Post by rickthelibrarian on Jul 16, 2008 17:37:07 GMT -5
As many of you know, I wrote several articles on the history of U.S. military aircraft in the Philippines from about 1937-1942, quite a few years ago. In a weaker moment, VeeVee agreed to let me post a number of pictures I used with these articles. Many of these pictures were never seen until I published my articles; a few have been seen before. If everyone is willing, I’ll dredge up some more and scan them and post them at a later time. How I gathered these photos would almost form the subject of another magazine article. I know these “technically” don’t cover Philippine Scouts. However, since they come from the same approximate era, I hope you’ll grant me a little slack. –RtL
--And watch out - you will be tested on what you learned!!!
1) An aerial shot of Clark Field about 1940. This photo shows what would have defended the Philippines in the air, had the Japanese attacked a year earlier. From the left: A Martin B-10 bomber of the 28th Bomber Squadron with some Douglas O-46s of the 2nd Observation Squadron. To the right and a little lower is a group of Thomas Morse O-19s, dating from the early 1930s and earlier, also of the 2nd O.S. To their rear are two more B-10s and a row of the main fighter strength in the Philippines, Boeing P-26s of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron.
2) The Boeing P-26 was the main fighter used in the Philippines from 1937-1940. This picture was taken about 1937, shortly after the first fighters were assembled. Assigned to the 3rd P.S. at Nichols Field. Although very advanced for the mid-1930s, by 1941, the P-26 was nearly a museum piece. As several of you know, a number went to the Philippine Army Air Corps.
3) Another picture of the P-26, taken about three years later. Note the silver paint and open wheels (due to poor airfields). The P-26 was still assigned to the 3rd P.S. The gentleman in front is the late Art Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds (IIRC) was assigned to the 28th Material Squadron at Nichols. He was on Bataan, and survived the Death March and 3-1/2 years of captivity. He shared several of these pictures with me.
4) At the end of 1940, about 50 to 60 Seversky/Republic P-35As, destined to be exported to Sweden, were seized by U.S. custom authorities. Nearly all were sent to the Philippines, where they formed the most important (quantitatively) fighter “on strength” for most of 1941. Two fighter squadrons, the 17th and 20th were transferred to the Philippines to join the 3rd. It should be noted that the P-35 did not totally replace the P-26.
5) Two P-35s being assembled at the Philippine Air Depot. All P-35s came with Swedish markings, instruction manuals in Swedish and metric instrumentation.
6) In the pre-war era, it was common for a U.S. military ship arriving in Philippine waters to be buzzed by military aircraft. This picture was taken from the U.S. Army transport “Washington”. The aircraft are three P-35s of the 17th Pursuit Squadron. (One of my favorite aerial pictures –RtL)
7) As war approached, later in 1941, most of the P-35s were painted olive drab. These are two P-35s coming back to Iba Field after a gunnary hop.
8) Most P-35s didn’t last long after the start of war. This was taken by the Japanese at Nichols Field of two wrecked P-35s. [NOTE: This picture was taken from “Philippine Expeditionary Force”, a Japanese yearbook-type publication discussed on this website at an earlier time]
9) One of the arriving officers on the USAT “Washington” was horrified to find out that in the spring of 1941, the Martin B-10 was the only “modern” bomber in the Philippines. Like the P-26, the B-10 had been a world-beater in the mid-1930s but was sadly obsolete by 1941. This is a B-10 assigned to the 28th Bomber Squadron of the 4th Composite Group, taken at Nichols Field.
10) About May, 1941, a few Douglas B-18s arrived in the islands as partial replacement for the obsolete B-10s (a few of which were handed over to the PAAC). The B-18 had been the winner of a bomber competition with the B-17!! By 1941, the B-18 was also approaching obsolescence. They were used primarily as transports. This aircraft was transferred to the 28th from the 13th Bomb Squadron, 3rd Bomb Group.
11) In September, 1941, the first nine B-17s of the 14th Bomb Squadron arrived from Hawaii. This one was taken while parked at Iba Field. It had formerly been a part of the 11th Bomb Group in Hawaii. Ibas served for gunnery training before the war but based the 3rd P.S. with P-40Es at th start of the war.
12) and 13) The 2nd Observation Squadron was an old-line unit that was formed before World War I and had been in the Philippines since shortly after formation. During most of the late 1930s, it flew Douglas O-46s, recognizeable by the high parasol wing. In 1941, the O-46 was partially supplanted by the O-51 with retractable landing gear. The O-51 was dislike by it’s pilots. These two pages were scanned from my magazine article on the Philippines for “Airpower” Magazine, published in 1987. The gentleman with the camera, George Tweedy, was stationed with the 2nd from 1937 to 1939 and took many of the pictures in the article.
14) The state of Philippine military aviation in early 1941 in one picture: P-26s, still being flown by U.S. fighter pilots, in early 1941; a few P-35s, which would also be obsolete in a short time; an unbelievably antique Keystone B-3A of the PAAC, taxiing in the background.
Finally, being a former schoolteacher, I could let you go without a quiz over what you’ve learned. Below is a picture (a rare color shot) taken at Nichols Field in mid- to late-1941. How many aircraft can you recognize. Some were mentioned above – others weren’t Do your best!! ;D
--And watch out - you will be tested on what you learned!!!
1) An aerial shot of Clark Field about 1940. This photo shows what would have defended the Philippines in the air, had the Japanese attacked a year earlier. From the left: A Martin B-10 bomber of the 28th Bomber Squadron with some Douglas O-46s of the 2nd Observation Squadron. To the right and a little lower is a group of Thomas Morse O-19s, dating from the early 1930s and earlier, also of the 2nd O.S. To their rear are two more B-10s and a row of the main fighter strength in the Philippines, Boeing P-26s of the 3rd Pursuit Squadron.
2) The Boeing P-26 was the main fighter used in the Philippines from 1937-1940. This picture was taken about 1937, shortly after the first fighters were assembled. Assigned to the 3rd P.S. at Nichols Field. Although very advanced for the mid-1930s, by 1941, the P-26 was nearly a museum piece. As several of you know, a number went to the Philippine Army Air Corps.
3) Another picture of the P-26, taken about three years later. Note the silver paint and open wheels (due to poor airfields). The P-26 was still assigned to the 3rd P.S. The gentleman in front is the late Art Reynolds. Mr. Reynolds (IIRC) was assigned to the 28th Material Squadron at Nichols. He was on Bataan, and survived the Death March and 3-1/2 years of captivity. He shared several of these pictures with me.
4) At the end of 1940, about 50 to 60 Seversky/Republic P-35As, destined to be exported to Sweden, were seized by U.S. custom authorities. Nearly all were sent to the Philippines, where they formed the most important (quantitatively) fighter “on strength” for most of 1941. Two fighter squadrons, the 17th and 20th were transferred to the Philippines to join the 3rd. It should be noted that the P-35 did not totally replace the P-26.
5) Two P-35s being assembled at the Philippine Air Depot. All P-35s came with Swedish markings, instruction manuals in Swedish and metric instrumentation.
6) In the pre-war era, it was common for a U.S. military ship arriving in Philippine waters to be buzzed by military aircraft. This picture was taken from the U.S. Army transport “Washington”. The aircraft are three P-35s of the 17th Pursuit Squadron. (One of my favorite aerial pictures –RtL)
7) As war approached, later in 1941, most of the P-35s were painted olive drab. These are two P-35s coming back to Iba Field after a gunnary hop.
8) Most P-35s didn’t last long after the start of war. This was taken by the Japanese at Nichols Field of two wrecked P-35s. [NOTE: This picture was taken from “Philippine Expeditionary Force”, a Japanese yearbook-type publication discussed on this website at an earlier time]
9) One of the arriving officers on the USAT “Washington” was horrified to find out that in the spring of 1941, the Martin B-10 was the only “modern” bomber in the Philippines. Like the P-26, the B-10 had been a world-beater in the mid-1930s but was sadly obsolete by 1941. This is a B-10 assigned to the 28th Bomber Squadron of the 4th Composite Group, taken at Nichols Field.
10) About May, 1941, a few Douglas B-18s arrived in the islands as partial replacement for the obsolete B-10s (a few of which were handed over to the PAAC). The B-18 had been the winner of a bomber competition with the B-17!! By 1941, the B-18 was also approaching obsolescence. They were used primarily as transports. This aircraft was transferred to the 28th from the 13th Bomb Squadron, 3rd Bomb Group.
11) In September, 1941, the first nine B-17s of the 14th Bomb Squadron arrived from Hawaii. This one was taken while parked at Iba Field. It had formerly been a part of the 11th Bomb Group in Hawaii. Ibas served for gunnery training before the war but based the 3rd P.S. with P-40Es at th start of the war.
12) and 13) The 2nd Observation Squadron was an old-line unit that was formed before World War I and had been in the Philippines since shortly after formation. During most of the late 1930s, it flew Douglas O-46s, recognizeable by the high parasol wing. In 1941, the O-46 was partially supplanted by the O-51 with retractable landing gear. The O-51 was dislike by it’s pilots. These two pages were scanned from my magazine article on the Philippines for “Airpower” Magazine, published in 1987. The gentleman with the camera, George Tweedy, was stationed with the 2nd from 1937 to 1939 and took many of the pictures in the article.
14) The state of Philippine military aviation in early 1941 in one picture: P-26s, still being flown by U.S. fighter pilots, in early 1941; a few P-35s, which would also be obsolete in a short time; an unbelievably antique Keystone B-3A of the PAAC, taxiing in the background.
Finally, being a former schoolteacher, I could let you go without a quiz over what you’ve learned. Below is a picture (a rare color shot) taken at Nichols Field in mid- to late-1941. How many aircraft can you recognize. Some were mentioned above – others weren’t Do your best!! ;D