Warbird Information Exchange

Hcourt:

Good news! plz keep us posted with all the digging. Talking about Boca Chica NAS:

What do you know of 2 FAR B-26s that landed one in Miami & other at Boca Chica NAS with the same FAR Reg #933?? on April 1961??

They were both Brigade FAL B-26s, painted as FAR B-26s.
8 B-26s, armed with 8 5 inch rockets, bombs and 8 nose mounted .50 Cal machine guns took off from Puerto Cabezas, Nicaragua, to attack three Cuban airfields. A ninths B-26 took off from the same airfield but flew directly to Miami. The 8 that did the actual attack were to fly back to Nicaragua after completing their mission, whereas the ninth was to land in Miami and claim that it was a real FAR B-26 that had taken off from Cuba, bombed its own airfields and landed in Miami. That aircraft was painted as FAR "933'", supposedly the same that had defected to Miami in Dec 1958 when it was FAEC 933. Several of the Brigade aircraft shared the same registration to make it appear that less bombers were involved than actually were.

One of the aircraft that did the actual attack on Campo Libertad in Havana, was, for one reason or another unable to fly back to Nicaragua after delivering its ordnance and landed in Boca Chica NAS. As fate would have it, the real attacker that landed in Boca Chica had the same registration as the one that landed in Miami.

In a book called "Artillero de Cola" (tail gunner) a Cuban B-26 tail gunner writes that in Feb or March 1961 he was patrolling out of Santiago the Cuba in B-26 "931". He specifies that it was fitted with 6 nose guns, 4 under wing guns, and a top and bottom tail turret with two .50 Cal each. They had been sent to check out a large ship which had been reported some 30 nautical miles off the coast of Cuba, which turned out was a Soviet Tanker which was en route to Santiago de Cuba. On their way back, they were joined from the rear by a pair of A4 Skyhawks, probably from Guantanamo. One came right along the back side of the B-26, while the other stayed farther aft and higher. The one right behind was very close, where the tail gunner was able to keep him in his gunners sights. The B-26's captain, went to Max Continuous power, ordered the tail gunner to arm his guns, while attempting to communicate with his base, through the Santiago control tower. The pair of A4s followed. After a while the A4 moved over to the side where the B-26 was no longer in the A-4s' sights, but strayed very close, inside of 150 feet. It lowered its flaps and cycled its gear a few times to keep pace with the B-26. The other A4 maneuvered father away, so the gunner could not keep both in its sights at the same time. He could see the pilots eyes looking at him, with a red helmet and his oxygen mask. The aircraft was written NAVY in big black letters on the side, was gray, and the tail had a black and yellow checkerboard looking diagram and was registered 2747.

By then the B-26 was nearing Santiago and the A-4s were clearly inside of Cuban Airspace. The B-26 suddenly pulled back on the power, forced the two A4s to overtake it and as they did he fired in between them with all forward firing guns, some of which misfired. The A4 then pulled away and left.

After landing, the Captain of the B-26, Jacques Lagas, was blasted by Raoul Castro in person for almost causing a major incident with the Americans.........

The aircraft in which this incident occurred is supposed to be the one located today in San Antonio.

This one? (courtesy Forgotten Jets)

_________________

All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

Hcourt:

Interesting pre-invasion B-26/Navy A-4 encounter story.

p.s I find odd that the Dec '58 sample FAEC #933 was either grey scheme/NMF vs a dark black scheme?? any ideas??

Check out the youtube video "Bay of Pigs Alfredo Maza" by Franklin "Hawkeye Poole."

Alfredo, a B26 bombardier, stopped by the K model, "Special Kay" a few years back. We arranged to interview him a few weeks later about his participation in the Bay of Pigs. Quite a story. Alfredo graciously inscribed my copy of Bay of Pigs by Peter Wyden. He also presented me with a hand written list of sixteen B26 air crews who participated in the BOP, including their fates.

I recall that Alfredo was on a mission the day prior to the landings. They were strafing an air base near Havana. They made three passes and were struck by anti aircraft fire on the third pass. Leaking fuel badly, they made it to the Cayman Islands, a pre determined emergency landing strip. They were immediately evacuated to Miami aboard a BOAC flight. Alfredo said he looked down and could see the Essex. He said the BOAC captain called out the unusual activity below to the passengers.

Alfredo went on the fly A26's in the Congo.

_________________
The real JR

So we know of no record of an A-26 landing in Miami in November 1960? it may be as hidden as there time after arriving in the states where they worked for "the corporation"

I think it is. I googled it a little, and it seems that in 61, this aircraft may have had MARINES painted on it and not NAVY. I may be wrong.

eoselon:

Hi! There were lots of activity at the "Corrosion Corner" side of the house at the old Miami Apt. c.60s/70s. In the book "Rabbit Airlines" it's mentioned that the only requirement to fly S. of the Border was to have a pilot's license on a twin engine a/c & be sober for the 3:00 AM take off!!

An FAEC B-26 (933) defected to Miami with pilot José Crespo Dec 26 1958

Hcourt:

Tks for the info & data! Whatever happened to Jose Crespo & the a/c FAEC 933????

A Cuban author in exile called Leovigildo RUIZ wrote three volumes called "Diario de una Traicion" (Diary of a treason, I think), 1959, 1960 and 1961 where he notes all events that concerned Cuba, in Chronological order, most of which he found in the press. I have all three. In Nov 1960, here are all the information listed in the book that touch aviation:

Nov 1 1960, a small cropduster from Cuba landed in Marathon. It had taken off from Sancti Spritu, Las Villas province
Nov 5 1960, Cubana Pilot Armando Piedra asked for political asylum in Miami after landing his Super Viscount in Miami.
Nov 10 1960. The 19 year old son of Cubana pilot Juventino Baez is shot and killed in Cuba.
Nov 18 1960. Three young Cubans hid in the wheel well of a Cubana flight and arrived in Miami.

No mention of any FAEC B-26

I already replied about 933. I assume it was returned to Cuba because there was a change in government just a few days later.

José Crespo later joined the Brigade as a B-26 pilot and was KIA on April 17 1961. He was shot up by a FAR T-33, escaped when the T-33 ran out of Ammo, and was again attacked by a FAR Sea Fury. At that point, USN A-4 interposed itself between the Sea Fury and Crespo's B-26, which was able to escape damaged, but he never made it to an airport. His B-26 was never located.

Hcourt:

Good Day!

Tks for the info & data again. Is this later sample the one that crashed in the ocean on its way to Key West/Cayman Islands??

p.s Do we have a clear account of how many FAL/FAR B-26 were shot down on both sides?? Tks in advance.

The FAR lost one B-26, 923, shot down by AAA from Brigade ships, most likely the Blagar, some time after noon on April 17 1961. The ships were heading out to sea full steam when this occured, so it may have taken place some 10 to 30 miles out.

The Brigade lost 8 B-26s.
1) One was lost probably to AAA from from Libertad Airfield (one version has it damaged from the blast of its own bomb) and crashed in the Ocean North of Havana on April 15, attempting to make it to Bey West NAS according to some accounts. Both crew KIA. It was painted as 931.
2) One, painted as 935, was shot down by FAR aircraft and crash landed at Giron airstrip on the morning of April 17. Pilot survived (and is still alive today), Navigator/Observer KIA.
3) Another, painted as 935, shot down by FAR aircraft late morning April 17, crashed in Ocean a few miles south of Giron, pilot KIA, Nav/Obs bailed out and survived (I believe this gentleman is also still living).
4) A fourth, whose number I do not have, was shot up over Giron by a T-33 and a Sea Fury, attempted to return to Nicaragua but never made it. Both crew missing in action.
5) A 933 (the one that made an emergency landing at Key West NAS on April 15) crashed into a mountain in Nicaragua while on a ferry flight from Boca Chica NAS to its base at Puerto Cabesaz in Nicaragua on April 17. Both crew killed.
6) Another B-26, whose number I do not have, was shot down by FAR aircraft on April 17 on crashed in the Ocean near Giron.
7) A B-26 was shot down by FAR T-33 on April 19, bot crew KIA, crashed on Ocean south of Giron.
8 ) A B-26 was shot down by AAA near Australia sugar mill on April 19, crashed landed near the sugar mill. Both pilots survived the crash and were subsequently killed by small arms fire.

Hcourt:

Good Day!

Interesting info & data of the FAR/FAL B-26s. Tks

1. Will look for other details in the Cuban Playa Giron books for a/c Regs when they were in Pto Cabezas Nicaragua to see if they were indeed duplicate FAR B-26s reg numbers. One pic in low resolution in included below. Poss FAR 935 for now. via www.





2. Will ck with the Flypast folks for the UK Ambassador/ Consulate guy at Cayman Islands for other poss info & data ..poss pictures of the B-26s that landed there during that era.

p.s Maybe nick "eoselon" may come up with other details of that era. I'd luv to see some pics of the FAR B-26s boneyard along the way. Lots of info/data & pics are out there in little boxes in the Havana area or in the attic of someone house. They 'll emerge eventually.

Tks in advance!!