THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS

Bay Of Pigs Invasion – 1500 Cuban exiles; org by CIA; crushing failure

General Information – Sputnik 4 Oct ’57; Kruschev knows Soviets for behind in nuke race; Cuba wants protection and military support; Soviets deploy missiles to Cuba (90mi from FL)

Discovery Of The Missile Sites – done by U2 spy plane photos

Executive Committee And The Options – 1) Invasion w/Airstrike; 2) Official and political protest / pressure; 3) Blockade

Naval “Quarantine”

T165 – Enterprise and CVNs ready for airstrike

T166 – Destroyers 500mi out w/60mi patrol

Oct 24: Quarintine goes into effect

Oct 26: Visually OK’d ships until now; Maracla (Panamanian) stopped and searched mainly to show US resolve

Oct 27: Soviety Grozny tries to run blockade until DD fires guns over its bow (then it turns around)