Iba Airfield
Encyclopedia
Iba Airfield is a former United States Army Air Forces
airfield on Luzon
in the Philippines
. It was overrun by the Imperial Japanese Army
during the Battle of the Philippines (1942).
and used primarily for gunnery training. It was located Located on the western coast of Luzon in Zambales
provience. The Fifth Air Force
based P-40E Warhawks assigned to the 3d Pursuit Squadron
, 24th Pursuit Group
at the airfield prior to the Japanese air attack on the Philippines, 8 December 1941. In addition to the pursuit planes, a RADAR early warning station was located at the airfield.
The first word of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was received by commercial radio between 0300–0330 hours local. Within 30 minutes radar at Iba Field, Luzon plotted a formation of airplanes 75-miles (120-km) offshore, heading for Corregidor
Island. P-40's were sent out to intercept but made no contact. By 1130 hours, the fighters sent into the air earlier landed for refueling, and
radar disclosed another flight of Japanese aircraft 70-miles (112-km) West of Lingayen Gulf
, headed south. Fighters from Iba Field made another fruitless search over the South China Sea
. The P-40's sent on patrol of the South China Sea returned to Iba with fuel running low at the beginning of a Japanese attack on the airfield. The P-40's failed to prevent bombing but did manage to prevent the
low-level strafing of the sort which proved so destructive at Clark Field earlier that day. The RADAR facilities at Iba, however, were destroyed in the attack.
On 9 December, the 3d Pursuit Squadron transferred from Iba to Nichols Field
. The airfield was abandoned by the USAAF about 20 December prior to it being overrun by the invading Imperial Japanese Army
. After its occupation, it was used by Japanese aircraft as a satellite field for the Clark area.
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
airfield on Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It was overrun by the Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
during the Battle of the Philippines (1942).
History
The airfield was built by the Americans prior to World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and used primarily for gunnery training. It was located Located on the western coast of Luzon in Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
provience. The Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
based P-40E Warhawks assigned to the 3d Pursuit Squadron
3d Flying Training Squadron
The 3d Fighter Training Squadron is part of the 71st Operations Group under the 71st Flying Training Wing. It operates the T-38 Talon aircraft conducting flight training.-Mission:...
, 24th Pursuit Group
24th Pursuit Group
The 24th Pursuit Group is an inactive United States Air Force unit. It was wiped out in the Battle of the Philippines . The survivors fought as infantry during Battle of Bataan and after their surrender, were subjected to the Bataan Death March, although some did escape to Australia. The unit was...
at the airfield prior to the Japanese air attack on the Philippines, 8 December 1941. In addition to the pursuit planes, a RADAR early warning station was located at the airfield.
The first word of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor was received by commercial radio between 0300–0330 hours local. Within 30 minutes radar at Iba Field, Luzon plotted a formation of airplanes 75-miles (120-km) offshore, heading for Corregidor
Corregidor
Corregidor Island, locally called Isla ng Corregidor, is a lofty island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in southwestern part of Luzon Island in the Philippines. Due to this location, Corregidor was fortified with several coastal artillery and ammunition magazines to defend the entrance of...
Island. P-40's were sent out to intercept but made no contact. By 1130 hours, the fighters sent into the air earlier landed for refueling, and
radar disclosed another flight of Japanese aircraft 70-miles (112-km) West of Lingayen Gulf
Lingayen Gulf
The Lingayen Gulf is an extension of the South China Sea on Luzon in the Philippines stretching . It is framed by the provinces of Pangasinan and La Union and sits between the Zambales Mountains and the Cordillera Central...
, headed south. Fighters from Iba Field made another fruitless search over the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
. The P-40's sent on patrol of the South China Sea returned to Iba with fuel running low at the beginning of a Japanese attack on the airfield. The P-40's failed to prevent bombing but did manage to prevent the
low-level strafing of the sort which proved so destructive at Clark Field earlier that day. The RADAR facilities at Iba, however, were destroyed in the attack.
On 9 December, the 3d Pursuit Squadron transferred from Iba to Nichols Field
Nichols Field
Nichols Field was a U.S. military airfield located south of Manila in Pasay City and Parañaque City, Metro Manila, Luzon, the Philippines. During the World War II era, it was the location of the Far East Air Force's U.S. 20th Air Base Group. Also, based here was Troop F of the U.S. 26th Cavalry...
. The airfield was abandoned by the USAAF about 20 December prior to it being overrun by the invading Imperial Japanese Army
Imperial Japanese Army
-Foundation:During the Meiji Restoration, the military forces loyal to the Emperor were samurai drawn primarily from the loyalist feudal domains of Satsuma and Chōshū...
. After its occupation, it was used by Japanese aircraft as a satellite field for the Clark area.
See also
- Geography of the PhilippinesGeography of the PhilippinesThe Philippines is an archipelago comprising 7,107 islands with a total land area of 300,000 km2. The 11 largest islands contain 94% of the total land area. The largest of these islands is Luzon at about 105,000 km2. The next largest island is Mindanao at about 95,000 km2...
- Military History of the PhilippinesMilitary history of the Philippines-Battle of Mactan:The Battle of Mactan on April 27, 1521, is celebrated as the earliest reported resistance of the natives in the Philippines against foreign invaders. Lapu-Lapu, a Chieftain of Mactan Island, defeated Christian European explorers led by the Portuguese navigator Ferdinand...
- Military History of the United StatesMilitary history of the United StatesThe military history of the United States spans a period of over two centuries. During the course of those years, the United States evolved from a new nation fighting the British Empire for independence without a professional military , through a monumental American Civil War to the world's sole...
- United States Army Air Forces in the South West Pacific TheatreUnited States Army Air Forces in the South West Pacific TheatreDuring World War II, the United States Army Air Forces engaged in combat against the air, ground and naval forces of the Empire of Japan in the South West Pacific Theatre....