Editing Del Monte Airfield (section)

===November 1941===
In mid-November 1941, with the creation of the FEAF, General [[Douglas MacArthur]] approved the expansion of Del Monte into a heavy bomber base for the [[7th Operations Group|7th Bombardment Group]], projected to arrive in early December. His plans, MacArthur told the Chief of Staff on 29 November, called ultimately for more bomber bases in the [[Visayas]] to accommodate three additional groups, but since funds for construction of runways for such bases could not be immediately allocated, he agreed to use the field at Del Monte.<ref name="Edmonds"/>

On 21 November Col. [[Harold H. George]], acting in place of FEAF commander Maj. Gen. [[Lewis H. Brereton]] while he was in Australia trying to arrange support bases for his air force, sent the newly arrived 5th Air Base Group to Del Monte in two inter-island steamers to hurry construction. Work on the field was rushed and by 5 December it was able to accommodate heavy bombers.<ref name="Edmonds"/>

Two runways were built: No. 1 (main runway) and No. 2 (pursuit). A golf course was used as a third auxiliary strip. Additional dispersal airstrips were built over the next few months at Dalirig near Del Monte, Malaybalay, Maramag, and Valencia.<ref>* [http://www.pacificwrecks.com www.pacificwrecks.com Del Monte Airfield]</ref>

On the morning of 4 December, after the only operational FEAF radar site detected Japanese weather reconnaissance flights on several successive nights, MacArthur's headquarters ordered the 19th BG to be moved out of range of direct attack. However Brereton decided to send only half of the 35 B-17s at Clark Field to Del Monte because the latter could accommodate only six squadrons and the 7th BG was expected to arrive soon.<ref name="Edmonds"/><ref name="Salecker">Salecker (2001), Fortress Against The Sun: The B-17 Flying Fortress In The Pacific, Da Capo Press; First edition, {{ISBN|1580970494}}</ref>

Orders were issued on 5 December to move the 16 B-17s of the [[14th Bombardment Squadron|14th]] and [[93d Bombardment Squadron]]s from Clark to Del Monte. Since there were no barracks built at Del Monte yet, and intending to remain only 72 hours, the bombers were filled with tents, cots, blankets and rations. The men also took only what they needed, some toiletries and a few changes of uniform. The aircraft flew down singly on the night of 5–6 December, circling at the end of their 4-hour flight before being permitted to land at dawn (5 December in the United States) at Del Monte No. 1, just completed the day before. Materiel to support the arrival of the 7th BG was not scheduled to leave Luzon until 10 December.<ref name="Salecker"/>