◆ SpookStack

belief that the T-33's were not armed. 25/* Before discussing the actual strike on 15 April 1961, the second aspect of the D-2 operation must be explained •.. ·that is, the planned ,"defector" opera- tion. The scenario for JMFURY -- the crypt which was assigned to this particular aspect of the project read in part as follows: At or about 0800Z (0300 EST), on Friday 14 April [1961], a Cuban pilot, selected from the group now on alert in TIDE, will depart TIDE in a specially prepared B-26 for a point 15-20 miles off the coast of CUba.** He will arrive at this point, at or "about 0610 (local). He will then fly * No satisfactory explanation is found in the record for either man having this particular belief. Beerli admittedly recognized the fact that the T-33 was a trainer; but as DOD had pointed out in response to an Agency request, the planes were equipped with two .50 caliber machine guns. Perhaps both men were too far from the actual air operations to be fully briefed on all of the details of the air equipment, but this seems doubtful in view of the serious debates which had ,taken place concerning the choice of aircraft to be employed by the exile Brigade facing opposition from Castro's T-33's and Sea Furies. Unfortunately, how- ever, in its final report on the Bay of Pigs, the Taylor Committee did fault "the intelligence •.. as to the evaluation effectiveness of the T-33's." 2sa/ ** The date for the pre-D-Day air strike had initially been set for D-3 (14 April 1961), but on 12 April 1961, Headquarters notified TIDE that the JMFURY project had been set back to D-2 or 15 April 1961. ~/