The Philippine Department Air Force was a military formation of the United States Army Air Forces .
61-868: The command was officially established on 6 May 1941 as the Philippine Department Air Force at Nichols Field , Luzon , Philippines. The United States Army Philippine Department was established on 11 January 1911 in the Unincorporated Philippine Territory. Fifth Air Force traces its roots in the Philippines to the activation of the Air Office of the Philippine Department in March 1912. In August 1907, Brigadier General James Allen,
122-644: A PT-17 Stearman biplane from Davao Airfield to Nichols. One of the P-40s was delayed due to bad weather and landed at a small airstrip en route. It was used as a Prisoner of War Camp ("Philippine Military Prison Camp 306") and also used as a combat airfield by the IJNAS 1021st Kōkūtai flying Mitsubishi G4M medium bombers. After their defeat in the Battle of Leyte Gulf , the Japanese Navy reconstituted itself as
183-516: A few of these antique numbers, they found some of the identical aircraft that they had trained in back in the States. The Philippine Department Air Force was formed on 6 May 1941 as the War Department hastily reversed course and attempted to upgrade its air defenses in the Philippines. The general officer requested by Philippine Department head Maj. Gen. George Grunert arrived on 4 May in
244-661: A flimsy two-lane bridge. Except by air, there was no other access and a single bomb, rightly placed, could entirely isolate the airdrome. The PDAF was succeeded by the Far East Air Force in November 1941. Nichols Field Nichols Field was a U.S. military airfield located south of Manila in Pasay and Parañaque , Metro Manila , Luzon , the Philippines . The complex is located at Andrews Avenue by
305-467: A full complement, were continually losing men through transfers to other organizations more seriously understaffed. Pilot reinforcements began to come in February, but not until July were the three pursuit squadrons brought back to strength, when pilots fresh out of training school landed at Manila. As these men all required further training, a unit for that purpose had to be set up at Clark Field. By then
366-662: A land force and positioned their naval guns in Fort Mckinley to halt the Allied advance on Luzon. The Japanese had transformed Fort Mckinley into one of the most heavily armed fortification of the Pacific War. The Japanese deployed their veteran Japanese Imperial Marines, naval troops and some kempeitai to muster some 3,000 troops to defend Fort Mckinley and Nichols Field. Fifth Air Force flew air attacks against Nichols Field in late January and during February 1945. During
427-442: A large formation of Japanese bombers was spotted over Lingayen Gulf reported heading towards Manila. The 20th Pursuit Squadron from Clark Field was immediately dispatched to intercept the formation over Roselas. The 17th Pursuit Squadron was ordered from Nichols Field to cover the airspace over Clark. The interception was not successful, as the bombers turned to the northeast and attacked Baguio and Tagagarau then headed north off
488-484: A reinforcement effort was made to the Air Corps units in the Philippines. On or about 1 November 1940, the 4th Composite was reinforced by the 17th Pursuit Squadron from the 1st Pursuit Group , being transferred from Selfridge Field , Michigan to Nichols Field. Nichols Field was commanded by Col. Lawrence S. Churchill . The 20th Pursuit Squadron , from the 35th Pursuit Group at Hamilton Field , California, also
549-683: The 1st Observation Group was formed. Clark Field became the Army Air Corps headquarters overseas, and was the only American air base west of Hawaii. In 1923 the Air Service withdrew all of the DH-4s, along with Liberty motors and spare parts, previously sent to the Philippines to be stored as a reserve, came back to the United States for conversion to DH-4Bs. When workmen at Rockwell Field outside San Diego, California opened one of
610-547: The Battle of Luzon , Nichols Field was recaptured by elements of the Sixth United States Army when paratroopers of the 11th Airborne Division attacked the base on 4 February. Four days' effort had effected little reduction in the amount of Japanese fire originating from the Nichols Field defenses. Support fires of Mindoro-based A-20s and the division's light artillery (75 mm pack howitzers and
671-510: The 11th Airborne Division and the XIV Corps quickly co-ordinated artillery fire plans and established a limit of fire line to demark their support zones about midway between Nichols Field and the Manila city limits. Under the provisions of this plan XIV Corps Artillery fired sixteen 155 mm and 8-inch howitzer concentrations in support of the airborne division's attack at Nichols Field before
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#1732772590256732-490: The 17th Squadron. However, these two squadrons, and the 20th, which stayed at Clark Field, had now finally reached the fields on which they were still based when the news of the Pearl Harbor Attack came, near dawn of 8 December. With the arrival of the 19th Bombardment Group, the 4th Composite Group would become an unwieldy organization. On 26 September, therefore, the 24th Pursuit Group was created, including
793-604: The 17th and 20th had lost about 75 percent of their original personnel, and ultimately the 17th went into the war with only five of the pilots who had come out with the unit and 35 younger pilots who had received their training in the Philippines for periods varying from one to ten months. Throughout the second half of 1941, additional units were deployed to the Philippines, reinforcing the Philippine Department Air Force . These reinforcements aimed to deter Japanese aggression. They were sent in response to
854-620: The 1920s, with the 4th Composite Group having its headquarters at Nichols until World War II. Over time, various aircraft were sent to the Philippines, the Martin NBS-1 night bomber in 1924 (28th BS); Boeing PW-9 fighters in 1926 (3d PS); Keystone LB-5 bombers in 1929 (28th BS). Beginning in 1930, the 3d Pursuit Squadron received Boeing P-12E fighters; the 28th Bombardment Squadron, receiving Keystone B-3 A bombers in 1931. The 3d Pursuit squadron also received some Douglas O-2 and Thomas-Morse O-19 observation aircraft. These would be
915-666: The 1st Observation Group at Clark was re-designated as the 4th Observation; and later the 4th Composite Group . The 4th Composite would be the mainstay of United States air power in the Philippines until 1941, under the nominal command of the Air Officer of the Philippine Department. In addition to Clark Field, additional airfields at Kindley Field on Corregidor in Manila Bay (Opened September 1922), and one at Camp Nichols ( Nichols Field , 1920) were constructed. The 3d Pursuit and 28th Bombardment moved from field to field during
976-566: The 2d Observation Squadron, which was made inoperable after being mostly destroyed on the ground. Its remaining planes were unarmed and sitting ducks if attacked. On the morning of 23 December the Japanese made a landing in San Miguel Bay along the east coast of Lingayen Gulf. The ground combat situation on Luzon quickly became desperate when a second set of major landings occurred along the shore of Lamon Bay in southern Luzon. With
1037-471: The Air Force a third operational airfield on Luzon. Additional fields were constructed at Iba, Ternate, and Del Monte on Mindanao. Clark Field, 60 miles north of Manila, was the only first-class field—it was, as a matter of fact, the only first-class field in the Philippines, for Del Monte had not yet been developed. Del Monte had no hard runways, but was entirely surfaced with turf. Nielson Field, at which
1098-696: The Air Headquarters was to be located, lay just south of Manila , between the city and Fort McKinley. It was classed as a fighter field, but had few facilities and was little used by combat planes then or later. Iba Field, on the Zambales coast well north of Subic Bay , had been a training camp for the Philippine Constabulary. It was to be used for a few short months by the Air Force as a gunnery training field, but it lacked facilities for extended operations. This left Nichols Field as
1159-632: The Division, opened the Philippine Air School on the polo field of Fort William McKinley , using a single Wright B airplane to train pilots. Ultimately attriting four of the Army's first 18 airplanes, aviation went temporarily out of business when the last plane crashed into Corregidor 's San Jose Bay on 12 January 1915. The First Company, 2d Aero Squadron , was activated at Fort William McKinley , Luzon , on 3 February 1916. This unit
1220-479: The Kanto Plain of Tokyo, so MacArthur moved the landing for the 11th A/B to 28 August; five days later than originally planned. During 1945–1946 the 6th Troop Carrier Squadron (Jan-May 1946); 13th Troop Carrier Squadron (June–October 1946) and 22d Troop Carrier Squadrons (October 1946-April 1947) operated C-47 Skytrains from Nichols Field. Also a NATS detachment of six officers operated DC-3 transports
1281-627: The Philippine AAC. By 1940, the corps had around 40 aircraft and 100 pilots. In 1940 as part of the overall mobilization of the Army Air Forces and in response to the increase of tensions between the United States and the Japanese Empire, two additional pursuit squadrons were transferred from the United States to the 4th Composite Group at Nichols Field: In addition, additional obsolete Boeing P-26 Peashooters were sent from
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#17327725902561342-407: The Philippines. The primary operational mission of Nichols Field was tactical training for coastal defense of Luzon. Due to its proximity to Manila, it also was the primary command and control base for the Philippine Department Air Force. Exercises and maneuvers with Army ground forces and Naval forces were a regular and important part of its mission. Another mission of Nichols Field during the 1920s
1403-465: The States and were attached to the 24th Pursuit Group pending the arrival of the rest of the 35th group, which of course never came. These two squadrons were at only half strength. They also arrived without their planes, for they expected to find new ships ready when they disembarked from San Francisco. The Manila civilian Nielson Airport was taken over in October 1941 and became Nielson Field , giving
1464-550: The United States Army's Chief Signal Officer , established the Aeronautical Division as the nation's air service and oversaw the introduction of powered heavier-than-air flight as a military application. Four years later Allen recommended the establishment of an air station in the Philippines. Military aviation began there on 12 March 1912, when 1st Lt. Frank P. Lahm of the 7th Cavalry , detailed to
1525-525: The United States. In January 1941, however, the three pursuit squadrons began receiving a few Seversky P-35 As. These little Severskys had originally been consigned to Sweden, but on last-minute orders from Washington the shipment was diverted to the Philippines. Because the plane had been designed for the Swedish Air Force they were considerably more powerfully armed than the U.S. model, which carried only two .30-caliber machine guns firing through
1586-486: The crates, they found a motor with a remarkable history. Built in Detroit, it went to France, back to the United States, then to the Philippines, and now to Rockwell-without ever being used. In 1922, a second unit, the 28th Bombardment Squadron , was activated at Clark Field with DH-4s. in 1923, the 3d Aero Squadron was re designated the 3d Pursuit Squadron and received new Boeing Thomas-Morse MB-3 fighters. With that,
1647-517: The division had bypassed on its way north from Nasugbu. Further orders would be forthcoming once XIV Corps itself could learn more about the situation south of Manila. The attack was preceded by artillery and mortar concentrations and by an air strike executed by Marine Corps SBD's from the Lingayen Gulf fields, support that succeeded in knocking out many Japanese artillery positions. The 2d Battalion, 187th Infantry, attacked generally east from
1708-469: The division passed to XIV Corps control about 1300 on 10 February. For the time being, Griswold directed Swing, the 11th Airborne Division would continue to exert pressure against the Japanese at Nichols Field but would mount no general assault. Instead, the division would ascertain the extent and nature of the Japanese defenses at and east of the airfield and prepare to secure the Cavite naval base area, which
1769-408: The expected arrival of the 19th Bombardment Group . The 17th Pursuit Squadron was therefore transferred to its old base at Nichols Field , and shortly afterward, on 26 October, the 3d Pursuit Squadron took its place at the new Iba Airfield and began gunnery training. Work on the landing strips at Nichols Field had not been completed, and their poor condition resulted in a high accident rate for
1830-707: The field was still subjected to intermittent artillery and mortar fire from the Fort McKinley area. At the airfield, many wrecked Japanese Navy and Army aircraft were captured, including several intact examples. Repaired, Nichols was used by the Air Transport Command (ATC) and Naval Air Transport Service (NATS). On 19 August 1945, a sixteen-man Japanese delegation led by Japanese Lt. General Kanabe secretly left Kazarazu air base, Japan, in two Mitsubishi G4M "Betty" bombers, painted white with green crosses, as ordered by General MacArthur, to comply with
1891-430: The flight line would be placed on alert 24 hours each day, be armed, fully fueled with pilots available on 30 minutes' notice. From 30 November to 6 December all squadrons underwent intensive training in day and night enemy interception and air-to-air gunnery. On 8 December at about 03:30 the commercial radio station at Clark Field intercepted a message from Pearl Harbor , Hawaii about the Japanese attack there. However,
Philippine Department Air Force (United States) - Misplaced Pages Continue
1952-466: The group in 1922. The 3d Pursuit Squadron was moved to Clark Field upon its arrival in 1920 and Nichols became home of Air Park No, 11 (later 66th Service Squadron, which supported the group logistically with equipment, supplies and vehicles both at Nichols and Clark Fields). It also became the home of the Manila Air Depot, which provided maintenance support for all Army and Navy aircraft in
2013-535: The group was unable to verify this interception through official channels; no other action was taken other than notifying the Base Commander. However, all squadrons were put on alert. At about 04:00 the radar at Iba Airfield on the north coast of Luzon reported a formation of unidentified aircraft approximately 75 miles off the West Coast of Luzon heading towards Corregidor . The 3d Pursuit Squadron
2074-541: The landings, the units at Nichols and Clark field withdrew to dispersed bases on Luzon, and with General Douglas MacArthur 's proclamation of Manila as an open city on 26 December, all FEAF personnel withdrew from Nichols Field. On the 28th Japanese forces occupied the airfield. After its occupation, Nichols Field became a fighter base for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service . It was attacked on several occasions by FEAF fighters. On
2135-776: The last new aircraft received in the Philippines until 1937 due to funding shortages caused by the Great Depression. In 1935, the Philippine Army Air Corps was established as part of the gradual decision by the United States to establish the Philippines as an independent nation. Its Army counterpart, the Philippine Scouts , had been established in 1901. In 1937, the 4th Composite Group began receiving Boeing P-26 Peashooter fighters and Martin B-10 bombers, its older aircraft being transferred to
2196-460: The local army units into the air age. Construction was completed in 1919. A permanent Army Air Service presence in the Philippines began in December 1919 with the activation of the 3d Aero Squadron at the facility. The unit was initially equipped with de Havilland DH-4 medium bombers. The next year it moved to the new Clark Field on 15 October 1920 where, combined with some support units,
2257-468: The night of 26/27 January 1942 Fighters from Bataan Airfield , bombed and strafed Nichols during the night inflicting considerable damage on Japanese aircraft and fuel storage. It was also attacked by B-17 Flying Fortresses from Australia, on 12 April 1942 staging though Del Monte Field on Mindanao. After the capitulation of American forces in the Philippines, on 19 May 1942 the Japanese had American prisoner of war (POW) pilots fly two P-40 Warhawks and
2318-542: The north, Domestic Road by the west, NAIA Road and Ninoy Aquino Avenue by the southwest, Multinational Avenue by the south (the future C-5 Extension), South Luzon Expressway and the Metro Manila Skyway by the east, and Sales Street by the northeast. Camp Nichols was established by the Air Service, United States Army in 1919. Located near Fort William McKinley , south of Manila, it initially
2379-405: The north. A flight of six P-40s from the 17th Pursuit Squadron was dispatched from Del Carmen Field to intercept. However, two of the aircraft were demolished on takeoff due to an accident. The remaining planes proceeded to Nichols Field but were unable to accomplish any interception of enemy aircraft in the dark and the night bombing of Nichols Field began at 03:15. In order to try to bring some of
2440-414: The northwest corner of the field; the 188th Infantry and the 1st Battalion, 187th Infantry, drove in from the south and southeast. By dusk the two regiments had cleared most of the field and finished mopping up the next day. Nichols Field was, however, by no means ready to receive Allied Air Force planes. Runways and taxiways were heavily mined, the runways were pitted by air and artillery bombardments, and
2501-524: The person of Brig. Gen. Henry B. Clagett [1] , who had just completed a three-week air defense course taught at Mitchel Field , New York, to familiarize him with the concepts of integrating Signal Corps radars , radio communications, and interceptor forces. Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall had also given Clagett a top-secret mission to go to China in mid-May for a month of observation and assessment of Japanese tactics. On 27 July 1941, General Douglas MacArthur , who had been recalled to active duty,
Philippine Department Air Force (United States) - Misplaced Pages Continue
2562-533: The principal fighter field. It was about six miles south of the heart of Manila and near the shore of Manila Bay , from which it was divided by the constricted, ramshackle barrio of Baclaran and a curve of the Parañaque River . The only approach to the field was down the main road that doubled as Baclaran's village street and then sharp left along a narrow lane that crossed the Parañaque River on
2623-400: The propeller. Before this, their standard equipment had been obsolete Boeing P-26 Peashooters. The pilots of the 17th and 20th Squadrons, arriving from the States in November 1940, had been surprised, to put it mildly, when they found themselves back in the obsolete type of plane from which they had graduated a year before at Selfridge Field , Michigan. In fact, when they scratched the paint off
2684-529: The proposal by Chief of the Army Air Forces , Major General Henry H. Arnold , who in July 1941 proposed sending four heavy bombardment groups (340 aircraft) and two pursuit squadrons (260 aircraft) to the Philippines. An increasing stream of reinforcements now began to arrive from the United States. By October, it had become necessary to move one of the fighter squadrons out of Clark Field to make room for
2745-678: The radar. Both squadrons returned to their stations and were refueled and put back on alert. Again at approximately 11:30 a large formation of bombers was reported over the China Sea heading towards Manila. P-40 Warhawks took off from Nichols Field to intercept enemy aircraft spotted on radar, but failed to make contact. In the afternoon, P-40s again took off from Nichols Field to patrol over Bataan and Manila. On 9 December shortly after midnight, telephonic communications were re-established with Headquarters, FEAF. Intelligence reported that an unidentified number of enemy aircraft were approaching from
2806-456: The short 105 mm howitzers) had not destroyed enough Japanese weapons to permit the infantry to advance without taking unduly heavy casualties. In fact, the volume of fire from Japanese naval guns of various types was still so great that one infantry company commander requested: "Tell Halsey to stop looking for the Jap Fleet. It's dug in on Nichols Field". When direct communication began,
2867-473: The summer and fall of 1941, the 3rd, 17th and 20th Squadrons were reassigned to the new 24th Pursuit Group , which was activated at Clark Field. The 2d Observation Squadron was assigned directly to Far East Air Force Headquarters. Notice was received by the group on 15 November that due to the tense international situation between the United States and the Japanese Empire , all pursuit aircraft on
2928-513: The surrender of the Philippines at Manila. After landing at Nichols Field and met by General Sutherland, they surrendered their swords. During the initial meeting, the Japanese were instructed to have 400 trucks and 100 sedans at Atsugi Airfield , Japan, in readiness to receive the 11th Airborne as occupation forces. This caused much concern with the dignitaries. Atsugi had been a training base for kamikaze pilots and many of them were refusing to surrender. There were also 300,000 well-trained troops on
2989-425: The three squadrons, now at the three separate fields, as well as Headquarters and a Headquarters Squadron, which were based at Clark Field. On 16 November 1941, the 19th Bombardment Group arrived from the United States at Clark Field and the 4th Composite group was disbanded. On 20 November, two more squadrons, the 21st Pursuit Squadron and the 34th Pursuit Squadron , both from the 35th Pursuit Group , arrived from
3050-554: The undelivered P-35s sold to Sweden and impressing them into the USAAC. Forty of the planes arrived at the Manila Air Depot in Swedish markings, with Swedish language technical orders and Swedish-marked instrumentation. These planes all required modification at the depot before being turned over to the squadrons for operational use. The 28th Bombardment Squadron also received some Douglas B-18 Bolos . During summer 1941, Nichols Field
3111-543: The units up to strength, FEAF ordered the remainder of the 3d sent to Nichols Field to bring the 34th with its P-35s up to strength. At the end of the 10th, Group fighter strength had been reduced to about 30 aircraft, with 8 being P-35s. Due to the depleted strength of the Group, orders were received from FEAF Headquarters that pursuit planes were not to be dispatched other than upon orders from Headquarters. The planes would be employed mainly as reconnaissance aircraft to replace
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#17327725902563172-496: Was a training school, operating Martin S Hydro seaplanes, first produced in the United States in 1915. The unit operated under the Air Office until 15 October 1917, when it was inactivated when the early aviators returned to the United States as a result of the American entry into World War I . In 1917 outside Fort Stotsenburg , Luzon, construction began on a half-mile long dirt runway, hangars and other support facilities to bring
3233-426: Was aerial mapping of the Philippines; the topography of many of the islands were largely unknown. The aerial mapping mission was the primary mission of the 2d Observation Squadron, which moved between Clark and Nichols during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1940, political relations between the United States and the Japanese Empire reached a crisis with the Japanese occupation of French Indochina . With war clouds forming,
3294-713: Was based at Nichols. After Philippine independence, on 4 July 1946, the US surrendered to the Republic of the Philippines all rights of possession, jurisdiction, supervision and control over the Philippine territory except the use of their military bases. Nichols Field later became the headquarters of the Philippine Air Force . First named Nichols Air Base, it is now named Villamor Air Base . The base shares its site with Ninoy Aquino International Airport . As of
3355-500: Was dispatched to intercept the formation, but no planes were sighted and the squadron returned to Iba. However, the radar tracks showed the interception was successful and the unidentified aircraft swung off to the west out of the range of the Radar. It was believed that the 3d went underneath the formation. At 04:45 notification was received of a state of war between the United States and the Japanese Empire . At approximately 09:30,
3416-616: Was placed in command of the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE). For the Air Forces the new command involved further shifts in organization, and on 5 August the Philippine Department which had controlled air units since March 1912 was redesignated Air Forces, USAFFE. In the meantime, though, the squadrons suffered from a shortage of pilots. The 17th and 20th Pursuit Squadrons, which had arrived with
3477-400: Was received that space at Clark was needed for B-17 Flying Fortresses of the incoming 19th Bombardment Group . The 3d Squadron was sent up to Iba for gunnery training to free up the space. However the 17th suffered from the ongoing construction at Nichols, which caused several ground accidents. With the large number of units being deployed to the Philippines during the buildup of forces in
3538-485: Was the home of the 1st Group (Observation) , being activated on 14 August 1919, Nichols Field became the headquarters of the Philippine Department Air Force , under the Army Philippine Department. The 1st Group (later 4th Composite Group) consisted of the 2d, 3d and 28th Aero Squadrons in 1919. The 2d Aero Squadron (2d Observation Squadron), having served in the Philippines beginning in 1915,
3599-474: Was transferred back from Rockwell Field , California in 1920 after training duties in the United States during the war. The 3d Aero Squadron (3d Pursuit Squadron), also a stateside training unit during the war, was transferred from Mitchel Field , New York in 1920. The 28th Aero Squadron (28th Bombardment Squadron), which had served in combat on the Western Front during the war, was transferred to
3660-465: Was transferred to Nichols. Both of these squadrons, however, had only sent their personnel and both were equipped in the Philippines with the obsolete Boeing P-26 Peashooter . In May 1941, the 17th and 20th squadrons were re-equipped with Seversky P-35 As that were manufactured for the Swedish Air Force . On 24 October 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt signed an executive order requisitioning all
3721-417: Was undergoing construction of an east–west runway, making the north–south runway unusable due to a lack of drainage. All of the flying units at Nichols were moved to Clark Field with the exception of the 17th Pursuit Squadron. The 17th was sent to Iba Airfield on the north coast of Luzon where it was undergoing gunnery training. In September, the 17th was moved to the still uncompleted Nichols Field when word
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