A Tribute to Che Guevara
The Battle of Santa Clara
How Che Guevara derailed a Troop Train
By
Gyan
C. A. Fernando
(In memory of "Che" and published on the 14th of June, his birthday)
Some
270km east of Havana, Cuba, in the centre of the island, the university town of
Santa Clara is most famous as the site of an historic battle.
This is where, between the 28th and 31st of December, 1958, Ernesto “Che” Guevara took on Government troops, derailed a troop train and brought the Cuban Revolution to a decisive victory.
This is where, between the 28th and 31st of December, 1958, Ernesto “Che” Guevara took on Government troops, derailed a troop train and brought the Cuban Revolution to a decisive victory.
 |
| Che's Mausoleum at Santa Clara |
The train was derailed on the 29th
of December.
Che,
whose men numbered only 300, entered the town to take on a far more formidable
but demoralised force of Government troops.
The
main threat to Che and his men were a troop train dispatched from Havana with
reinforcements.
 |
| Old box cars now a museum |
Apparently,
Che had inside information that the train was heavily armoured. The metal box
cars had double metal skins with the space in between filled with sand to stop
bullets from piercing.
It is said that Che had the information that, although thus armoured, the vulnerable part of the train were the wooden floors of the cars.
It is said that Che had the information that, although thus armoured, the vulnerable part of the train were the wooden floors of the cars.
After
several skirmishes, Che’s men derailed the train by the simple expedient of
using a Caterpillar bulldozer to rip up the tracks. The derailed train lay in
the hot sun and the revolutionaries threw Molotov cocktails at the vulnerable
underside of the cars. Within minutes a senior officer carrying a white flag
appeared and the troops surrendered without anybody being killed.
 |
| The Bulldozer |
 |
| Old box cars now a museum |
The
next day, the dictator Batista fled the country and Fidel Castro came into
power.
The
author visited Santa Clara on the 8th of March 2006.
The
original carriages are still there and have been converted into a museum at the
site of the derailment.
The present day railway tracks are close by.
The
original bulldozer used to rip up the tracks is still there as well, now
mounted on a concrete plinth.
The irony is that the bulldozer, a Caterpillar, is of American origin!
The irony is that the bulldozer, a Caterpillar, is of American origin!
Photos: All belong to the author and are copyright
References and further material:
- The Battle of Santa Clara: http://latinamericanhistory.about.com/od/historyofthecaribbean/a/08battlestaclar.htm
- Pictures of the wrecked train: http://www.latinamericanstudies.org/armored-train.htm
- The armoured train: http://trenblindado.com/Story.html
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