The Air Raid siren sounded at 0742, and three minutes later, like clockwork, the first big bomb on Nichols gave our whole house a good shake. A total of 7 big bombs were dropped on the airfields in the first 15 minutes. I couldn't see the planes but I could hear them — not any antiaircraft. At 0812, a shiny-aluminum plane flying in a group of seven got hit and went into a tailspin. I doubt if the pilot knew what hit him.

A second wave arrived at 0815. I counted 26 planes, mostly in pairs, crisscrossing directly overhead and heading for the Bay and Port Area. Once again, the pom-poms of Japanese warships started chanting madly. I was looking out of Joe's window when the concussion of a large bomb at Nielson blew me back a foot! It felt like the heaviest bomb yet.

After a moment of quiet at 0826, antiaircraft opened up again against an approaching flight of 50 or so planes.... This third wave is a scattered but persistent affair. There's a wave over the Bay now ... I hear enough of a roar to guess about 20 to 30 motors.

During a lull, I ducked into the shower and missed a flight of planes that overflew us at low altitude. I finished in time to see three planes strafe Nichols. I went to Maurice's at 1030 and watched a rather dull raid. Perhaps 150 planes all told showed up over Manila today. The Grace Park airfield on the north side of Manila got a going-over. I didn't see any Japanese planes but heard their motors warming up at Camp Murphy at 1730.

Radio Tokyo reported that a raid of about 70 B-29s on that city a little after noon resulted in "negligible damage," apart from "a few fires" that were rapidly put out. The 2-1/2 hour bombing was from "an extremely high altitude of 9,000 to 10,000 meters." Daihon-ei in the Tribune claimed three B-29s were shot down.

Sison issued a circular to church officials appealing to them for cooperation and help in enforcing the laws of "these crucial times."