 Six Filipino fighter pilots of the 6th Pursuit Squadron on Boeing P-26A "Peashooter" fighter planes, led by Captain Jesús Villamor, engaged the numerically superior enemy in aerial combat at .Several dogfights ensued as Villamor and his men fought desperately to prevent the pack of bombers and their fighter escorts from reaching and bombing Lipa Airfield.Lieutenant Basa, who was already two hours airborne on an air-reconnaissance mission, rushed to the scene and attempted to join the aerial engagement with only 15 minutes' worth of fuel left on his P-26.