The 5th Interceptor Command was a temporary organization of the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

. It was wiped out in the

Battle of the Philippines (1941–42) Battle of the Philippines may refer to several wars, military campaigns, and major battles which have been fought in the Philippine Islands, including: *Spanish conquest ** Battle of Bangkusay Channel ** 1582 Cagayan battles ** Tondo Conspiracy * ...

. The survivors fought as infantry during

Battle of Bataan The Battle of Bataan (; 7 January – 9 April 1942) was fought by the United States and the Philippine Commonwealth against Imperial Japan during World War II. The battle represented the most intense phase of the Japanese invasion of the Phi ...

and after their surrender, were subjected to the

Bataan Death March The Bataan Death March was the Death march, forcible transfer by the Imperial Japanese Army of around 72,000 to 78,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war (POWs) from the municipalities of Bagac and Mariveles on the Bataan Peninsula to Camp ...

, although some did escape to Australia.

History

Established in November 1941 to provide

air defense Anti-aircraft warfare (AAW) is the counter to aerial warfare and includes "all measures designed to nullify or reduce the effectiveness of hostile air action".AAP-6 It encompasses surface-based, subsurface (Submarine#Armament, submarine-lau ...

Luzon Luzon ( , ) is the largest and most populous List of islands in the Philippines, island in the Philippines. Located in the northern portion of the List of islands of the Philippines, Philippine archipelago, it is the economic and political ce ...

Philippine Islands The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

. After Japanese invasion on 24 December 1941, mission changed to provide ground defense of island, with ground and air echelon personnel of unequipped

Fifth Air Force The Fifth Air Force (5 AF) is a Numbered Air Force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces (PACAF). It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan. It is the U.S. Air Force's oldest continuously serving Numbered Air Force. The organ ...

units on Luzon attached to fight as ground infantry units during the

after their aircraft were destroyed or evacuated to locations away from Luzon. Most members of the command surrendered on 9 April 1942 after the Battle of Bataan. Some survivors escaped to

Corregidor Island Corregidor (, , ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of Cavite City and thus the province of Cavite. It is located west of Manila, the nation's capi ...

Manila Bay Manila Bay (; ) is a natural harbor that serves the Port of Manila (on Luzon), in the Philippines. Strategically located around the Manila, capital city of the Philippines, Manila Bay facilitated commerce and trade between the Philippines and ...

, Philippine Islands and surrendered on 6 May 1942, ending all US organized resistance to the Japanese in the Philippines. Some survivors possibly fought afterwards on Luzon as unorganized resistance (May 1942 – January 1945).

Lineage

* Established as 5th Interceptor Command (Provisional) 7 November 1941 (date approximate) : Discontinued c. May 1942 (date approximate)

Assignments

* Far East Air Force (later 5th Air Force) (attached to U.S. Army Forces Far East after 25 December 1941)

Station

Nielson Field Nielson Field (Luzon, the Philippines) was the location of the Far East Air Force headquarters. Most of the aircraft of the FEAF were based at either Clark Field or Nichols Field. The cultural site was an ''Honourable Mention'' in the 2001 ...

, Philippines *

Bataan Bataan (, , , ; ) , officially the Province of Bataan, is a province in the Central Luzon region of the Philippines. Its capital is the city of Balanga while Mariveles is the largest town in the province. Occupying the entire Bataan Peninsula ...

, Luzon, Philippines 25 December 1941 – 9 April 1942

Components

* Air and Ground echelons of the following: : 24th Pursuit Group (Interceptor)* : 2d Observation Squadron (Medium)* : 3d Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)* : 17th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)* : 20th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)* : 21st Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)* : 34th Pursuit Squadron (Interceptor)* * Ground Echelons : V Bomber Command :

19th Bombardment Group 19 (nineteen) is the natural number following 18 and preceding 20. It is a prime number. Mathematics Nineteen is the eighth prime number. Number theory 19 forms a twin prime with 17, a cousin prime with 23, and a sexy prime with 13 ...

(Heavy) : 27th Bombardment Group (Light) :

14th Bombardment Squadron The 14th Bombardment Squadron was a squadron of the United States Army Air Forces. The squadron fought in the Battle of the Philippines (1941–42), much of its aircraft being destroyed in combat against the Japanese. The survivors of the gr ...

: ground echelon attached c. 24 December 1941 – May 1942 : 16th Bombardment Squadron (Light) : 17th Bombardment Squadron (Light) : 28th Bombardment Squadron: ground echelon attached c. 24 December 1941 – May 1942 :

30th Bombardment Squadron : ''See United States Air Force Thunderbirds for the squadron's successor unit'' The 30th Bombardment Squadron is a United States Air Force unit. On 19 September 1985 it was consolidated with the USAF Air Demonstration Squadron, also known as ...

: ground echelon attached c. 20 December 1941 – May 1942 : 91st Bombardment Squadron (Light) : 93d Bombardment Squadron: ground echelon attached c. 19 December 1941 – May 1942Maurer, ''Combat Squadrons'', pp. 311-312 Notes: All units in attached status. *Unit not manned or equipped, carried as active unit (non-operational) 9 April 1942 – 2 April 1946.

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * {{USAAF 5th Air Force World War II 05 Command Interceptor