▁for ▁repair ing ▁aircraft , ▁used ▁parts ▁which ▁were ▁can n ib al ized ▁from ▁w re cks . ▁Ess entials , ▁such ▁as ▁oil , ▁was ▁re used , ▁with ▁used ▁oil ▁being ▁stra ined ▁though ▁makes h ift ▁filters , ▁and ▁tail w heel ▁t ires ▁were ▁stuff ed ▁with ▁ra gs ▁to ▁keep ▁them ▁us able . ▁The ▁aircraft ▁which ▁were ▁flying ▁and ▁eng aging ▁the ▁Japanese ▁seemed ▁to ▁have ▁more ▁bul le th ole ▁patch es ▁on ▁the ▁fus el age ▁than ▁original ▁skin . ▁ ▁On ▁the ▁morning ▁of ▁ 2 3 ▁December ▁the ▁Japanese ▁made ▁a ▁landing ▁in ▁San ▁Miguel ▁Bay ▁along ▁the ▁east ▁coast ▁of ▁the ▁L ing ay en ▁G ulf . ▁All ▁available ▁aircraft ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 4 th ▁were ▁loaded ▁with ▁fragment ation ▁bomb s ▁and ▁dispatch ed ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁enemy ▁landing . ▁ ▁Tw elve ▁P - 4 0 s ▁and ▁six ▁P - 3 5 s ▁was ▁the ▁entire ▁striking ▁force ▁of ▁the ▁Group . ▁▁ ▁The ▁attack ▁was ▁made ▁with ▁a ▁loss ▁of ▁two ▁of ▁the ▁P - 3 5 s ▁which ▁were ▁shot ▁down ▁by ▁anti - air craft ▁fire ▁and ▁it ▁proved ▁sufficient ▁to ▁create ▁confusion ▁among ▁enemy ▁personnel ▁in ▁landing ▁b arg es ▁and ▁around ▁supply ▁d umps ▁ash ore . ▁ ▁Spring ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁ ▁for ▁additional ▁information , ▁see : ▁B ata an ▁Air field ▁ ▁The ▁ground ▁combat ▁situation ▁on ▁Lu zon ▁quickly ▁became ▁des perate ▁when ▁a ▁second