Philippine Department Air Force The Philippine Department Air Force was formed on 6 May 1941AFHRA's fact sheet for the Fifth Air Force gives the date, in error, as 20 September 1941. Craven and Cate's date (cited from the monograph AAF Reference History No. 11, "Army Air Action in the Philippines and Netherlands East Indies, 1941-42", p.6-10 and reissued as AAF Historical Study No. 34) of 6 May coincides with the assignment of a general officer to command the PDAF. 20 September 1941 is possibly the date that the Army endorsed the Philippine Department's general order organizing the PDAF. Whatever the source of AFHRA's error, by 20 September its name had already been changed to "Air Force, USSAFFE" for a month. (Williams p. 5) as the War Department hastily reversed course and attempted to upgrade its air defenses in the Philippines. The general officer requested by Philippine Department head Maj. Gen. George Grunert arrived on 4 May in the person of Brig. Gen. Henry B. Clagett , who had just completed a three-week air defense course taught at Mitchel Field, New York, to familiarize him with the concepts of integrating Signal Corps radars, radio communications, and interceptor forces.The general was known in the service as "Sue" Clagett. A West Point graduate in the class ahead of Chief of Air Corps Major General Henry H. Arnold, he had been a career infantry officer until switching to the Air Service in mid-career during World War I. He had never served in nor commanded troops in combat. Clagett had succeeded Arnold in command of the GHQ Air Force 1st Wing in 1936 after holding a number of Air Corps Training Center commands, which led to his promotion to brigadier general in a wave of Air Corps expansion promotions in October 1940. When selected to command the new PDAF he had been wing commander of the newly-created 6th Pursuit Wing less than three months. His selection by the War Department had come at a time when Arnold was in the dog house with President Roosevelt for vociferously criticizing foreign sales of aircraft at the expense of the Air Corps and in England, struggling to keep from being involuntarily retired. Edmunds described Clagett as "an old-line officer of uncertain health, with a long record of peacetime service and a prodigious knowledge of regulations, which had induced conservative habits of thought and a certain inflexibility of imagination." (Edmunds, p. 19) His poor health, reputation for drinking and possibly his selection by the War Department without input from Arnold ultimately contributed to the AAF chief relieving him from command after just five months. (Miller) Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall had also given Clagett a top-secret mission to go to China in mid-May for a month of observation and assessment of Japanese tactics.
philippine department air force the philippine department air force was formed on 6 may 1941afhra's fact sheet for the fifth air force gives the date in error as 20 september 1941 craven and cate's date (cited from the monograph aaf reference history no 11 "army air action in the philippines and netherlands east indies 1941-42" p6-10 and reissued as aaf historical study no 34) of 6 may coincides with the assignment of a general officer to command the pdaf 20 september 1941 is possibly the date that the army endorsed the philippine department's general order organizing the pdaf whatever the source of afhra's error by 20 september its name had already been changed to "air force ussaffe" for a month (williams p 5) as the war department hastily reversed course and attempted to upgrade its air defenses in the philippines the general officer requested by philippine department head maj gen george grunert arrived on 4 may in the person of brig gen henry b clagett  who had just completed a three-week air defense course taught at mitchel field new york to familiarize him with the concepts of integrating signal corps radars radio communications and interceptor forcesthe general was known in the service as "sue" clagett a west point graduate in the class ahead of chief of air corps major general henry h arnold he had been a career infantry officer until switching to the air service in mid-career during world war i he had never served in nor commanded troops in combat clagett had succeeded arnold in command of the ghq air force 1st wing in 1936 after holding a number of air corps training center commands which led to his promotion to brigadier general in a wave of air corps expansion promotions in october 1940 when selected to command the new pdaf he had been wing commander of the newly-created 6th pursuit wing less than three months his selection by the war department had come at a time when arnold was in the dog house with president roosevelt for vociferously criticizing foreign sales of aircraft at the expense of the air corps and in england struggling to keep from being involuntarily retired edmunds described clagett as "an old-line officer of uncertain health with a long record of peacetime service and a prodigious knowledge of regulations which had induced conservative habits of thought and a certain inflexibility of imagination" (edmunds p 19) his poor health reputation for drinking and possibly his selection by the war department without input from arnold ultimately contributed to the aaf chief relieving him from command after just five months (miller) army chief of staff george c marshall had also given clagett a top-secret mission to go to china in mid-may for a month of observation and assessment of japanese tactics