American Strategic Deception Bureau

　Of course, there were also some women from former landlord families and petty-bourgeois families who cast their enthusiastic eyes on the rebel planes.

　As a result, in the girls' fantasies, this fierce air battle over Havana becomes more like a super death fight where flying knights show their bravery and fight for their own favors in a bloody battle!

　In another historical context, the CIA launched the Bay of Pigs. Although they gathered more than 30 aircraft, they were unable to recruit experienced pilots and ultimately only managed to get eight B-26 bombers into the air. As a result, with so few aircraft, they couldn't even bomb every enemy air base.

　As for other Cuban naval and army targets, there was absolutely no spare energy to attack them at the same time.

　——The bomb load of just eight bombers is far from enough to bomb Singapore, let alone Cuba, which is 110,000 square kilometers in area.

　Probably enough to blow up the Vatican.

　But during Operation Tropic Thunder, the CIA deployed and mobilized over 150 aircraft of all types, equivalent to a full-deck attack from two or three aircraft carriers! Even the bombers and attack aircraft directly responsible for ground attacks numbered over 80.

　In addition to the US carrier-based aircraft that refused to enter Cuban airspace, the escort fighters also included as many as forty various land-based fighters capable of accompanying the bomber groups deep into enemy territory, piloted by Cuban exile pilots or Dominican pilots.

　——This is all thanks to the rich legacy left by Marshal Trujillo.

　Produce!

　In this way, the Cuban rebels had the courage and guts to engage in a knight duel with the Cuban Revolutionary Air Force on the enemy's home turf.

　Furthermore, according to the CIA's plan, they also had to completely destroy the Cuban Revolutionary Air Force's manpower and seize air supremacy over the entire Cuban battlefield, so as to ensure the smooth landing of the landing troops, rather than being blown to pieces by the Cuban Revolutionary Air Force on the beach.

　On the other hand, the Cuban Revolutionary Air Force, which had just suffered a surprise attack on the airport, was smashed to pieces. Of the 24 MiG-15 fighters that had just been ordered from the Soviet Union, only three survived the first wave of bombing. It can be said that only a few debris were left.

　However, the aircraft that Castro had received from the old counter-revolutionary regime had been moved to various remote airports to make room for MiG-15 fighters, and thus happened to avoid the first wave of enemy air strikes and basically survived.

　But the problem is that these planes have been in disrepair for a long time, with a shortage of spare parts and in extremely poor condition. Some of them were maliciously damaged by defecting pilots and ground crew during the change of regime in Cuba. So even if they have not been bombed, most of them are already in tatters.

　Of the 12 Sea Furies, only three were still flying, one each having been shot down and damaged at Cienfuegos Naval Base. Two P-51 Mustangs had their engines scrapped and were now useless, while one of the two older F-47 Thunderbolts was still flying.

　9架B-26入侵者攻击机，在空袭前就只有三架还能用，偏偏因为跟米格-15战机停在一起，而有两架被炸毁了。除此之外，就只剩下一些T-33A教练机和OS2U-3翠鸟、C-45、C-46和C-47之类的运输机。

　Despite such a huge disparity in power, the brave Cuban Revolutionary Air Force was still determined to fight to the death. The ground crew and engineers, regardless of the fire that had not yet been extinguished around them, repaired the craters on the airport runway with porous steel plates as quickly as possible and launched the undamaged aircraft.

　The Cuban pilots who arrived in a hurry, without hesitation, flew anything that could still fly into the air to meet the enemy, desperately fighting the rebels' P-51 Mustang fighters and Vampire jet fighters. Even T-33A trainer aircraft were equipped with machine guns and rushed into the battlefield without hesitation!

　For a moment, the fighter planes of both sides were chasing, biting, and even colliding over Havana, and they were completely blood-thirsty.

　The blazing fire chains from the aircraft machine guns, the dazzling tail flames from the airborne rockets, and the gray smoke clouds from the exploding anti-aircraft shells made the sky look like purgatory!

　As the pilots of the Cuban Revolutionary Air Force engaged in a dogfight with enemy aircraft that far outnumbered them in both quality and quantity, and the chaotic battle unfolded in the skies, anti-aircraft artillery units on the ground, both Cuban and Soviet reinforcements, were frantically bombarding Havana with their 37mm anti-aircraft guns and 12.7mm anti-aircraft machine guns, turning the sky over Havana red.

　From time to time, Soviet SAM-3 air defense missiles would roar into the sky and blow the aluminum fuselage of the enemy bombers into countless pieces.

　For a moment, the rain of bullets on the ground erupted like a volcano, and the planes in the sky fell like meteors. The scene was spectacular and breathtaking.

　Unfortunately, the strength of the Cuban Revolutionary Air Force was ultimately too weak.

　Faced with enemy aircraft that outnumbered their own number by several times, three MiG-15 fighters, one F-47 Thunder fighter, two T-33A trainer aircraft and one Sea Fury fighter that came from the Cienfuegos Naval Base were all destroyed and crashed one after another.

　By noon, the only enemy planes flying over Havana were those from Florida and the Dominican Republic. San Antonio Air Force Base and Liberty City Airport, which had just been partially repaired, were also subjected to a second round of aerial bombing and rocket fire.

　Although the Soviet air defense missile regiment tried its best, the number of SAM-3 missiles that had arrived in Cuba was extremely limited, and some of them had malfunctioned. After shooting down about 10 enemy bombers and attack aircraft, it had run out of ammunition and was unable to do anything.

　In the end, the only planes left in the Cuban sky were the invaders' planes, flying recklessly and dropping bombs and strafing the ground from time to time.

　Among them, Che Guevara, who was supervising the battle from an anti-aircraft machine gun position at the Cabaña Military Prison, was hit by a rocket from a B-26 attack plane that detonated the ammunition depot. The blast blew him out of the window and knocked him unconscious.

　But would he consider himself Irish?

　Even President Obama, who's black, has a bit of Irish blood in him, though it goes back seven generations.

　Chapter 102: The enemy is in Guantanamo?

　The twilight of the setting sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows onto the large bed in the room, causing Che Guevara, who was lying on the bed, to wake up with a groan.

　It was a long time before he regained consciousness and his vision gradually became clear.

　Then, Che Guevara did not see a doctor or nurse in a white coat, but saw a familiar bearded face.

　"Ahem, Fidel, are you okay? What's going on out there?"

　Che Guevara coughed a few times and asked in a weak voice, feeling a stinging pain in his throat as if it had been scraped by a blade.

　Despite this, Fidel Castro still heard it clearly, and pointed to the bandage wrapped around his forehead, his blood-stained clothes, and his limping leg, and said with a wry smile, "Tsk, look at what you said - do I look okay? But it's just a minor injury, so it's not a big deal."

　He paused, then continued, "The airstrike is over, but it's still a bit chaotic outside—after you were knocked unconscious, all the prisoners in the Fort Cabaña military prison escaped. Large-scale gang looting and arson riots have also broken out in the city. It's likely that counter-revolutionaries are colluding and instigating this. Raul (his younger brother, another Castro) is leading the suppression and arrests. I believe order will be restored soon..."

　"What? All the counter-revolutionaries I arrested have escaped from prison? What the hell! Oh, by the way, where am I?"

　Upon hearing this news, Che Guevara immediately struggled out of bed, then, leaning on a desk lamp, managed to steady himself. He surveyed his surroundings, noting the lavish decor. But it clearly didn't resemble a government office, nor did it look like Castro's villa. He couldn't help but ask, "What's going on?"

　"This is the Hilton Hotel! Tsk, my house was also hit by aerial bombs and rockets, and Raul advised me to move my office."

　The bearded Castro replied, "During the few hours you were unconscious, I had already arranged for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to go to the United Nations to accuse the US imperialist aggression! I believe that the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries will give us some support, and some Latin American countries will also support us..."

　- Even as the air battle broke out over Havana, Cuban Foreign Minister Raúl Roa García had already accused the United States of launching aggressive air strikes against Cuba at the United Nations and submitted a related motion to the First Committee of the UN General Assembly (which is responsible for dealing with international security affairs such as disarmament, international challenges threatening peace, and responding to challenges in the international security system).

　In response to the above accusations, US Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai Stevens argued that this was a civil war fought by "freedom-loving" Cuban "righteous forces" against Castro's red tyranny, and the United States was only adhering to moral principles and providing certain support.

　What’s even more outrageous is that the US representatives also brought forward several of Castro’s relatives and clansmen, asking them to denounce the atrocities of this “red devil”.

　Well, if there's a difference between revolutionaries and ambitious individuals, it's that ancient emperors often saw their entire families rise to prominence when one person succeeded, and modern elected leaders and warlords often benefit from the power of one person. But even if a revolutionary seizes power, his family often suffers more than they benefit from it.

　Especially for a revolutionary like Castro who came from a wealthy family but betrayed his own class, "the first thing he did when he came to power was to kill his own family members"!

　——During the land reform in Cuba, Castro took the lead in dividing his own land, which led to a complete falling out with his family.

　Today, a considerable number of Castro's relatives have defected to the United States, relying on showing off their misery and attending political rallies, crying and denouncing the "unfilial sons" in the family to gain value in the united front, and then receiving subsidies from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the CIA to make a living.

　In short, after the magical bombardment and chaos between the two sides, although the Cuban revolutionary regime received some sympathy, the support was minimal.

　More importantly, a coordinating body like the United Nations has no power to interfere in the military actions of the five permanent members of the Security Council.

　Even if a small country like Cuba can win widespread sympathy from the international community, it will be in vain if it cannot stand up on its own.

　"No matter how things go at the UN, no matter how emotional speeches are, they can't replace bullets! Fidel!"

　Che Guevara asked impatiently, "How are our losses?"

　When talking about this, the bearded Castro lowered his head and said dejectedly, "It was a bit of a disaster - we were deceived by the Americans this time! We originally thought we should have two or three months to prepare, but we didn't expect the enemy to suddenly attack us under the guise of an exercise!

　Now, our air force has been almost destroyed, the naval fleet at the Cienfuegos base has also suffered heavy losses, and the Soviets are also running out of SAM-3 anti-aircraft missiles. Because there may be more bombing tomorrow, I have ordered the entire army to evacuate and hide..."

　For the CIA, which orchestrated Operation Tropic Thunder, although the Cuban Revolutionary Air Force's resistance was unexpectedly fierce, the first day's air strikes could still be considered largely successful.

　On the first day of Operation Tropic Thunder, the rebels dispatched a total of 400 combat aircraft to Cuba, dropping nearly 1,000 tons of bombs and destroying more than 80% of the intended targets.

　Twenty-five aircraft were shot down or missing, a loss rate of over 20%. However, the enemy's air force, the greatest threat to the amphibious landing, was completely destroyed, paving the way for the 2506th Brigade's counterattack on Cuba.

　After this series of bombings and air battles, the Cuban Revolutionary Air Force, with the exception of a small number of Mi-1 and Mi-4 helicopters and several transport aircraft, only had one carefully hidden B-26 Invader attack aircraft left, ready for use in the most crucial anti-landing battle.

　As for the MiG-15 fighter jets obtained from the Soviet Union, they have now been completely wiped out and not a single one is left.

　From the evening of January 4, air supremacy over the entire island of Cuba fell completely into the hands of the CIA-backed rebels.

　Even the Cuban Navy suffered heavy losses due to the bombing of its Cienfuegos base, which resulted in the sinking of several vessels. Coupled with the age and disrepair of some of its vessels, the only "large ship" still capable of deployment was the frigate Elber. To prevent damage in subsequent airstrikes, the Navy Command ordered this vessel to evacuate Cienfuegos to the waters near Girona, Isla de la Juventud, to avoid bombing.

　In short, at this point in the war, the Cuban revolutionary government had completely lost the ability to keep the enemy out of the country.

　Now they can only stay in their fortifications, like the Japanese soldiers defending the islands during the Pacific War, and wait for the invaders to land and engage in a firefight.

　Now, the biggest problem Castro needs to face is - where will the enemy land?

　"First of all, the western region should be safe for the time being. The enemy will definitely not storm the capital, Havana, right after the war begins!

　Because the United States has not yet found a suitable excuse to send troops to Cuba, the Pentagon cannot directly deploy US troops to participate in the war at the beginning. The rebels have limited manpower and their combat effectiveness is questionable. It is impossible for them to attack the larger force with a small force and launch a strong landing in the capital where our army is the strongest.

　Che Guevara pointed to a map and said confidently, "In my opinion, the enemy now has only two choices!

　Or they could land at the central port of Trinidad, unite with the reactionaries on Mount Escambray, and cut the long and narrow island of Cuba into two parts from the center.

　Either we land at Guantanamo, the easternmost part of the island of Cuba, and join forces with the US troops at the Guantanamo base to launch a westward expedition along the coastal highway, advancing on three fronts by sea, land, and air, sweeping the coastal port cities of the entire island of Cuba from east to west, and eventually driving us out of Havana!

　Although this tactic sounds a bit silly, the British landed at the tip of the peninsula during the Dardanelles landings and then attempted to survey the entire peninsula on foot. Not to mention, if the rebels used Guantanamo as a landing site, they could still count on the US military at Guantanamo Bay to help.

　As for the small enemy forces that may land elsewhere, they are nothing more than small-scale harassment and feints to divert attention!"

　"You're right, Tsk, I think so too. So, I'm going to activate the wartime system again."

　Castro nodded. "This time, let Raul manage the Western Theater, and you will be the commander of the Central Theater, commanding a tank regiment and three motorized infantry regiments in Santa Clara. Be ready to rush to Trinidad Harbor or somewhere else at any time to conduct anti-landing operations.

　In addition, Comrade Khrushchev has just sent a secret telegram, stating that he will not sit idly by and watch us being invaded! The 10,000 Soviet soldiers who have already arrived on the island of Cuba will all accept our unified command and throw themselves into this sacred defense of the Cuban people against the imperialist invaders!

　"Ten thousand Soviet troops? Haha, minus the missile soldiers, pilots, and engineering and logistics personnel, there's only about one regiment that can go into battle, right?"

　Che Guevara seemed somewhat uninterested in this rare piece of good news. "What bad luck! If nothing unexpected had happened, in just two months, we should have received 50,000 Soviet reinforcements to assist us, and we would have also expanded our own army to 50,000!"

　If there were a hundred thousand troops stationed on the island of Cuba, how could those CIA-raised rebels have the courage to come back?

　——按照苏军总参谋部制订的计划，苏联原本准备在古巴部署5个弹道导弹团、1个轰炸机团、2个近程导弹团、2个防空导弹师、2个重型火箭炮团、1个米格-21战斗机团、1个导弹快艇中队和4个摩托化步兵团，合计总兵力五万余人，装备40具发射架、60枚能打到美国本土的中程导弹和140枚各型核弹。

　同时，还要向古巴革命军援助400辆T-54坦克，组建2个独立坦克旅，并援助600到800门火炮和100门火箭炮，让卡斯特罗的军队从3万人扩充到5万人。

　Once all these military expansion and preparation plans are completed, the Soviet army will deliberately remove the camouflage of the ballistic missile regiment's positions, exposing the medium-range missiles to the cameras of the American U-2 reconnaissance aircraft that regularly fly over Cuba, thereby causing shock, panic and strong reactions from the United States.

　(The first astronaut Gagarin had just been launched into space last year, so the reconnaissance satellites at that time were basically toys and could not be relied upon.)

　Then, according to the old rogue Khrushchev's idea, after the "naive" President Kennedy and his nerdy cabinet were frightened by the huge, black and hard Soviet nuclear bombs that suddenly appeared next to them, the Soviet side could leisurely use the Cuban missile base as a bargaining chip to make a deal with Kennedy to let the Pentagon withdraw from the US bases in Turkey and Italy.

　The United States developed medium-range missiles to restore the strategic balance on both sides of the Iron Curtain.

　But the problem is that although Khrushchev had good ideas, plans could not keep up with changes.

　Who could have imagined that the CIA would hastily launch an attack in early January 1962 without waiting for its own mercenaries to be ready?

　Due to the sudden enemy attack, the Soviet deployment plan in Cuba was less than half executed, and only more than 10,000 Soviet officers and soldiers arrived in Cuba.

　Specifically, only two of the five ballistic missile regiments arrived, one of which just disembarked last week and has not yet had time to build a launch site. It only brought conventional warheads, and no nuclear warheads were shipped to Cuba.

　As for the Soviet bomber regiment and two short-range missile regiments, they were nowhere to be seen. So were the four motorized infantry regiments.

　Only the pilots of the MiG-21 fighter regiment arrived in Cuba by passenger plane; their fighters and ammunition and spare parts were not delivered in time. Only half of the two air defense missile divisions arrived in Cuba, and after only one day of fighting in Cuba, they had almost exhausted their air defense missiles.

　Two heavy rocket artillery regiments and one missile boat squadron were all present, but they seemed to be of little use in the face of the enemy's massive air raid.

　In addition, the number of Soviet tanks, artillery and rocket launchers provided to Cuba was greatly reduced, with at least one-third failing to arrive.

　The Cuban Revolutionary Army's expansion plan was also not completed in time. The Cuban recruits who had just been recruited for less than a month had no combat effectiveness at all. The armed forces that Castro could rely on were still only the original 30,000 regular troops and 200,000 militia.

　But he had no choice but to bite the bullet and fight a life-and-death battle with the aggressive rebels with just a pile of scattered chips.

　Che Guevara, a prominent military and political figure, was well aware of the Cuban revolutionary regime's current predicament. But after a few complaints, he agreed to assume the post of commander of the Central Theater Command. He then assembled his forces and headed to the central city of Santa Clara to oversee the battle.

　However, just as Che Guevara drove to Santa Clara overnight and began to take over the Central Theater the next day, on January 5, two new important military intelligence reports came from the other side of Cuba, shocking this island country that had just been dyed red.

　"Rebels have landed in Guantanamo Bay Province in the east! There have been unusual movements at the US military base in Guantanamo Bay!"

　Well, the long-awaited second shoe... has finally dropped?

　Author's words: PS: The Jews are really ruthless. On the one hand, they announced a temporary ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and on the other hand, they deployed pumps to pump seawater into the defenders' tunnels.

　Well, they only talked about a ceasefire, but didn’t mention a water cut. Doesn’t that seem reasonable?

　Furthermore, pseudo-historians confidently claim that the story of the marathon's birth is definitely false, because the Athenian warrior who died running wasn't alone, but was fighting alongside tens of thousands of others. If that were the case, why didn't they send someone back on horseback to report the victory?

　The Athenian army of tens of thousands and their allied reinforcements went to war and won a victory. It is impossible that the entire army did not have a single horse, right?

　Even if the Athenians really had no horses, the Persians didn't capture a single one?

　It is not reasonable to say that the road is too bumpy, because if so many heavy infantry can pass through it, there is no reason why horses cannot run on it.

　This view is somewhat difficult to refute. What do readers think about it?

　Chapter 103, Guantanamo! Uncle Sam is gone!

　On the afternoon of January 5, 1962, at the easternmost tip of the island of Cuba, in the town of Maisi, Guantanamo Province

　On both sides of the narrow street, simple huts were burning, and sporadic sounds of gunfire could be heard from the distance from time to time.

　Garand rifles, double-barreled shotguns, revolvers, and sharp harpoons were scattered on the muddy ground, mixed with the bodies of Cuban militiamen and mercenaries. Although Maisi was just a remote town in the countryside, the mercenaries still paid a heavy price to capture it.

　"Even the militia are equipped with bazookas... Damn it!"

　Lieutenant Colonel Irnedo Oliva, deputy commander of the 2506th Brigade, cursed softly as he walked past a jeep that had been burned to an iron shell. Then he saw the adjutant he had just sent to supervise the battle, lying on a stretcher with a bloody bandage wrapped around his abdomen, groaning, and being carried down by two soldiers.

　Seeing his superior approaching, the adjutant on the stretcher raised his right hand to salute, but just as he moved, he suddenly started coughing violently.

　"No need to report anything, go down and have a good rest." Lieutenant Colonel Oliva looked at him with a little pity and gave such instructions.

　As we continued forward, the gunfire became more and more frequent, mixed with the explosion of grenades and the whistling of rockets.

　Although the outnumbered mercenaries had essentially taken over the town after a day of hard fighting, some Cuban militiamen stubbornly held onto the most fortified church in Maisi. Using the building's cover, they engaged in a shootout with the mercenaries, who also lacked heavy weapons and had yet to land their tanks.

　Suddenly, a stray bullet flew from a distance and knocked down a medic behind Lieutenant Colonel Oliva. Several guards hurriedly surrounded the lieutenant colonel and used their bodies to protect their leader, but they were scolded and pushed away by the stern-faced lieutenant colonel.

　Looking up at the glaring red flag still flying high on the spire of the dilapidated church bell tower in the town, Lieutenant Colonel Oliva's expression was gloomy.