Philippines campaign 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.

defense of bataan

aircraft mechanics of 24th pg 1 of last p-40es @ bataan field in january 1942

combat , accidents reduced did not eliminate p-40 complement, , group of pursuit pilots, called bataan field flying detachment, continued fly missions until last day of campaign, employing 30-pound fragmentation bombs , machine gun fire ordnance. 4 of 6 p-40s sent del monte on 8 january recalled bataan 2 weeks later, 3 arrived, leaving detachment still 7 p-40es , 2 p-40bs. small detachment, gradually attrited, had few notable successes:

26 january 1942, morning missions strafed boats attempting reinforce japanese landings behind usaffe lines on west coast of bataan, , shot down 3 mitsubishi ki-30 (army type 97) ann dive bombers trying support landings. night detachment conducted successful attack on japanese aircraft @ nielson field, shot truck convoy on north shore of manila bay.
1–2 february 1942, night attack 4 p-40s flying 2 sorties each bombed , strafed 13-barge convoy attempting delivery 700 reinforcements japanese beachheads, destroying 9 , killing approximately half troops aboard, confirmed later japanese records.
2 march 1942, all-day attack on shipping in subic bay , supply dumps on grande island resulted in 12 sorties. claims included total destruction of ammunition ship, japanese records not located corroborate more subchaser sunk. apparently extensive damage @ least 4 large ships made. 4 of 5 remaining p-40s used in attacks, 1 shot down , pilot killed, , 2 others destroyed in landing accidents @ mariveles.

a single flyable p-40e remained @ bataan field, although 5 march mechanics had repaired damaged p-40b @ cabcaben using p-40e parts, facetiously calling composite p-40 . occasional individual reconnaissance flights made in following month 2 craft. brig. gen. george evacuated pt boat on 11 march, ending effective usefulness of detachment, pilots severely debilitated starvation , disease. churchill succeeded nominal command 12 days before surrender, unable evacuate , became prisoner of war.

accidents put 3 p-40s based on mindanao out of commission 9 february, leaving 2 p-35s had escaped bataan. transfer of propeller put p-40 in commission 2 days later, , shipment cebu submarine of parts taken wrecks on bataan put in operation mid-march, when fire destroyed 1 of them on ground. 3 new p-40es, still in crates, shipped brisbane, australia, blockade runner on 22 february ran aground on 9 march on reef between bohol , leyte. hidden , moved barge @ night, crates reached mindanao on 26 march, makeshift air depot had been established in coconut grove @ buenavista airfield using mechanics of 19th bomb group , 440th ordnance company. 2 april, 3 p-40s assembled , flight-tested, making mindanao p-40 force twice large on bataan.

the 2 p-40s on bataan both flew out on 8 april, p-40e iloilo city on panay, landed wheels up, , p-40b cebu. 2 p-35s on mindanao flew bataan field on 4 april , evacuated 3 pursuit pilots in baggage compartments. navy grumman j2f duck 20th pursuit squadron raised mariveles bay , placed in service again on 24 march evacuated 5 officers. bataan surrendered next morning. p-40b reached mindanao crashed on 14 april trying land @ dalirig in heavy rain.

although feaf no longer existed command, p-40s , service troops on mindanao supported final offensive air operations of campaign. on 11 april ten b-25 mitchell medium bombers of 3rd bomb group , 3 b-17es of 40th reconnaissance squadron took off batchelor field , arrived evening @ del monte. small task force, commanded maj. gen. ralph royce, had planned break japanese blockade of luzon long enough supplies delivered sea bataan. surrender obviated mission , instead aircraft flew 2 days of attacks against landing forces @ cebu city , davao on 12 , 13 april.

the 3 new p-40es , sole remaining p-35 operated out of maramag field until 3 may. p-35 transferred philippine army air corps , 2 surviving p-40es captured intact japanese army on 12 may.

against loss causes of 108 p-40s , 25 p-35s (25 in air-to-air combat), feaf pilots credited usaf historical study no. 85, usaf credits destruction of enemy aircraft, world war ii, 35 aerial victories between 8 december 1941 , 12 april 1942. 33 pursuit pilots killed in campaign , 83 surrendered become prisoners of war, 49 of dying in captivity. 95% of enlisted men became pows, , 61% of died before repatriated.

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