50 Years Ago Today – Cuban Crisis About To Explode Into WWIII
Excerpt from “The Last Gun Ship - History of USS Mullinnix DD-944” - A Historical Novel by Frank A. Wood
0000-0400 23 October: During the midwatch, communication restriction MINIMIZE was received by the Mullinnix radiomen. MINIMIZE is set into effect on a worldwide basis.
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1000 23 October: At an ExComm meeting, Kennedy approves plans for signing an official quarantine proclamation. ExComm decides that if a U-2 aircraft is shot down, that the SAM site responsible for the downing will be attacked and destroyed.
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1435 23 October: During ASW exercises, GQ was sounded as a fire broke out in the Mullinnix sonar equipment room. The fire was put out immediately but the sonar was rendered out of commission. Unbeknownst to the crew, the sonar would come in handy – soon!
The ship steamed towards Callao, Peru in accordance with ‘verbal’ instructions of COMSOLANT. The unscheduled stop is to drop of Admiral Tyree so he can fly to Trinidad to establish TF 137 and make quarantine plans. That ship is only in port the one day ( Mullinnix would head towards the Panama Canal the following day).
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1600 23 October: At a special meeting of the UN Security Council, Adlai Stevenson issues a sharply worded statement in which he characterizes Cuba as “an accomplice in the communist enterprise of world domination.” Cuban representative Mario Garcia Inchaustegui responds by denouncing the quarantine as an “act of war,” and Soviet representative Valerian Zorin calls US charges of missiles in Cuba “completely false.” Zorin submits a draft resolution demanding an end to US naval activity near Cuba and calling for negotiations to end the crisis.
1740 23 October: Fidel Castro announces a combat alarm, placing the Cuban armed forces on their highest alert. Cuban armed forces subsequently reach a size of 270,000 men, following a massive mobilization effort.
1800 23 October: ExComm members are informed that an “extraordinary number” of coded messages have been sent to Soviet ships on their way to Cuba, although the contents of these messages are not know. In addition, Soviet submarines have unexpectedly been found moving into the Caribbean. The US Navy is given “the highest priority” to tracking the subs and to put into effect the greatest possible safety measures to protect our own aircraft carriers and other vessels.
1851 23 October: Kennedy transmits another message to Khrushchev asking that he direct Soviet ships to observe the quarantine zone.
1906 23 October: In a ceremony at the White House, the president signs Proclamation 3504, formally establishing the quarantine. CINCLANT is directed to enforce the blockade beginning at 1000 24 October.
2035 23 October: Fidel Castro tells the Cuban public that Cuba will never disarm while the United States persists in its policy of aggression and hostility. Castro categorically refuses to allow inspection of Cuban territory, warning that potential inspectors “must come in battle array.” 2130 23 October: Robert Kennedy meets with Anatoly Dobrynin at the Soviet embassy. Dobrynin still has not been told about the missiles by his own government. He is not aware of any change in instructions to captains of Soviet ships steaming toward Cuba.
That same day, Moscow places the armed forces of Warsaw Pact countries on alert. A Gallup poll survey shows that 84% of Americans favor the blockade. Roughly one out of five Americans believes the quarantine will lead to World War III.
To be continued... Woody
0000-0400 23 October: During the midwatch, communication restriction MINIMIZE was received by the Mullinnix radiomen. MINIMIZE is set into effect on a worldwide basis.
The ship steamed towards Callao, Peru in accordance with ‘verbal’ instructions of COMSOLANT. The unscheduled stop is to drop of Admiral Tyree so he can fly to Trinidad to establish TF 137 and make quarantine plans. That ship is only in port the one day ( Mullinnix would head towards the Panama Canal the following day).
1740 23 October: Fidel Castro announces a combat alarm, placing the Cuban armed forces on their highest alert. Cuban armed forces subsequently reach a size of 270,000 men, following a massive mobilization effort.
1800 23 October: ExComm members are informed that an “extraordinary number” of coded messages have been sent to Soviet ships on their way to Cuba, although the contents of these messages are not know. In addition, Soviet submarines have unexpectedly been found moving into the Caribbean. The US Navy is given “the highest priority” to tracking the subs and to put into effect the greatest possible safety measures to protect our own aircraft carriers and other vessels.
1851 23 October: Kennedy transmits another message to Khrushchev asking that he direct Soviet ships to observe the quarantine zone.
1906 23 October: In a ceremony at the White House, the president signs Proclamation 3504, formally establishing the quarantine. CINCLANT is directed to enforce the blockade beginning at 1000 24 October.
2035 23 October: Fidel Castro tells the Cuban public that Cuba will never disarm while the United States persists in its policy of aggression and hostility. Castro categorically refuses to allow inspection of Cuban territory, warning that potential inspectors “must come in battle array.” 2130 23 October: Robert Kennedy meets with Anatoly Dobrynin at the Soviet embassy. Dobrynin still has not been told about the missiles by his own government. He is not aware of any change in instructions to captains of Soviet ships steaming toward Cuba.
That same day, Moscow places the armed forces of Warsaw Pact countries on alert. A Gallup poll survey shows that 84% of Americans favor the blockade. Roughly one out of five Americans believes the quarantine will lead to World War III.
To be continued... Woody
posted by Woody at 11:09
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