Col. Blair: There were 30 caliber incendiary and 20mm Cannon on the fighters? Didn't the cannon do the most damage? Major Fisher: It was hard to tell. Sometimes they would start to burn in the tail. It was not always the gasoline that started the fire. Col. Thomas: Were the ships loaded with gas? Major Fisher: We knew about the Pearl Harbor attack which occurred at 3 o'clock in the morning. We heard about it at 6 or 7. We were prepared for the first mission at Formosa when we got our first air raid alarm. One of the stations reported 27 airplanes flying toward Clark Field. We stayed up all morning. We landed about 11:30, when given an "all clear". At that time the order came in to prepare to attack air bases on Southern Formosa at about dusk. We were getting our ships prepared and our crews ready and all organized when we looked out of the hangar and there were 54 airplanes over us. All communications to Clark Field had been cut about an hour or so before the attack. There was no warning. We were caught with everything on the ground. Col. Blair: What did you lose in the Clark Field attack? Major Fisher: Around 15 B-17' s, and pursuit about the same number not to mention B-18's shot up, and miscellaneous airplanes, around a total of pos- sibly 40. Col. Thomas: How about Nichols Field? Major Fisher: They were patrolling when Clark Field was attacked, but for some reason they did not get word of the attack. Major Fisher: We had no dive bombers in the Philippines. They first went into action at Java. The A-24 is a very excellent weapon. The most effective weapon against small surface vessels. If we had had about 50 or 60 we would - 6 - |