Investigating History
SEPTEMBER 21, 1944: THE STRIKE OF THE AMERICAN NAVAL AIR POWER ON JAPANESE BASES IN LUZON – 1944年9月21: アメリカ海軍航空隊による日本空軍基地への攻撃
Today is an historic day as Filipino, for we as people are voicing our sentiments and desire for a better Philippines and eradicate corruptions that plaque our Nation with the recent developments. Groups and individuals are carrying out rallies on a massive scale in some parts of our country to voice opposition to the evils of corruption. We only wish for the betterment of our Country.
LATE 1944: JAPANESE AIR FORCES IN THE PHILIPPINES – 1944年：フィリピンにおける日本空軍
On the other spectrum of history, the date September 21, 1944 is an important date in the history of WWII in the Philippines. In early September 1944, the American carrier task forces of the Pacific Fleet were on full swing demonstrating offensive power by conducting strikes on Japanese airfields and targets in Visayas and Mindanao. At the time, the Japanese air forces in the Philippines constituted the Imperial Japanese Navy’s 5th Base Air Force (1st Air Fleet), under Vice-Admiral Kimpei Teraoka, with its 761st, 201st and 153rd Air Group and the Army’s 4th Air Army (2nd and 4th Air Division) under Lt. Gen. Kyoji Tominaga. With the bombing of the Japanese airfields in Davao area, some of the air units moved further north to Luzon to avoid repeated air attacks. The headquarters of the Japanese 4th Air Army and the 1st Air Fleet and 5th Base Air Force were established in Manila.
the bombing sweeps. Source: Terrain Study No. 94 Central Luzon
Volume 2 Photographs – Allied Geographical Section.
THE LUZON TARGET – ルソン島ターゲット
Manila harbor area was a busy port of Japanese naval ships, with its numerous airfields in the vicinity chiefly Nichols airfield. Subic and Cavite naval bases were also important Japanese naval assets in Luzon. Clark Air Center, located north of the Manila, was an important army air base with its satellite air strips in Bamban, Tarlac, Mabalacat, Angeles, Porac and Del Carmen. Clark Field was the biggest airfield concentration in the Philippines that was used by the Japanese army and navy air units.
US Navy bombers, Curtiss SB2C conducting bombing sweeps over the Bamban.
Source: Combat Report – USS Wasp
1944, National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
AIR RAID AND FIGHTER SWEEPS – 空襲と攻撃
At 0930 hours, the first wave of American carrier-borne fighters and bombers from carriers Princeton, Intrepid, and Cabot and other units from Task Force 38 conducted the first air sweep over the Japanese defense installations in Manila, as well as the other naval bases in Cavite and Subic, as well as installations at Clark Air Center with the satellite air strips mentioned. More than 400 American carrier fighter and bombers conducted the air strikes over Luzon in four waves that lasted until 4 p.m. in the afternoon, bombing and strafing harbor areas and airfields around Manila and Clark Air Center.
AIR INTERCEPT BATTLES – 空中迎撃戦
The date was also recorded in the Japanese naval accounts as one of the air intercept battles fought in the Philippines during WWII. Japanese record cited 42 A6M Zero fighters took-off for air interception on American naval raiders and 20 of them failed to return and loss in the dogfights. American records stated that 110 were shot down in the air and 95 shot down during fighter sweeps over the airfields. In the ensuing fighter and bombing sweeps conducted by the US carrier-borne fighters (Grumman F6F Hellcats) and bombers (Curtiss SB2C Helldiver and Grumman TBM/TBF Avengers), 15 aircraft were lost in the first successful air operations against Japanese in Luzon.
Source: Terrain Study No. 94 Central Luzon Volume 2 Photographs – Allied Geographical Section.
AMERICAN AIR STRIKES AT CLARK AIR CENTER – クラーク航空センターへのアメリカ軍の空爆
USAFFE guerrilla units operating around Clark Field, with Captain Alfred Bruce of the South Tarlac Military District holed on the mountains of Bamban (Malasa) and Captain Henry Clay Conner of the Squadron 155, both under the command of Colonel Gyles Merrill of the Luzon Guerrilla Force (LGF) witnessed the successful fighter sweeps over Clark Air Center and the downing of Japanese interceptors on that fateful day. Clark Field and its satellite air strips in the vicinity towns were engulfed with black smoke arising from the result of the air strikes on the Japanese targets at the airfields, including parked aircraft, anti-aircraft gun emplacements and troop barracks. The fighter and bomber carrier units operating on the strikes over Luzon carried on photographic reconnaissance photos including aerial shots of the various air strips on the Japanese defense facilities including at the Bamban, Clark proper, Mabalacat, Angeles and Porac that became important intelligence references on future air operations by the US Navy.
and bomber sweeps. The airfield was bombed in September
21, 1944, along with other Japanese airfields.
Source: Combat Report – USS Wasp 1944, National Archives,
College Park, Maryland.
IMPACT ON GUERRILLA OPERATIONS – フィリピンのゲリラ
The successful September 21. 1944 strikes over Luzon marked the beginning of the active guerrilla operations as ordered by the USAFFE guerrilla commanders in their respective areas especially that command where in proximity at the Japanese air facilities such as Clark and Bamban. Many of these guerrilla units were activated for a mission to rescue any downed American pilots that would land in their respective sector.
September 21, 1944 was the first major air strikes conducted by the US against Japanese defenses and facilities in Luzon since the fall of Corregidor. The event also gave intimation at the Japanese Imperial General Headquarters in Tokyo of the coming American invasion of the Philippines with the planning of the execution of Sho-Go Operation in the Philippines in October 1944. For the Filipinos, the strikes over Luzon gave them hope, of the beginning of the war of Liberation.
US NARA Photo.
Rhonie Dela Cruz
© Rhonie Dela Cruz 2025
2025 Bamban Historical Society
Bamban WWII Museum
Center for Pacific War Studies
Provincial Government of Tarlac –
Tarlac Provincial Tourism Office
SOURCES
(1) Reports of General MacArthur – Japanese Operation in the Southwest Pacific Area, Volume II Part I. Compiled from Japanese Demobilization Bureaux. Washington D.C. 1994.
(2) Hata, Ikuhiko and Yasuho Izawa. Japanese Naval Aces and Fighter Units in WWII. translated by Don Cyril Gorham. Maryland: United States Naval Institute, 1989.
(3) Tillman, Barret. Hellcat Aces of WWII. New York: Osprey Publishing, 1996.
(4) Morison, Samuel Eliot. History of the US Naval Operations in WWII, Volume XII “Leyte June 1944-January 1945”. 2001 ed. New Jersey: Castle Books, 2001.
(5) Navy Department Communiques 301 to 600 and Pacific Fleet Communiques March 6, 1943 to May 24, 1945. Washington D.C.: Office of Public Information US Navy, 1945.
(6) Terrain Study No. 94 Central Luzon Volume 2 Photographs – Allied Geographical Section. File 3607, Box 1472, Entry 1111. Philippine Archives Collection, Record Group 407, National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
PHOTOS
(a) Aerial view of the Bamban and the airfield to the east, taken on September 21, 1944 prior to the bombing sweeps. Source: Terrain Study No. 94 Central Luzon Volume 2 Photographs – Allied Geographical Section.
(b) Aerial view of the air strip of Bamban, taken on September 21, 1944 after the bombing sweeps. Source: Terrain Study No. 94 Central Luzon Volume 2 Photographs – Allied Geographical Section.
(c) US Navy bombers conducting bombing sweeps over the Bamban.
Source: Combat Report – USS Wasp 1944, National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
(d) Aerial photo of the Clark Air Center with Clark proper and satellite airfields at Mabalacat and Angeles taken on September 21, 1944.
Source: Terrain Study No. 94 Central Luzon Volume 2 Photographs – Allied Geographical Section.
(e) Mabalacat East Airfield, burning after US Navy fighter and bomber sweeps.
Source: Combat Report – USS Wasp 1944, National Archives, College Park, Maryland.
(f) Aerial view of the Tarlac Airfield (San Manuel), also bombed starting September 21, 1944.
US NARA Photo.
