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  • South of Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The Brigade 2506 invasion fleet converged on 'Rendezvous Point Zulu'

    South of Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961

    Late on 16 April, the CIA/Brigade 2506 invasion fleet converged on 'Rendezvous Point Zulu', about 65 kilometres (40 mi) south of Cuba, having sailed from Puerto Cabezas in Nicaragua where they had been loaded with troops and other materiel, after loading arms and supplies at New Orleans.




  • Las Villas, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The armed uprising

    Las Villas, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961

    On 16 April, Merardo Leon, Jose Leon, and 14 others staged an armed uprising at Las Delicias Estate in Las Villas, with only four surviving. Leonel Martinez and three others took to the countryside.




  • Baracoa, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Failing to land near Baracoa

    Baracoa, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961

    On the night of 15/16 April, the Nino Diaz group failed in a second attempted diversionary landing at a different location near Baracoa.




  • Playa Larga, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    06:50:00 AM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Losing Houston

    Playa Larga, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    06:50:00 AM

    At about 06:50, south of Playa Larga, Houston was damaged by several bombs and rockets from a Sea Fury and a T-33, and about two hours later captain Luis Morse intentionally beached it on the western side of the bay. About 270 troops had been unloaded, but about 180 survivors who struggled ashore were incapable of taking part in further action because of the loss of most of their weapons and equipment. The loss of Houston was a great blow to the brigadistas as that ship was carrying much of the Brigade 2506's medical supplies, which meant that wounded brigadistas had to make do with inadequate medical care.




  • Nueva Gerona, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    07:00:00 AM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Attacking The Cuban Navy Patrol Escort ship El Baire

    Nueva Gerona, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    07:00:00 AM

    At about 07:00, two invading FAL B-26s attacked and sank the Cuban Navy Patrol Escort ship El Baire at Nueva Gerona on the Isle of Pines. They then proceeded to Girón to join two other B-26s to attack Cuban ground troops and provide distraction air cover for the paratroop C-46s and the CEF ships under air attack.




  • Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    07:30:00 AM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Operation Falcon

    Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    07:30:00 AM

    At about 07:30, five C-46 and one C-54 transport aircraft dropped 177 paratroops from the parachute battalion of Brigade 2506 in an action code-named Operation Falcon. About 30 men, plus heavy equipment, were dropped south of the Central Australia sugar mill on the road to Palpite and Playa Larga, but the equipment was lost in the swamps, and the troops failed to block the road. Other troops were dropped at San Blas, at Jocuma between Covadonga and San Blas, and at Horquitas between Yaguaramas and San Blas. Those positions to block the roads were maintained for two days, reinforced by ground troops from Playa Girón and tanks.




  • Bay of Pigs, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    08:30:00 AM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    FAR Sea Fury crashed

    Bay of Pigs, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    08:30:00 AM

    At about 08:30, a FAR Sea Fury piloted by Carlos Ulloa Arauz crashed in the bay, due to stalling or anti-aircraft fire, after encountering a FAL C-46 returning south after dropping paratroops.


  • Australia, Cuba - Covadonga, Cuba - Yaguaramas, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    09:00:00 AM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The arrival of Cuban troops and militia

    Australia, Cuba - Covadonga, Cuba - Yaguaramas, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    09:00:00 AM

    By 09:00, Cuban troops and militia from outside the area had started arriving at the Central Australia sugar mill, Covadonga and Yaguaramas. Throughout the day they were reinforced by more troops, heavy armour and T-34 tanks typically carried on flat-bed trucks.


  • Playa Giron, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    09:30:00 AM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Rio Escondido was blew up and sank

    Playa Giron, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    09:30:00 AM

    At about 09:30, FAR Sea Furies and T-33s fired rockets at Rio Escondido, which then 'blew up' and sank about 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) south of Girón. Rio Escondido was loaded with aviation fuel and as the ship started to burn, the captain gave the order to abandon ship with the ship being destroyed in three explosions shortly afterwards. Rio Escondido carried not only fuel, but also enough ammunition, food and medical supplies to last ten days and the radio that allowed the Brigade to communicate with the Liberation Air Force. The loss of the communications ship Rio Escondido meant that San Román was only able to issue orders to the forces at Blue Beach, and he had no idea of what was happening at Red Beach or with the paratroopers.


  • Playa Giron, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    10:00:00 AM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The messenger from Red Beach

    Playa Giron, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    10:00:00 AM

    A messenger from Red Beach arrived at about 10:00 am asking San Román to send tank and infantry to block the road from the Central Australia sugar mill, a request that he agreed to. It was not expected that government forces would be counter-attacking from this direction.


  • Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    11:00:00 AM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The Two remaining freighters started retreating south to international waters

    Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    11:00:00 AM

    By about 11:00, the two remaining freighters Caribe and Atlántico, and the CIA LCIs and LCUs, started retreating south to international waters, but still pursued by FAR aircraft. At about noon, a FAR B-26 exploded due to heavy anti-aircraft fire from Blagar, and pilot Luis Silva Tablada (on his second sortie) and his crew of three were lost.


  • Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    02:30:00 PM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Slaughter of the Lost Battalion

    Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    02:30:00 PM

    At 2:30 pm a group of militiamen from the 339th Battalion set up a position, which came under attack from the brigadista M41 Walker Bulldog tanks, who inflicted heavy losses on the defenders. This action is remembered in Cuba as the "Slaughter of the Lost Battalion" as most of the militiamen perished.


  • Australia, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    04:00:00 PM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    Castro had arrived at the Central Australia sugar mill

    Australia, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    04:00:00 PM

    By 16:00, Fidel Castro had arrived at the Central Australia sugar mill, joining José Ramón Fernández whom he had appointed as battlefield commander before dawn that day.


  • Playa Larga, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    08:00:00 PM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The Cuban Army open Fire

    Playa Larga, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    08:00:00 PM

    At 8:00 pm, the Cuban Army opened fire with its 76.2mm and 122mm artillery guns on the brigadista forces at Playa Larga, which was followed by an attack by T-34 tanks at about midnight.


  • San San Antonio de Los Baños airfield, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    09:00:00 PM
    Bay of Pigs Invasion

    The Night air strike by three FAL B-26s Fail

    San San Antonio de Los Baños airfield, Cuba
    Sunday Apr 16, 1961
    09:00:00 PM

    At about 21:00 on 17 April 1961, a night air strike by three FAL B-26s on San Antonio de Los Baños airfield failed, reportedly due to incompetence and bad weather. Two other B-26s had aborted the mission after take-off. Other sources allege that heavy anti-aircraft fire scared the aircrews As night fell, Atlantico and Caribe pulled away from Cuba to be followed by Blagar and Barbara J.


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