The 41st Fighter Squadron, calling themselves the Beavers, deployed to Tsile Tsile in late 1943. They were flying Airacobras at the time, and one is seen here being salvaged after a take-off mishap.

Shortly after arriving there, the pilots received orders to conduct a dive-bombing mission against enemy troops in the Bogadjim area. None had ever trained in such techniques and lively discussion ensued on how to best do the job. Several had recently seen a movie in which the hero had lifted his gunsight one radian for an almost vertical dive. They collectively decided to raise their sights three 'rads' which they estimated gave five hundred feet for a clear pull-out. Under the Airacobras belly-tank mounts, armorers attached 500pound bombs instead, and sixteen Beavers headed toward the Finesterre Ranges. A red-pencilled circle on the map fitted the hill description, so the muddy machines proceeded to do their stuff. Belly tank release handles served as bomb releases, and each dive was followed by an Immelmann to complete a day of exhilarating flying. The jungle canopy below was so thick that none saw the bombs explode however, and by nightfall they had almost forgotten about the incident, reflecting on what a crazy way it was to win a war.

A few days later several bottles of whiskey were unloaded from a visiting C-47, addressed to the squadron's commanding officer. The cargo, consigned from an Australian Major-General, was accompanied with a thank-you note. It explained that their efforts had shattered a key enemy gun position, thus facilitating seizure of the hill by his "diggers" - Aussie vernacular for their own troops

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