Military History Online - Failure and Destruction, Clark Field, the Philippines, December 8, 1941

Table 4

Three Hours in the Life and Death of the Far East Air Force,

The Philippines , December 8, 1941 [a]

11:20 A.M.

Unit[b] or Location			Information, Orders, and Actions
Clark Field
	19^th		B-17s on ground for refueling and servicing after flights to avoid expected Japanese attack earlier in morning. Lt. Col. Eubank receives FEAF Field Order 1 to fly a reconnaissance mission (3 B-17s) over Formosa . Eubank orders remaining B-17s to stand by for afternoon bombing mission.
	24^th		Receives information from AWS about Japanese aircraft flying south over South China Sea.
		17^th	17^th P.S., based at Nichols, on ground at Clark after fruitless patrol north of Clark to intercept Japanese bombers that turned east before reaching its patrol line.
		20th	20^th P.S., based at Clark, also on ground after fruitless patrol.
Del Carmen Field
		34th	P-35As on ground after patrol over Clark earlier in morning.
Iba Field
		3rd	P-40s on ground.
Nichols Field
		21^st	P-40s on ground.

11:30 – 11: 45 A.M.

Place or Unit			Information, Orders, and Actions
AWS			Sends warning sent to 24^th P.G. and other FEAF units by radio and teletype: Two groups of Japanese aircraft headed south: one over South China Sea, other over northern Luzon.
	24^th		In response to AWS, Major Grover radios orders to three (or two) of the five pursuit squadrons in the group.
		3^rd	3^rd P.S. ordered to take off and patrol at 15,000 feet over Iba point to block any Japanese aircraft flying south over China Sea.
		17^th	17^th P.S. in process of refueling at Clark; no orders
		20^th	20^th P.S. in process of refueling at Clark; no orders
		21^st	21^st P.S. ordered to take off and cover Clark Field
		34^th	34^th P.S. ordered to take off and patrol over Manila .[c]
19^th			Lt. Col. Eubank received FEAF Field Order 2 to launch attack on Formosa in afternoon. Of 19 B-17s at Clark, 3 are being readied for reconnaissance mission, 2 are on patrol, 1 out of commission; leaving 13 for bombing mission.

11:45 A.M. – 12:10 P.M.

Place or Unit			Information, Orders, and Actions
AWS			Sends another warning about approaching Japanese aircraft to 24^th P.G. and other FEAF units at 11:45.
	24^th		Major Grover changes orders and issues new orders.
		3^rd	3^rd P.S. ordered to change from patrolling over Iba Point and to fly to Manila . 10 of the 3^rd’s P-40s turn toward Manila ;[d] others don’t hear order; continue to patrol Iba Point.
		17^th	At urging of 17^th PS C.O. Lt. Buzz Wagner, Major Grover orders 17^th P.S. to take off from Clark and patrol over Manila Bay area at 18,000 feet.
		20^th	20^th PS held on ground at Clark.
		21^st	21^stPS, headed for Clark, ordered to turn south to cover Manila Bay .[e] 12 P-40s hear orders and turn south toward Manila . 4 P-40s that take off late don’t hear changed order about Manila; head for Clark.
		34^th	No orders for 34^th that remains on ground at Del Carmen.
19^th			19^th Bomb Group does not receive warning about approaching Japanese airplanes.

12:15 – 12:20 P.M.

Unit or place		Information, Orders, and Actions
AWS		Waiting until approaching aircraft about 15 minutes from Clark, Colonel George sends teletype, “Kickapoo,” to 24^th. “Kickapoo” code word for “Go get ‘em!”[f]
	24^th	Order goes out from 24^th: “Tally Ho, Clark Field! Tally Ho, Clark Field!”

12:20 P.M.

Place or Unit		Information, Orders, and Actions
	3^rd	8 of 10 P-40s headed for Manila receive radio message, “Tally Ho, Clark Field.” Turn toward Clark; two that don’t get message, fall behind. Remaining 8 P-40s of squadron over Iba Point.
	17^th	17^th PS continues on way to Manila Bay .
	20^th	20^th PS still held on ground at Clark.
	21^st	4 P-40s that made late takeoff from Nichols, headed for Clark, hear “Tally Ho” from Clark. Remainder of squadron doesn’t hear “Tally Ho,” and continues toward Manila Bay .
19^th		No warning message received from AWS or 24^th.

12:30 PM

Place or Unit		Information, Orders, and Actions
	3^rd	8 P-40s of 3^rd PS arrive and circle over Clark. Seeing no enemy, head for Iba to refuel.
	21^st	4 P-40s of 21^st PS arrive over Clark, see 3^rd P.S. aircraft, and follow them, bound for Iba.

12:35 P.M.

Place or Unit		Information, Orders, and Actions
Clark Field		53 Japanese bombers (Nells and Betties) and 34 Zeros appear over airfield at 20,000 feet or higher. Begin bombing.
24th		Major Grover, when informed about large number of aircraft overhead, questions their identification as Japanese. He’s assured that there are more planes overhead than U.S. could put up. Air raid siren turned on. Bombs fall.
	20th	C.O. Lt. Joe Moore sees aircraft overhead, hoists red flag to signal take off. Moore and two other pilots get airborne. Rest are killed or can’t take off because of bombs.
	3^rd	Five P-40s patrolling over Iba Point hear “All pursuit to Clark Field. Enemy bombers overhead,” and turn toward Clark. Eight P-40s that had been at Clark and are on way to Iba do not hear message and continue toward Iba. Two P-40s that had fallen behind those that went to Clark hear message and head for Clark.
	21st	4 P-40s, following 3^rd pursuits toward Iba, hear radio message from Clark and turn toward Clark. Remainder of squadron, over Manila Bay , hears nothing, continues patrolling.
19^th		Lt. Col. Eubank hears siren. Having had no warning of approaching Japanese aircraft, he steps outside his HQ building to see first bombs explode.

12:38 P.M.

Place or Unit			Information, Orders, and Actions
Clark Field			Japanese bombs hit hangers and other installations, airborne pursuit pilots see massive smoke clouds billow up. Acts of heroism and survival on the ground. Overhead, untouched by U.S. interceptors or antiaircraft fire, Japanese bombers complete bombing and turn back toward Formosa . Zeros descend as bombers begin flights back to Formosa and begin strafing runs.
19th			Lt. Col. Eubank finds “only a few had been badly hit” during bombing.

12:40 P.M.

Place or Unit		Information, Orders, and Actions
	21^st	4 P-40s arrive over Clark and, outnumbered, attack Japanese strafers without seriously disrupting them. P-40s abandon the unequal fight.

12:44 P.M.

Place or Unit		Information, Orders, and Actions
Iba Field		53 bombers and 51 Zeros attack. After unopposed bombing, bombers fly off toward Formosa , Zeros descend to strafe. Bombing destroys Iba radar, the only operational radar in the Philippines .
	3^rd	Some P-40s in process of landing when bombs fall; those and P-40s on ground destroyed. Some P-40s in flight see Japanese aircraft and begin climbing toward them. Outnumbered and outmaneuvered, the P-40s are chased away.

12:48 P.M.

Place or Unit		Information, Orders, and Actions
Clark Field		Largely unopposed, Japanese Zeros strafe and destroy B-17s and P-40s. One squadron of Zeros has orders to fly to Del Carmen and strafe before heading back to Formosa . Remainder will head back to Formosa .
	3^rd	Four 3^rd PS P-40s engage Zeros. Some victories claimed, and all U.S. pilots survive. P-40s have no discernible effect on Japanese strafers. 5 more P-40s arrive, fly above smoke, and don’t see strafers. At radio message, “Many bombers, Iba!” the 3^rd PS pilots head for their home base.

12:50 P.M.

Place or Unit		Information, Orders, and Actions
Manila
	17^th	17 P-40s continue patrol over Manila, receive no messages from 24^th, and don’t see smoke from Clark. The 17 P.S. pilots also do not see 21^st P.S. P-40s that are 12 miles south.
	21^st	12 P-40s patrol over Manila Bay and Cavite Navy Yard. Like the pilots of the 17^th, the 21^st pilots receive no messages from the 24^th, see no smoke, don’t see the pursuits of the 17^th.

1:00 P.M.

Place or Unit			Information, Orders, and Actions