▁Clark ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁a ▁bomb ▁and ▁little ▁more ▁than ▁a ▁dozen ▁American ▁aircraft ▁met ▁the ▁Japanese ▁attack ers , ▁none ▁of ▁which ▁could ▁clim b ▁to ▁the ▁alt itude ▁of ▁the ▁bom bers ▁As ▁a ▁result , ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁and ▁ 2 1 st ▁plan es ▁over ▁Man ila ▁were ▁not ▁not ified ▁of ▁the ▁attack . ▁▁ ▁The ▁P - 3 5 s ▁at ▁Del ▁Car men ▁Field ▁took ▁to ▁the ▁air ▁after ▁seeing ▁the ▁clouds ▁of ▁smoke ▁over ▁Clark ▁Field , ▁but ▁were ▁no ▁match ▁for ▁the ▁Japanese ▁Z eros , ▁which ▁were ▁much ▁faster ▁and ▁more ▁man eu ver able . ▁Although ▁none ▁were ▁shot ▁down , ▁all ▁were ▁dam aged ▁and ▁its ▁use ▁as ▁a ▁purs uit ▁f ighter ▁ended . ▁ ▁Clark ▁Field , ▁the ▁main ▁air ▁base ▁on ▁Lu zon ▁was ▁dev ast ated , ▁and ▁nearly ▁half ▁of ▁Far ▁East ▁Air ▁Force ' s ▁aircraft ▁were ▁destroyed ▁on ▁the ▁ground , ▁and ▁a ▁third ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 4 th ▁P urs uit ▁Group ' s ▁aircraft ▁lost ▁in ▁the ▁attack . ▁Clark ▁Field ▁was ▁so ▁heavily ▁dam aged ▁it ▁was ▁essentially ▁elimin ated ▁as ▁an ▁effective ▁combat ▁air field . ▁ ▁The ▁ 3 d ▁P urs uit ▁Squadron , ▁which ▁was ▁dispatch ed ▁to ▁intercept ▁a ▁formation ▁of ▁plan es ▁over ▁the ▁China ▁Sea ▁failed ▁to ▁make ▁the ▁inter ception ▁and ▁was ▁returning ▁to ▁its ▁base ▁at ▁I ba . ▁I ba , ▁however ▁was ▁plot ting ▁an ▁incoming ▁formation