Aircraft in the Philippines 1 December 1941

[darthdract]

What about Captain Basa

[batteryboy]

Lt. Cesar Basa (not Captain), was killed over a dog fight with Japanese Zeroes over Batangas in December 1941.

[Deleted]

In Sabaro Sakai's well known book "Samuraii", he describes the Dec 8 attack on Clark Field from the Japanese Viewpoint. In this he claims that the fighter escort (of which he was part) arrived over Clark before the bombers and so his squadron had to orbit Clark field for several minutes before the attack even started, unknown or without response by the American forces. Has this ever been corroborated by any American sources ?

[batteryboy]

There were only three (3) aircraft from the US that actually took off from Clark Field when it was being bombed. Lt. Joe Moore, Lt. Randy Keator and Lt. Ediwn Gilmore. The three tangled with Zeroes from the Tainan Kokutai (Sakai's unit) with Moore damaging a Zero but Keator was able to shoot down and actually blowup a Zero for the first official USAAC aerial kill in the Philippines. Gilmore tangled with the Zeroes but wound up escaping and landing at Del Carmen Field.

[rickthelibrarian]

In addition, Lt. Samuel Grashio and a couple of other P-40Es from the 21st tanged with Zeros over Clark. Grashio's plane got damaged and he was fortunate to survive. Of course, Grashio came from Nichols, not Clark.

[sherwino]

Batteryboy

I have seen something like a long drop-tank at Lusong(Luzon) beach in Mariveles. It's made of some non-strategic material. They cut away the top and attached some outriggers on it. I'm wondering if it's from a Japanese plane. There's a story that Battery Cebu shot down a plane near Vigia point or near that Lusong beach. What do you think? I didn't bother to take a picture of it back then. It's only now that it made me wonder about it.

[batteryboy]

If you can provide me with a sketch or drawing of the object, then I maybe able to identify it.

Cheers,
Tony
aka Batteryboy