"Alcohol Busters of Formosa" — On May 29, 1945, 1/Lt. Fred L. Paveglio and his wingman, 1/Lt. L.T. Wilhelm, led a critical assault with their B-25J Mitchells on the Tairin Alcohol Plant located on Formosa. Guided by precise instructions from their navigator, 2/Lt. Albert C. West, the pilots descended to attack altitude, delivering a devastating strafing run across the Tairin complex before releasing a salvo of six 500-pound parademos.
This artwork captures the scene just five seconds after the bombs hit, showing the massive secondary explosion that sent debris soaring above the plant. Simultaneously, the ignited alcohol storage tanks erupted into a towering fireball, shooting flames 800 feet into the sky. During the spring and summer of 1945, the 38th Bomb Group became so effective in targeting and obliterating Formosa's fuel alcohol facilities that they earned the moniker “Alcohol Busters of Formosa.”
