Time Line: Fighters Diary of the Philipines

8-Dec-41

Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. The report is flashed to the Philippines at 0230 hrs Philippine time.

0930 hrs: Each pursuit squadron scrambles 18 fighters. Most land to refuel before noon.

1130 hrs: A Japanese attack from Formosa arrives over Clark: 84 Zeros escorting 54 Betty and 54 Nells. Many aircraft destroyed on the ground, including 12 P-35As, 20 P-40s,

1215 hrs: Clark raided by 25 Bettys and 34 Zeros from Tainan.

Nichols field abandoned as "too exposed."

9-Dec

Minor attacks made against Nichols. Japanese landing reported near Vigan. Fighters sent against it. In exchange for three planes and two pilots, the US shot down two light bombers.

10-Dec

P40Es and 16 P-35As escort 5 B-17s to Vigan to attack enemy shipping to little effect (8 P-35As abort, 1 of which crashes; 1 P3-5A destroyed in combat). The units of the JAAF 5th Hikoshidan begin to use Vigan field. Many attacks by Bettys, Nells, and Zeros (escort and strafing) over Manila, Clark, and Cavite naval base (12 P-35As destroyed, 6 more damaged). Zablan field attacked; PAAC fighters moved to a nearby golf course for until 23-Dec.

11-Dec

No bombing raids due to poor raid on Formosa. Attempts to rig P-40s as fighter-bombers less than successful.

12-Dec

5 P-26s of the PAAC's 6th Pursuit intercept the second half of a major air raid: 27 bombers escorted by 7 Zeros. 2 were shot down; 1 inoperative on landing. Other raids include Clark Field (63 bombers), Maniquis field (15 fighters), Batangas field (27 Bettys), a second choice after Manila hidden by weather.

USAAC aircraft in commission: 22 P-40s (6 more being repaired), 5 P-35As, several P-26s. 17th, 21st, and 34th Pursuit Sqdns consolidated. P-40s used for recon over Luzon until 21-Dec.

13-Dec

AM: JAAF raids on Clark Field, Tarlac, Baguio.

PM: IJN raids on Del Carmen, Clark, Cabanatuan, and Batangas air fields, and Olongapo.

14-Dec

More Japanese air raids at Del Carmen and Clark fields. Japanese establish air fields at Aparri, Legaspi, and Davao.

US aircraft in commission: 6 B-17Ds at Mindanao, 18 P-40s, 6 P-35As, 2 O-52s, 3 O-49s.

15-Dec

US aircraft in commission: 4 B-17Ds at Mindanao, 2 B-17Ds, 16 P-40s, 7 P-35As, 2 O-52s, 3 O-49s.

16-Dec

25 Japanese a/c reported destroyed at Vigan in raid by 3 P-40s (1 destroyed). One P-40 transferred to Mindanao for recon (only recon aircraft flying into Feb 1942).

US aircraft in commission: 7 B-17Ds, 3 B-18s at Mindanao, 21 P-40s, 9 P-35As, 1 O-52, 3 O-49s, 2 A-27s in Luzon.

18-Dec

A number of fighter pilots are evacuated from Nichols in 2 B-18s and a C-39. Lt. Boyd Wagner shoots down his fifth Japanese aircraft and becomes an ace.

US aircraft in commission: 2 B-17Ds, 1 B-18 at Mindanao; 10 B-17Ds, 2 B-18s, 1 C-39 enroute to Australia; 21 P-40s, 9 P-35As, 1 O-52, 3 O-49s, 2 A-27s, 1 B-18 in Luzon.

19-Dec

IJN aircraft from Ryujo attack Del Monte, claiming 6 aircraft shot down and 5 burned. 6 of the 9 P-40s at Clark field sent for maintenance.

US aircraft in commission: 3 B-17Ds at Mindanao; 23 P-40s, 9 P-35A, 1 O-52, 3 O-49s, 2 A-27s in Luzon.

20-Dec

Japanese small bombing raid on Nichols Field.

The first of about 20 evacuation flights between 20-Dec-41 and 15-Apr-42 by B-17 and B-24 bombers taking selected personnel from Del Monte field, Mindanao to Australia.

US aircraft in commission: 2 P-40s at Mindanao; 21 P-40s (one added), 8 P-35A, 3 O-49s, 2 A-27s in Luzon.

23-Dec

24th Pursuit Group sends 12 P-40s and 6 P-35s with fragmentation bombs to attack Japanese landings in San Miguel Bay. Later 2 P-35As crash when returning from a recon mission. Philippine Lt. Jose Karge shoots down an enemy aircraft.

US aircraft in commission: 1 P-40 at Mindanao; 19 P-40s, 5 P-35As, 2 A-27s in Luzon.

24-Dec

All flyable aircraft at Clark field (15 A-27s, P40s, P-35s) dispatched to a secret field near Lubao that was so well camouflaged that they could not find it. They were diverted to Neilson field. 1 P-40 crashed on landing. 2 Catalinas fly out of Manila, stopping to pick up General Brereton and some other ranking officers, going on to Australia. PAAC ordered to destroy its remaining aircraft and join the US forces retreating onto Bataan as a provisional infantry regiment attached to the 71st Division.

26-Dec

2 P-40s on recon shot down a Japanese dive bomber. 9 P-40s left Clark for Neilson, where 2 crashed. The rest flew to Bataan field. Clark and San Marcelino Fields abandoned.

30-Dec

Corregidor and Mariveles bombed. In exchange for a US truck convoy being bombed, 2 P-40s strafed a Japanese truck convoy, claiming to destroy 7 trucks.

31-Dec

7 fighter pilots ordered to Australia, leaving with a civilian pilot in a small twin-engine Beech.

US aircraft in commission: 9 P-40s, 5 P-35As in Luzon (Lubao field); 2 P-40s in Mindanao (Orani Field).

9 fighter pilots evacuated in a small civilian aircraft. 20th Pursuit moved to an "airfield" in Mariveles built by widening a road through some rice paddies. Manila occupied by Japanese troops.

3-Jan

Lubao field abandoned. 18 aircraft of the 21st PS divided between 17th at Pilar field (east of Mindanao) and 34th (Orani Field). 21st PS became Air Force battalion of 71st Infantry Division. (Several weeks later, they would be reconstituted as 21st PS with 5 P-40s).

60 Japanese aircraft bomb Corregidor. 3 claimed shot down.

4-Jan

Two 9-plane flights of P-40s took off from Bataan to intercept Japanese bombers over Corregidor. Only one flight made its interception. One flight flew to Del Monte field; 2 crashed en route. 21 bombers hit Corregidor; 4 were shot down. (Not known if this was the same bombing mission that was intercepted).

5-Jan

52 Japanese planes attacked Corregidor. The Japanese claim there are only 5 US aircraft left in the Philippines. US planes attack Japanese ships off Davao.

6-Jan

2 P-40s on recon patrol from Pilar airfield run into 6 Japanese bombers. 1 P-40 shot down. The other flew to Orani as Pilar airfield had been destroyed.

Remaining P-35As ordered to Bataan. Some shot down by US AAA.

7-Jan

2 P-40s took off at the beginning of an air raid on Bataan field, but were bounced by supporting fighters.

8-Jan

3 P-40s take off from Pilar field to recon the west coast of Luzon. They damaged 3 of a flight of 6 Japanese bombers, then strafed Japanese troops before landing at Bataan.

16-Jan

5 P-40s fly air cover for troops on Bataan.

18-Jan

2 P-40s fly a morning air cover mission over a local convoy. They claim a "zero" and 2 dive bombers.

21-Jan

Late in the day, P-40s bomb Neilson field, which was being used by the Japanese.

23-Jan

9 P40Es, 2 P-40Bs, 2 P-35s in commission.

26-Jan

2 P-40s attack 3 Japanese divebombers, claiming two shot down and the third damaged.

1-Feb

4 P-40s make 3 night raids against landing barges in Agloloma Bay.

6-Feb

Cabanatuan Field completed. Additional auxiliary fields established on Mindanao during February. 2 P-40Es drop medical supplies to troops in northern Luzon. 1 P-40 crashes after a patrol.

9-Feb

6 P-40s escort a PT-13 photo plane from Cabcaben Field to photograph artillery positions near Cavite. They were attacked while returning by 6 Japanese fighters. They claimed to have shot down all six, while losing 1 P-40. [unlikely - Uncle Ted]

13-Feb

Bataan Field has 3 P-40s (plus a few non-combat aircraft) and Cabcaben Field has 2 P-40s. In Mariveles, USAAC personnel raised and repaired a J2F Duck utility aircraft.

2-Mar

4 P-40s go to bomb Japanese shipping near Olongapo, 2 armed with a 500 lb bomb, the others with smaller frags. 1 shot down; 1 500 lb bomb and frags reportedly sank a 100-ton vessel; the other could not get his bombs to release. A follow-up mission supposedly sank a transport, although one of the two aircraft was shot down. 3 others crashed during the day.

5-Mar

One P-40 built from parts at Bataan, making two available. Two P-35s arrived at Bataan from Mindanao. They mostly do not fly from mid-March until 7-April.

27-Mar

Three P-40s in crates delivered to Gingoog, a small port in Western Mindanao by a small steamer. These are only aircraft received in the Philippines after 7-Dec-41. They were assembled within a week.

7-Apr

The airfields of Bataan are shelled by Japanese field artillery, grounding the few aircraft.

8-Apr

One of two P-40s with 6 30 lb. fragmentation bombs attacks the enemy, then flies to Cebu, where it crashes. At night, the other P-40, the two P-35As and the J2F, overloaded with men, fly out of Bataan, which surrenders the next day.

9/13-Apr

The few remaining fighters provided local cover for the bombers that flew into Del Monte, evacuating as many as they could carry. They seem to have flown after that, but the last of the direct sources used by Eugene Souberman left with the last B-24 on 13-Apr-42, ending his chronicle.