Iba Field becomes regional airport, PAF training site in Zambales

Iba Field / Photo from Wikipedia

Iba Field was established in the 1930s. It was located in Zambales Province on the Island of Luzon. The base was placed close to the beach on the South China Sea. It was designed initially as a Philippine Constabulary training camp. The Philippine Scouts also used Iba Field for training. The field only had one runway with a grass field.

During the rapid buildup of American assets in the Philippines in 1941, Iba Field was expanded and improved. The field had a unique proximity to the South China Sea and the northern coastline of Luzon. A potential Japanese air attack would originate from Formosa (Taiwan) to the north.

Iba Field was chosen to be the first base to receive one of the seven SCR-270 mobile radar units which had recently been shipped to the Philippines. The Iba radar could identify an air attack 75 miles offshore. This radar equipment should have given the American and Filipino forces at Clark and Nichols Fields ample warning and protection from an impending Japanese attack.

In the summer of 1941, Iba field was used for gunnery training for pursuit fighters. As the modern P-40 fighter planes arrived in the Philippines during late 1941, Iba Field received 18 of the P-40 fighters. There was continuous difficulty in obtaining flight time and training for the P-40 pilots.

On the eve of the Japanese attack on Dec. 8, 1941, the improved Iba Field was considered an auxiliary field to Clark and Nichols Fields. The antiaircraft defenses at Iba Field were weak. Most of the American airfields in the Philippines had weak antiaircraft defenses.

When the Japanese attacked Iba Field on Dec. 8, 1941, the modern radar system was functioning properly.  However, the communication and dissemination of radar intelligence from Iba Field to Clark and Nichols Fields were questionable.

The radar equipment at Iba Field worked according to its design on Dec. 8, 1941. Unfortunately, the intelligence was not transmitted to decision-makers at Clark Field.

Iba Field was hit by Japanese bombers followed by fighter planes at approximately 12:40 p.m. on Dec. 8, 1941. This was the same time as the attack at Clark Field. Both facilities had major damage. The radar system at Iba was destroyed.

Today, Iba Field is one of several airports in Zambales Province and serves an operational role for smaller airports in the Philippines. The Philippine Air Force uses the base as a training site.

Dennis Edward Flake is the author of three books on Philippine-American history. He is a Public Historian and a former park ranger in interpretation for the National Park Service at the Eisenhower National Historic Site in Gettysburg, PA. He can be contacted at: flakedennis@gmail.com