• - -- -·---·-·- -- -- - - ·- - COMMAND ING OFFICER PATROL SQUADRON FIVE SER I AL 0103 15 DECEMBER 1962 CIBAN QUARANTINE REPORT OF SUPPORT OF CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS OPERATIONS • PATROL SQUADRON FIVE C 0 FLEET POST OFFICE NEW YORJCo N Y Code 101 5700 Ser o lOJ 30 NOV 1962 REGISTERED AIB Mi IL CONFIDENTIAL From To Via Commanding Officer Patrol Squadron FIVE Commander in Chief U S Atlantic Fleet 1 Commander Fleet i ir Wing ELEVm 2 Commander Fleet Air Wings U S Atlantic Fleet 3 Commander Anti-Submarine Warfare Forces U S Atlantic Fleet Subj Historical and Public Information Material U Ref a b COMNAVAIRLANT General Message 103 DTG 1931Z of 29 OCT 1962 C0 1FAIRWINGSLANT Notice 05700 of 2 NOV 1962 1 In accordance with references a and b the following report is submitted for the period 22 October through 15 November 1962 2 Summary of Operations a During the period of this report Patrol Squadron FIVE flew a total of 971 4 hours in direct support of the Cuban Quarantine 112 AfM and ship surveillance sorties were conducted by this command 101 of these missions were performed with a BMVO ordnance load The conduct of these missions under near combat conditions demonstrated to this command the flexibility mobility and capability of the current VP organization to function effectively during a national emergency 3 Narrative a Shortly after 1200 on Manday 22 October 1962 Patrol Squadron FIVE received instructions from Commander Fleet Air Wing ELl VJiH to discontinue local flight operations at the Naval Air Station Jacksonville Florida Squadron aircraft which had been conducting routine anti-submarine warfare SW training in the Jacksonville operating areas were immediately recalled At afternoon quarters orders were received to prepare for immed i ate denloyment Squadron personnel began pack-up operations and at 2300 that evening all squadron equipment was awaiting airlift By o oo 23 October six Patrol Squadron FIVE aircraft were conducting Caribbean surveillance in transit to the U S JavA l Sta tion Roosevelt Heads Puerto Rico At noon on the same day additinpa l sorties were launched from the Puerto Rican base ind atrol Squadron FIVr i n coordination with other U 8 n vR1 forces commenced day and night quaretntine surveillance of the Caribbean area as Task Element SJ 7 S 1 DOWNGRADED A' 1' 3 l'lMR INTERV 4 TA DECLASSIFIED AFTER 12 YE Ill DOD DIR 5200 10 bl i _ C ·i i · During the c ond µc't of ii niari inie sfi rve iJ l' ail E morning of 24 October 1962 a Patrol Sqµ lJ 'P J ¥JYllL 1K visual contact with the Soviet tanker BUC IAREST out of o was the flrst known contact with this vessel i n the Car C CQ IlJ l El J phqtograp J ic cov e -age was obtained a d conti iue d ii was '·mal' n tai n ed · uhtil tl're'•BtJCHit IBST mts •intert Elflt'ed·' 'IJy'U s N a f p rc ·- a '- ' yi c ' · 1n·''acnorda H6e with direc ti es rece ived from CTU Bl 7 B ASW coverage commenced at noon on 27 Qc tober and continued throughout th is 1 r Hing P r f¢1 eH J ' Et b ij 1- t · 6 tt r r QJ i s'Jier W B URCHE TT command0 ifli · Patrp r Sgu tlt'o 'FIY Cte1r F t'lc Jj E iyed wlil 1 Clt l e lt rpl Squadron FIVE' aircr ift tl'iich· had· beli m i ill tlitnin · lbnf l ct i-ii th ali' link own suq merg d subn aii'tie 'c il i rtil' teij a o n LT ili'RCHETffiii f l taiiied Ebfttfrtuou-Ji 0 • t c gnt agt µ t 1 i z Ln11 r1Jagg e t i9 f OJ l t D t cti pn y r vr j ADVEC tac tics irl' coordi nll t i bn ftfi'''the irss'·cEBft 'b bR '1 35 '' lli'ttir p$rforming these ti ackt P 1 1 'f'itcs for one hour nd fifteen m' 111utes the Patrol Squ dron - FIVE afrcra rt·was granted permission to begin 'l- AJ J cloverle tactics Dur ing this phase of operation the Soviet Ji OX gl tfr l ass 'jmbmarine number 911 surfaced in the immediate v ici ' jlf i l' @f di · • · ulre -undersea capability of the Sov iet submarine had ev i t i y 13 ep austed through continued restrict ion of its movement by air ahd sUrf'a fe uni ts since the evenirig of 29 October 1962 Complete photo f'il pl itc cove i -age and other intelligence data was obtained ' I• ' ' r d During this period Patrol Squadron FIVE quarantine operations ' of the Puerto were continuously expanded to encompass the greater part _ Rico Cuba oceanic areas Missions under combat condit ions were being launched from Jacksonville Florida Roosevelt Roads Puerto Rico ·Md Guantanamo Bay Cuba At 0900 on- 6 November a Patrol Squadron TIVE aircraft operating out of Guantanamo Bay Cuba located and photographed the Soviet cargo vessel DIVINOGORSK This ship carried four miss i J ls · and several military vehicles under canvas covering From the intelliw gence information gained by this particular sortie it was determined that the DIVINOGORSK was the first Soviet vessel to depart Cuba 1dth ' missiles aboard e Patrol Squadron FIVE has enjoyed the finest of command rela tionships during this reporting period Within · the framework of the quarantine forces and the normal chain of command Patrol Squadron TIVE' was extended outstanding support • ·The cooperation and team work of Patrol Squadron SEVE'N and EJVE as Task Element Bl 7 8 1 exemplified the inherent flexib il ity nd standardization of technique achieved by the Southern Maritime Air Group Atlantic The in creased amount of flight hours acquired by flight crew tnember_s n r 1 t1£il1 1 ·colJPlland· e lha t t l8 1'•1 crew coordination and ·the ability of the unit 'to it' ll n lt iqm ll'· under all s i tuat ions encompassing the a o espon sibil i rby a soqi4ated1 with Patrol Squadron capabilities a'0 ' opy to 'iOMCARlBSEA RON CO NAVSTA Roosevelt 'Roads P R R L HUBER DECl A iFi TJ