Surprise attack Far East Air Force (United States)

curtiss p-40es

japanese air operations against feaf airfields on luzon scheduled take off formosan bases beginning @ 1:30 am on 8 december, attacks commence 21 minutes after dawn (and approximately 4 hours after offensive operations began in hawaii), @ 6:30 am. however, reconnaissance flights dispatched check weather conditions between formosa , luzon neither returned nor reported launch time approached, , thick fog on southern formosa set timetable 90 minutes. commanders of japanese units disturbed when monitoring of american radio traffic indicated weather flights had been detected despite darkness , attempts made iba-based p-40s intercept. although interceptions failed, iba field substituted target in place of nichols (where assumed 2 squadrons of b-17s had dispersed) deal new interceptor threat. further radio monitoring revealed japanese u.s. asiatic fleet had been alerted @ 4:00 am of attack on pearl harbor, , expected attacks on own bases b-17s (bombing through fog undercast) @ time after 7:00 am. air defense weaknesses of feaf mirrored of japanese, had prepared offensive operations, no attack came before final revised plan issued @ 7:50 am, ordering main attack force of japanese land-based aircraft launch @ 9:15 am , attack @ 12:30 pm

brereton attempted in person obtain authorization attacks on formosa after word of events in hawaii reached manila, twice prevented speaking macarthur sutherland. authorization refused, apparently misinterpretation of standing orders not make first overt act. p-40 squadrons @ clark, iba, , nichols moved alert takeoff positions @ 6:00 am news of war spread among units. large force of aircraft detected flying south towards luzon, prompting takeoff @ 8:30 am of 15 of 19 b-17s @ clark orders patrol within communications range of control tower, while 24th pursuit group launched 3 p-40 squadrons , p-35 squadron @ del carmen patrol central luzon intruders. @ 8:50 am , 10:00 am, telephone attempts obtain authorization usaffe headquarters b-17 attack rebuffed sutherland. macarthur himself called brereton @ 10:15 am , released bomber force employ @ discretion. brereton ordered 2 bombers conduct reconnaissance flights , recalled rest prepare late afternoon bombing mission. b-17s , fighters, low on fuel, landed 11:00 am refuel , prepare afternoon operations.

japanese naval bombers , fighters took off according revised schedule , approached luzon in 2 well-separated forces, both of detected iba radar detachment before 11:30 am. despite hour s warning, p-40 squadron @ iba took off, , ran low on fuel in futile response confusing instructions 24th pg resulted changing analyses of japanese intents. iba p-40s in landing pattern when japanese struck. aircraft @ clark , iba caught on ground when attack began @ 12:35 pm. 1 hundred , 7 two-engined bombers divided 2 equal forces bombed airfields first, after 90 0 fighters conducted strafing attacks until 1:25 pm (the fighters strafing iba concluded @ 1:05 pm, after flew clark , resumed attacks). entire b-17 force @ clark, one-third of u.s. fighters , operational radar unit destroyed. japanese lost 7 fighters , single bomber combat.

follow-up attacks on nichols , del carmen fields, not targeted on 8 december, followed 2 days later, completing destruction of aaf offensive , defensive opposition japanese in pacific. decision made late day save surviving fighters reconnaissance use avoiding direct combat. fourteen surviving b-17s, after 2 days of small , unsuccessful attacks on japanese amphibious forces, transferred batchelor field, australia, maintenance between 17 , 20 december, bringing clagett them. resumed bombing missions australia against japanese shipping in philippines, landing @ del monte, beginning december 22 , continuing through 25 december. on january 1, 1942, remaining ten operational bombers forward located java.

brereton evacuated feaf headquarters on 24 december darwin, northern territory way of netherlands east indies, leaving new head of 5th interceptor command, col. harold h. george (promoted brigadier general 25 january 1942) in command of units in philippines. reduced single squadron-sized composite force, pursuit fighters husbanded reconnaissance duties , forbidden engage in combat until forced evacuate fields hurriedly built on bataan peninsula, usaffe , feaf ordered withdraw on 24 december, last aircraft arriving on 2 january 1942.

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