==Castro's pilots== 

 Aviation is commonly considered the deciding factor in this battle.  Although Cuban pilots fought combat missions as early as WWII most Cuban pilots from the Batista era were in jail or in exile. Some Castro pilots Alvaro Galo (fired his rockets into the water p. 93)and Willy Figueroa were jailed for cowardice (see also p. 04), for not flying B-26 (Lagas p. 60); Evans was accused of poisoning and also jailed p. 89. There were the Alabama National Guard pilots  that died (have the list somewhere).  The Castro force pilots included  Carlos Ulloa Rauz who was Nicaraguan (see above), Jaques Lagas (B-26, from Chile), Alfredo Noa died in battle in a plane piloted by Luis A. Silva Tablada (ibid p. 61) who was also killed (ibid p. 63). Of course Rafael del Pino (p. 64); de Varens died in a B-26 accident in Camaguey (p. 90).  Laga p. 78 lists dead fliers as: Noa, Silva, Ulloa, Martin Torres (killed p. 97), Reinaldo Gonzalez Calainada (killed p. 97), and Orestes Acosta (Santiago T-33).  On page 81 Lagas mentions Enrique Carrera Rola (T-33) and Gustavo Borzac (a Seafury pilot, who did not fire his rockets p. 98).  On page 82 mentions 16 enemy planes, presumably B-26; p. 88 mentions  Castro pilot Alberto Fernandez (T-33).   Juan Suarez Plaza (B-26 p. 109) Ernesto Carrera is mentioned as flying a Seafury (p. 108),and as an Nicaraguan (p.137); seafuries were also flown by Castro pilots including Douglas Rood and Sanchez de Mola see Lagas p. 59). Lagas (p. 121) mentions he is the only B-26 pilot left on the 19th of April. Eight Castro pilots survived, only one from the B-26 (p. 141). El Jigue 2-15-07