Carrying out the Invasion

On April 15, 1961 eight Douglas B-26B Invasion bombers disguised as Cuban planes by the CIA, simultaneously attacked three major Cuban airfields to clear the way for Brigade 2506.

They were meant to destroy Cuban government aircraft to eliminate the chance of a possible air strike when the invasion force landed. However, they did not destroy nearly enough of their targets, and left most of the Cuban airforce intact.

That same morning, at the UN, Raul Roa, the Cuban Foreign Minister accused the US of deliberately attacking Cuba. The US ambassador to the UN answered by stating that "US forces would not under any conditions intervene in anyway in Cuba," and that the US would ensure that no US citizen would participate in actions against Cuba. He also said that the attacks earlier that morning were carried out by Cuban rebels. He later found out that the CIA had lied to him and to the Secretary of State Dean Rusk.