Cuban Missile Crisis To War: The Final Updates and the Final Hour - Completed

[sentinel]

Cuban Missile Crisis To War

“If ... we are attacked, we will defend ourselves. I repeat, we have sufficient means with which to defend ourselves; we have indeed our inevitable weapons, the weapons, which we would have preferred not to acquire, and which we do not wish to employ” - Cuban President Osvaldo Dorticós

“It shall be the policy of this nation to regard any nuclear missile launched from Cuba against any nation in the Western Hemisphere as an attack on the United States, requiring a full retaliatory response upon the Soviet Union” - United States President John F. Kennedy

“To halt this offensive buildup, a strict quarantine on all offensive military equipment under shipment to Cuba is being initiated. All ships of any kind bound for Cuba from whatever nation and port will, if found to contain cargoes of offensive weapons, be turned back. This quarantine will be extended, if needed, to other types of cargo and carriers. We are not at this time, however, denying the necessities of life as the Soviets attempted to do in their Berlin blockade of 1948.”

President John F. Kennedy – October 22nd 1962

October 23rd 1962 the United States enters DEFCOM 2 for the first time in history.

“Direct aggression against Cuba would mean nuclear war. The Americans speak about such aggression as if they did not know or did not want to accept this fact. I have no doubt they would lose such a war.” – Che Guevara

On October 27th, the US Navy drops a series of "signaling depth charges” on a Soviet submarine B-59 at the quarantine line, unaware that it was armed with a nuclear-tipped torpedo with orders that allowed it to be used if the submarine was hulled.

The Soviet Commander of the B-59 submarine orders the nuclear tipped submarine fires upon the American ship at 7:52pm EST.

7:53pm EST – The American ship is hit, the damage is catastrophic, the ship is completely torn apart and destroyed. The explosion is seen by many other American ships on the horizon.

8:15pm EST – Admiral Anderson is informed that the USSR has destroyed the American ship.

8:17pm EST – Admiral Anderson places a call to the Joint Chiefs of Staff

8:20pm EST – The Joint Chiefs of Staff informs President Kennedy in the Situation room.
   The President orders that Russian submarines be sunk on sight.

8:30pm EST – EXCOMM meets with the President.

8:32pm EST – An American Battleship stops a Russian battleship entering the quarantine zone. The Russian battleship opens fire on the American ship.

8:40pm EST – President John F Kennedy’s staff secures media time for him to speak on TV within the next hour.

8:45pm EST – President Kennedy orders the bombing of Cuban missile sites.

9:07pm EST – President Kennedy addresses the nation “A few hours ago, a US ship was dropping routine deep sea charges when a Soviet nuclear powered submarine responded by destroying the ship. A short while later, a Soviet battleship attacked American ships that were quarantining the island. In response to this direct attack on the United States I have ordered the United States Air Force to eliminate Soviet Missile sites on the island of Cuba…we will not accept nuclear weapons held in unstable and hostile hands in the Western Hemisphere…”

9:20pm EST – Airforce intelligence reports that there are Russian troops in Cuba, at least 40,000, and the bombing was successful.

10:00pm EST – Reports are coming in that the Soviet Union has bombed several American bases/missile sites in Turkey.  Article 5 of the NATO Charter is activated.

[Bo]

Please continue.

[sentinel]

Expect an update tonight or tomorrow, I have it in the works now.

[enlightened despot]

I'm interested to see how the public reacts to Kennedy's address as well as whether those 40,000 troops are there to defend Cuba or invade Florida. This has been very good so far.

[sentinel]

I'll see if I can update today.

[sentinel]

10:30pm EST – Turkey mobilizes its forces and calls for an immediate retaliation by NATO. It is discovered that one Russian plane was shot down over Turkey.
(Current members of NATO Include: The United States, Canada, Norway, Denmark, West Germany, Iceland, UK, Portugal, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Greece and Turkey

Overnight, a joint force of French, Danish and British planes bomb strategic missile sites in Eastern Europe, mainly in Poland. The Polish respond by mobilizing their forces.

Scientists move the doomsday clock to 11:58pm.


October 28th

The Soviet Union condemns the joint-attack on Poland in the early morning (EST). Kennedy says the attacks on Soviet missile sites in Eastern Europe and in Cuba will continue until the Soviets withdraw the missiles from Cuba.

The Soviet Union in response bombs a military site in Greece.

The UN Secretary General U-Thant calls for NATO and Russia to come back to the table and to stop the escalation.

A senior advisor to President Kennedy comes into the Oval Office. “Sir, we have the report on the bombing in Cuba last night. We have destroyed 70% of the missile sites, but 30% are still functional –so our intelligence tells us.”

President Kennedy meets with EXCOMM  and evaluates his options after his intelligence briefing. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy advocates escalation of the situation by having NATO involve strategic military sites in Russia and to finish off the missile sites in Cuba.

1:12am – A U-2 spy plane goes down over eastern Russia near Vladivostok

. 4:00am – President Kennedy is informed that the remaining Cuban missile sites are armed and a potential launch is near. President Kennedy orders an airstrike on the site. A top military official informs Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield (D-MT) , Speaker of the House of Representatives John McCormack (D – MA),  Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen (R-IL) and House Minoirty Leader Charles Abraham Halleck (R – IN).

4:13am – Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson leaves  Washington D.C. for an undisclosed location.

As the US Airforce begins to enter Cuban airspace they are greeted by Soviet planes and a dogfight breaks out. Ground-to-air missiles also begin to fire upon the US planes

5:00am – President Kennedy is informed  by the Joint Chief of Staff that the mission was unsuccessful. The Air force was not able to take out any additional missile sites due to the Soviet counterattack.

After the failed attack on Cuba, the USSR begins sending forces into Poland whose destination, most Generals say, is East Germany. The Joint Chief of Staff advises President Kennedy that the Soviets have a big strategic advantage if they wanted to take West Berlin
Simultaneously, NATO forces continue airstrikes on strategic points in East Germany, Poland and other Soviet countries.

French President Charles DeGaulle calls for wiping communism and the Soviets off the face of Europe and the world, escalating tensions even more. President Kennedy chooses not to comment on this in an early morning press conference.
President Kennedy’s approval rating according to Gallup is at 73%.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Very good timeline. Keep it coming!

[Barnes]

Very good timeline. Keep it coming!

[sentinel]

Sorry for the delays in production, but I'll keep it coming.

Morning of October 28th

Around 8:00am – Soviet Premier Khruschev attempts to place a call to President Kennedy but the call fails due to technical difficulties.

NATO ground forces mobilize in Western Europe in response to the Soviets massing troops into East Germany. Two soviet brigades are stationed in or close to East Berlin with more forces outside of the city.

8:15am – A Washington Post reporter reports an off-the-record comment by a senior official in the Department of Defense…”We are already at war.”

The Administration has no comment.

9:00am – Soviet Premier Khruschev attempts to place a call to President Kennedy but the call fails for a second time due to technical difficulties. Khruschev kicks two members of his senior staff out of the Kremlin due to the lack of a solution to this problem.

10:00am – A missile is launched from Cuba towards Florida but the missile fails to reach Florida, going too fareast by a few hundred miles. It is unclear if it was a nuclear missile.

10:03am – President Kennedy is informed about the missile. He orders ground forces in Florida to begin preparations for an amphibious assault on Cuba.

10:13am – Soviet Premier Khruschev’s call to the White House fails for a third and final time.
10:15am – US and Soviet fighter jets skirmish over Cuba

11am – President Kennedy orders Congressional leaders to gather at a secure location outside of Washington, DC and the states of Virginia and Maryland. The Capitol building is discretely closed for to all nonessential personnel.

Noon – Soviet intelligence agencies receive information regarding the planned amphibious assault on Cuba. Premier Khruschev orders the invasion of West Berlin.

Shortly after noon the invasion of West Berlin begins…resistance from NATO forces in West Berlin fails almost immediately as the Soviets swarm into the city. French President Charles DeGaulle says “The Soviets have brought war upon us again this century…we will show them hell.”

French, Belgium, Dutch and British forces rush towards West Germany as West Berlin falls.
Within a few hours, the American unilateral invasion of Cuba begins…they are greeted by 40,000 Soviet troops.

Soviet forces cross into Turkey later that night.

Senate Minority Leader Everett Dirksen (R-IL) calls for a declaration of war against Cuba and the USSR backed by many Democrat and Republican Senators.

Reports come in around 4pm that Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara has been shot…few details are available except that the report is coming from inside the Pentagon…

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Very good timeline. Keep it coming!

[Barnes]

Very good timeline. Keep it coming!

I agree with Vadul! This is great.

[sentinel]

Update tonight. Once again, sorry for the delays in each segment, however; I hope each one is better than the last.

[sentinel]

[Possibly another update tonight too!]

The evening of October 28th continued…

CBS News: “More details emerge about the shooting of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. A lower level staff member who had discrete connections with the Soviet Union and KGB had orders to kill McNamara and infiltrate the Department of Defense.  The lower level staff member pulled the gun as McNamara passed in the hall and managed to get off a shot as McNamara’s assistant pushed the Secretary away as military personnel subdued the infiltrator. McNamara’s injuries are a bullet wound to the shoulder…the Secretary is said to be in a stable condition and is doing work from his hospital room…”

“The Department of Defense in conjunction with the FBI will begin reviewing the backgrounds of employees with family in or from the Soviet Union or any of its satellite states…”

NBC News: “Top Senate leaders have drafted a declaration of war against the Soviet Union and its satellites that will formally bring the United States into a fully fledged war…the Senate will be meeting in an undisclosed location later tonight to pass the resolution…The United States technically has been in some form of conflict after the Soviet airstrike on NATO soil…”
President Kennedy addresses the nation…

“My fellow Americans when I swore the oath to uphold and protect the Constitution I did so at a time of great turmoil in the world…I had said ‘for man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe--the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state but from the hand of God…this is still true. Right now the armies of the Soviet Union and its allies are marching towards our allies in Europe and our intelligence tells us that they plan to go onto France whom is still recovering from the devastation of war."

"The Soviet Union has imposed its totalitarian regime on the countries of Poland, Hungary, Czechslovakia, Romania, Bulgaria…all behind the iron curtain…we cannot allow this curtain to expand across to West Germany…West Berlin has fallen to the curtain and we must protect our brothers and sisters across the Atlantic…If West Germany is to fall, they will not stop at Belgium, they will not stop at Paris and they will not stop at the shores of Europe. The Soviet Union will come for us, our way of live and our values if we allow our allies in Europe to fall. Therefore, I have asked Senator Everett Dirksen to write a declaration of war against the Soviet Union, Cuba and its satellites…this declaration of war will be passed tonight…Khruschev’s actions cannot be allowed to go unpunished…"

Press Secretary Pierre Salinger in a press conference “more American forces will be deployed to Europe…American forces are already routing the Soviets out of Cuba…”

French President Charles DeGaulle who is being portrayed as the leader of NATO’s forces in Europe says “If the Soviets as so much as put their pinky toe across the Dutch, Belgium or French border, Moscow won’t be a spot on the map anymore.”

[Dancing with Myself]

Excellent! Hopefully the US ad NATO forces stop's the USSR from destroying the world.

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Yay! It's back! I want more!

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

Interesting.

Just please, write de Gaulle correctly.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Looks very interesting.

[sentinel]

I hope this is good because it takes a while to write.

Very early in the morning on October 29th

“Mr. President, the declaration has passed unanimously in the Senate and by a very large margin in the House of Representatives. The Republican and Democrat war hawks want to essentially write you a carte blanche for this war against the Soviet Union…”

“With this funding level of Defense funding they basically already have…”

“Also sir, the Joint Chiefs of Staff would like to see you…”

“I thought I told him to go home for a few hours, tomorrow is going to be a long day…”
“Sir, you know him, he’s not going to go home. I’ll bring him in.”
“Right.”

“Mr. President.”

“Nice to see you…”

“Sir, our air forces have destroyed most of the major military positions in Cuba and all of the known missile sites…we have dominated the Soviet counter attacks there…I recommend putting all of our air forces on the Western seaboard on high alert…I do not think we are in danger on the Eastern seaboard, however; Alaska is threatened by the Soviets…”
“Direct NORAD to move fighter groups from the midwest to Alaska, they’re going to need some backup…”

Later that day on October 29th  Norway, Canada, Iceland, the UK, France, Spain, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Italy, West Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark and the Netherlands all declare war on the Soviet Union and its satellites. Voluntary enlistments in the United States as well as its European allies suddenly soar again as what commentators are calling World War III begins

The Soviet forces have not begun the invasion of West Germany but  NATO intelligence forces expect it to begin within the next day.
President Josip Broz Tito of Yugoslavia declares that any Soviet interference in Yugoslavian affairs will result in the entry of Yugoslavia into the war against the USSR decrying  Soviet hegemony in Eastern Europe.

November/December 1962: In a flash

Early in the month NATO forces tried to repel the Soviet invasion of Western Germany but were forced to quickly retreat to the Dutch/Belgium/French border due to the sheer number of forces -- where they await American reinforcements, unfortunately Western Germany quickly falls.

Simultaneously, the Japanese legislature, at American prodding, amends its Constitution and strikes out Article 9 and begins to establish an extensive military force over its self-defense force.  American forces make bombing runs from northern Japan into eastern Russia.
The Democratic Party had a big victory in the midterm elections of 1962, gaining 10 seats in the Senate increasing their majority to 73 and gaining 50 in the House increasing their majority to 313. One surprise victory included Congressman John Lindsay of New York over incumbent Senator Jacob K Javits although many accused Lindsay’s campaign of pushing old rumors that Javits was a communist.

Turkey and Greece defeat Soviet forces that attempted to enter Greek Macedonia and Istanbul, however; the Turks are slowly losing ground on their eastern front with the Soviet Union.

The citizens of the world are all on the edge of their seat to see who will use the first nuclear weapon with no direct interaction between Soviet and American forces on continental Europe yet.

In Cuba, American forces have routed the Soviets to the ends of the Cuban island and have taken all major points. President Osvaldo Torrado manages to escape to South America but Prime Minister Fidel Castro is killed during an American airstrike.
President Kennedy’s approval rating remains in the high 70’s or low 80’s for the entire month of November.  Some big names behind the scenes are beginning to call for the threat or use of nuclear weapons on the Soviet Union.

In terms of naval superiority, NATO forces have established a dominating presence in the Mediterranean Sea, the Balkans, the Baltic and the North Sea.

Congress has not met on Capitol Hill since the beginning of the war.

[Derek]

Kennedy was young, naive, and inexperienced. We should have taken out Fidel when we had the chance. Now the lives of many Cubans have been lost to communism and dictatorship. Nixon was the better choice.

[Barnes]

Great update, nick! I'm really on the edge of my seat every time I read a new update!

[Vazdul (Formerly Chairman of the Communist Party of Ontario)]

Great update, nick! I'm really on the edge of my seat every time I read a new update!

[justW353]

Kennedy was young, naive, and inexperienced. We should have taken out Fidel when we had the chance. Now the lives of many Cubans have been lost to communism and dictatorship. Nixon was the better choice.

We should have worked with Fidel when we had the chance.  Castro greatly admired the United States before they tried to kill him 30 times.

[Derek]

Kennedy was young, naive, and inexperienced. We should have taken out Fidel when we had the chance. Now the lives of many Cubans have been lost to communism and dictatorship. Nixon was the better choice.

We should have worked with Fidel when we had the chance.  Castro greatly admired the United States before they tried to kill him 30 times.

Only if it meant liberation for Cuba. I'll tell you what I wouldn't have minded going there instead of Iraq but Iraq, that liberated even more people. Those Cubans would be better off as the 51st state.

[sentinel]

Kennedy was young, naive, and inexperienced. We should have taken out Fidel when we had the chance. Now the lives of many Cubans have been lost to communism and dictatorship. Nixon was the better choice.

We should have worked with Fidel when we had the chance.  Castro greatly admired the United States before they tried to kill him 30 times.

NE Assemblyman, just ignore him and lets hope he goes away.

Great update, nick! I'm really on the edge of my seat every time I read a new update!

Thanks guys!

[Bo]

Kennedy was young, naive, and inexperienced. We should have taken out Fidel when we had the chance. Now the lives of many Cubans have been lost to communism and dictatorship. Nixon was the better choice.

We should have worked with Fidel when we had the chance.  Castro greatly admired the United States before they tried to kill him 30 times.

You might have a point there. The U.S. should have tried talking with him, and try to make him our ally and encourage him to embrace capitalism. If that wouldn't have worked, only then should we have supported regime change in Cuba.