PAMPANGA PASUDECO SUGAR CENTRAL, UNDER ATTACK FROM VF-7 FIGHTER SQUADRON, U.S.S. HANCOCK CV-19; 15-DECEMBER-1944

Investigating History
PAMPANGA PASUDECO SUGAR CENTRAL, UNDER ATTACK FROM VF-7 FIGHTER SQUADRON, U.S.S. HANCOCK CV-19; 15-DECEMBER-1944

An iconic man-made landmark in the capital city of Pampanga in San Fernando, the Sugar Central of Pampanga Sugar Development Company PASUDECO was an economic achievement of Filipino businessmen and investors. It was constructed in 1921 by the Honolulu Iron Works and had been a primary sugar production facility in the province, being the oldest and a catalyst in sugar production in the region. Originally, the sugar central had 2 chimneys standing at almost 50 meters in height.

During WWII, the PASUDECO Sugar Central became an important production facility for alcohol and alcohol-based aircraft fuels used by the Japanese military who had established airfields in barrio Lara and Telabastagan, also located west of the capital town.

With the start of the air campaign by the American forces on September 21, 1944, all Japanese military facilities like airfields, depots, train depot and camps in Luzon were targeted by the American carrier-borne aircraft (fighters, torpedo bombers and navy bombers).

PASUDECO Sugar Central did not escape the aerial bombardments from the U.S. Navy 3rd Fleet aircraft conducting massive sweeps in Luzon on the last quarter of 1944.

In one of these air operations against Japanese targets in San Fernando, Pampanga, aircraft from the Grumman F6F fighters from VF-7 Fighter Squadron and probably joined by the SB2C Helldivers from VB-7 Bomber Squadron, U.S.S. Hancock CV-19 conducted aerial bombardments of the PASUDECO Sugar Central on December 15, 1944, aside from nearby train depot at the railroad station located 680 meters to the north. The Essex-class carrier Hancock was part of the Task Group Two (TG 38.2), operating in the Philippines in the last quarter of 1944 under the U.S. Navy Third Fleet.

An aerial photograph was taken by one of the aircraft of Air Group 7, showing the detailed location of the facilities of the PASUDECO Sugar Central, including the main production buildings, office buildings, railway network, the two chimneys covered with the smoke brought by the air bombardments.

Critical analysis of the photograph shows there are 3 bomb strikes visible by the smoke billows: one in front of the sugar central, one behind the left chimney facing the road and the other one on the right of the parallel building. Other buildings in the vicinity of the PASUDECO Sugar Central like the Pampanga National High School located on the lower left of the image were untouched by the bombings.

I also included 2 images of the PASUDECO Sugar Central, both aerial photographs taken in 1945. On the 4th photograph, I indicated the location of the aerial bombings from number 1 to 3. The Bombing on Site No. 2, there were already repairs done on the roof of the building as visible in the image. The Bombing Site No. 3, there was a possibility that the large housing facility was completely destroyed on the ground, levelling it and cleared by 1945 when the photo was taken.

Today, the former PASUDECO Sugar Central is now part of the highly urbanized and developed Capital Town.

PHOTOS:
Aerial photograph of the PASUDECO taken during the conduct of air operation by the Air Group 7, U.S.S. Hancock CV-19.
U.S. NARA photo.

Aerial photograph taken from the vantage view southeast of the PASUDECO, circa 1945.
Image No. MIWPA – 4.6 -18.32
US NARA photo.

Another aerial photograph taken from the vantage view south of the PASUDECO, circa 1945.
Image No. MIWPA – 4.6 -1832
US NARA photo.

Photograph showing the approximate location of the bombs dropped at the PASUDECO Sugar Central.