1912.E2.80.931941 Far East Air Force (United States)

o-19 observation aircraft @ nichols field in 1932

the air forces in philippines component of army s philippine department, , army air corps in continental united states, operated under split authority. nominal head air officer, philippine department, staff member did not exercise command of operational units. actual command of operational forces (the 4th composite group) resided group commander, reported through chief of staff commanding general of philippine department, , through air officer chief of air corps. installations , airfields maintained service forces assigned philippine department, on neither officer had authority.

maintenance of defensive status quo of philippine department mandated provisions of 1922 conference on limitation of armament, although air power not mentioned in terms. between 1924 , 1931, when deliveries of new aircraft ceased because of great depression, department received first-line equipment including martin nbs-1 (1924-1930); keystone lb-5 (1929-1931); , keystone b-3a (1931-1937) bombers; , boeing pw-9 (1926-1931) , boeing p-12e (1930-1937) fighters. primary observation aircraft after retirement of dh-4 thomas-morse o-19 (1931-1937). after 1931 4th composite group became dumping ground aircraft had become obsolete or worn out, discarded units in both continental united states , hawaiian department.

by september 1939 aggressive threat of japanese imperial ambitions philippines recognized united states, army , navy @ odds on strategic stance countering it. air board determined in keeping war department policy air defenses of islands not strengthened modernization or expansion, tacitly accepting philippine department sacrifice force. on 31 may 1940, maj. gen. george c. grunert, mustang officer had entered army during spanish–american war, took command of philippine department. first dissatisfied staffing, equipment, , level of training of department, in particular air forces, , intensively lobbied war department modernization , reinforcements. of thirteen fields available use throughout islands, clark field considered first rate facility, , small number of total fields made dispersal during wartime impossible.

grunert s air force in july 1940 consisted of 28 boeing p-26a peashooter fighters (out of 34 shipped philippines in 1937), 17 martin b-10 bombers, 10 douglas o-46 observation planes (the newest planes in department), 5 1920s-vintage zo-19e observation craft (the z modifier indicated unfit front-line duty , used trainers), , 3 fabric-covered biplanes used liaison, transport, , courier duties. group had 26 of 51 pilots authorized table of organization , equipment. in limited response grunert s requests, on 5 august 1940 army chief of staff gen. george c. marshall approved upgrading of grunert s antiaircraft defenses, followed presidential authorization on 18 october personnel transfer of 2 fighter units, 17th , 20th pursuit squadrons, fly 52 seversky p-35s diverted consignment embargoed sale sweden. these measures considered war department one-shot operations , not shift in defense policy philippines.

the senior air corps officer in philippines col. col. harrison h. c. richards, department air officer. col. lawrence s. churchill, commanding 4th composite group, year junior in rank. cooperation , approval richards, west pointer, necessary accomplish support tasks 4th group, many officers felt withheld information churchill , deliberately sabotaged group operations. while both colonels fifty-one years old in 1941, neither had confidence of grunert, possibly because of open animosity each displayed against other. in march 1941, grunert wrote marshall requesting general officer transferred manila command department s air force.

philippine department air force

the philippine department air force formed on 6 may 1941 war department hastily reversed course , attempted upgrade air defenses in philippines. general officer requested grunert arrived on may 4 in person of brig. gen. henry b. clagett, had completed three-week air defense course taught @ mitchel field, new york, familiarize him concepts of integrating signal corps radars, radio communications, , interceptor forces. marshall had given clagett top-secret mission go china in mid-may month of observation , assessment of japanese tactics. pdaf s major unit, 4th composite group, consisted of 5 squadrons based @ 2 grass fields: clark , nichols. third airfield, nielson field, lacked facilities , used administrative strip nearby fort mckinley. isolated sod auxiliary strip @ iba on west coast used gunnery training. pdaf s materiel centrally located in philippine air depot @ nichols field, targeted air , highly inflammable. existing antiaircraft defenses single battery of 4 3-inch gun m1903 guns , searchlight platoon @ fort wint @ entrance subic bay, marginally reinforced in september.

in may 1941 aircraft situation marginally better year before: 22 p-26 fighters, 12 utterly obsolete, ancient, vulnerable pumpkins b-10s, 56 p-35as diverted sale sweden, 18 douglas b-18 bolos still in crates after disassembly , shipment hawaiian department in march, 9 north american a-27s impressed foreign sales consignment, several douglas c-39 transports, , small number of varied observation planes. modern aircraft 31 curtiss p-40b fighters earmarked 20th pursuit squadron. although delivered in mid-may, not operational lack of antifreeze engine coolant. pdaf headquarters located @ fort santiago near manila; majority of planes @ either clark or nichols. except 1 small commercial firm in manila, no oxygen-producing plants existed in philippines, severely limiting service ceiling of aircraft, particularly fighters.

clagett undertook administrative shakeup of existing organization. marginalized richards, relieved churchill of command of 4th composite group (but retained him in position of base commander of nichols field), created new channels of command, , because of lack of qualified staff officers, drew senior (but administratively untrained) officers squadrons fill staff. last move further aggravated problem created when experienced pilots of both 17th , 20th squadrons had been transferred augment understrength 4th group. lack of cohesion , confidence in command resulted continued war. richards , churchill both responded obstructionist tactics exacerbated poor command situation.

ceremony @ camp murphy in rizal marking induction of philippine army air corps u.s. army on 15 august 1941.

in july, p-40s became operational, nichols field closed replace east-west runway 1 made of concrete, , regrade north-south runway, both measures taken correct drainage deficiencies made field virtually inoperable in wet season may through october. on morning of 2 july (ironically, delayed 5 days typhoon), 3 fighter squadrons transferred feaf s 39 p-35s , 20 p-26s clark , iba, 17th pursuit squadron moved gunnery training. construction of 2 new fields intended support heavy bomber operations, @ rosales on lingayen plain , del carmen near clark field, proceeded slowly.

on 26 july 1941, gen. douglas macarthur recalled active duty retirement , united states army forces in far east (usaffe) created war department reorganize defenses of philippines against japanese invasion. pdaf renamed air force, usaffe on 4 august 1941, , incorporated ranks newly inducted philippine army air corps on 15 august 1941. headquarters moved nielson field, , although move had been made increase urgency of expanding air capabilities, precious time had been lost never re-gained.

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