The first combat aircraft, four Vought UO-2 reconnaissance aircraft and six Airco DH.4B light bombers appeared in the Cuban military in 1923. Until the outbreak of World War II, the Cuban Air Force was not a significant force and was equipped with American-made training and patrol aircraft. The situation changed after in December 1941, Cuba, following the United States, declared war on Japan, Germany and Italy. Already in early 1942, Cuban aircraft began patrolling the waters of the Caribbean. On May 15, 1943, the Cuban floatplane Vought OS2U-3 Kingfisher participated in the sinking of the German submarine U-176.
Before the surrender of Japan in September 1945, 45 aircraft were delivered to Cuba from the United States. Together with training and transport aircraft, the Cuerpo de Aviacion (Spanish Aviation Corps) included a bomber and fighter squadron, which operated: North American B-25J and Mitchell North American P-51D Mustang. In 1944, to cover Havana, the Cubans were given a battery of 90-mm M2 anti-aircraft guns; also, within the framework of Lend-Lease, 40-mm Bofors L / 60 anti-aircraft guns and 12, 7-mm Browning M2 anti-aircraft guns were supplied. However, Cuban fighters and anti-aircraft artillery were many times inferior in numbers and capabilities to the American forces stationed at the American naval base Guantanamo. Where, in addition to the US Navy fighters, several 40-90-mm anti-aircraft batteries were deployed, whose fire could be corrected using the SCR-268 and SCR-584 radars.
After the signing of the Inter-American Mutual Assistance Treaty in 1947, the Cuban Air Force, in accordance with the agreement on military cooperation, received American-made aircraft, as well as ammunition and spare parts. To replace worn-out Mustang fighters, a batch of two dozen Republic P-47D Thunderbolts was delivered, which were replaced by jet engines in the United States. In the future, the Americans also planned to re-equip the air forces of their main ally in the Caribbean with jet fighters. Confirmation of this is the delivery of four Lockheed T-33A Shooting Star jet training aircraft to Cuba in 1955. In the same year, a group of Cuban pilots went to the United States to retrain on the North American F-86 Saber. However, subsequently, due to the outbreak of civil war in Cuba, the transfer of jet fighters did not take place. Thus, the T-33A became the first jet aircraft in the Cuban Air Force.
The two-seater aircraft, created on the basis of the F-80 Shooting Star jet fighter, far outlived its progenitor and became widespread in pro-American countries. If necessary, the combat training aircraft was capable of carrying weapons weighing 908 kg, including two 12, 7-mm machine guns with 300 rounds of ammunition per barrel. The T-33A developed a speed of 880 km / h and had a practical flight range of 620 km. Thus, the two-seat combat trainer surpassed all serial piston-engine fighters in its flight performance, and if necessary, the Shooting Star could be used to intercept piston aircraft, which were still in short supply in the world in the 1950s and 1960s.
After Fulgencio Batista again came to power in Cuba on March 10, 1952, as a result of another military coup, a tough dictatorship was established in the country. All government bodies were permeated with total corruption, and Havana turned into a more unbridled version of Las Vegas, where the American mafia played the main role. At the same time, the overwhelming majority of ordinary Cubans languished in poverty. In the second half of the 50s, Batista managed to turn against himself almost all segments of the population, which was used by a group of revolutionaries led by Fidel Castro.
In the outbreak of civil war, Cuban Air Force aircraft were most often involved in bombing and assault strikes on insurgent positions. Several times, however, government Thunderbolts flew to intercept military transport aircraft that were delivering weapons and ammunition to the Barbudos. In turn, the leadership of the revolutionary movement decided to create its own air force, and in November 1958, the first P-51D fighters appeared as part of the Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria (Spanish Revolutionary Air Force, abbreviated as FAR). The Mustangs were bought in the United States as civilian aircraft and were armed by the rebels in Cuba.
The P-51D fighters did not take direct part in the battles, but they were involved in escorting transport aircraft and bombers at the final stage of hostilities. In total, before the fall of the regime of the dictator Batista, the planes of the Revolutionary Air Force performed 77 sorties: 70 - liaison, reconnaissance, transport-passenger and 7 combat. At the same time, three aircraft of the rebels were shot down by the government air force.
In the late 1950s, the Cuban government was negotiating with the UK for the delivery of Hawker Hunter jet fighters. However, in the end, it was possible to agree on the acquisition of piston fighters being removed from service with the British Navy. In 1958, the fleet of Cuban government combat aircraft was replenished with seventeen British-made Hawker Sea Fury piston fighters. This fighter, developed on the basis of the Hawker Tempest, was in serial production until 1955 and was one of the fastest propeller-driven aircraft in history.
The aircraft with a maximum take-off weight of 6 645 kg, thanks to an air-cooled engine with a capacity of 2560 hp. with. and perfect aerodynamics developed a speed of 735 km / h in horizontal flight. The fighter's armament was powerful enough: four 20-mm cannons, NAR and bombs with a total weight of up to 908 kg.
After the victory of the Cuban Revolution as of January 1, 1959, 15 piston Sea Fury and three jet T-33A were suitable for interception and air combat. However, the US and British authorities stopped military-technical cooperation with the new government of Cuba, and most of the trained flight and technical personnel chose to emigrate. In this regard, by the beginning of 1961, the number of serviceable aircraft in the FAR had sharply decreased. The 6 Sea Fury and 3 T-33A were kept in flight condition mainly by dismantling spare parts from other planes put on hold.
The policy pursued by the new Cuban leadership caused sharp irritation in the United States. The Americans seriously feared that the flame of the revolution could spread to other countries in Central and South America, and did everything to prevent this. First of all, it was decided to overthrow the government of Fidel Castro by the hands of numerous Cuban immigrants, who settled mainly in Florida. The new Cuban leadership understood that it was more difficult to retain power than to seize and enlisted the support of the Soviet Union. In the first half of 1961, the Cuban armed forces in the form of military assistance from the USSR and Czechoslovakia received three dozen T-34-85 tanks and Su-100 self-propelled guns, about a hundred artillery pieces and mortars, and several thousand small arms. To protect against air strikes, the Cubans were supplied with several dozen quad 12, 7-mm anti-aircraft guns of Czechoslovak production.
The ZPU, known as the Vz.53, was created in 1953 using four Vz.38 / 46 heavy machine guns, which were a licensed version of the Soviet DShKM. The Czechoslovak anti-aircraft gun had a detachable wheel travel and weighed 558 kg in a combat position. Four 12.7 mm barrels gave out a total rate of fire of 500 rds / min. The effective range of fire against air targets reached 1500 m. In addition to the Czechoslovak ZPU, there were also a number of 40-mm Bofors and 12, 7-mm Browning, but these weapons were badly worn out and often failed.
Soon after the overthrow of Batista, counter-revolutionary groups supported by the American CIA began to carry out sabotage and attacks. Especially suffered from this factories, which were engaged in the processing of sugar cane - the only strategic raw material in Cuba. The actions of opponents of the Castro regime were supported by aviation based on airfields in the US state of Florida. Aircraft piloted by American citizens and immigrants from Cuba, not only delivered weapons, ammunition, equipment and food to armed groups operating in the jungle, but in a number of cases dropped bombs on government forces, industrial plants and bridges. During the air raids, both converted passenger transport aircraft and B-25 bombers were used. At the same time, the Cuban Air Force and Air Defense could do little to oppose the hijackers. For full control of the airspace, radars and modern communications were required, which were not available on the island. In most cases, the information transmitted from the air observation posts was late, and the Cubans had to refuse from patrolling by fighters in the air in order to save the resource of aircraft. Nevertheless, efforts were made to prevent incursions into the country's airspace. Anti-aircraft ambushes equipped with large-caliber machine guns and small arms were organized on the most likely routes of passage of enemy aircraft. This has borne some fruit. In 1960, as a result of shelling from the ground, the counter-revolutionaries lost two aircraft, one C-54 damaged by anti-aircraft fire made an emergency landing in the Bahamas.
In the meantime, the United States was preparing to invade Cuba, for which by April 1961, by the efforts of the CIA, the "2506 Brigade" was formed from Cuban emigrants. The brigade consisted of: four infantry, one motorized and one parachute battalions, a tank company and a battalion of heavy weapons - only about 1,500 people. The actions of the amphibious assault were supposed to support 16 twin-engine Douglas A-26В Invader bombers and 10 Curtiss C-46 Commando transport aircraft. They were piloted by immigrants from Cuba and the Americans recruited by the CIA.
On April 13, 1961, Brigade 2506 landing forces boarded seven Liberty-class transport ships and moved towards Cuba. In 45 miles off the southern coast, they were joined by two tank landing ships and landing barges with military equipment on board. According to the action plan, after the landing, the Cuban counter-revolutionaries, entrenched on the coast, had to announce the creation of a provisional government on the island and request military assistance from the United States. The landing of the American landing was to take place immediately after the appeal of the interim government of Cuba. The plan for the landing operation was worked out in detail at the American headquarters, and the location of the amphibious assault was chosen on the basis of intelligence data and analysis of aerial photographs taken by American reconnaissance aircraft. The landing operation was planned to be carried out at three points on the coast of Cochinos Bay. At the same time, the paratroopers landed from the air were supposed to capture the coastal strip and the airfield near the village of San Bale to redeploy their air force there and deliver reinforcements. In fact, due to uncoordinated actions and contradictions between the Cuban counter-revolutionaries, the leadership of the CIA and the administration of President Kennedy, the landing operation was carried out in a reduced version and the invasion forces did not receive the planned air support from the US Navy carrier-based aircraft. Landings from the sea were carried out at Playa Larga (two infantry battalions) and at Playa Giron (the main forces consisting of an artillery battalion, tank and infantry battalions). A small parachute landing was dropped in the area of Snotlyar.
The landing of the rebels' amphibious assault was timely detected by the patrols of the Cuban army and the people's militia, but due to their small number they could not prevent it, and were forced to retreat. But the Cuban leadership in Havana received information about the invasion in time and was able to quickly take the necessary measures.
The bombers of the invasion forces were the first to go into action, taking off shortly after midnight on April 15, from the Nicaraguan airfield of Puerto Cubesas. Eight B-26s attacked FAR airbases. In addition to 227-kg bombs, several Invaders carried 127-mm unguided rockets, intended mainly to suppress anti-aircraft batteries.
One bomber headed for Miami, where its pilot tried to assure that the military in Cuba had rebelled against Fidel Castro. Anti-aircraft fire from the Cubans damaged two Inweiders - one of them fell into the sea 30 miles north of the Cuban coast (the crew of two died), the second damaged plane landed at the US Navy Key West in Florida, and participated in the operation did not take any more. The crews reported on the destruction of 25-30 aircraft at three Cuban airfields, the destruction of ammunition and fuel depots. The actual results were much more modest. As a result of the airstrike, two B-26s, three Sea Furies and one transport and training aircraft were destroyed and damaged. Subsequently, part of the damaged aircraft was repaired and returned to service, irrecoverable losses amounted to three aircraft.
After the air raid of the counter-revolutionary air force, the armed forces of the island state were put on alert, and combat aircraft suitable for further use began to hastily prepare for departure. All Sea Furies and Invaders capable of performing a combat mission were moved closer to the area of the proposed landing of the invasion forces - to the San Antonio airbase. Despite the depressing technical condition of some of the aircraft, their pilots were determined to do their best.
The first plane of the Cuban Air Force did not return from a combat mission on the night of April 14-15. The jet T-33A, sent for reconnaissance due to a technical malfunction, could not land and fell into the sea, its pilot was killed. However, on the morning of 17 April, a group of three Sea Furies and one Invader bomber attacked the invasion forces landing on Playa Giron. They were soon joined by two more fighters.
Having effectively fired rockets at the ships, the pilots of the Sea Fury found twin-engine B-26B counterrevolutionaries in the air, for which they were clearly not ready. However, the meeting was unexpected for the pilots of the Republican Air Force, who initially took enemy aircraft for their own. This was not surprising, since both sides used the same type of American-made bombers. However, the confusion of the FAR pilots did not last long, and soon one B-26, pierced with bursts of 20-mm cannons, caught fire and fell into the sea near the landing ships. Sufficiently effective fighter cover of the Republican troops did not allow targeted bombing at their positions, while the Sea Fury and anti-aircraft gunners managed to shoot down five Invaders.
The tiny Republican Air Force also suffered significant losses. One Sea Fury was shot down by 12.7mm machine guns in aerial combat. After being hit by an anti-aircraft shell, a B-26 exploded in the air, and another fighter was seriously damaged. Thus, FAR lost a third of its aircraft and half of its flight personnel in one day. But the heroic actions of the republican pilots in the air and the selfless labor of mechanics on the ground made it possible to thwart the plans of the counter-revolutionaries. As a result of the air strikes, half of the landing craft with heavy weapons on board were sunk. To avoid further losses, the remaining ships withdrew 30-40 miles into the open sea, under the cover of the American fleet. Thus, the landing force already landed on the Cuban coast was left without the support of the ship's 127-mm artillery and the cover of 40-mm anti-aircraft guns. In the future, the supply of the invasion forces was carried out only by dropping supplies by parachute.
Thanks to the heroic actions of the Cuban Air Force, in the second half of April 17, the offensive impulse of the paratroopers fizzled out. By evening, the superior forces of the Castro government, using tanks, 82-120 mm mortars and 105-122 mm howitzers, managed to press the enemy back. At the same time, one T-34-85 tank was lost - destroyed by shots from the "Super Bazooka".
Day 18 April 1961 became decisive in the battle. Thanks to the decisive actions of the pilots of a pair of T-33A and one serviceable Sea Fury, the Revolutionary Air Force managed to achieve air supremacy and turn the whole course of hostilities in their favor. Subsequently, the surviving pilots, who supported the actions of the counter-revolutionaries, stated that they were attacked by MiGs, which were not in Cuba at that time.
After the Cuban Shooting Stars intercepted two B-26s and one S-46, and the calculations of the quadruple anti-aircraft machine-gun mounts deployed to the combat zone shot down and damaged several bombers, the command of the invasion forces was forced to abandon further sorties to bomb the positions of the forces Castro and the supply of the landing. American aid to the landing party turned out to be purely symbolic. Several jet Skyhawks from the aircraft carrier Essex flew along the landing zone in order to inspire the paratroopers pinned to the sea. However, the American carrier-based attack aircraft refrained from active actions. By evening, the invasion forces were blocked in the Playa Giron - Cayo Ramona - San Blas triangle.
On the morning of April 19, it became clear that the invasion operation had failed and the surviving landing craft of the counter-revolutionaries began to withdraw. To cover the evacuation, the Americans sent two of their destroyers: USS Eaton and USS Murray. However, after the cannons of the T-34-85 tanks and the Su-100 self-propelled guns were opened on them, the US Navy ships hastily left Cuban territorial waters.
By 17:30 local time, the main centers of resistance of the "2506 brigade" were broken, and the "gusanos" (Spanish gusanos - worms) began to surrender en masse. In general, the losses of the "brigade 2506" amounted to 114 killed and 1202 taken prisoners. Four Liberty-class ships and several self-propelled tank landing barges were sunk.
The losses of the Anti-Castro Air Force amounted to 12 aircraft, of which seven B-26 bombers and one military transport C-46 shot down Cuban fighters. It was FAR, at a critical moment, when units of the Cuban army and militia had just begun deploying and transferring to the 2506 Brigade landing area, who managed to protect them from bomb attacks and, despite the deadly anti-aircraft fire, sank several landing ships. Having thus played a key role in repelling aggression.
The Cuban government has drawn completely unequivocal conclusions from what happened. Realizing that the United States would seek his overthrow and physical elimination, Fidel Castro, counting on military and political support from the USSR, already on April 16, 1961 announced his intention to build socialism in Cuba.
Soon the first Soviet-made combat aircraft arrived at the "Island of Freedom" - 20 "used" MiG-15bis and 4 training MiG-15UTI. Initially, they were lifted into the air by Soviet pilots. The first Cuban pilot took off in a MiG on June 25, 1961.
On September 30, 1961, an agreement was signed between the USSR and Cuba, providing for the provision of Soviet military assistance and the dispatch of Soviet military specialists for the purpose of training and training personnel of the future Air Force and Air Defense Forces of the Cuban Revolutionary Military Council. In addition to other military equipment and weapons, it was planned to supply fighters, radar stations, 37-100-mm anti-aircraft guns and even SA-75M Dvina anti-aircraft missile systems.
In 1962, the combined Cuban Revolutionary Air Force and Air Defense Forces (Spanish Defensa Antiaerea y Fuerza Aerea Revolucionaria - abbreviated DAAFAR) already had three combat-ready fighter squadrons. The training of Cuban pilots was carried out in the USSR, Czechoslovakia and the PRC.
However, subsonic fighters, which performed well during the Korean War, had already become obsolete by the early 60s and could not fight on equal terms with the American Skyhawks and Crusaders, which regularly invaded the republic's airspace. The main tasks of the MiG-15bis were to counter the introduction to the island with the help of light aircraft, helicopters and high-speed boats of saboteur groups and strikes at sea and ground targets in the event of an invasion of large enemy forces.
Although in 1962, the DAAFAR ground component had several P-20 and P-10 radars, as well as a dozen anti-aircraft artillery and machine-gun batteries, in the event of a direct armed clash with the United States, they could not provide serious opposition to American military aviation. In early April 1962, the United States Marine Corps began a major exercise involving carrier-based aircraft. The scenario of the exercise and its scope clearly indicated the impending invasion of Freedom Island. At the same time, the Soviet leadership was aware that our military presence in Cuba would not stop American aggression. During that period, the Soviet Union was surrounded on all sides by American military bases, and American medium-range missiles with a short flight time were deployed in Great Britain, Italy and Turkey.
In this situation, after agreement with the Cuban government, it was decided to deploy in Cuba Soviet medium-range missiles R-12 and R-14, as well as front-line cruise missiles FKR-1. In addition to strategic nuclear forces, it was planned to transfer personnel of four motorized rifle regiments, Sopka anti-ship coastal missile systems and Luna mobile tactical missiles to the island. The total number of deployed Soviet military contingent exceeded 50 thousand people. The air defense forces included: the 32nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (40 MiG-21F-13 supersonic fighters with the K-13 (R-3S) UR and 6 MiG-15UTI training aircraft), the 10th Anti-Aircraft Division and 11th Anti-Aircraft Missile Division.
The anti-aircraft artillery division had one regiment armed with 100-mm anti-aircraft guns KS-19 (four divisions with 16 guns in each), and three regiments of four divisions, armed with 37-57 mm anti-aircraft guns (18 guns per division) … A number of ZSU-57-2, 12, 7 and 14, 5-mm ZPUs were in motorized rifle regiments. In total, together with the anti-aircraft guns of the Cuban army, more than 700 12, 7-14, 5-mm anti-aircraft machine guns and 37-100-mm guns could fire at enemy aircraft. At the same time, the 57-mm S-60 and 100-mm KS-19 had centralized gun aiming radars.
The anti-aircraft missile division had three regiments of four SA-75M "Dvina" anti-aircraft missile divisions (12 air defense missile systems with 72 launchers). The lighting of the air situation and the issuance of target designation were entrusted to the radio engineering units, in which there were 36 radar stations, including the newest ones at that time: P-12 and P-30. Taking into account the radars at the disposal of the Cubans, about 50 all-round radars and radio altimeters functioned on the island, which ensured multiple overlap of the radar field over Cuban territory and control over coastal waters at a distance of 150-200 km.
Despite the deployment of Soviet air defense systems on the island and the rather numerous positions of anti-aircraft artillery, American aircraft made regular reconnaissance flights over Cuba. On August 29, after decrypting the images taken by the Lockheed U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft, the Americans became aware of the presence of the SA-75M air defense system on Cuban territory. On September 5, after flying over the Santa Clara airbase, MiG-21 fighters were discovered. In this regard, fearing the loss of slow and low-maneuverable high-altitude reconnaissance, the US Air Force command temporarily stopped using them, and the conduct of photographic reconnaissance was entrusted to the supersonic McDonnell RF-101C Voodoo and Lockheed F-104C Starfighter and with suspended reconnaissance containers, which were believed to be in force. relatively low flight altitude and high speed were less vulnerable. However, after a single Voodoo was almost intercepted by a pair of MiG-21F-13 in early October, reconnaissance was again entrusted to high-altitude U-2s. On October 14, an American spy plane recorded the presence of Soviet medium-range ballistic missiles in Cuba, which came as a shock to the military-political leadership of the United States. On October 16, information about the launchers of Soviet MRBMs was brought to the President of the United States. This date is considered the beginning of what is known in world history as the Caribbean Crisis. After the discovery of Soviet missiles in Cuba, President Kennedy demanded an increase in the number of reconnaissance flights, and from October 14 to December 16, 1962, U-2s flew 102 reconnaissance flights over Freedom Island.
On October 22, the US President announced a "quarantine for the island of Cuba," and US forces in the area were put on high alert. Up to 25% of the existing strategic bombers Boeing B-47 Stratojet and Boeing B-52 Stratofortress were prepared for strikes on the island. Aircraft of American tactical and carrier-based aviation in the first day were ready to make up to 2000 sorties. On the border of the territorial waters of Cuba, American warships and radio intelligence vessels cruised. Near Cuban airspace, American pilots simulated massive raids.
After the American president spoke on television, Soviet and Cuban troops were dispersed and put on alert. An attack by American military aircraft on Soviet and Cuban targets was expected on the night of 26-27 or at dawn on October 27. In this regard, Fidel Castro and the commander of the Soviet military contingent, General of the Army I. A. Pliev was ordered to shoot down American planes "in the event of an obvious attack."
On October 27, Soviet radar operators recorded 8 violations of Cuban airspace. At the same time, the Cuban anti-aircraft gunners opened fire on the violators, and they managed to seriously damage one F-104C. The US electronic intelligence equipment recorded the simultaneous activation of up to fifty radars, which was a surprise. In planning the air strike, the American military leadership proceeded from the fact that there are much smaller air defense forces on Cuban territory. To clarify the situation, it was decided to conduct additional aerial reconnaissance. The U-2 reconnaissance aircraft flying out to photograph the positions of the air defense forces at an altitude of 21,000 m was hit by a 13D (V-750VN) anti-aircraft missile of the SA-75M complex, an American pilot, Major Rudolph Anderson, was killed. On the same day, October 27, a pair of Vought RF-8A Crusader naval reconnaissance aircraft came under heavy anti-aircraft fire. The Crusaders were damaged but managed to land safely in Florida.
At that moment, an American strike against Cuba seemed to many to be inevitable, which with a high degree of probability could provoke a global nuclear conflict between the USSR and the United States. Fortunately, common sense prevailed, the parties managed to agree, and a nuclear catastrophe did not occur. In exchange for guarantees of non-aggression against Cuba and the withdrawal of missiles from Turkish territory, the Soviet leadership agreed to remove its own nuclear-armed missiles and Il-28 bombers from the island. To control the withdrawal of Soviet missiles, U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft were used, and the orders of the SA-75M air defense missile system were ordered not to open fire on them. In order not to escalate the situation and not expose their pilots to danger, the Americans refused to fly tactical reconnaissance aircraft.
