: during 1960-1969
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Everyone was agreed upon one thing: the invasion would have no chance of success unless Castro's own little air force was knocked out beforehand. Kennedy gave permission for Cuban-piloted B-26s, flown out of Nicaragua nearly 600 miles from Cuba, to strike at Castro's airstrips on April 15, two days before the actual invasion. An elaborate "cover" story-to the effect that the planes were actually flown by defectors from Castro's own air force-was devised. As Sorensen says, the B-26s were "World War II vintage planes possessed by so many nations...
Apart from the unsuccessful effort to knock off Castro's little air force before the battle began, it was well recognized that the invasion force would require its own air cover. For that, Kennedy at first stipulated that those same, Cuban-piloted B-26s do the job. On D-day plus one, it became clear that the invasion force was desperately pinned down on the beach by unexpectedly stiff fire and Castro air attacks. Then, in a post-midnight meeting, Kennedy, as Sorensen says, "agreed finally that unmarked Navy jets could protect the B-26s when they provided...
That was cutting it pretty close. Anyhow, it didn't work; through some sort of slipup, the U.S. Navy jets arrived on the scene about an hour after the Cuban exiles' B-26s, which by then had mostly been shot down...
...Tshombe government did its best to keep them on earth. Messages were passed back and forth via hostages on leave from Buta. Belgian emissaries negotiated frantically with rebel leaders in the nearby Central African Republic. As the final drive got under way, Congolese B-26s papered the rebel area with leaflets offering the Simbas their lives if they would only lay down their arms "and surrender all hostages." In a final effort to save them, Mercenary
Only the U.S. seemed interested in helping him hang on. It gave him a few renovated B-26s to help him against the advancing Congolese rebels. Assistant Secretary of State G. Mennen Williams spent five days with Tshombe in Leopoldville, left only after the Premier agreed to swallow his pride and ask five selected African nations to send troops. Whether they will remains doubtful...