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But, as he pointed out, this was a difficult decision: and it was the subject of extensive debate at Headquarters.* 122/ In response to a question which had been raised about the problems that had been encountered in the use of aluminum boats for off-loading troops, Capt. Scapa stated that the acquistion of the. small boats had to be accomplished within a period of roughly ten days to two weeks prior to the departure of the vesse.ls from Puerto Cabezas. His statement was: "We had to procure them, get them assembled, send them down to Puerto Cabezas, load them aboard ship, and train some crews to run 123/ them." - This was .over-simplication of the problem of trying to acquire the three dozen 18' aluminum boats with 75 h.p. out- board motors which had been laid on WH/4's logistic component when the plan was changed from Trinidad to Zapata. This was a complication that was passed over too lightly during the Taylor Committee hearings; and, unfortunately, Capt. Scapa missed an opportunity to present some of the details which would have helped to explain the difficultie.s in handling the boats at the time of the invasion.** * See footnote page: ~ for comments on the limited value of arms packs to the troops' needs. **In the course Of an interview with the author of this history, Grayston Lynch placed most of the blame for the failure of the aluminum boats on a Marine colonel who had volunteered to assist the Brigade with its logistical problems. Lynch accused this officer of being completely ignorant of small boat operations and specified that the small boat engines failed to start in the Bahia de Cochinos because the marine had insisted that the new engines be filled with heavy oil rather than the very light oil required when breaking in a new motor. 124/