San Julián Air Base
Encyclopedia
San Julián Air Base or Base Aérea San Julián is a military air base located approximately 8 mi (13 km) southwest of the city of Guane
a municipality in the province of Pinar del Río
in Cuba
. The provincial capital, Pinar del Río
is located to the northeast approximately 36 mi (58 km) with the capital of Havana
also to the northeast 134 mi (216 km).
.
December 11, Cuba and the United States of America, Costa Rica
, The Dominican Republic, Guatemala
and Nicaragua
declare war on Nazi Germany
and Fascist Italy
.
(José Manuel Cortina
) indicates in a diplomatic message to the American Chargé
in Cuba (Ellis O. Briggs) the following "I take pleasure in advising you that the Government of Cuba, inspired by the lofty sentiments of cooperation and alliance which joins the Cuban Nation with the United States of America in the present war, engaged in the territorial defense of America and of every one of the American nations, as well as of the principles of democracy and of the liberty of the peoples, has accepted the suggestions of your Government which were transmitted by the Embassy in the above-mentioned notes." The above-mentioned notes were two and included 5 specific points of suggestion including in part: Stationing of US Aviation Corps Detachments in certain airfields (i.e. La Fé, in the Province of Pinar del Río; Rancho Boyeros
, in the Province of Habana; and in Camagüey
); Permission to use Cuban landing fields; Permission to take photographs of Cuban territory for aerial navigation charts, etc.
February 6, the United States established the Gulf Sea Frontier
(GULFSEAFRON) and headquartered at Key West, Florida Jun 17 the headquarters were moved to Miami, Florida. The command was responsible for protecting the waters of Florida
and the Bahamas as well as the Gulf of Mexico
, the Yucatán Channel
and areas near Cuba
.
June 18, the United States established Naval Air Facility (NAF) La Fé, Cuba. The US NAVY Code Word for La Fé was HUMPBACK.
June 26, the United States established Naval Air Auxiliary Station (NAAS) (Lighter-than-Air
), San Julián, Cuba
. This was in response to Nazi Germany
announcing unrestricted submarine warfare
off the Atlantic Coast
of the United States. Specifically, the US NAVY
recognized the need to augment antisubmarine
patrols in the Yucatán Channel
. NAAS San Julián was established on the western tip of Cuba near Pan American World Airways'
Isabel Rubio Emergency Landing Field.
August 6, in Havana, Cuba the U.S. Secretary for State
announced that negotiations had been conducted between Cuba and the United States for the establishment of the air base in San Julián, Pinar del Río Province
.
September 7, Cuba and United States sign a new Naval and Military Agreement of Cooperation. The strategic importance of Cuba for the air and maritime communications of United States and the importance of its production of sugar obliged them to reinforce the island. The Pinar del Río area was considered ideally situated for further development and the Army began construction by expanding the existing Pan American airfield on November 1.
September 22, the USAAF began to organize the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
(AAFAC), using the I Bomber Command as its core for personnel and aircraft. The USAAF had been engaged in anti-submarine war for almost a year. During that time it had laid the basis for an effective organization and made plans for a larger anti-submarine force. The new AAFAC was constituted on October 13 and activated on October 15, 1942. Simultaneously, I Bomber Command was inactivated the same day.
November 20, AAFAC had organized the squadrons it had inherited from I Bomber Command into the 25th and 26th anti-submarine Wings with headquarters at New York and Miami respectively.
(USAAF) set up postal operations for San Julián using a non-descript number. They used Army Post Office, Miami with the address: 2754 APO MIA. Although the facility was under USAAF administration and operational control all air activities and operations were US Navy.
April 1, USAAF transferred control of NAAS San Julián to the Navy. The first Commander of the base was Lt Commander Beckwith Havens, USN. The US NAVY likewise used a non-descript number for postal operations. They used Fleet Post Office, Atlantic located in New York City with the address: 301 FPO NY
July 1, construction was completed and the new facility was re-designated Naval Air Facility (NAF) San Julián.
October 1, the US Navy's Bombing Squadron One Hundred Twenty Five (VB-125) sent a three-aircraft detachment to NAF San Julián for ASW patrols.
., to NAF San Julián, joining the detachment sent there previously. The squadron was under the operational control of Fleet Airship Wing Twelve (FAW-12) and stayed in San Julián until February 11, 1945 when they we relieved by VPB-145.
Between mid-1942 until early 1944, seven Cuban ships were sunked by German submarines (U-Boats) in actions where more than eighty Cuban mariners and three Americans were killed.
. A fighter squadron of P-39 Airacobras was placed in San Antonio for their defense. Towards the end of 1944 and the beginning of 1945 intense training was conducted by the USAAF 509th Composite Group
using B-29s. These were tests in preparation for dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan. They trained in long-range over-water navigation from Cuba into the Caribbean in order to acclimate themselves to similar conditions in the Pacific Ocean. From Cuba the B-29s flew to the Marianas Islands in the Pacific, in June 1945. These same aircraft would carry atomic bombs to Hiroshima
and Nagasaki
in August 1945. Among them also was the Enola Gay
.
February 8, by means of Decree 409, the control of civil aviation is transferred from the Cuban Army to the newly created Commission of National Transportation.
May 2, 1952 by Decree Law No. 41, the Civil Aeronautics Board (Dirección General de Transporte Aéreo) is created.
June 1952 the Army Aviation Corps changes to Cuban Army Airforce (FAEC).
December 22, 1954 the Commission of Civil Aeronautics is created by Law-Decree 1863.
(FRD) on October 26, 1960 distributing its first Combat Order. In general terms, the order describes the logistics of an attack on the San Julián air base. That plan calls for seizing the airfield and using it as an operational base for "our air and land force." The order also describes how supplies will be obtained and communications handled during the operations.
Planning for the invasion included targeting numerous military bases including San Antonio de los Baños Air Base, the Campo Libertad Air Base
, and the naval bases at Batabano
and Nueva Gerona
(on the Isle of Pines). San Julián Air Base was placed on the primary target list.
Guane
Guane is a municipality and city in the Pinar del Río Province of Cuba.The municipality is divided into the barrios of Cabo de San Antonio y La Fe, Catalina, Cortés, Hato de Guane, Isabel Rubio , Juan Gómez, La Grifa, Las Martinas, Los Acostas, Manuel Lazo , Portales, Pueblo, Punta de la Sierra,...
a municipality in the province of Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is at the western end of the island of Cuba.-Geography:The Pinar del Río province is Cuba's westernmost province and contains one of Cuba's three main mountain ranges, the Cordillera de Guaniguanico, divided into the easterly Sierra del Rosario and...
in Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. The provincial capital, Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río
Pinar del Río is a city in Cuba. It is the capital of Pinar del Río Province.Inhabitants of the area are called Pinareños.Neighborhoods in the city include La Conchita, La Coloma, Briones Montoto and Las Ovas.-History:...
is located to the northeast approximately 36 mi (58 km) with the capital of Havana
Havana
Havana is the capital city, province, major port, and leading commercial centre of Cuba. The city proper has a population of 2.1 million inhabitants, and it spans a total of — making it the largest city in the Caribbean region, and the most populous...
also to the northeast 134 mi (216 km).
Tenant commands
The 23.Regimiento de Caza operating Russian Mig-23ML aircraft1941
December 9, Cuba declares war on the Empire of JapanEmpire of Japan
The Empire of Japan is the name of the state of Japan that existed from the Meiji Restoration on 3 January 1868 to the enactment of the post-World War II Constitution of...
.
December 11, Cuba and the United States of America, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, The Dominican Republic, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
and Nicaragua
Nicaragua
Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
declare war on Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and Fascist Italy
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
.
1942
January 14, the Cuban Secretary of StateSecretary of State
Secretary of State or State Secretary is a commonly used title for a senior or mid-level post in governments around the world. The role varies between countries, and in some cases there are multiple Secretaries of State in the Government....
(José Manuel Cortina
José Manuel Cortina
José Manuel Cortina y Garcia was a Cuban politician, lawyer and journalist....
) indicates in a diplomatic message to the American Chargé
Chargé d'affaires
In diplomacy, chargé d’affaires , often shortened to simply chargé, is the title of two classes of diplomatic agents who head a diplomatic mission, either on a temporary basis or when no more senior diplomat has been accredited.-Chargés d’affaires:Chargés d’affaires , who were...
in Cuba (Ellis O. Briggs) the following "I take pleasure in advising you that the Government of Cuba, inspired by the lofty sentiments of cooperation and alliance which joins the Cuban Nation with the United States of America in the present war, engaged in the territorial defense of America and of every one of the American nations, as well as of the principles of democracy and of the liberty of the peoples, has accepted the suggestions of your Government which were transmitted by the Embassy in the above-mentioned notes." The above-mentioned notes were two and included 5 specific points of suggestion including in part: Stationing of US Aviation Corps Detachments in certain airfields (i.e. La Fé, in the Province of Pinar del Río; Rancho Boyeros
José Martí International Airport
José Martí International Airport , sometimes known by its former name Rancho-Boyeros Airport, is located southwest of Havana, Cuba, and is a hub for Cubana de Aviación, Aerogaviota and Aero Caribbean, and former Latin American hub for Aeroflot Soviet Airlines...
, in the Province of Habana; and in Camagüey
Ignacio Agramonte International Airport
Ignacio Agramonte International Airport is an international airport in central Camagüey Province, Cuba. It serves the cities of Camagüey and Santa Lucia.-Airlines and destinations:...
); Permission to use Cuban landing fields; Permission to take photographs of Cuban territory for aerial navigation charts, etc.
February 6, the United States established the Gulf Sea Frontier
Sea Frontier
Sea Frontiers were established by the United States Navy from 1 July 1941 during World War II as areas of defense against enemy vessels, especially submarines, along the American coasts...
(GULFSEAFRON) and headquartered at Key West, Florida Jun 17 the headquarters were moved to Miami, Florida. The command was responsible for protecting the waters of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and the Bahamas as well as the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
, the Yucatán Channel
Yucatán Channel
The Yucatán Channel is a strait between Mexico and Cuba. It connects the Yucatán Basin of the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. The strait is across between Cape Catoche in Mexico and Cape San Antonio, Cuba and reaches a maximum depth of .-References:...
and areas near Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
.
June 18, the United States established Naval Air Facility (NAF) La Fé, Cuba. The US NAVY Code Word for La Fé was HUMPBACK.
June 26, the United States established Naval Air Auxiliary Station (NAAS) (Lighter-than-Air
Airship
An airship or dirigible is a type of aerostat or "lighter-than-air aircraft" that can be steered and propelled through the air using rudders and propellers or other thrust mechanisms...
), San Julián, Cuba
Cuba
The Republic of Cuba is an island nation in the Caribbean. The nation of Cuba consists of the main island of Cuba, the Isla de la Juventud, and several archipelagos. Havana is the largest city in Cuba and the country's capital. Santiago de Cuba is the second largest city...
. This was in response to Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
announcing unrestricted submarine warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare
Unrestricted submarine warfare is a type of naval warfare in which submarines sink merchantmen without warning, as opposed to attacks per prize rules...
off the Atlantic Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
of the United States. Specifically, the US NAVY
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
recognized the need to augment antisubmarine
Anti-submarine warfare
Anti-submarine warfare is a branch of naval warfare that uses surface warships, aircraft, or other submarines to find, track and deter, damage or destroy enemy submarines....
patrols in the Yucatán Channel
Yucatán Channel
The Yucatán Channel is a strait between Mexico and Cuba. It connects the Yucatán Basin of the Caribbean Sea with the Gulf of Mexico. The strait is across between Cape Catoche in Mexico and Cape San Antonio, Cuba and reaches a maximum depth of .-References:...
. NAAS San Julián was established on the western tip of Cuba near Pan American World Airways'
Pan American World Airways
Pan American World Airways, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal and largest international air carrier in the United States from 1927 until its collapse on December 4, 1991...
Isabel Rubio Emergency Landing Field.
August 6, in Havana, Cuba the U.S. Secretary for State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
announced that negotiations had been conducted between Cuba and the United States for the establishment of the air base in San Julián, Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río Province
Pinar del Río is one of the provinces of Cuba. It is at the western end of the island of Cuba.-Geography:The Pinar del Río province is Cuba's westernmost province and contains one of Cuba's three main mountain ranges, the Cordillera de Guaniguanico, divided into the easterly Sierra del Rosario and...
.
September 7, Cuba and United States sign a new Naval and Military Agreement of Cooperation. The strategic importance of Cuba for the air and maritime communications of United States and the importance of its production of sugar obliged them to reinforce the island. The Pinar del Río area was considered ideally situated for further development and the Army began construction by expanding the existing Pan American airfield on November 1.
- A second air base was negotiated between Cuba and the United States and known as San Antonio de los Baños AirfieldSan Antonio de los Baños AirfieldSan Antonio de los Baños Air Base is a military air base located near San Antonio de los Baños, a municipality in the province of Havana in Cuba. It is located approximately southwest of the city of San Antonio de los Baños, about southwest of Havana.- 1942 :The station was built in 1942 and...
. The air base was also known as the Cayuga was built near a town of the same name in the Havana ProvinceLa Habana ProvinceHavana Province was one of the provinces of Cuba, prior to being divided into two new provinces of Artemisa and Mayabeque on January 1, 2011. It had 711,066 people in the 2002 census. The largest city was Artemisa .-Geography:...
, by the United States Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of EngineersThe United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
(USACE) and the San Julián Air Base in the Guanahacabibes peninsulaGuanahacabibes PeninsulaGuanahacabibes Peninsula is the westernmost point on the island of Cuba. It is located in Pinar del Río Province, in the municipality of Sandino and is sparsely populated. The waters surrounding the peninsula are important spiny lobster and red snapper fishing grounds. It also boasts the category...
in Pinar del Río was also built. The United States flew patrols in the Caribbean and Gulf of MexicoGulf of MexicoThe Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
to hunt German submarines (U-boats). The USAAF flew out of San Antonio de los Baños and the US NAVYUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
used San Julián.
September 22, the USAAF began to organize the Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command
The Army Air Forces Antisubmarine Command was a direct reporting agency of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. Its mission was to deal with the German Navy U-boat threat.-Lineage:...
(AAFAC), using the I Bomber Command as its core for personnel and aircraft. The USAAF had been engaged in anti-submarine war for almost a year. During that time it had laid the basis for an effective organization and made plans for a larger anti-submarine force. The new AAFAC was constituted on October 13 and activated on October 15, 1942. Simultaneously, I Bomber Command was inactivated the same day.
- The principal mission of AAFAC was to be "the location and destruction of hostile submarines wherever they may be operating". As a necessary means to this end it had the secondary mission of training crews and developing devices and techniques. The command was to be a direct reporting agency to the Commanding General, United States Army Air Forces, although its operations on the US NAVY EasternEastern Sea FrontierThe Eastern Sea Frontier was a United States Navy operational command during World War II, that was responsible for the coastal waters from Canada to Jacksonville, Florida, extending out for a nominal distance of two hundred miles....
and Gulf Sea Frontiers were to be conducted under the tactical control of US NAVY officials. The former I Bomber Command furnished the personnel, aircraft, and equipment for the new organization.
November 20, AAFAC had organized the squadrons it had inherited from I Bomber Command into the 25th and 26th anti-submarine Wings with headquarters at New York and Miami respectively.
1943
January 1, the United States Army Air ForcesUnited States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) set up postal operations for San Julián using a non-descript number. They used Army Post Office, Miami with the address: 2754 APO MIA. Although the facility was under USAAF administration and operational control all air activities and operations were US Navy.
April 1, USAAF transferred control of NAAS San Julián to the Navy. The first Commander of the base was Lt Commander Beckwith Havens, USN. The US NAVY likewise used a non-descript number for postal operations. They used Fleet Post Office, Atlantic located in New York City with the address: 301 FPO NY
July 1, construction was completed and the new facility was re-designated Naval Air Facility (NAF) San Julián.
- The US Navy's Airship Squadron Twenty One (ZP-21) established a number of detachments at advance bases to provide ASW, rescue, escort and utility services in its area of operations, i.e. CARIB (Caribbean). These detachments were maintained throughout the war and located at: NAF San Julián; Santa Fe, Isle of Pines, CubaSanta Fe, Isle of YouthSanta Fe is the second largest city on Isla de la Juventud of Cuba.The city is located 20 km south of Nueva Gerona. It was the first settlement on the island, built around mineral springs....
; NAS Banana River, FlaNaval Air Station Banana RiverNaval Air Station Banana River was a U.S. Navy airfield and seaplane base located just north of Satellite Beach, Florida along the Banana River prior to and during World War II...
.; Meacham Satellite Naval Air Field, Key West, FlaKey West International AirportKey West International Airport is a county-owned public airport located two miles east of the central business district of Key West, in Monroe County, Florida, United States....
.; NAS Houma, LaHouma-Terrebonne AirportHouma-Terrebonne Airport is a public airport located three miles southeast of the central business district of Houma, a city in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is owned by the Houma-Terrebonne Airport Commission....
.; NAS San Juan, Puerto RicoUnited States Navy shore activities during World War IIDuring World War II, the United States Navy had a large contingent of operations based on land.-Advisors:* Naval Advisor, War Production Board Office, Baltimore, Maryland* Naval Advisor to Contract Distribution, Branch Office, War Production Board...
; NAS Guantanamo Bay, CubaGuantanamo Bay Naval BaseGuantanamo Bay Naval Base is located on of land and water at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba which the United States leased for use as a coaling station following the Cuban-American Treaty of 1903. The base is located on the shore of Guantánamo Bay at the southeastern end of Cuba. It is the oldest overseas...
; and La Chorrera Army Airfield, PanamaLa Chorrera Army AirfieldLa Chorrera Army Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces World War II air base on Panama. It was a sub-base of Albrook Field and later Howard Field which used for dispersal and overflow units as part of the defense of the Panama Canal....
.
October 1, the US Navy's Bombing Squadron One Hundred Twenty Five (VB-125) sent a three-aircraft detachment to NAF San Julián for ASW patrols.
1944
May 1, VB-125 transferred from Boca Chica, FlaNaval Air Station Key West
Naval Air Station Key West , is a naval air station and military airport located on Boca Chica Key, four miles east of the central business district of Key West, Florida, United States....
., to NAF San Julián, joining the detachment sent there previously. The squadron was under the operational control of Fleet Airship Wing Twelve (FAW-12) and stayed in San Julián until February 11, 1945 when they we relieved by VPB-145.
Between mid-1942 until early 1944, seven Cuban ships were sunked by German submarines (U-Boats) in actions where more than eighty Cuban mariners and three Americans were killed.
1945
Many American squadrons trained in Cuba in navigation, bombing, air-to-air combat and close air supportClose air support
In military tactics, close air support is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are close to friendly forces, and which requires detailed integration of each air mission with fire and movement of these forces.The determining factor for CAS is...
. A fighter squadron of P-39 Airacobras was placed in San Antonio for their defense. Towards the end of 1944 and the beginning of 1945 intense training was conducted by the USAAF 509th Composite Group
509th Composite Group
The 509th Composite Group was a United States Army Air Forces unit created during World War II, and tasked with operational deployment of nuclear weapons...
using B-29s. These were tests in preparation for dropping the Atomic Bomb on Japan. They trained in long-range over-water navigation from Cuba into the Caribbean in order to acclimate themselves to similar conditions in the Pacific Ocean. From Cuba the B-29s flew to the Marianas Islands in the Pacific, in June 1945. These same aircraft would carry atomic bombs to Hiroshima
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture, and the largest city in the Chūgoku region of western Honshu, the largest island of Japan. It became best known as the first city in history to be destroyed by a nuclear weapon when the United States Army Air Forces dropped an atomic bomb on it at 8:15 A.M...
and Nagasaki
Nagasaki
is the capital and the largest city of Nagasaki Prefecture on the island of Kyushu in Japan. Nagasaki was founded by the Portuguese in the second half of the 16th century on the site of a small fishing village, formerly part of Nishisonogi District...
in August 1945. Among them also was the Enola Gay
Enola Gay
Enola Gay is a Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber, named after Enola Gay Tibbets, mother of the pilot, then-Colonel Paul Tibbets. On August 6, 1945, during the final stages of World War II, it became the first aircraft to drop an atomic bomb as a weapon of war...
.
February 8, by means of Decree 409, the control of civil aviation is transferred from the Cuban Army to the newly created Commission of National Transportation.
Post-World War II
May 20, 1946 NAF San Julián was disestablished.- Both airports were passed to the Cuban Army for the use of the Aviation Corps after the War during the government of President Ramón Grau San Martín. San Antonio de los Baños Air Base was used by the military aviation at all times, however San Julián Air Base was used to host the San Julian Aircraft Technical School for both military and commercial aviation.
May 2, 1952 by Decree Law No. 41, the Civil Aeronautics Board (Dirección General de Transporte Aéreo) is created.
June 1952 the Army Aviation Corps changes to Cuban Army Airforce (FAEC).
December 22, 1954 the Commission of Civil Aeronautics is created by Law-Decree 1863.
Bay of Pigs Invasion
Early preparations for the invasion included the Cuban Democratic Revolutionary FrontCuban Democratic Revolutionary Front
The Cuban Democratic Revolutionary Front was founded in May 1960 by anti-Castro Cuban exiles and was initially headquartered in Mexico. It was known in Spanish as the Frente Revolucionario Democratico and was composed of five major anti-Castro groups...
(FRD) on October 26, 1960 distributing its first Combat Order. In general terms, the order describes the logistics of an attack on the San Julián air base. That plan calls for seizing the airfield and using it as an operational base for "our air and land force." The order also describes how supplies will be obtained and communications handled during the operations.
Planning for the invasion included targeting numerous military bases including San Antonio de los Baños Air Base, the Campo Libertad Air Base
Ciudad Libertad Airport
Ciudad Libertad Airport is an airport serving Havana, Cuba. It was Cuba's main airport until 1930, when it was replaced by José Martí International Airport.-Facilities:...
, and the naval bases at Batabano
Batabanó, Cuba
Batabanó is a municipality and city in the Mayabeque Province of Cuba.The municipality is crossed by a number of small rivers, among them Río Guanabo, Río San Felipe, Río Pacheco, Río San Juan and Río Santa Gertrudis. A marina is located in the port of Batabano...
and Nueva Gerona
Nueva Gerona
Nueva Gerona is the capital city of the Isla de la Juventud special municipality of Cuba. The city is located between the hills of Caballos and Casas, about 3 km up the Río Casas, which provides a navigable waterway to the Caribbean Sea....
(on the Isle of Pines). San Julián Air Base was placed on the primary target list.