Challenge: Cuban Missile Crisis goes Nuclear, but not WW3

The challenge is to have one or more nuclear weapons used/attacks occur during the Missile Crisis, but to have the powers keep it to that and not engage in full nuclear exchange. Bonus points if Cuba is not completely nuked to oblivion.
 
The challenge is to have one or more nuclear weapons used/attacks occur during the Missile Crisis, but to have the powers keep it to that and not engage in full nuclear exchange. Bonus points if Cuba is not completely nuked to oblivion.

Limited tactical nuclear weapon use in Cuba following an early US invasion perhaps? I don't know if Khrushchev really would have thought Castro was worth WWIII, the whole crisis itself was based on him making a gamble and recognizing he lost.
 
Accidental detonation of one Soviet nuke on Cuba. High tension, then everyone points and laughs. (Well except for the people who got crisped obviously).

How you acheive an accidental detonation on a weapon designed not to go off unless special conditions are met is left as an exercise for the imagination. Perhaps a gun type weapon (did the USSR use those?) is accidentally dropped while armed?
 
Perhaps it starts out with what almost happened: a Soviet sub fires a nuclear torpedo at an American naval vessel. Response is proportionate to the attack, with the U.S. doing same to a Soviet ship. Cooler heads ultimately prevail.

What I think has every likelihood of happening is that once a single nuke is fired in anger. that the responses will not stay proportionate. A U.S. ship or Guantanamo gets nuked and the island gets glassed in response, for starters.
 

Cook

Banned
What I think has every likelihood of happening is that once a single nuke is fired in anger that the responses will not stay proportionate.
Indeed, with the Single Integrated Operational Plan in place, there is very little chance of the war not escalating to a full nuclear exchange.
 
Indeed, with the Single Integrated Operational Plan in place, there is very little chance of the war not escalating to a full nuclear exchange.
Also known as SIOP
From the Wiki:
SIOP-63
During 1961-1962 the Kennedy administration revised this plan as supervised by Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara. SIOP-63, which took effect in July 1962 and remained mostly unchanged for more than 10 years, proposed five escalating attack options:
1) Soviet nuclear missile sites, bomber airfields, and submarine tenders.
2) Other military sites away from cities, such as air defenses.
3) Military sites near cities.
4) Command-and-control centers.
5) Full-scale "spasm" attack.
 

NothingNow

Banned
Limited tactical nuclear weapon use in Cuba following an early US invasion perhaps? I don't know if Khrushchev really would have thought Castro was worth WWIII, the whole crisis itself was based on him making a gamble and recognizing he lost.

Considering that they sent nuclear-armed cruise missiles to Cuba to avert a potential american invasion, I'd say Khrushchev did think such, and they'd planned to bleed any invasion force pretty seriously.

There's no way this wouldn't escalate to World War Three.
 
Considering that they sent nuclear-armed cruise missiles to Cuba to avert a potential american invasion, I'd say Khrushchev did think such, and they'd planned to bleed any invasion force pretty seriously.

There's no way this wouldn't escalate to World War Three.

I wasn't aware of that, I thought that the tactical nuclear weapons that were present in Cuba were of a smaller scale. I stand corrected.
 

NothingNow

Banned
I wasn't aware of that, I thought that the tactical nuclear weapons that were present in Cuba were of a smaller scale. I stand corrected.

Most were KS-1s, with a few free-fall devices deliverable by Il-28. Any landing operation would not go well. And that's before they actually hit the beach. Said landing attempt would also get the Soviet commander to (in the best case scenario) request instructions from Moscow regarding the IRBMs and MRBMs. Worst-case scenario, he already has his orders, or can't reach them.
 
Wish granted: the U.S. performed 4 above-ground nuclear weapon tests during the Cuban Missile Crisis:

CHAMA, 18-Oct-62, Johnston Island, airdrop, 1.59 Mt
CHECKMATE, 20-Oct-62, Johnston Island, rocket, <20 kt
BLUEGILL 3 PRIME, 26-Oct-62, Johnston Island, rocket, >200kt but <1 Mt
CALAMITY, 27-Oct-62, Johnston Island, airdrop, 800 kt

And the Soviets performed 8 tests during the crisis:

181, 14-Oct-62, Semipalatinsk, airdrop, <20 kt
182, 20-Oct-62, Semipalatinsk, airdrop, 6.7 kt
183, 22-Oct-62, Novaya Zemlya, airdrop, 8.2 Mt
184, 22-Oct-62, Kapustin Yar, unknown, 300 kt
185, 27-Oct-62, Novaya Zemlya, airdrop, 260 kt
186, 28-Oct-62, Semipalatinsk, airdrop, 7.8 kt
187, 28-Oct-62, Kapustin Yar, unknown, 300 kt
188, 28-Oct-62, Semipalatinsk, airdrop, 7.8 kt
 
Wish granted: the U.S. performed 4 above-ground nuclear weapon tests during the Cuban Missile Crisis:

CHAMA, 18-Oct-62, Johnston Island, airdrop, 1.59 Mt
CHECKMATE, 20-Oct-62, Johnston Island, rocket, <20 kt
BLUEGILL 3 PRIME, 26-Oct-62, Johnston Island, rocket, >200kt but <1 Mt
CALAMITY, 27-Oct-62, Johnston Island, airdrop, 800 kt

And the Soviets performed 8 tests during the crisis:

181, 14-Oct-62, Semipalatinsk, airdrop, <20 kt
182, 20-Oct-62, Semipalatinsk, airdrop, 6.7 kt
183, 22-Oct-62, Novaya Zemlya, airdrop, 8.2 Mt
184, 22-Oct-62, Kapustin Yar, unknown, 300 kt
185, 27-Oct-62, Novaya Zemlya, airdrop, 260 kt
186, 28-Oct-62, Semipalatinsk, airdrop, 7.8 kt
187, 28-Oct-62, Kapustin Yar, unknown, 300 kt
188, 28-Oct-62, Semipalatinsk, airdrop, 7.8 kt

For your cheating, I debt you one internet.
 
That's standard procedure, the Brits detonated something like 8 nukes in the leadup to Suez. Maybe a coincidence, but it'd make me think.

The Genie armed (because of DEFCON2) Delta Daggers that entered Soviet airspace to escort a lost U2 firing Genies at the Migs that were sent after them.
 
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