The pacific war broke out on 8 dece

The pacific war broke out on 8 december 1941,as military and civilian preparations were still going on. Initially, most Filipinos were confident that the war would last only a few weeks, with the Japanese being repulsed from Philippine shores. Scores of young Filipino men enlisted in the Philippine army. This was a war to defend the country and its way of life. Besides, the Japanese had bombed the cities of baguio and davao on the first day of the war. More decisive was the Japanese bombing of Clark Field, also on 8 december, which destroyed many of the fighters and bombers of MacArthur’s air force. From the first day of the war onwards, the Japanese took control of the air over the Philippines. On 10 December, the Japanese bombed and completely destroyed the key United stated naval base in cavity, forcing the United stated Asiatic fleet to abandon Manila bay as a base of operations. American control of the sea was thus also lost in the first few day of the war. As Manila itself was bombed, panic ensued. Civilians evacuated Manila, looting took place, and bank runs occurred. The innocence of the so-called “peacetime” era vanished quickly.