Japanese missions against Tacloban and Tacloban Airfield
October 24, 1944–January 3, 1945

October 24, 1944
(JAAF) Japanese aircraft from the 2nd Air Division strike eastern Leyte in three phases with an estimated 150-200 planes mostly twin engine bombers targeted U.S. shipping off Leyte. U.S. intercepted with 40 Combat Air Patrol (CAP) and ten direct support planes abd claimed 66 shot down and 18 probables. A damaged FM-2 Wildcat crashed on Tacloban Airfield.

October 27, 1944
(JAAF) During the evening and night, twelve Japanese fighters and dive bombers drop 100 pound bombs int he vicinity of Tacloban and tried repeatedly to strafe Tacloban Airfield with attacks continuing just before midingt and continued until dawn on October 28, 1944.

October 28, 1944
(JAAF) In the early morning hours, air raids continue with nine raids between 2332 and 0125 with two to four planes each and between 0340 to 0450 three raids with two to four planes each. Between 0454 to 0555 five planes made attacks in the Tacloban area and the runway was frequently "well illuminated" by burning planes shot down.

November 24, 1944
(JAAF) Japanese air raid against destroys a parked F-5 Lightning from 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron (8th PRS) at Tacloban Airifeld.

November 26, 1944
(JAAF) Three Japanese attempted an unsuccessful airbone landing at Tacloban Airifeld.

December 6, 1944
(JAAF) During Operation Te the Japanese paratrooper and commando assault against U.S. airfields in eastern Leyte. At roughly 6:00pm, Tacloban Airfield was notified Japanese paratroopers had landed at nearby Buri Airfield and San Pablo Airfield and to expect an attack. Without any ground defense, the ground personnel were organized to form an ad hoc defensive force including gunners manning turrets of parked planes. While landing, a U.S. Navy PB4Y-1 Liberator 38816 pilot Lt(jg) Jeff D. Hemphill from VPB-104 suffered a nose wheel failure and was towed by a cletrac tractor off the runway onto the beach to allow F6F Hellcats in the landing pattern waiting to land.

Meanwhile, a Ki-57 Topsy entered the landing pattern with lading lights on and was assumed to be a friendly plane. When the first F6F Hellcat landed, it cut one of the landing light wires causing them to go out as the Japanese plane entered the base leg and prepared to land wheels up to land but an alert anti-aircraft gunner noticed the engines did not have lower exhaust stacks and was enemy and opened fire with his 40mm anti-aircraft gun and scored hits. Damaged, the Topsy caught fire and crash landed into parked Corsairs, bounced then crashed into other planes including a grader and the cletrac used to tow the bomber minutes earlier. As the plane burned, secondary explosions followed from the ammunitions and demolition charges aboard carried by commandos as every American nearby fired small arms into the burning wreckage. Aboard, one Japanese survived the crash and was on fire and attempted to pull out a pistol before being knocked down by Captain Rolland T. Fischer and died. No other Japanese aboard were deemed to have survived but ground personnel remained jittery. Afterwards, the burning wreckage of the Topsy was bulldozed onto the beach and abandoned.

January 3, 1945
(JAAF) At dawn as four Hellcats from VMF(N)-541 were taking off, a Japanese plane arrived over Tacloban and strafed the edge of the runway and set fire to parked planes including nine Avengers and nine Venturas and caused explosions and confusion on the ground.

References
History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II (1952) pages 276 (November 26, 1944 raid)
Ken's Men Against The Empire Vol II (2019) pages 185-186 (December 6-7, 1944, photos of Topsy wreckage)
U.S. Army in World War II Leyte: The Return to the Philippines Chapter VI The Japanese Reaction pages 86-88 (October 24, 1944)
The Eight Ballers: Eyes of the Fifth Air Force (1999) page 101 (November 24, 1944 air raid)
Ten Days to Kamikaze – Part VII – Mass Japanese Attacks by Richard Dunn