▁the ▁plan es ▁over ▁Man ila ▁Bay , ▁the ▁ 3 4 th ▁was ▁sent ▁over ▁Man ila ▁to ▁cover ▁the ▁port ▁area . ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 1 st ▁was ▁sent ▁for ▁inter ception ▁over ▁the ▁B ata an ▁Pen ins ula . ▁Contact ▁was ▁made ▁with ▁the ▁enemy ▁aircraft ▁by ▁all ▁three ▁squad rons , ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 1 0 0 + ▁Japanese ▁aircraft ▁with ▁f igh ters ▁esc ort ing ▁the ▁bom bers . ▁The ▁intercept ors ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 4 th ▁were ▁attacked ▁by ▁the ▁esc ort ▁Z eros ▁and ▁were ▁unable ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁bom bers ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁enemy ▁f ighter ▁strength . ▁ ▁Only ▁two ▁plan es ▁were ▁able ▁to ▁attack ▁the ▁bom bers , ▁after ▁they ▁carried ▁out ▁their ▁attacks . ▁The ▁other ▁squad rons ▁engaged ▁in ▁dog - f ight ing ▁over ▁Man ila ▁Bay ▁until ▁they ▁were ▁forced ▁to ▁land , ▁out ▁of ▁gas oline . ▁ ▁At ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 th , ▁Group ▁f ighter ▁strength ▁had ▁been ▁reduced ▁to ▁about ▁ 3 0 ▁aircraft , ▁with ▁ 8 ▁being ▁P - 3 5 s . ▁ ▁Due ▁to ▁the ▁de ple ted ▁strength ▁of ▁the ▁Group , ▁orders ▁were ▁received ▁from ▁F E AF ▁Head quarters ▁that ▁purs uit ▁plan es ▁were ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁dispatch ed ▁other ▁than ▁upon ▁orders ▁from ▁Head quarters . ▁ ▁The ▁plan es ▁would ▁be ▁employed ▁mainly ▁as ▁reconna issance ▁aircraft ▁to ▁replace ▁the ▁ 2 d