24 May 1962 – Report from Malinovskiy and Zakharov to the TsK KPSS on the disposition of a Soviet Group of Forces in Cuba
Especially Urgent
To the Chairman of the Security Council
Comrade N. S. Khrushchev
In accordance with your instructions,
the Ministry of Defense proposes:
1. On the island of Cuba, place a Permanent Group of Soviet Forces from all branches of the Armed Forces, under the single leadership of the Group Headquarters, headed by the Commander in Chief of the Soviet Forces in Cuba.
2. Dispatch to Cuba the 43rd Missile Division (division commander General-Major Statsenko), comprised of five missile regiments, among them:
– 79, 181, and 664 Missile Regiments, each with 8 R-12 missile launchers, for a total of 24 launchers;
– 665 and 668 Missile Regiments, each with 8 R-14 missile launchers, for a total of 16 launchers;
Total number of launchers for the R-12 and R-14 – 40.
Missile units are to ship 1.5 missiles and 1.5 warheads each to for every launcher (total of 30 missiles and 30 warheads) and one PRTB [mobile repair base] each to the regiment for fitting out the warheads and providing missile fuel in standard mobile tanks for the R-12 missiles – 1.75 fueling, and for the R-14 – 1.5 fueling for each launcher.
Provisions are made for the deployment of the R-12 missiles fully fitted out using the SP-6 [field launch emplacement]. Manufactured collapsible SP-6 parts for equipping the positions with missiles are to be fabricated at Ministry of Defense construction firms by 20 June and sent along with the regiments. Upon arrival at the designated area, missile regiment personnel will, using their own resources, prepare the launch positions in 10 days and be prepared to launch missiles.
The deployment of missile regiments armed with the R-14 requires on-site construction, for a duration of about four months. This work will be performed by unit personnel, but it will be necessary to reinforce them with a group of 25 civil engineers, 100 construction workers with primary skills, and up to 100 installers from the State Committees of the Council of Ministers of the USSR on defense technology and radio electronics.
Carrying out the work requires the following be shipped:
– 16 sets of R-14 ground equipment produced by industry this year;
– machinery and transports:
5-ton motorized cranes 10
bulldozers 20
motorized graders 10
excavators 10
dump trucks 120
GBSU [ground-concrete mixing plant] concrete plants 6
special machinable equipment for adjusting equipment
– principal materials
cement 2000 tons
precast reinforced concrete 15,000 cubic tons
metal 2000 tons
SP-6 complexes 30
SR-2 barracks buildings 20
prefabricated timber houses 10
cable, equipment, and other materials
Further build-up of missile fuel, missiles, and warheads will be possible as reserves of containers and storage areas are constructed in Cuba, just as it is possible to include four launchers in each missile regiment of every third division.
The Group Headquarters and missile division can and should be sent from the Soviet Union in the first days of July 1962, in two waves: first wave (R-12 regiments) and second wave (R-14 regiments).
3. For air defense of Cuba and the protection of the Group of Forces, dispatch 2 anti-aircraft divisions, consisting of 6 surface to air missile regiments (24 battalions), 6 technical battalions, one fighter air regiment with MiG-21F-13 (three squadrons – 40 airplanes) and two radio technical battalions.
Along with the divisions, send 4 missiles for each launcher, which will amount to 576 missiles.
Anti-aircraft divisions are to be sent as follows: one in July and one in August 1962.
4. For defense of the coast and bases in the area of possible locations of enemy assault landings, send to Cuba one “Sopka” regiment consisting of three battalions (6 launchers) and three missiles for each launcher.
– to the coast in the Havana region – one regiment (four launchers);
– to the coast in the Banes region – one battalion (two launchers).
On the southern coast, in the Cienfuegos region, deploy one battalion (two launchers), slated for delivery to Cuba in 1962.
The Sopka complex is capable of striking surface ships at a distance of up to 80 km.
5. Send to Cuba as part of the Group of Forces:
– a brigade of Project 183-R missile boats, consisting of two divisions of 6 boats each (a total of 12 boats) armed with two R-15 missiles with a firing range of up to 40 km;
– a detachment of support vessels, consisting of 1 tanker, 2 bulk carrier transports, a repair ship;
– fuel for the missiles: petrol for the R-13 and P-15 – 70 tons; oxidizing agents for the R-13 – 180 tons; oxidizing agents for the P-15 – 20 tons; kerosene for the S-2 and the KSShch – 20 tons;
– two ammunition packages for the P-15 missiles (24 missiles) and one ammunition package for the R-13 missiles (21 missiles).
Delivery of the Project 183-R missile boats, Sopka battalions, processing facilities for the missile boats and technical batteries for the Sopka battalions and communications equipment is to be done on Ministry of the Navy vessels.
Delivery of the warheads in SG-4 [SG = readiness level] readiness is to be done on Navy ships.
6. Send to the Group of Forces in Cuba in July and August:
– two FKR [front-line cruise missile] regiments (16 launchers) with PRTB and for [the regiments], 5 missiles and 5 special [nuclear] warheads for each launcher. Effective range of the FKR – up to 180 km;
– mine and torpedo aviation regiment of Il-28, consisting of three squadrons (11 airplanes) with RAT-52 rocket-assisted torpedoes (150) and aviation mines (150) for striking surface ships;
– Mi-4 helicopter regiment – two squadrons – 33 helicopters;
– independent communications air squadron (two Il-14, four Li-2, four Yak-12, and two An-2).
7. For the purpose of combat support to our technical covering troops, dispatch to Cuba four independent motorized infantry regiments with a tank battalion in each, from the 64th Guards Motorized Infantry Division from the Leningrad Military District, with a total strength of 7300 troops.
Regiments are to be sent in June-July 1962.
8. Upon completion of the concentration of the aforementioned Soviet Forces in Cuba, or as necessary, dispatch to Cuba – sometime in September – the following on a goodwill visit:
A) a Navy surface ship squadron under the command of Vice Admiral G.O. Anashvili (Deputy Commander of the Red Banner Baltic Fleet), consisting of:
– two cruisers, MIKHAIL KUTUZOV (Black Sea Fleet) and SVERDLOV (Red Banner Baltic Fleet);
– two Project 57-bis guided missile destroyers BOYKIY and GNEVNYY (Black Sea Fleet);
– two Project 56 destroyers SKROMNYY and SVEDUSHCHIY (Black Sea Fleet).
Along with the squadron, dispatch one tanker to provide the ships with fuel. Send on the ships one combat ammunition allowance of standard ammunition (to include one load-out of KSShch [ship-launched “Shchuka” projectile] missiles – 24 missiles) and standard equipment.
Transit time for the ships – 15 days.
B) a squadron of submarines, consisting of:
– the 18th Division of Project 629 missile submarines (7 submarines with 3 R-13 missiles in each with a firing distance of 540 km);
– a brigade of Project 641 torpedo submarines (4 submarines with torpedo weapons);
– two submarine tenders.
Transit time for the submarines – 20-22 days.
If necessary, the squadrons can be dispatched separately. Their departure readiness, starting 1 July, is 10 days.
Upon the arrival of the squadrons to Cuba, they are to be added to the Group of Soviet Forces.
9. For logistical support to the Group of Forces, order:
– three hospitals (200 beds each);
– one sanitation and epidemic prevention detachment;
– seven warehouses (provisions – 2, clothing – 1, fuel – 4; of those, two motor transport and aviation fuel for the Group and two liquid fuel depots for the Navy;
– one service company for the transshipment base;
– one field bakery.
Build up a surplus of:
– in the Group – fuel and provisions for current support of troops – for 3 months;
– in the field – mobile supplies (fuel, ammunition, and provisions) – at the established standard;
– provide provisions for 25 days for the travel route.
10. Total manning strength of the Group of Soviet Forces in Cuba will be about 44 thousand service members and 1300 laborers and employees. Carrying troops and military hardware during the summer will require 70-80 vessels from the USSR Ministry of the Navy for a simultaneous lift.
11. For command of the Soviet Forces in Cuba, create a Headquarters for the Group of Soviet Forces. For purposes of establishing the Headquarters, transform the Headquarters of the 49th Missile Army from Vinnitsa, a highly-trained administration cobbled together with support and service units.
The Group Headquarters will incorporate a Navy department, an Air Force department, and an Air Defense department, and for the Group Commander in Chief, four deputies – one for general issues, one for the Navy, one for Air Defense, and one for the Air Force.
12. Make provision to clothe the troops sent to Cuba, other than the Navy: one set of civilian clothes and southern attire (similar to that for the troops from the Turkestan Military District).
13. Food for Group of Soviet Forces personnel in Cuba is to be provided from the USSR.
14. Salaries are to be paid in accordance with general practices as for troops located abroad.
15. Steps to establish the Group of Soviet Forces in Cuba are to be taken under the codename “Anadyr”.
You are kindly requested to review.
R. Malinovskiy
M. Zakharov 24 May 1962
Translating History 