United States Army Forces in the Far East
On December 8, 1941, despite receiving the news on the attack on Pearl Harbor early in the morning, the United States Army Forces in the Far East (USAFFE) and its air component, Far East Air Force (FAEF), were caught by surprise by bombers and fighters of the Imperial Japanese Army from Takao Airfield and Navy's Tainan Air Group from Tainan, Formosa, hitting targets in Baguio, Iba Airfield, and Clark Airfield. By the end of the day, the FAEF's aircraft inventory was reduced by half, with only a few squadrons surviving the initial raid, including the PAAC 6th Pursuit Squadron.