The gloomiest Christmas
Publisher: The Zambales Association, Inc. Google search “ Dawasan Blogger ” for easy access. The gloomiest Christmas A concise overview of the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and its effect on Christmas 1941. By Mike Colorado. On December 7, 1941, at 7:48 a.m., the Japanese Empire launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, sinking ships and destroying airfields in Hawaii. The next day, December 8, 1941, U.S. General Richard K. Sutherland, Chief of Staff of General of the Army Douglas MacArthur, received the news in the Philippines while Japanese planes bombed Davao Harbor and Airfield at around 9:30 a.m., prompting an immediate heightened alert by the US and the Philippine Armed Forces. Before midday on December 9, numerous Japanese aircraft operating at high altitudes attacked Camp John Hay in Baguio and Clark Air Field in Angeles City. Resulting in multiple fatalities and injuries, as well as the destruction of 17 bombers and other small aircraft. At 4 p.m., the airfield in