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Return to Frequently
Asked Questions page. [Source: Chief of Naval Operations,
Report on the Naval Quarantine of Cuba, Operational Archives Branch,
Post 46 Command File, Box 10, Washington, DC.]
| 22 October | 23 October | 24 October | 25 October | 26 October | Glossary |
Monday,
22 October
President Kennedy firmly scheduled his announcement for 1900Q.
The proclamation was to be signed the next day and would contain
a period of grace, at the end of which CINCLANT would impose the
"quarantine" -- up to this time referred to as a "limited
sea blockade."
At noon, Pierre Salinger requested and received air time from
the radio and television networks and announced that the President
would make an important statement. Nine radio stations
were asked to broadcast the speech to Latin America.
At 1600Q, the President held a cabinet meeting and at 1700Q, he
met with Congressional leaders summoned to Washington. Forty-five
minutes before the President went on the air, NATO, SEATO, and
CENTO nation ambassadors received a background briefing at the
State Department, while friendly military attaches were briefed
at the Pentagon. Fifteen minutes earlier, Soviet Ambassador Dobrynin
had entered Secretary Rusks office to receive the news of the
Presidents action.
During the day, Prime Minister MacMillan was briefed by Ambassador
Bruce, President de Gaulle by Dean Acheson, and Chancellor Adenauer
by Ambassador Dowling. Mr. Acheson also briefed the NATO Council.
At 1930Q, a letter from Ambassador Stevenson with a draft of the
U.S. resolution was given to Soviet United Nations Ambassador
Zorin in his capacity as President of the Security Council, and
Assistant Secretary of State Martin briefed the OAS.
At 2015Q, Secretary Rusk informed all other ambassadors and the
State Department held a background briefing for the press. Secretary
McNamara also briefed the press at the Pentagon on a background
basis. Aerial photographs were exhibited and explained.
Twelve hours before the President began his speech on worldwide
radio and television, the Joint Chiefs of Staff sent out detailed
plans for conducting the quarantine to all cognizant and interested
commanders. The order listed prohibited items, general rules for
engagement between U. S. forces and ships and aircraft of other
registry or ownership, details for conducting searches, a concept
of the operations, and the plan for the defense of Guantanamo
naval base. The execution of the air quarantine was ordered held
in abeyance until directed by higher authority.
Throughout the day, CINCLANT continued deployment and positioning
of ships and other forces to enforce the quarantine. Most
of the units were proceeding to a central rendezvous point at
27N, 68W to await station assignments. These were Commander
Task Force 136, in Newport News and with Canberra,
Lawrence, Keith, Soley, and Borie
from Norfolk; Commander Cruiser-Destroyer Flotilla Six in MacDonough
from Charleston; Commander Destroyer Squadron 26 in Dewey
with Leary, Steinaker, and J. R. Pierce
from Norfolk, and Witek. COMDESRON 16 aboard Bigelow,
in company with McCaffery, W. C. Lawe, Sellers,
Royal, and Gearing from Mayport, was en route to
21N, 65W. The ASW carrier Essex with Commander Carrier
Division 18 aboard was en route from Guantanamo for 26N, 68W,
where she would join COMDESRON 24 in Blandy with Sperry,
Barry, and Keppler from Newport. Commander
Antisubmarine Warfare Force, Atlantic had positioned aircraft
at Roosevelt Roads and Bermuda to commence air surveillance.
Reinforcement of Guantanamo began before noon with the arrival
of the PHIBRON 8 ships Monrovia, Rockbridge, Desoto
County, and Liddle for off-loading of a Marine Battalion
Landing Team.
Capricornus arrived about noon and Lindenwald in
the evening to complete the landing of 1,600 officers and men.
MATS and Marine aircraft also were delivering personnel and
equipment of a reinforced rifle battalion from the West Coast
and a Battalion Landing Team from Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
Marines in Guantanamo now numbered 5,200 officers and men, and
the base's military Navy-Marine population totaled about 8,000.
The order to place all forces worldwide on Defense Condition Three
went out one hour before the President's speech except for those
in CINCEUR , which were put in a military precautionary posture.
The President had used the term "quarantine" instead
of "blockade", because the latter term could have been
interpreted as an act of war. The proposed interdiction
was aimed solely at offensive weapons and every effort was to
be made to not have other nations consider the action as a warlike
act.
The evacuation of dependents and other noncombatants from Guantanamo
was virtually completed by the time the President went on the
air. The operation began at 1100Q when the base commander
dispatched special officer messengers to the housing areas to
alert dependents for the evacuation. The deadline for removal
of the noncombatants was 1900Q. The housing areas were
cleared of dependents at 1530Q. The last evacuation ship cleared
her moorings at 1630Q. In the surface contingent, 1,703
were loaded aboard Upshur; 351 in Duxbury Bay, 286
in Hyades, and 92 in Desoto County. Hospital
patients, dependents at Leeward, and certain other noncombatants
were evacuated by air commencing about 1400Q. Air evacuees
totaled 378 and were flown out in five GV and one R4Q aircraft.
The first plane took off at 1400Q and the last about 1900Q.
CNO sent a personal message to the evacuees which the base commander
read over the ships? loudspeakers: "The calm and serene
manner in which you have accepted the threat of possible personal
danger while living in Guantanamo has been viewed with admiration
and respect.
"Now our judgment dictates that you should leave the scene
of an increasing danger to your own safety. I am sure you
will accept this action with the same fine spirit that has been
so obvious throughout your stay at Guantanamo. Rest assured
that we will do all possible to provide for your welfare in the
days ahead."
After the President's announcement, attention focused on international
reaction. Of first concern was any indication that the
Soviet Union or Cuba was preparing for military action. However,
there were no early responses from the Soviet Bloc nations, except
for the Cuban armed forces being placed on alert.
CNO immediately alerted his Fleet Commanders to the possibility
of submarine attack with:
"I cannot emphasize too strongly how smart we must be to
keep our heavy ships, particularly carriers, from being hit by
surprise attack from Soviet submarines. Use all available
intelligence, deceptive tactics, and evasion during forthcoming
days. Good luck."
He was particularly wary of the submarine menace. His early
belief that Cuban contingency operations would result in increased
Soviet submarine activity, particularly in the Caribbean, was
borne out during the entire operation. He had directed special
emphasis on submarine intelligence measures and received at least
three status briefings a day, and often many more, so as to keep
intimately informed on the worldwide submarine picture.
To expand submarine intelligence capability, he solicited the
assistance of the United Kingdom and Canadian Navies with:
"Although I am unaware of what the future political environment
may be, I would greatly appreciate your giving us maximum intelligence
support concerning potential undersea troublemakers. We
have a big job to do and can use all the help we can get."
Thirty minutes after the President's speech, Admiral Anderson
solicited the cooperation of Latin American navies by sending
the following personal message to the Naval Chiefs of Chile, Brazil,
Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Argentina, Uruguay, and Peru:
"Greatly appreciate opportunity and ability to communicate
directly with fellow officers commanding navies of free men, on
which our countries depend so heavily for the preservation of
our individual and collective independence.
"I only hope that our ships will always sail together and
that in the present crisis, we will have as many of yours with
mine as may be practicable. God bless everyone of us. George
Anderson."
During the evening after the President's speech, Pentagon planners
reviewed the necessity for further mobilization and preparations
were ordered for a possible reserve recall. Secretary McNamara
directed a step-up in induction and training of Cuban nationals.
From 2240Q to 2325Q, he visited the office of the Chief of
Naval Operations for discussions of the blockade and establishment
of surveillance. [ Back ]
Tuesday,
23 October
On the day following the President's announcement, much interest
still was shown in international reaction to the proposed U.S.
action, not only that of the Soviet Bloc, but the free world as
well. Russia canceled all military leaves and stopped discharges,
particularly for personnel in rocket, anti-aircraft, and submarine
duties. There also were several reports of Soviet long-range submarines
along Russian shipping routes. A Japanese press report said that
the Director General of Tass, visiting Japan, stated, "If
the United States sinks a Soviet ship, there will be total war."
An FBI report from New York quoted a Rumanian source to the effect
that the Soviets told the Austrian Foreign Minister in Vienna
that Soviet ships would resist search and risk being sunk because
the Russians were anxious for a demonstration of strength with
the U.S. All the Communist satellite countries had unleashed a
propaganda campaign against the U. S. action. However, there were
no intelligence reports that indicated any of the Soviet Bloc
or satellite nations were planning any aggressive moves or preparing
for any major conflicts with the United States or other countries
of the free world.
The reaction of allied nations was highlighted by the Organization
of American States approval of the U.S. quarantine resolution
with a 19 to 0 vote. Uruguay had abstained due to lack of instructions
and reserved the right to vote later. Several impromptu
and passionate floor speeches were made during the OAS meeting
in support of the U.S. resolution. Other free world reactions
included Japan placing her air defense force on alert. Chancellor
Adenauer said he and his government stood solidly behind the U.S.
in the Cuban crisis. President de Gaulle ordered the French
delegation to the UN to back the U.S. position, and in Canada,
Prime Minister Diefenbaker endorsed President Kennedy's assessment
of the Cuban arms build-up, but did not comment on the quarantine.
In the Pacific area, South Viet Nam, South Korea, the Philippines,
and Nationalist China all backed the U. S. move.
At about 0945Q, Secretary McNamara was briefed in Flag Plot on
the merchant-ship, submarine, and overflight situations. He also
was interested in the estimated arrival time at the quarantine
line of Cuban-bound ship 8.
Throughout the day quarantine force ships and aircraft were moving
into position. Among those on the line were the attack
carrier Enterprise, and Independence, and the
ASW carrier Essex with nine escorting destroyers. Four
TACAN ships had taken position along a line in the straits between
Florida and Cuba's north coast. Amphibious Squadron Eight ships
were in Guantanamo off-loading the Second Battalion of the Second
Marine Division. Northhampton was anchored near the mouth
of the Potomac, awaiting possible battle-staff augmentation. Task
Group 136.1, composed of seven destroyers, two radar picket destroyers,
two guided-missile destroyer leaders, and one guided-missile destroyer
was en route to surface blockade stations and scheduled to arrive
during the day.
Strike and cover aircraft were located on their deployment bases
in the Southeastern U.S. The Force was composed of 448 fighter/attack
aircraft and 67 reconnaissance/support aircraft.
Guantanamo Naval Base had been reinforced by three Marine Battalions
and a fourth was afloat to take up position 150 miles northeast
of Cuba. Amphibious Squadron Two was loading another battalion
for departure within a few hours, and Amphibious Squadron Ten
was loading Marine amphibious forces at Norfolk and Morehead City.
At 2045Q, Secretary McNamara had requested information concerning
the first ships which would be intercepted, and Admiral Anderson
consulted with Admiral Dennison On the matter. They decided
that they should go after the Soviet vessels Kimovsk and
Gagarin, effecting contact at about the same time on the
24th. The approximate location of both ships were known by direction-finder
fixes and they felt search aircraft would have a good chance of
spotting them. The Essex group would be used to intercept
them.
Another approaching ship, Poltava, was to be assigned for
interdiction to Newport News, Canberra, and four
destroyers. It was believed that the intercept could be
made late on the 24th.
In a memorandum to Mr. McNamara relating these plans, Admiral
Anderson said that there was a hazard of possible submarines in
interdicting the first two ships, but pointed out that the intercepting
would be made by a Hunter/Killer Group.
"From now on, I do not intend to interfere with Dennison
or either of the Admirals on the scene unless we get some
additional intelligence information which we are hoping for,"
Admiral Anderson wrote.
At 1930Q, the Secretary of Defense made the following public statement
at a press conference concerning the quarantine and the retention
of naval personnel on active duty: "The President,
thirty minutes ago, at 7:00 p.m., signed the Proclamation ordering
the interdiction of offensive weapons moving into Cuba, and under
the terms of that Proclamation, I have taken the. necessary steps
to deploy our forces to be in a position to make effective the
quarantine at 2:00 p.m., tomorrow, Greenwich time. That
will be the equivalent of 10:00 a.m., Eastern Daylight Time.
"Secondly, the Joint Chiefs of Staff have designated Admiral
George Anderson, Chief of Naval Operations, as their Executive
Agent for the operation of the quarantine and the quarantine forces.In
turn, Admiral Dennison, Commander in Chief, Atlantic, is the responsible
Unified Commander. And, operating under him in direct charge of
the quarantine task force will be Vice Admiral Alfred Ward, Commander
of the SECOND Fleet. Admiral Ward's task force will be known as
Task Force 136. It will be composed of major naval units,
including carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and the associated logistical
forces.
"Further, aircraft support will be supplied by units stationed
at various east coast and Gulf coast ports. Thirdly, the President
today signed Executive Order 11058, which authorized me as Secretary
of Defense to call members of the Reserve under terms of the Congressional
Resolution dated October 3, 1962, known as public Law 87-736,
to active duty for periods of not more than 12 months so long
as not more than 150,000 men were called under that order. And
further, this Executive Order provides me with authority to extend
enlistments, appointments, periods of active duty, and periods
of active duty for training for personnel now on active duty.
And as acting under the terms of that Executive Order, I have
this evening instructed the Secretary of the Navy to extend the
enlistments, appointments, and periods of active duty of both
Navy and Marine personnel now on active duty. This is to
provide the Navy with the forces necessary to increase their rate
of activity, to the point necessary to support the quarantine
and to insure the Marines with sufficient forces to meet whatever
requirements are placed upon them, particularly the reinforcement
of Guantanamo."
The President had called Mr. McNamara regarding the time when
we would be ready to invade Cuba. Mr. McNamara told him seven
days. The President said that he wanted to be sure that we were
ready in every respect at the end of the seven days.
CINCLANTFLT was standing by to make a submarine reconnaissance
of prospective landing beaches in the next two or three days.
This reconnaissance, which was not executed, was to be less extensive
than the one made in April when several swimmers were employed
in determining the detailed characteristics of the beach. The
purpose of this reconnaissance was primarily to determine whether
or not man-made obstacles had been placed on the beach approaches.
During the day, SECNAV asked the Chief of Naval Personnel to prepare
a directive to keep men in the Navy after the expiration of their
enlistments. Their discussion resulted in a directive having
sufficient flexibility to permit its application to certain categories,
such as critical skills, if necessary.
The Secretary also asked that a paper be prepared setting forth
the justification for the holding of people in the Navy beyond
their expiration of contract to be used for discussion purposes.
Admiral Smedberg requested some flexibility also in the retention
of prospective officers scheduled to retire.
Mr. Korth wanted to discuss with Admiral Anderson the buttoning-up
of overhauls of 40 reserve DD/DE's in anticipation of a possible
recall. Both Admiral Sylvester, DNO for Logistics, and BUSHIPS
were notified of this possibility some days prior. They
were ready to suspend these overhauls promptly, if ordered. Admiral
Sysvester was keeping a running record of the status of our ships'
overhauls-- both regular and Reserve - to assist in making a judgment
On expediting or stopping an overhaul on short notice. He also
made a list of those ships scheduled to go in for overhaul in
the near future to help decide whether or not to delay any overhauls.
Mr. McNamara asked VADM Griffin to suggest some means by which
a Soviet submerged submarine could be given a signal to surface.
He said that the description of this signal would be sent to the
Soviet Government. VADM Griffin told M~. McNamara that a practice
depth charge would probably be the most practical and effective
means of transmitting such a signal, since we didn't know whether
or not our underwater telephone gear was compatible with Soviet
underwater communications.
The Judge Advocate General was working with the legal authorities
of the Office of the Secretary of Defense and the Attorney General
to revise the forms for a blockade proclamation. There
were two forms based upon the "quarantine" language.
This work was closely coordinated to ensure that operational
and planning factors were adequately considered. [ Back ]
Wednesday,
24 October
On the day the quarantine was to take effect, the alignment of
Soviet and free world nations continued to develop rapidly.
The evening before, the U.S. position was presented to a special
session of the United Nations Security Council. Soviet Ambassador
Zorin's speech in reply emphasized that the present crisis existed
between the United States and Cuba and reflected a Soviet desire
to avoid the appearance of a direct Soviet-U.S. confrontation.
This approach appeared to be calculated to create a climate for
a U.S. reversal of the quarantine stand, to diminish the military
threat to the U.S. and to reduce tensions among Soviet Bloc masses.
Other Bloc reactions were becoming known. The Polish
regime was playing the Cuban crisis in low key to avoid panic
and a strain on low food-stocks. Although that nation's
armed forces were alerted, there was no evidence of increased
military activity. The Chinese communists issued a statement
fully supporting the "just stand of the Soviet Government."
Various developments throughout the day suggested that the Soviet
Bloc intended to proceed with extreme caution. This indication
was supported by Zorin's comparatively mild statements at the
UN, the lack of any Soviet move to evacuate dependents in East
Germany and elsewhere, and other political developments.
Turkish officials, worried about the possibility of Soviet pressure
to eliminate missile sites in their country in exchange for withdrawal
of Russian missiles in Cuba, urged an increase in U. S. military
aid to Turkey.
Brazil backed off somewhat from her support of the arms quarantine
with the statement that the Government did not support the "use
of force which may violate an independent country's territorial
integrity and place world peace in jeopardy."
The Commander in Chief, Atlantic, established the surface quarantine
line on an arc 500 miles from Cape Maysi between 27-30N, 75W and
20N, 65W. The line thus established was out of range of Soviet
IL-28 "Beagle" bombers based in Cuba. The line
was to be manned by 12 destroyers from Task Force 136, which were
proceeding to the following stations:
| Lat N | Long W | Ship |
| 28-00 | 70-50 | Gearing |
| 27-40 | 70-06 | Witek |
| 27-10 | 69-06 | Lawe |
| 26-30 | 68-10 | Sellers |
| 25-40 | 67-20 | McCaffery |
| 24-50 | 66-40 | Summers |
| 23-50 | 66-00 | Leary |
| 23-00 | 65-40 | Pierce |
| 22-00 | 65-20 | Steinaker |
| 21-00 | 65-10 | Dewey |
| 20-00 | 65-00 | MacDonough |
| 19-00 | 65-10 | Greene |
Thursday,
25 October
On the second day of the quarantine, a total of eight Organization
of American States nations so far had offered military assistance
to the U.S. in carrying out the quarantine action. This ranged
from offers of troops and ships to use of ports and airfields.
Guinea, generally accepted as Soviet-oriented, had denied landing
and over-flight rights to Russian aircraft. Uruguay announced
its support of the quarantine resolution, making the OAS approval
unanimous.
Among the Soviet Bloc countries, anti-American demonstrations
continued, although they were not of major proportions, nor were
similar outbreaks in Latin America and other non-bloc nations
which were inspired by pro-Communist elements.
Through the night, COMCARDIV 18 with escorting destroyers and
COMSECONDFLT in Newport News had been closing on the Soviet
tanker Bucharest. The word had been passed that this ship
was not to get through the barrier quarantine line. However, contact
with the ship had been lost. She was within the line and a search
was on for her when Admiral Anderson arrived in the morning. He
proceeded to Flag Plot to evaluate the situation.
At 0745Q, information came in that the Essex had reestablished
contact at 0500Q with Bucharest and had intercepted her
at 0715Q. The Gearing sent a flashing light challenge to
the Soviet tanker and she replied, "My name is Bucharest,
Russian ship from the Black Sea, bound for Cuba."
The destroyer pulled alongside and Bucharest dipped her
colors. Gearing returned the salute and said, "Good
morning" in Russian (method of transmission not stated).
The Bucharest replied, "Good morning, thank you."
While this very courteous first encounter of the quarantine was
taking place, topside photographs were taken of the Bucharest.
About 0930Q these photographs revealed that the ship carried no
deck cargo. Earlier she had asked what material was prohibited
and, when so informed, said she contained only petroleum. Since
there was no reason to suspect she carried contraband, Bucharestwas
cleared for continued passage to port.
Meanwhile, in the morning, the President issued an order not to
intercept and board a bloc vessel first in view of Soviet Premier
Khrushchev's apparent desire to avoid a direct U.S.-Russian confrontation.
Best evidence of this Soviet policy was the fact that, of the
16 Soviet ships that had been located and determined to be en
route to Cuba, nine east of the line had reversed or altered course
away from the quarantine area. Six of these were close to entering
the prohibited zone at any time. Seven more farther east had also
reversed course. Among them were the first and second intercept
candidates, Kimovsk and Poltava, which were not
headed in an easterly direction. The Soviet Union also had asked
the State Department to define an area outside of which Soviet
merchantmen would not be subject to interdiction.
At 1100Q, Admiral Ricketts received a call from Mr. Gilpatric,
then at the White House. He directed that quarantine forces should
not stop or harass Bucharest, but might continue trailing
her. He also ordered that a non-Bloc ship, other than a tanker,
be stopped and boarded during the day and that quarantine forces
should be in position to intercept, stop, and board the Soviet
tanker Groznyy the next day.
In view of this, reconnaissance forces were directed to seek out
a ship of other than Bloc registry, preferably United Kingdom,
which could be intercepted at the earliest possible time. Several
patrol units already had been dispatched to close on the Kimovsk
and Poltava and to proceed to points of intercept with
other approaching ships without regard for registry. The task
up to now was to enforce the quarantine by interdicting those
merchantmen closest to or within the quarantine zone. This sudden
change in policy, which directed the quick boarding of a non-Bloc
ship, coupled with the fact that the Soviet vessels reversing
course, resulted in orders to the blockade force which scattered
some of the destroyers. The position of some of them in relation
to approaching non-Bloc vessels was somewhat confused.
In the search for an early intercept candidate, a Greek ship,
Sirus, at first was thought to be a good prospect. She
had identified herself earlier, declared her cargo, and requested
permission to proceed to Cuba. However, the Lebanese merchant
freighter, Marucla, was chosen as the most likely first
intercept, after a destroyer had been hurriedly dispatched to
close on Sirus. The Marucla was identified at first
as "Zaruwi," which resulted from an erroneous
reading of the letters spelling the name of the ship.
In the course of the day, a shipload of Guantanamo dependents
was due to arrive in Norfolk and Vice Admiral W.R. Smedberg, the
Chief of Naval Personnel, left to meet them at Admiral Anderson's
request.
After Mr. Gilpatric's phone call in the morning, some interest
was shown in Soviet tanker Groznyy; however, she was several
hundred miles northeast of the line. Most of the activity concerned
the Marucla The destroyers Pierce and Kennedy were
dispatched to intercept and board her at the earliest possible
moment.
The Executive Committee of the National Security Council met at
1000Q and scheduled an afternoon session for 1700Q. This was the
procedure which the group planned to follow throughout the crisis.
They met in the morning and afternoon each day to consider the
military situation, interpret United Nations negotiations, and
make policy decisions on diplomatic and military matters.
Early in the afternoon, the Pierce closed on what she thought
was the Marucla, but proved to be the East German cruise
ship Volkerfreund Schaft. The destroyer continued to shadow
the East German until 2234Q, when the decision was made to let
her pass. The Pierce then broke off and headed to join
the Kennedy en route to intercept Marucla.
At 1150Q, the Defense Department announced that at least a dozen
Soviet vessels had turned back, and that at 0800Q the Navy had
intercepted the Soviet tanker Bucharest proceeding towards
Cuba and had permitted it to proceed without boarding.
Efforts to locate the Lebanese ship Marucla were confused
late in the afternoon by a report that she had turned around.
This report was proven false and, as daylight faded, her position
was still uncertain. At 2100Q, an S2F from the Essex spotted
her. Communications which temporarily had been lost with the Pierce
and Kennedy were regained, and the two ships were ordered
to board the Marucla when found, day or night. This procedure
was later modified to board at first light after the two ships
had encountered her at 2245Q.
The day's activity ended with some tenseness because of the sighting
of a submarine on the surface northeast of the line. Surveillance
of this area was intense during the day because of an earlier
confirmed submarine contact. Throughout the day, there had been
indecision as to whether repeated possible contacts were on a
new submarine or was the same which had been held earlier. However,
a P5M report about 2100Q proved it to be a second "F"
class SS.
All day long, Admiral Anderson's activity was devoted, as previously,
to long meetings in the Joint Chiefs of Staff conference room.
In his absence, his office was occupied by either Vice CNO or
one of the Deputy CNO's. He was kept informed by telephone and
messenger-dispatched notes of all significant developments.
After the JCS conference broke up about 1630Q, there was a long
meeting in the inner office between CNO, VCNO, and the deputies
concerning the proposal of a "sanitized box" surrounding
Cuba. Before the Admiral left for the night, he put down his thoughts
on the matter as: "On condition that ships carrying Soviet
Bloc arms to Cuba will not proceed west of 60° W. This restriction
will not apply to vessels of the Soviet Bloc not carrying articles
on the prohibited list to Cuba or proceeding elsewhere; neither
will it apply to other U.S. Navy vessels not involved in the quarantine.
Duration not to exceed 48 hours."
The request for Navy's ideas on a "sanitized box" concept
was relayed to CNO by the State Department through Mr. Alexis
Johnson's office. What was wanted was a defined area within which
Soviet ships would not enter and outside of which quarantine ships
would not interdict vessels en route to Cuba. The outcome was
two circles, each with a 500-mile radius. The center of one circle
was Havana, the other Cape Maysi.
The geographic area within these two overlapping circles thence
became the "quarantine zone" and into which Cuban-bound
ships must pass before they could be boarded and stopped.
At 2225Q, Mr. McNamara, Mr. Gilpatric, and Admiral Anderson were
briefed in Intelligence Plot. In the course of the briefing, there
was considerable discussion between SECDEF and CNO on how air
quarantine should be effected.
Preparation for other contingencies was continuing on schedule.
FMFLANT and CG 2nd MEF were preparing to embark in Mount McKinley.
CG 2nd Marine Division was to embark in the same ship and transfer
later to the transport Francis Marion.
More than 30 flights a day were being flown over interested areas
from all bases and sources, including Navy and SAC aircraft. SAC
was continuing to meet CINCLANT surveillance requests on a day-to-day
basis. The Joint Chiefs of Staff directed CINCLANT to be prepared
to strike all Cuban SA-2 sites within two hours, if a U-2 aircraft
was shot down. Additional patrol aircraft from U.S. Naval Air
Station, Patuxent River, Maryland, were ordered to augment aerial
surveillance of ocean areas, flying from Bermuda and Azores.
First elements of 3rd LAAM (Hawk missile) Battalion arrived at
Key West. CINCLANT directed movement of one battery to Guantanamo
via MATS
CINCLANTFLT directed establishment of a VP/SS barrier near Argentia,
with readiness to move to GI-UK position as directed. Six submarines
sailed October 25 and four more were scheduled for October 26
movement. Estimated establishment time for the operation was between
October 29-31.
The Soviet oiler, Groznyy, of special interest for interception,
was sighted at 251459Q at 25-10N, 51-40W by SAC aircraft. She
was reported dead in the water. OPNAV Intelligence Plot believed
her cruising speed was about 14-15 knots. Assuming a westerly
heading at this speed, Flag Plot estimated that the ship would
be 160 - 200 miles from the quarantine barrier line at first light.
Intelligence information indicated her cargo was 7,200 tons of
crude oil and 566 tons of liquid NH3 in 22 pressurized tubes.
She was bound from Odessa to Cuba. [ Back ]
Friday.
26 October
Shortly after CNO arrived at 0730Q, Flag Plot reported that a
boarding party from the Pierce and Kennedy was en
route to the Marucla to execute the first quarantine interdiction.
The admiral proceeded immediately to Flag Plot to follow the action.
At 0750Q the boarding party was aboard the Lebanese ship at 26-16N,
75-24W. The executive officer of J. P. Kennedy, who was
in charge, obtained a copy of the merchantman's cargo manifest
and checked it against bills of lading. General cargo included
sulphur, asbestos, news-print, emery paper, lathes, and automotive
parts. on the weather decks were 12 trucks. All holds were battened
down and inaccessible; however, one was opened for inspection,
since it contained questionable material listed as "electro-measuring
instruments." The boarding party left the ship at 0820Q and
the Marucla was released and underway for Havana at 1020Q.
The next ship selected for intercept was Groznyy, which
was east of the line. Lawrence was dispatched in the morning
to intercept, but later recalled. The tanker was placed under
aerial surveillance.
At the 1000Q Executive Committee meeting at the White House, the
Secretary of Defense reported on the quarantine and Secretary
Rusk on negotiations underway between U. Thant and Ambassador
Stevenson. The President authorized the release of a statement
noting that missile development work is continuing in Cuba and
reiterated his earlier warning that such work must cease.
There were no further merchant ship intercepts during the day;
however, significant developments involved the sightings of submarines
which were forced to the surface because of our intense surveillance.
Three separate Soviet "F" class long-range, conventional
submarines had been identified in the quarantine area. An additional
"Z" class was photographed in mid-Atlantic near the
Soviet auxiliary Terek on 22 October. The extent of these
unprecedented Soviet submarine operations was considered significant
in that plans for their deployment must have been made well in
advance. CNO estimated the submarines would have had to deploy
not later than the first week of October. At 0825Q, the first
of two submarines contacted the day before northeast of the quarantine
line was spotted on the surface for the second time.
Actions by the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the day resulted in
the order that preparations be directed toward possible implementation
of CINCLANT Operation Plan 316-61 and that Plan 314-61 for the
invasion of Cuba from a peak readiness posture be no longer considered.
The Chiefs also directed CINCLANT to notify ship masters en route
to Cuba via the Panama Canal that they would be subject to quarantine
regulations. However, U.S. control of the canal was not to be
used to conduct a thorough inspection. Any evidence of prohibited
material being aboard and discovered during passage was ordered
passed to CINCLANT, who would effect interdiction when the ship
reached the quarantine zone.
Three more Soviet ships en route to Cuba were reported to have
changed course and were returning to their ports of departure.
They were the Vishnevsky, Okhotsk, and Sergev
Botkin. Later in the day, Lawrence and MacDonough
were shadowing Groznyy. The tanker had several cylindrical
tanks topside and had declared them to contain ammonia.
The Randolph ASW Group joined the quarantine patrol forces.
She was prosecuting one of three active submarine contacts. The
other two were being held under surveillance by the Essex
group and P2V's from Bermuda. Eight destroyers were in company
with Randolph.
Argentina made the most generous of all offers from Latin American
nations in support of the quarantine, announcing she was ready
to place at U.S. disposal two destroyers, one submarine, one carrier,
and 600 Marines.
All day, reports on the positions of ships closing on Cuba were
received and evaluated. Plans for interception were made and aerial
reconnaissance photographs analyzed. A request was made for a
list of ships of all registries under charter to the USSR. This
information would be added to the compilation of data already
gathered on bloc vessels and non-bloc vessels engaged in Cuban
trade.
Activity remained routine until late afternoon, when the Scandinavian
tanker Kattainzhon was spotted very near the southern coast
of Cuba. A search was also on to find the Groznyy.
At 1705Q a new submarine contact was made by CTF 135 west of Haiti
and north of Jamaica channel. At 1840Q, a P2V sighted another
submarine on the surface northeast of the Dominican Republic.
The latter was positively identified as an "F" class.
Surveillance of both contact areas was intensified.
[Initial line of text missing and apparently covered by a retyped
correction to preceding paragraph.]... that photo-reconnaissance
revealed continued build-up of missiles in Cuba. His statement
came 15 minutes after a letter from Khrushchev to President Kennedy
was received at the State Department through the U.N. Secretary
General in which Khrushchev accepted the proposal that Soviet
ships would stay out of the interception area. The President replied
to Mr. U. Thant and stated that incidents could be avoided if
Soviet ships stayed out of the quarantine zone. Mr. U. Thant then
sent a letter to Premier Castro asking that work on missile bases
be suspended while negotiations were under way. He also proposed
that the U.S. suspend the quarantine during this period.
Admiral Anderson stated the Navy's position should it become U.S.
policy to discuss - U. Thant's moratorium proposals. This was
that the quarantine should continue within the area west of 60w
longitude and between the latitudes of 15N and 30N, and that forces
assigned to quarantine duty would remain within this area. This
restriction would not affect U. S. ships of our quarantine forces
proceeding to and from U.S. ports or other U.S. Navy ships not
part of the quarantine force and operating elsewhere.
The admiral believed that all Soviet Bloc ships should remain
outside this prescribed area. However, he alternately proposed
that this restriction might be modified to apply only to Soviet
Bloc ships carrying prohibited materials, which would be subject
to visit and search.
In his opinion, the moratorium should not exceed 48 hours, during
which time there should be UN observers on each missile site and
each bomber base to ensure against further site construction or
weapons assembly. The U. S. should continue air surveillance of
Cuba during this moratorium.
At 1606Q, the JCS notified the Unified Commanders that a clearance
system (CLEARCERT) had been established for vessels entering the
quarantine zone. For those departing foreign ports, appropriate
embassies and consulates were to issue the clearance certificates
in accordance with instructions and on forms provided by the State
Department. Foreign vessels departing U.S. ports would receive
the certificates from the collector of customs at the port of
departure.
Clearances would be granted to vessels transiting the quarantine
zone but not destined for Cuba and Cuban-bound ships with cargo
which did not contain prohibited material. However, it was recognized
that it might be necessary to stop and search a ship which had
been previously cleared.
At 2025Q a Strategic Air Command aircraft spotted the elusive
Groznyy; she now was firmly back on the plotting boards.
Admiral Anderson, expressed the desire that an effort be made
to have information be released about the evacuation of dependents
from Guantanamo. He wished those persons be given proper recognition
for the hardship they encountered.
Action also had been taken during the day to alleviate fuel situation
at Key West by reducing aircraft on station by 15% and by providing
barges and one oiler for afloat fuel supply.
After relocation of ASW, developmental, and all-weather fighter
training squadrons and four station aircraft, there still remained
a total of 153 aircraft at NAS, Key West. Fifteen helos also were
located at the seaplane base several miles from the main field.
Four early-warning aircraft were to arrive at NAS, Key West, 27
October for use of CONAD. Prior to the build-up, there were 61
aircraft at NAS, Key West, and 13 helos at the seaplane base.
The JCS directed CINCLANT OpPlan 316-62, with recent refinements,
should receive concentrated attention in planning and such preparatory
measures as were feasible for its implementation, if directed;
further planning and preparation for CINCLANT OpPlan 314 was terminated.
CINCLANTFLT requested relief from requirements to provide an AGC
for the Mediterranean, at least during periods when an Atlantic
Fleet AGO was not available due to overhaul or refresher training.
CINCLANTFLT now had an urgent need for an AGC to serve as COMPHIBGRUFOUR
flagship.
Late in the evening, Rear Admiral W. J. Leverton, CINCLANTFLT
Deputy Chief of Staff, called regarding air patrols for the next
day in search of ships of special interest to the Secretary of
Defense. He talked with Vice Admiral Sharp, the duty CNO, and
reported that a P2V from Lages hoped to sight the Mir about
1200Q. A Bermuda-based P3V was taking off at early light to sight
the Karl Marx about 1430Q. Another P3V from Bermuda was
estimating contact with the Belovodsk about 1500Q, while
a third hoped to sight the Groznyy at 0800Q and stay with
her until an intercept destroyer arrived. [
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