The Army Air Forces in World War II, Vol. 1 (archived PDF)

T H E A R M Y A I R F O R C E S I N W O R L D W A R I 1
P-~o’s,which numbered perhaps twelve, reached their base a t Iba just
ahead of a heavy enemy attack. The American planes, in fact, were
slowly circling the field preparatory to landing when a number of
Japanese bombers estimated a t from twenty-seven to thirty-four and
their fighter escort attacked. The American planes tried to ward off
the Japanese attack and succeeded in preventing the low-level strafing
which proved so destructive at Clark Field. Lt. Jack Donalson prob-
ably destroyed two of the enemy planes, but five P-40’S were shot
down and three others crash-landed on near-by beaches when their
fuel gave
On the ground, personnel of the Far East Air Force fought back as
best they could in a hopelessly unequal struggle. Though some units
almost completely disintegrated during nearly two hours of attack,
there were countless examples of outstanding leadership and heroism.
With few exceptions, antiaircraft gunners stood by their guns in the
face of effective enemy strafing. Ground and combat crews turned the
machine guns of grounded planes on low-flying Japanese aircraft, or
undertook to rescue from flaming buildings such valuable equipment
as they could. Among the many officers and men subsequently cited
for their efforts were Lt. Fred Crimmins, who received severe wounds
in a vain attempt to save a B-17; Chaplain Joseph F. LaFleur, who
repeatedly ignored low-flying strafers to minister to the wounded and
dying; Pvt. Robert Andres, who on his own initiative appropriated an
abandoned truck to make seven trips with wounded men to the station
hospital; and Pfc Greeley B. Williams, who from a gunner’s post in
one of the B- I 7’s kept up a steady fire on Japanese planes until he was
killed. Medical personnel of the four emergency first-aid dressing
stations at Clark Field maintained their greatly needed services
throughout the time.50
As the enemy planes returned to their Formosan bases, it was clear
that they had won a tremendous victory. At Clark Field, high-level
bombing had destroyed hangars, shops, mess halls, barracks, and
supply buildings. The communications center had received a direct
hit which cut off the field from other points and prevented any
attempt to control pursuit operations. As a result, planes of the 17th
and 2 1st Squadrons continued their assigned patrols of the Bataan and
Manila Bay areas, unaware of the Japanese attack being carried out
no more than sixty miles away.51The B-I~’s,in spite of being incom-
pletely dispersed, suffered relatively little damage from bombs, but
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