Plot
to Invade the Dominican Republic
U.S. Embassy - Havana
[Reference:
State Dispatch #4615. 839.00/12-1947]
THE FOREIGN SERVICE OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Red'd Dec. 29 No. 4615
American Embassy
Habana Cuba, December 19, 1947
ACTION
ARA
INFO
OCD
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DCR
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ARMY-enc
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CIA
The Honorable
The Secretary of State
Washington
Subject: Frustrated Plot to invade the Dominican
Republic Summer of 1947 (Continued).
Sir: I have the honor to refer to this Embassy's
despatch No.
4434 of October 17, 1947, reporting in acme details on the
abortive
attempt during the past summer to organize in Cuba an
invasion of the
Dominican Republic. As indicated in that despatch and
in
subsequent communications to the Department (see A 1035 of
November 5,
1947) this Embassy has been endeavoring to obtain from the
Cuban
authorities information as to the sources and quantities of
arms and
ammunition obtained by the revolutionists. Although
thus far no
information of this nature has been forthcoming from
official circles,
the Embassy possesses fairly complete data on the vessels
and planes as
well as the personnel which were to be used in the
attempt. It
does not, however have detailed or definite information as
to the arms
and ammunition most of which were seized by the Cuban
military
authorities. Under these conditions and pending the
possible
receipt from the Cuban authorities of more complete data, it
has been
considered advisable to recapitulate this despatch
information in
the Embassy's possession under the following headings: (1)
Personnel,
(2) ships, (3) planes, and (4) arms and ammunition.
I. PERSONNEL
Since reports are now being received that an effort is being
made to
organize another attempt (possibly in Venezuela) to
overthrow the
Dominican dictator, it is thought that the Department and
other
missions concerned might find it useful to have an
alphabetical list of
the personnel of the revolutionary force formed last summer
in
Cuba. Such a list might prove particularly helpful in
view of the
possibility that certain of those who participated in the
Cuban attempt
may take part in another conspiracy. The enclosed
alphabetical
lists (Annexes I and II) have therefore been compiled.
Although
every effort has been made to cross check various sources,
it is
possible that some of the names are incorrectly
stated. Annex I
includes those revolutionary personnel who were arrested by
the Cuban
Army. In despatch No. 4434 of October 17 biographic
details were
given concerning certain Cuban, Dominican and other key
figures in the
attempt. Their names are again listed without details
in Annex II.
II. SHIPS
Although at least eight vessels were to be used in
connection with the
attempt, only five reached the scene [unreadable] Cayo
Confite.
As the Department well aware, LCI (landing craft infantry)
[unreadable]
renamed Patria was detained at Baltimore by Customs
authorities at the
Department's request early in August 1947. Two PT
boats (Nos.
R-41 and R-42) which, according to the Naval Attache, and
had been
purchased by the Cuban Navy some time before through private
channels
in Mobile, Alabama, and which had apparently been promised
to the
revolutionists, never left the Mariel Naval Base near
Habana. (A
member of the expedition, J. L. WANGUEMERT y Maiquez,
writing in the
magazine Carteles of October 19, confirms that two PT boats
were being
prepared at Mariel.) The ships which actually
participated in the
venture were: LCT Libertad, renamed Aurora; LCI No.
1006, renamed
El Fantasma and Maximo Gomez; the Diesel "crash boat"
Victoria, renamed
Berta; a small rented auxiliary schooner the Victoria; and
the
Dominican schooner Angelina, renamed the Maceo.
The following information is furnished regarding each of
these units:
1. The Aurora, according to the testimony of four
British seamen
(see Embassy's despatch No. 4273 of August 14, 1947), sailed
from New
York on July 9, 1947, and reached Nipe Bay about July
16.
According to information furnished to the Treasury
Representative here
by Miguel A. RAMIREZ, formerly doing business at 4 West
104th Street,
New York City, this unit had been purchased in 1946 in the
name of CRUZ
ALONSO, a Cuban who took a leading part in procuring vessels
and arms
for the expedition. This ship was seized by the Cuban
Navy and
brought to Antilla about September 30, 1947. An aerial
photograph
showing the Aurora at Cayo Confites is enclosed (Enclosure
No. 2).
2. The Maximo Gomez (LCI 1006), according to testimony
given, by
Rupert Irwin Waddell, an American connected with the
expedition when
questioned by our customs authorities in Miami on October 6,
left the
United States from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, on August
25 and
arrived at the Mariel Naval Base on August 29. At
Mariel supplies
and munitions were loaded and the ship sailed for Cayo
Confites about
September 7. Like the Aurora, the Maximo Gomez was
seized by the
Cuban Navy and brought to Antilla about September 30, 1947.
3. The Berta, approximately 100 feet long with twin
Diesel
Engines and described by our Naval reconnaissance as a
"crash boat",
was used principally to ferry supplies and arms between
Nuevitas and
Cayo Confites. An officer of this Embassy who examined
the Berta
at Nuevitas on December 11 ascertained that she is a United
States Army
aircraft rescue vessel (Navy Hull No. C-77421), built in
1944 by the
Ventnor Boat Works, Incorporated, Atlantic City, New
Jersey. She
is equipped with a radio transmitter (Signal Corps, United
States Army,
type BC-191, serial No. 118869). According to a report
published
in the Habana newspaper Alerta on September 30, one Jose
MILO Martinez
was the Captain of the Berta, which originally operated
under the
Honduran flag. According to testimony before our
customs
authorities at Miami on October 6 given by Thomas E. LAWYER,
an
American who participated in the attempt, a Captain SHERWOOD
(who
brought the Maximo Gomez from Elizabeth City and who was
originally
scheduled to command the Patria), made a trip to Guatemala
in the Berta
for the purpose of bringing back rifles. This boat was
reportedly
procured from J. E. MAJORRIETA, a Cuban dealer in arms and
aircraft, by
or for the account of CRUZ Alonso. An aerial
photograph of the
Berta is enclosed (Enclosure No. 3).
4. The Victoria, an auxiliary schooner of about
Seventy five
feet, was apparently chartered by the revolutionists and was
used when
the first contingent of troops was moved from La Chive (Nipe
Bay) to
Cayo Confites. During this voyage the Victoria went
aground, two
soldiers were drowned and the rest were rescued by the
Berta.
This unit was apparently no used thereafter.
5. The ironclad Dominican schooner Agelina with a crew
of nine
was captured by the Maximo Gomez off Cayo Confites about
September
11. Equipped with a Diesel engine and about 120 feet
long, this
unit was renamed Maceo. She is now under Naval custody
at
Nuevitas and was seen there on December 11 by an officer of
this
Embassy who noted that her name had apparently been painted
over.
III. PLANES
That the plans of the revolutionists for air support were
ambitious is
indicated by the fact that they succeeded in bringing to
Cuba at least
sixteen aircraft. As the Department knows, a number of
other
planes were detained in the United States, including a J2F-6
seized at
Miami about August 9, a PB-4Y seized at Ponca City,
Oklahoma, on
November 6, and a B-24 Liberator confiscated at Tulsa about
November
7. As reported in this Embassy's telegram No. 572 of
October 1, 3
p.m., full information, including photographs, was obtained
by the
Treasury Representative in Habana, Mr. Joseph DILLON, and
forwarded on
that date to the customs agent at Miami regarding the twelve
aircraft
confiscated by the Cuban Army and held at Campo Columbia
Airfield. Although Mr. Dillon was introduced by
Ambassador Norweb
to the Minister of State on August 25, at which time his
interest in
obtaining date regarding these planes was explained, it was
not until
October 1 that through other channels he succeeded in
examining the
following twelve aircraft:
1. A B-24 Liberator which had landed at Rancho Boyeros
on July
31, at 3:15 p.m., piloted by Chester H. PICKUP who
registered at the
Sevilla Biltmore Hotel here as "John Brown" of Rio de
Janeiro.
This plane brought in cargo consisting of stretchers,
cooking utensils,
aircraft receivers, cartridge belts, rifle slings and other
miscellaneous military equipment which could readily have
been
purchased at any army and navy store.
2. Two Vega Venturas which were moved by the military
authorities from Rancho Boyeros to Campo Columbia on August
1.
3. Six Lockheed P-38 type (F-5) aircraft. On
August 16, two
of these planes were observed at the Mariel Naval Base
flying
field. On August 19 four of these planes were observed
at that
field. On August 23 one arrived at Camp Columbia and
was moved to
Mariel on September 4. The sixth plane landed by
mistake at Camp
Columbia and was seized by the Cuban Army (Embassy's
telegram No. 504,
August 25). These planes were designed primarily for
long range
photographic work and were not equipped with guns or bomb
racks upon
arrival in Cuba.
4. Two B-25's (Mitchell bombers). On October 29
the
Treasury Representative (Dillon) observed that the Cuban
insignia had
been painted on the wings of these planes. (Cuban
insignia are on
all planes now.)
5. One C-46A (Curtis Commando) transport.
In addition to the above-mentioned planes which were taken
over by the
Cuban Army and held at Campo Columbia, the revolutionists
had the
following aircraft in Cuba:
Two Cessnas C-78 at the Anacra Field, Rancho Boyeros.
Two C-47's based at the Anacra Field, Rancho Boyeros; one of
these
(license NC-56001) crashed near Managua (Habana Province) on
August 27
because of motor trouble, and the other (license NC-66113)
was
confiscated by the Cuban Army at Santiago de Cuba when it
landed there
on September 5. According to information furnished
this office on
October 13 by Kenneth ROBINSON, an American pilot who had
accepted a
position as instructor at this Anacra base, the
revolutionists also had
two Vultee BT-13's, one of which returned to the United
States and the
other was destroyed in an accident in Cuba.
However, only part of the air fleet with which the
revolutionaries
expected to strike a paralyzing blow at Trujillo's air force
and ground
installations ever reached Cuba. According to Rolando
MASFERRER
(Bohemia, October 12), the revolutionaries had bought eight
B-25
bombers but this Embassy can account for only three (two at
Campo
Columbia and another seized by the customs authorities at
Tulsa about
October 15). Masferrer also stated that six Douglas
transports
were to be used to carry 225 paratroopers, but of
these planes
only the two C-47's mentioned above apparently reached Cuba.
IV. ARMS AND AMMUNITION
Authoritative data on the origin and quantity of arms and
ammunition
assembled in Cuba have not been released.
Nevertheless, highly
indicative information has appeared in one form or
another. For
example, the statements of three American citizens who were
members of
the expeditionary force and in a position to observe (Hollis
B. SMITH,
Erwin Rupert WADDELL and Thomas LAWYER), the article by
Rolando
Masferrer published in Bohemia on October 12, and other
published
material furnished a good deal of detailed information which
has been
assembled and is summarized below.
In addition the Embassy has been able to obtain from a local
newspaper
four photographs released by the Cuban Army at the time of
the seizure
on September 20 of the arms stored at the farm "America"
(see despatch
No. 4382, September 26, 1947). Reproductions of these
photographs
have been made at the Embassy and three copies of each are
enclosed
(Enclosures Nos. 4 to 7) together with explanatory
notes. In
connection with these munitions, which at the time were
reported to
have filled thirteen trucks, it should be emphasized that
they were
apparently to be used in the event that adequate equipment,
such as
guns, gun mounts and bomb racks, could be obtained for the
planes. In short, the material at the farm, much of
which
apparently came from the Cuban Navy, was never actually
moved to the
scene of action.
It is clear from the photographs that the munitions on the
farm
"America" were of United States origin. The ground
forces of the
expedition already had arms issued to them, or arms and
munitions were
on board the vessels. These latter arms and munitions,
with the
specific exceptions noted below, came, as far as can be
determined,
from sources other than the United States. the bulk of
the small
arms, comprising 1,500 Mauser rifles and four million rounds
of
cartridges as well as the three-quarter million rounds of
45-caliber
cartridges, presumably came from Argentina.
(a) Rifles
The highest estimate regarding the number of rifles
available to the
revolutionaries was that of Lawyer who said that there were
about 3,000
from Argentina, 1,500 Springfields, and some others.
Masferrer
mentioned 1,500 rifles from Argentina which, according to
Smith, were
"similar to the Mauser-98". It is understood that all
marks
indicating the origin of the rifles have been removed.
The origin
of the Springfields is unknown and the existence of such a
quantity of
Springfields is seriously questioned.
As for rifle ammunition, according to Smith there were four
million
rounds for the Argentina model Mausers; Lawyer testified
that there
were four million rounds aboard the Aurora. the Army
official
investigator informed the press on September 29 that two
million rounds
of rifle ammunition had been found on board the
Aurora. Masferrer
stated that one million rounds had been received from
Argentina.
There is photographic evidence that at the farm "America"
there was
also a supply of U. S. armor-piercing 30-caliber cartridges
(see
Enclosure No. 4).
(b) Machine guns
Masferrer reported that there were about 50 machine guns of
a German
type manufactured in Argentina. According to Smith,
these machine
guns were of 7.65 caliber, an exact copy of the Masden and
made in
Argentina. However, Smith later stated when he visited
the
Department on October 20 that they also resembled the German
Schmeizer. Lawyer's statement coincides with that of
Masferrer,
viz. 50 of a German type manufactured in Argentina.
There was also a quantity of sub-machine guns. One
source
mentions 215 Thompsons. A Dominican exile on Cayo
Confites
reported to Embassy sources that of the troops on the Cayo
1,000 were
equipped with rifles and 200 with sub-machine guns.
Ammunition
supplies indicated that sub-machine guns were to be used
extensively. There was no mention of ammunition for
the machine
guns or automatic rifles. The Embassy does not know if
there was
a difference in caliber between the machine guns and rifles,
but it is
presumed that the machine guns utilized the standard
ammunition of the
Mauser rifles, of which there was an ample supply.
Masferrer
stated that there were 775,000 rounds of 45-caliber
cartridges.
These could only have been for sub-machine guns and
automatic pistols.
© Pistols
Although some 45-caliber pistols were no doubt owned
personally by
members of the expedition, there were undoubtedly also
pistols which
had been purchased in quantity. Our Military Attache
(Colonel
Glenn) reports that he has seen a late model 45-caliber Colt
automatic
pistol which was in the hands of the revolutionists.
(d) Automatic rifles
According to Masferrer, there were ten automatic rifles
which had been
obtained in Argentina. For a photograph of what
appears to be one
of these, see Enclosure No. 3 to this Embassy's despatch No.
4434 of
October 17, 1947.
(e) Bazookas
Masferrer stated that the revolutionaries had bought fifteen
bazookas
in the United States. This estimate is supported by
the statement
made by the Cuban Army investigator on September 29 at which
time he
said that fourteen bazookas were found on board the
Aurora.
According to Waddell, there were some 280 bazooka heads
which were to
be made into grenades. Lawyer testified that 300
bazooka heads
were loaded by him and Smith.
(f) Bombs
Newspaper reports, e.g. Diario de la Marina on September 21,
regarding
the armaments seized at the Finca America indicated that
bombs of
various sizes were found, including some weighing 300
pounds.
Smith admitted that he had contracted to make as an
experiment some
thirty-six bombs (twelve of 5, 10 and 25-pound size).
According
to information reported by a source of Lieutenant-Colonel S.
R. KNIGHT,
G-2, Third Army, mentioned in Ciudad Trujillo's despatch No.
1079 of
August 19, 1947, the revolutionaries had some 300
fragmentation bombs
stored in Habana. A photograph taken at the Finca
America,
published in the Diario de la Marina on September 21, shows
numerous
cylindrical 325-pound depth bombs (see Enclosure No. 5) and
several
crates of fins. It is believed possible that these
were supplied
by the Cuban Navy from stocks obtained during World War II.
(g) Explosives
According to Lawyer, some 2,000 pounds of dynamite were
aboard the
Aurora when captured. This was confirmed by the Army
investigator
at a press conference on September 29 (El Mundo, September
30, 1947).
(h) Rockets
Smith testified in August that he made 300 rockets for
Ramirez.
These were flown to Mariel from Baltimore on August
16. Size and
description are lacking and there has been no mention of
launchers.
(I) Mortars
Masferrer stated that the revolutionists had three Brandet
model 81 mm.
mortars, obtained from Argentina. J. L. Wanguemert y
Maiquez, a
Habana student who joined the expedition, confirms that
there was a
battery of three 81 mm. mortars (Carteles, October 19).
(j) Hand Grenades
Lawyer places the number of hand grenades at 2,000.
According to
Masferrer, 1,000 had been bought in Argentina. Smith
on October
20 stated that 200 had been acquired in the United
States. As
indicated above (see Bazookas), Waddell stated that some 250
bazooka
heads were to be made into grenades. According to
Report No.
5001-M of October 15, 1947, from Headquarters Third Army,
Smith said
the hand grenades were "exceptionally good" and superior to
any United
States make that he had handled or seen.
(k) Cannon
The army official investigating the case against the
revolutionaries
stated on September 29 that several 37 mm. guns were seized
on board
the Aurora. This was corroborated by information
furnished by
Julio CESAR Martinez (U.P. despatch Habana, September
30). On
October 20 Smith said that the revolutionaries had three
37mm.
anti-tank guns manufactured in the United States.
According to
Masferrer, three such guns were installed by the Cuban Navy
on the
revolutionary ships.
As indicated in Enclosure No. 7, some 20 mm. anti-aircraft
cartridges
were stored at the Finca America; however, the Embassy has
obtained no
evidence that any 20 mm. guns were in the revolutionists'
possession.
(l) Helmets
Various photographs taken at Cayo Confites show that the
revolutionaries were equipped with metal helmets, apparently
of the
same type as those used by our army during the past
war. The
Treasury Representative here (Dillon) on August 18
interviewed Jay
MATHEWS and Harold WEELER who said that they had brought by
air
fifty-three bags of army helmets from San Juan; that they
left San Juan
on August 15 in their own B-18 plans and claimed that the
shipments had
been cleared by customs in Puerto Rico. Lawyer
reported that
Ramirez bought fifty helmets in New York.
(m) Jeeps
According to Smith, some six to eight jeeps had been
purchased in New
York City. Reports from various sources indicate that
the
revolutionaries made liberal use of automotive vehicles
owned by the
Cuban Government. Two were furnished by Manolo CASTRO
from the
Cuban Palace of Sports.
(n) Parachutes
According to Smith, some 200 parachutes had been purchased
in New York
City (this checks with Masferrer's statement that some 225
men were to
be used as paratroopers), but there is no evidence that
parachutes were
delivered to Cuba.
Source of arms.....Did Peron Furnish arms?
There is a reasonable amount of evidence to support the
conclusion that
a large part of the arms used by the expeditionary force, as
indicated
in the above summary, was manufactured in Argentina.
On this
point Masferrer, in an article published in the weekly
magazine Bohemia
on October 12, made the following statements (translation):
"Not being too successful in the United States, the
revolutionaries
turned to a friendly country. Through it two
revolutionary envoys
went to Buenos Aires and interviewed President Peron.
He sold
arms in the belief that they were going to aid a government
menaced by
North American imperialism. What is more, there was
lacking
$350,000 to pay for all the equipment acquired in Argentina
and
President Peron paid this from his secret funds. When
he
discovered that the arms would be utilized against Trujillo,
he decided
to send him a larger quantity of arms so that he could
defend
himself. For this he took advantage of the opportunity
of the
inauguration in Santo Domingo through the Argentina mission
which
represented him and sent it as a gift. This happened
on August 17
last (note: this latter apparently did not
occur). The arms
made available to us were 1,500 rifles, 50 machine guns of a
German
type manufactured in Argentina, 10 machine rifles, three
mortars -
Brandet model 81 mm. 1,000 hand grenades, 1,000,000 rifle
cartridges,
775,000 45-caliber cartridges for the machine guns, all of
which was
taken to a secure part in Central America. A new
effort in the
United States made it possible to acquire 15 bazookas, some
carbines
and pistols, as well as some Springfields and Brownings."
Although in the above revelation Masferrer merely stated
that the "arms
had been brought to a more secure port in Central America",
he was more
specific when interviewed following his return from Cayo
Confites. According to a reporter of the daily
newspaper Prensa
Libre (October 5):
"Masferrer is convinced that the arms of the expedition were
bought by
Guatemala from Argentina on the pretext that they would be
used in an
anti-imperialist movement. Guatemala delivered the
arms on
condition that after the defeat of Trujillo the movement
would be
directed against Somoza and Carias. This operation was
carried
out through Arevelo and Cruz Alonso, a Cuban who went to
Argentina for
that purpose." (Felix Buenaventura Sanchez and
Alejandro Del
Valle, two members of the expedition, told the press stories
which
confirm the above; see notes to Enclosure 1 to despatch No.
4434,
October 17.)
According to the Havana Post on October 5, Masferrer stated
that
Guatemala had offered to purchase the arms. It will be
recalled
that Lawyer told our customs authorities on October 6 that
the arms had
come from Guatemala because he knew "some of the boys who
went to get
them", including five Dominicans and Captain Sherwood.
Although an Associated Press despatch from Guatemala on
October 7
stated that Guatemala's Foreign Office had denied the report
that arms
had been furnished to the revolutionists by the Guatemalan
Government,
there would appear to be good reason to suspect that
Guatemala was
involved. In this connection reference is also made to
this
Embassy's despatch No. 4503 of November 7, 1947, in which it
was
pointed out that the list of telephone numbers found on
Manolo CASTRO,
Cuban Director of Sports, at the time of his arrest at Miami
on
September 29 included the Guatemalan Legation in Habana.
I believe the Department will agree that the above summary
shows that
the revolutionists had collected an impressive army of war
material. Such an illicit accumulation in improper
hands is in
itself a dangerous thing. In the present instance, the
use of
such arms against another country would have brought
perilous
consequences. Moreover, had the Cuban Army not seized
these arms,
their clandestine existence in Cuba during an election year
would at
best have been a constant threat to domestic peace and
order.
Respectfully yours,
Lester D. Mallory,
Charge d'Affaires a.i.
Enclosures (in triplicate except No. 1):
1. List of personnel, Annexes I and II ..
Annex II
2. Photograph of Aurora
3. Photograph of Berta
4. Photograph of 30-caliber cartridge boxes
5. Photograph of depth bombs
6. Photograph of depth bombs
7. Photograph of 20 mm. ammunition
File No. 800
DVAnderson/dts:mk
Note: The drafting officer acknowledges with
appreciation the
assistance of L. D. Mallory, Charge d'Affaires a.i.; Colonel
E. E.
Glenn, Military Attache; Colonel B. C. Batterton, Naval
Attache; c. W.
Moore, Attache; and V. L. Collins, Second Secretary.
Copies to American Embassies at Caracas, Ciudad Trujillo,
Buenos Aires, Guatemala and Port-au-Prince.
End of Page
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