New York Times
April 20, 1961. p. 10.
Special to The New York
Times
MIAMI, April 19—Following, in unofficial translation, is a Cuban Government communiqué, signed by the armed forces, as broadcast by the national radio:
North American participation in the aggression against Cuba has been dramatically proved this morning when our anti-aircraft batteries shot down a North American military plane flown by a North American pilot who was bombing the civilian population and our infantry forces in the area of the Australia sugar mill.
The North American pilot, whos body is in the hands of our revolutionary forces, is Leo Francis Berlitz. He was carrying a pilot’s license, Number 08323-1M, expiring Dec. 24, 1962; Social Security card, 014-0706921; a car registration with the address 100 Nassau Street, Boston 14, Mass. His home address is listed as 48 Beacon Street, Boston. His height was 5 feet 6 inches.
Flight instructions for flights over our country were also found in the clothes of the Yankee pilot.
This is one of four enemy planes shot down this morning, making a total of nine planes shot down since the mercenary attack on the peninsula of Zapata, whose total annihilation is now a matter of hours.
Following
are the texts of two communiqués issued yesterday by the Cuban Revolutionary
Council:
In spite of continuous attack by Soviet MIG’s, heavy tanks and artillery forces, the Revolutionary Command has completed the planned first phase of their military operation in the south of Cuba.
This phase involved the successful establishment of contact with guerrilla groups in the Escambray Mountains. Numerous elements of the forces from the Cochinos bay area have completed a movement north of Cienfuegos, from which they will be able to reinforce the patriots already fighting in the mountains.
It can also be revealed that additional guerrilla units have infiltrated central Matanzas Province. The heroic action of a small holding force which resisted Soviet tanks, artillery and aircraft during the last twenty-four hours made possible this result.
According to the command’s last information, this force continues its valiant fight against tyranny.
The Revolutionary Council wishes to make a prompt and emphatic statement in the face of the recent astonishing public announcements from uniformed sources.
The statements indicate that “several thousand” Cuban patriots have fallen in the battle which took place today in southern Cuba. This is a pronouncement which will certainly please Castro but would dishearten the Cuban people, who are eagerly waiting to break the chains that bind them to communism.
The recent landings in Cuba have been constantly, though inaccurately, described as an invasion. It was, in fact, a landing mainly of supplies and support for our patriots who have been fighting in Cuba for months and was numbered in the hundreds, not the thousands.
Regretfully, we admit tragic losses in today’s action among a small holding force, which courageously fought Soviet tanks and artillery while being attacked by Russian MIG aircraft a gallantry which allowed the major portion of our landing party to reach the Escambray Mountains.
We did not expect to topple Castro immediately or without setbacks. And it is certainly true that we did not expect to face, unscathed, Soviet armaments directed by Communist “advisers.” We did and survived!
The struggle for freedom of 6,000,000 Cubans continues.