1 9 th ▁Bomb ard ment ▁Group ▁was ▁undert aken . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁first ▁days ▁of ▁December , ▁on ▁four ▁consecutive ▁night s ▁( 2 d - 6 th ) ▁an ▁un ident ified ▁aircraft ▁was ▁sight ed ▁over ▁Clark ▁Field ▁at ▁approximately ▁ 0 5 : 3 0 . ▁After ▁the ▁first ▁sight ing , ▁instructions ▁were ▁given ▁to ▁force ▁the ▁aircraft ▁to ▁land ▁or ▁destroy ▁it . ▁ ▁On ▁three ▁succeed ing ▁night s ▁it ▁was ▁impossible ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁inter ception , ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁in ability ▁to ▁see ▁the ▁aircraft ▁in ▁the ▁dark ▁or ▁the ▁aircraft ▁not ▁getting ▁close ▁enough ▁to ▁be ▁picked ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁ground ▁search light s . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁fifth ▁morning ▁all ▁aircraft ▁were ▁kept ▁on ▁the ▁ground ▁and ▁the ▁anti - air craft ▁batter ies ▁were ▁alert ed ▁for ▁the ▁inter ception ; ▁however ▁the ▁aircraft ▁was ▁not ▁located . ▁ ▁During ▁this ▁same ▁period , ▁many ▁other ▁und et erm ined ▁aircraft ▁were ▁track ed ▁by ▁I ba ▁Rad ar . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁night ▁of ▁ 7 ▁December ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁the ▁ 2 4 th ▁P urs uit ▁Group ▁status ▁was ▁reported ▁to ▁Far ▁East ▁Air ▁Force ▁as ▁follows : ▁▁ 3 rd ▁P urs uit ▁Squadron ▁at ▁I ba ▁Field , ▁ 1 8 ▁P - 4 0 Es ▁in ▁commission ▁▁ 1 7 th ▁P urs uit ▁Squadron ▁at ▁Nich ols ▁Field , ▁ 1 8 ▁P - 4 0 Es ▁in ▁commission ▁▁