Chief of Naval Operations, Report on the Naval Quarantine of Cuba, Operational Archives Branch, Post 46 Command File, Box 10, Washington, DC.During the month of September, a buildup of Soviet offensive military posture in Cuba was evident through the analysis of intelligence reports and the increaseEarly intelligence reports of offensive preparedness were scattered and usually incomplete.Reports of the arrival of large numbers of Soviet technicians and military personnel, the construction of larger launch complexes, and the extension of airstrips to accommodate high-performance aircraft pointed unmistakably to the rapid development of Cuba into a Soviet base for offensive action against the United States.On September 1, Commander, Naval Base Guantanamo received reliable information that Russian, Czech, Chinese, and Polish troops had been disembarked at Mariel, Cabanas and Bahio Honda in Pinar del Rio province and also at Havana, Matanzas, and Casilda.This same COMNAVBASE report said information had been received that on August 25 cargo unloaded from three Bloc ships at Nicaro Consisted of boxes the length of lowboy trailers and cement blocks about 8 by 4 by 1 feet in size.Another Guantanamo intelligence report on September 5 reported heavy off-loading of military equipment from several ships under rigid security measures.Much of this intelligence information correlated with the conclusions established over a month later that medium and intermediate range ballistic missile sites were under construction at various locations.During August and September, the harassment of U.S. reconnaissanceOn September 8, two Key West S2F aircraft on another routine patrol flight were overtaken by a Soviet MIG-17 which made simulated gunnery firing runs on both U. S. planes.These serious occurrences helped prompt a decision to increase the defensive capability (On September 19 CINCLANTFLT deployed a detachment of six F8U aircraft to Key West for the operational control of COMKWESTFOR.) White House, Oval Office. Additionally, other contingencies were met.All preparations prior to imposition of the "naval quarantine" and the decision to implement this action were directed toward the execution of Commander in Chief, Atlantic's (CINCLANT) Operations Plan 312-62, followed by Plans 314-61 or 316-61.It was absolutely essential that these preparations be carried out with strict secrecy.On October 3, Commander in Chief, Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT), ordered increased surveillance of Cuban shipping in the Atlantic, Caribbean, and Gulf approaches.On October 6, the Commander in Chief Atlantic directed development of the highest state of readiness to execute Operations Plans 312-62, 314-61, and 316-61.On the 7th, CINCLANT recommended the establishment of a Military Emergency Zone to control air traffic in the Southern Florida area.

Proclamation 3504 (authorizing the naval quarantine of Cuba) John F. Kennedy | October 23, 1962 .

Showdown at Sea: U.S. Blockades Cuba.

At about the same time, CINCLANT reported that 10 "BLUE MOON" low-level photographic-reconnaissance aircraft were in position at Key West,That afternoon, JCS received CINCLANT's recommendations for the air defense of Puerto Rico and the Canal Zone.During the evening, CNO advised the Sea Frontier CommandersJCS directed CINCSTRIKE to withdraw Army and Air Force units involved in Exercise "THREE PAIRS" which were needed for CINCLANT OpPlans 312, 314,The quarantine proclamation had been completed and the OAS and UN resolutions were prepared.

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First : To halt this offensive buildup, a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. We are talking about the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, during the Cold War years that confronted the United States and the Soviet Union. The Americans feared that the Soviet Union would expand The US had been embarrassed publicly by the failed The half-hearted Bay of Pigs invasion left Soviet premier In September 1961, the Cuban government thought the US would invade because of a resolution by the Tensions were at their highest from October 8, 1962.

This would have been a fair trade because the US missiles in Turkey were close enough to Russia that they could reach most of the important cities and Cuba was close enough to the US that the Russian missiles would reach most of the important US cities.

On the 22nd of October the US Military DEFCON 3.

It also said that the US must take its nuclear missiles out of Turkey if they wanted Russia to take their missiles out of Cuba.

(Cuban resolution, October U.S. Public Law 87-733, S.J.

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