◆ SpookStack

~O~SEC~ the Office of Special Operations, Department of De- fense. One of the particular problems of concern in this relationship was that of covert sea transporta- tion which might be necessary to lift anti-Castro forces back to the island of Cuba. Even though all the planning about which there is a record at this time concerned only cadres for guerrilla warfare training and the infiltration of communications ex- perts, on 25 April 1960, Savilion Chapman of DDP's Maritime Branch met with a Captain Thomas (USN) and a Col. Anderson (USMC) who were members of the DOD/CIA Covert Limited Warfare Stockpiling Committee, and discussed among other interesting subjects: The acquisition from the Navy of two Landing Ship-Tanks (LST) and four Air- Sea Rescue Craft (AVR), the training of the Cuban crews for these vessels, and the means of covert transfer of the vessels from the Navy to the Agency.* 73/ In addition to the requested overhead reconnis- sance of the Cuban coastline by the Air Force, the * It is rather strange that at this early date in April 1960 discussions were being held concerning the acquisition of LST's. There had been no discus- sions concerning the movement of a large body of Cuban troops back into their homeland; and, consequently, the discussion re LST's seems highly out of place. - 94 - ~OPSFP~FT