alternatehistory.com

Chapter 3 The Philippines prepares for war
As part of the general shift in US Military preparedness to deter Japan from war, a major effort is made to develop the Philippines into a base to strike at the Japanese by air should they make further aggressive moves toward the British and Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia or toward the Philippines. Repeated requests for air reinforcements from Parson as well as the new policy toward Japan prompts Marshall and Arnold to respond in October 1940 after the Japanese seizure of northern Indochina.

Some horse trading with the Chinese results in 27 CW21 interceptor aircraft which were en route by ship to China (via Burma) are instead diverted to Manila and the Philippine Air Force. The Chinese are sent 54 P35s fighter aircraft instead, which while old, are sturdy aircraft well suited for local conditions there. The CW21s will be assigned to the Philippine Air Force as the basis of a fighter squadron (with spares). The remaining P26s in the Philippines will be provided to the PAAF as a second fighter / light attack squadron. The remaining ten Martin B10 bombers in the Philippines are transferred to the PAAF as the basis of a patrol squadron. The 4th Composite Group is in effect stripped of aircraft and all personnel are transferred to the PAAF officially as an advisory and support group.

The American Volunteer Group
As an interim measure, to get some additional air power into the Philippines until a final decision is made about what else to send to the Far East, and while discussions are underway concerning the creation of the American Volunteer Group to send to China, Arnold persuades Marshall and then Roosevelt to send the AVG to the Philippines for their training. They can trained at the new airfield at Cebu, which is well away from prying Japanese intelligence agents in Manila and Davao but in an emergency can help defend the Philippines until they complete their training in early December 1941. By adding some DC2 transports to move their ground echelon to the mix, the P40s and transports can ferry the entire force via Singapore to Burma and then to China when the time is ripe. By August 1941 the AVG and Claire Chennault are in Cebu assembling their aircraft and testing them in flights over the central Philippines, well away from prying eyes. In all the AVG will have 100 P40B Warhawk fighters and 12 DC2 transports, as well as nearly 300 personnel by October 1941 and plans to begin shifting to Singapore beginning on December 12, 1941 and to be in China by December 17.

The Deterrent Force
In July 1941 General Hap Arnold proposes that a force of 340 B17 heavy bombers and 260 fighters be stationed in the Philippines as a deterrent force against Japan as tensions continue to rise between the US and Japan. He selects Major General Walter Frank, who has formerly commanded the Hawaiian Air Department and currently commanding Air Army Force units involved in the Louisiana Maneuvers and has gotten along very well with ground force commanders. He is ordered to the Philippines right away, along with the 5th Air Base Group, reinforcements for the 20th Air Base Group (the tenant unit at Clark Field) and personnel and equipment to form the 4th Air Base Group (using Filipino and American personnel).

By early August General Frank reports that the Philippines is not ready for the mass deployment of B17s, and that there is a critical need for oxygen plants (among other things). He urges that the first reinforcements consist of 2 fighter groups and 1 light bombardment group, with the first B17s to arrive in October and for them to be fitted out for long range reconnaissance as target data for Japanese bases in Formosa is very limited and almost unknown for their bases in Indochina and in the Palau Islands. He also makes his own plea for antiaircraft units. That plea is met in part by the arrival of guns stripped from the 197th, 198th and 200th Coast Artillery regiments (National Guard) which are broken up to provide personnel to other anti aircraft units in the United States. This provides the Philippine Army with 36 3-inch guns (older models with a range of only 27,000 feet as that is what can be spared), searchlights, 96 37mm AA guns, and dozens of heavy machine guns. Two of the PA regiments are assigned to air field defense with the third assigned to defend Manila.

The first air units to arrive are the 24th Fighter Group (Colonel Harold George commanding) with sufficient pilots and support personnel to reform the 17th Pursuit squadron (with 31 P40Bs). Additional fighters are already one the way, but the first thing General Frank orders upon the arrival of Colonel George is his promotion to commander V Fighter Command and for George to work with Claire Chennault in setting up an air warning network for Luzon using a company from the Department's signal battalion as well as training Filipino volunteers and setting up special lines with the telephone company and telegraph company. The American fighters are assigned to Del Carmen Field, which is undergoing improvements, including a 6,000 foot concrete runway and revetments built by the Philippine Army engineers.

Of pressing concern is the terrible conditions at Nichols Field. A typhoon has inflicted serious damage to the base, making more clear than ever its vulnerability. As the principal depot for the Department's aviation element, including those of the Asiatic Fleet, its vulnerability is no longer acceptable. General Frank orders that the supplies and parts be dispersed so that none are concentrated at any airfield, with Navy stores sent to their naval station at Mariveles and a fortified facility be constructed at the Army field built at Mariveles which can transport needed bulk supplies by barge to Manila and then by road and rail to other bases in Luzon. He also orders a secondary facilities be constructed at Cebu and Del Monte and that revetments be constructed for all airfields.

Philippine Army Air Force growth
With the arrival of sufficient aircraft the 3rd Composite Group has been formed, and the PAAF is now up to 2,500 men. The 1st Group (training) remains at Zablan Field (Lipa, Batangas) and continues as a flight training organization. The 2nd Group with its transport aircraft is headquartered at Clark Field, but has detachments in Mindanao, Cebu, as well as the various fields around Luzon. Regular transport service is greatly easing the movement of critical supplies and couriers throughout the islands for the military. The new 3rd Group is formed at Nichols Field and has a fighter squadron of CW21 interceptors while the other squadron of P26 light attack aircraft is sent to the new field at Baguio. The new B18 patrol squadron is assigned to Clark Field and the 2nd Group, as the Douglas bombers are sufficiently similar to the DC2 assigned to the AVG (which are also there) and DC3s assigned to the PAAF to ease maintenance. The bombers are all old cast offs from the Hawaiian Department and prone to break down.

Final aviation reinforcements Fall 1941
In October 1941 more reinforcements arrive in the form of sufficient P40Cs and personnel to reform the 17th Pursuit Squadron, as well as 28th Reconnaissance Squadron (reformed from the 28th Bombardment squadron) equipped with 6 B17C. After consultation with Captain Pappy Gunn (whose has joined the PAAF as a civilian advisor and is its senior engineering officer with a handsome salary), the aircraft are converted using field expedient measures that strip them their guns, their waist blister mounts removed and additional skin added to improve streamlining and their bomb bays converted into fuel tanks. With these modifications, based out of Del Monte, the B17s can reach the Palau Islands and from Clark can easily reach anywhere in Indochina or Formosa. It also improves their cruising speed by 10% and their top speed by 5%, and giving that aircraft a speed of 325 miles per hour as a top dash speed. It also can fly somewhat higher giving it a ceiling of 37,000 feet (allowing it to fly well above the A6M Zero fighter).

The 17th Pursuit squadron is moved to Del Monte, along with a battalion from the 4th PA Coast Artillery (AA) as it is a critical stop on the air ferry route from Darwin and General Frank decides it needs protection. The B17s are to be dispersed so that no more than 3 are present at any single airfield. They also begin flying very high altitude missions over Formosa and French Indochina in late November and at their height and speed generally remain undetected although on a couple of occasions the Japanese attempt in vain to intercept them on their departure from the area.

The needed oxygen equipment arrives along with the 27th Bomb Group and 54 A24 (Army versions of the Navy Dauntless dive bomber), along with their crews and ground echelon arrive in November 1941. Also arriving are planes and pilots for the 3rd Pursuit squadron which is reactivated and has 24 P40E Kittyhawks. The fighter squadron is assigned to Cabantuan Field, while the 27th Bomb Group disperses its dive bombers to Nichols, Del Carmen and makes its headquarters (along with 1 squadron) at Iba Field. The first radar sets have also arrived, and one is placed at Clark Field and the other is set up at Nielson Field (near Cavite) which is headquarters for the Far East Air Force and has an air strip but no aircraft permanently assigned except for a detachment of PAAF Beechcraft light transports. It is however the location of the air defense headquarters and this allows radar coverage for Cavite, Manila and Nichols Field. The remaining sets are quickly raided for parts to keep those two working but the air transports of the PAAF are able to make frequent trips to Australia and Singapore, where air transports from the United States can quickly bring urgent spares.

Strung out between Port Moresby, Darwin and Del Monte is the air element of the 19th Bombardment Group, which has 30 B17s organized into 30th and 94th Squadron. Additional B17s for another Bomb Group are approaching Hawaii when it is attacked while their ground element was still in California loading aboard ships.

Expansion of the Philippine Army
An infusion of money so that this new air force can be defended allows the Philippine Army to call up over 30,000 conscripts in January 1941, enough to bring all 14 brigades of the Philippine Army up to strength as well as replace those who volunteer for service in the Philippine Scouts. The work over the last years to expand training camps and make them habitable pays off this year as well as the efforts to obtain sufficient weapons for the troops. The Army is able to raise an additional 2 MP brigades, and with the arrival of heavier guns fro the US Army and Philippine Scouts, as well as stripping 120 75 mm guns from formations elsewhere (plus those released from the Scouts) the Philippine Army is able to form 10 light artillery battalions of 12 guns each. With the addition of artillery, the 20 MP regiments are reorganized into 6 light infantry divisions (3 regiments infantry, 1 battalion light artillery, 1 engineer/pioneer battalion each) with 1 division each (31st and 41st) at Mindanao and Cebu, and the remaining 4 (11th, 21st, 51st, and 61st) organized into 2 small corps. Each corps is also assigned an engineer brigade (1st and 2nd), while the remaining 2 MP regiments are assigned to Manila and far northern Luzon, while 1 engineer brigade (3rd) is assigned to the Del Monte area and another continues work on improving airfields in Bataan (along with an American aviation engineer battalion) as well as providing engineer companies to continue work improving airfields in Luzon.

Another division, the 1st Division, is raised from cadres supplied by the Philippine Army and Philippine Scouts. Sufficient artillery is found to raise a full regiment of guns (36 75 mm guns) for this division, and sufficient trucks for them as well plus move one of its three regiments at a time. More trucks are on order but they will not reach the Philippines until sometime in 1942. It is assigned to the Mobile Force providing that formation with a third division, although one less well equipped or trained than the other two.

What is missing though are sufficient machine guns and any anti tank artillery for the other 6 divisions of the Philippine Army. Lacking any other choices, the 2.95 inch mountain gun, dating back to the last century, are given trucks and although they have wooden wheels they can be broken down they are mobile enough to move to a vital area although once placed will likely not be able to withdraw. With this expedient a total of 48 anti tank guns are put into service, enough that each of the 4 divisions in Luzon is able to field an anti tank battalion of 12 guns each, which are also were the bulk of the few heavy machine guns that the Philippine Army has available are concentrated (aside from those assigned to air defense). However each company has only 3 light machine guns, and each platoon only 3 BARs, although a few old Lewis guns are found to put into service by companies lucky enough to find them.

However the Coast Artillery finally gets weapons that it needs. A sufficient number of 8 inch guns are found for use by the 1st and 2nd Coast Artillery, Philippine Army, giving each 3 firing batteries and spare tubes. The other 6 batteries in each regiment are given World War I era 155 mm guns. The 1st Coast Artillery is assigned Lingayen Gulf, while the 2nd Coast Artillery is deployed so that a battalion each covers the Iba/Palauig area, Lamon Bay, and Balayan Bay. The Marines of the 1st Provisional Battalion (USMC) and elements of the US 59th Coast Artillery cover Subic Bay, while the remaining US and all of the Philippine Scout units are manning the Manila Bay fortifications.

US Army reinforcements
The most important arrivals are the 192nd and 194th tank battalions organized into the 1st Provisional Armored Group, which has in all 108 M3 Stuart tanks and 46 halftracks fitted with 75 mm guns and the provisional tank group also has an armor ordinance company as well. General Weaver is assigned command of a provisional brigade sized force called 6th Cavalry Brigade (provisional) consisting of the 1st Provisional Armored Group, the 26th Cavalry (PS) Regiment, and the newly arrived 112th Cavalry Regiment (Texas National Guard) giving him nearly 2,600 armored and cavalry troops. The remaining reinforcements are sufficient personnel to bring the US units in the islands up to strength.

Two regiments of 105 mm guns, as well an infantry regiment are en route, as well as an aviation engineer brigade and heavy equipment such as bulldozers and other earth moving equipment and vehicles are aboard the Pensacola convoy. These reinforcements would not reach the Philippines before the war broke out and would see service in the South Pacific.

A new commander October 1941
In September, now past retirement age and in increasingly poor health, General Parsons is forced to ask for relief. Although General Grunnert is briefly considered for the position, in the end it is decided that as General Krueger has done very well in the recent Louisiana Maneuvers, and has the rank and experience commanding an army, he will be sent. With him is sent his Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Dwight Eisenhower. Both men get a brevet promotion with the job, Krueger to four star general and Eisenhower to Major General.

They arrive aboard the Manila Clipper and the change of command ceremony occurs on October 21, 1941. Sent home with Parsons is General Grunnert who is being given an assignment in the US and General Wainwright is given command of the US I Corps, while General Ord remains commander of the Philippine Army.

Further Expansion of the Philippine Coast Guard 1941
In early 1941, the Philippine Coast Guard gains the old hydrographic vessel “Pathfinder” from US Coast and Geoditic Survey office, which is converted into an officer training ship, and orders are placed for 4 minesweepers to be delivered in 1942 (former USN vessels). The Coast Guard also acquires 8 J2F Duck amphibious aircraft, enough to start a detachment at Cebu and another at Davao to patrol over the southern and central islands.

In late 1941, the light cruiser Boise escorting a convoy, and the heavy cruiser Louisville escorting a different convoy, arrive in the Philippines and are assigned to the Asiatic Fleet. The Louisville gives Admiral Hart a heavy cruiser division (along with the heavy cruiser Houston), while the light cruiser Boise is a very modern light cruiser. The older and obsolescent light cruiser Marblehead is detached as it has orders to proceed to the Atlantic Fleet to join her sisters there. She escorts the convoy out of the Southwest Pacific and is near the Santa Cruz Islands when war begins, along with her charges.

As the Marblehead leaves, the Yangtze Patrol Gunboats, as well as the 4th Marine Regiment arrives over the week between December 1 and December 5. The Marine Regiment (with its 2 battalions) is moved to Subic Bay, where it joins the 1st Separate battalion, which is organized as an air defense artillery battalion and has its own radar. The gunboats are assigned to assist the Philippine Coast Guard, although many of their senior petty officers and indeed most of the crew members are quickly reassigned to help out with seriously undermanned ships of the Asiatic Fleet, however orders have barely been cut when the war begins.

The British Deterrent Force and final Allied naval reinforcements
In the fall of 1941, worried about growing tensions with Japan, Winston Churchill proposes reinforcing the Eastern Fleet with a pair of fast heavy warships, as well as a carrier for air support. Initially he proposes sending the Prince of Wales, the Repulse and the Indomitable, along with 4 destroyers. However fate soon deals a blow to that plan. On September 27, the Prince of Wales, covering a convoy to Malta, is torpedoed by Italian aircraft, and while she survives, has suffered sufficient damage to knock her out of action for several months. The carrier Indomitable hits an uncharted rock in the Caribbean on her maiden voyage, requiring repair time for her as well.

Frustrated in his initial plan Churchill decides that a force of fast battle cruisers and heavy cruisers would serve as the deterrent force, being able to make fast slashing raids against any Japanese invasion forces and then escape before the older Japanese battle line could catch them and thus they would serve as the deterrent force he wants. He is gambling, but considering how desperate the situation is looking in late November 1941, with the possibility of Soviet defeat as well as the critical situation in North Africa, he feels a gamble is justified. On November 27, the Renown and light cruiser Trinidad are ordered to the Indian Ocean where they will join the Repulse and form the basis of Force Z, which will be commanded by Admiral Phillips. It it expected that the three ships, along with what cruisers and destroyers can be scraped up from the Eastern Fleet will arrive in Singapore no later than December 12, 1941.

Informal discussions between Roosevelt and Churchill (and their staff) during the meeting at Argentan Bay propose that in the event of war, British, Australian, and American surface forces will combine to defend the Malay Barrier alongside the Free Dutch. A command structure is still being determined even as war comes. However, the clear importance of air cover after the losses and damage suffered by the Royal Navy off Norway and in the Mediterranean makes it clear that clear that additional air reinforcements are needed to cover the Eastern Fleet if it is to operate out of Singapore and 5 squadrons of Hurricanes are sent to Malaya, arriving on December 6. They are still being uncrated and the squadrons are still forming when war begins.

Mounting Urgency in the Pacific
The arrival of General Krueger and his staff, along with a increased tensions between the United States and Japan brings with it a new urgency to the Philippine Department. After a few days of inspections by General Krueger and analysis of plans by General Eisenhower, a flurry of orders begins flowing out of the Manila Hotel where both Admiral Hart and General Krueger (for a brief time) live. Both commanders agree to move their headquarters initially to Fort McKinley, adjacent to Nichols Field and within a few miles of Cavite after Eisenhower convinces Generals Krueger and Frank that it would be highly desirable for Admiral Hart to have use of a DC3 or Beechcraft at his beck and call, and that such a gift would improve cooperation. For the first time in the history of the Department the two services have staff working at the same location.

Eisenhower persuades Krueger, who needs little such, that the best thing to do is to get the USAFE out in the field for some field training, including the entire I Corps. Live fire training is particularly needed for support weapons and artillery, and on November 11th, for over a week, the units of I Corps do just that, while it is the first such ever for the Philippine Army Divisions. Many problems are found, but some of the more pressing are that nearly 80% of the mortar ammunition for the 3 inch mortars that provide the bulk of company and battalion firepower for the Philippine Army are duds. An urgent message is sent to the United States for immediate resupply, while every available ordinance sergeant in the Far East is put to work looking for solutions that can be done locally.

Eisenhower meanwhile discovers that little has been done to prepare the movement of supplies to Bataan in the event that War Plan 3 (the back up plan) gets put into effect, and he bargains with the Navy, Army Air Force and just flat out strips I Corps of their medium and heavy trucks, and organizes them into truck companies with Philippine Army drivers, along with Military Police Companies. These companies remain assigned to their units but on the issue of a code word, they are assigned to the Quartermasters who will use them to move supplies from base areas on the Luzon plain as well as government warehouses such as the NARIC warehouse as well as corporate warehouses along the south harbor of Manila will be seized on issue of that same code word. Supplies will then be moved to Bataan by barge, craft and ship. Eisenhower also orders General Moore to immediately fill his warehouses for his harbor forts and ensure that stocks for 12 months are on hand at all times.

Another maneuver is set for January 1942, where the I Corps will prepare in cooperation with the newly arrived 27th Bombardment Group (and their A24 dive bombers) as well as naval forces to practice a counterattack on a potential Japanese landing at Lingayen Gulf. However, the first war warning on November 30 makes it clear that time is increasingly running out. Krueger orders his troops to hurry their maintenance stand downs and get everything back up and running as quickly as possible. He also finalizes his command structure. He remains as theater commander, but he places Eisenhower as commander of all forces in Luzon. Under him is General Wainwright, commanding the US I Corps, General Ord, commanding the II Corps, and General King, commanding the III Corps, plus General Moore commanding the Harbor Defenses of Manila Bay, Subic Bay, Lingayan Gulf, Lamon Bay and Balayan Bay. General Frank commands US Army Air Forces Far East (USAAFFE) but his responsibilities have been expanded to include liaison and cooperation with the Australians, Dutch and British. After an inspection of the American Volunteer Group, Generals Frank and Eisenhower send a cable to Washington urging that Claire Chennault be given a reserve commission of Brigadier General and Eisenhower, Frank and Hart quietly work out a plan to make use of that organization in case war comes before it leaves.