Japanese aircraft attack the Philippines.
American planes are on the ground when Japanese planes swarm in.
The Japanese destroy 86 out of 160 American aircraft, losing only seven planes. While the top commanders are Pearl Harbor are pilloried for their mistakes, the top airman in the Philippines, Maj. Gen. Lewis H. Brereton, is not. Japanese aircraft also attack Wake Island, defended by 12 F4F Grumman Wildcats of VMF 211. The island is defended by 378 Marines, and 75 Navy Sailors, who are reinforced by civilian construction workers finishing the island's airfield.