PODCAST · history
The Mighty Eighth Podcast
by Johann Tasker & Mike Peters
Amazing True Stories about the People, Planes & Places of the US Eighth Army Air Force during World War Two Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
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Operation Aphrodite: the war's most dangerous experiment
In this episode, we tell the story of Operation Aphrodite – the top secret missions against Hitler’s vengeance weapons – the terrifying V1 flying bombs and V2 rockets which devastated London in 1944 and 1945. Join us as we take you on the journey – from beginning to end – right up to the present...
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Six minutes of slaughter: The Kassel Mission
The Kassel mission of 27 September 1944 was one of the most devastating raids of the war – not because of the bombs dropped but because of the aircrew and planes lost. Some 35 B-24 Liberators from the 445th Bomb Group took from Tibenham airfield in Norfolk to bomb the Henschel tank works in the...
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Silver Wings: 80th anniversary of the end of WWII
A special episode previewing Silver Wings – a new project honouring the influence of the United States Eighth Army Air Force during World War Two – and its impact on communities in the East of England. Presented by The Forum in partnership with the American Memorial Library in Norwich (UK)…
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Eagle Squadrons: American Pilots in Britain’s War
Meet the American pilots who defied their country's neutrality to fly for the RAF in WW2. In this Wings of Defiance episode, we tell the story of the Eagle Squadrons – American volunteer pilots who joined the Royal Air Force before the USA joined the war. We explain how pilots were recruited and...
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Operation Tidal Wave: Bombing Hitler's oil supply
It was one of the most audacious air attacks of World War II – a low-level raid designed to cut off Hitler's fuel supply by bombing the Ploesti oil refineries in Romania. Taking place on Sunday, August 1, 1943, Operation Tidal Wave saw five B-24 Liberator bomb groups take off from Libya and fly…
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Bonus Episode: Ops Normal - Britain's Army Air Corps
A special bonus episode about Ops Normal – the authorised operational history of Britain's Army Air Corps by John Greenacre and Mike Peters, co-host of the Mighty Eighth Podcast. Since its formation in 1957, the Army Air Corps has played a prominent role in almost every British Army operation in...
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No man left behind: the story of Little Boy Blue
It was a mission which started just like any other: but it ended when the B-17 Flying Fortress "Little Boy Blue" crashed into a farmer's field in Suffolk, England. Eight of the ten air crew were killed that day – and 80 years on, we join their families in that very same field to honour their...
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Fighter Escort: The P-51 Mustang
Just how much of a game changer was the North American P-51 Mustang fighter plane in the battle for air supremacy in the skies over Europe? We find out in this episode, with a visit to Bottisham Airfield Museum – home to the 361st Fighter Group in Cambridgeshire. We look at the development of the...
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Night of the Intruders
In this episode, we tell the story of the Night of the Intruders, when Luftwaffe fighters followed a stream of American B-24 Liberator bombers back to England and shot them out of the sky as they tried to land. It was a disastrous end to Mission 311, which took place on 22 April, 1944, less than...
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Target Berlin
In this episode, we tell the story of the first American daylight bombing raid over Berlin, which took place on March 4, 1944. The mission was led by the 95th Bomb Group – the only Eighth Air Force Bomb Group to receive the Distinguished Unit Citation three times. We visit the Red Feather Club at...
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Battle of the Bombers
In this episode, we visit the American Air Museum at Duxford for a hotly contested debate: which was the best WW2 heavy bomber? Was it the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress or was it the Consolidated B-24 Liberator? The museum is home to the biggest collection of American military aircraft on public...
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Masters of the Air
The 100th Bomb Group is probably the most famous bomb group of them all – and the focus of the Stephen Spielberg / Tom Hanks TV mini-series Masters of the Air. Nicknamed the Bloody Hundredth, it had a 'bad luck' reputation, sustaining heavy losses of men and planes on numerous disastrous…
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'Everything that will fly'
The 'maximum effort' mission on Christmas Eve 1944 was the biggest ever by the Eighth Air Force. This was the Mighty Eighth's 760th mission – with 2,046 heavy bombers and 853 fighters taking to the sky. It meant "everything that can fly, will fly" as the USAAF entered the Battle of the Bulge to...
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The Pathfinder Mystery
In this episode, we visit the crash site of a top-secret B-17 Flying Fortress which went down soon after take-off in November 1943. The B-17F Flying Fortress 42-5793 was among the most secret aircraft of its kind – one of the first American bombers fitted with a new type of radar. The plane…
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Schweinfurt-Regensburg - August 17, 1943
It was the Mighty Eighth's most ambitious mission yet: a twin-strike into the heart of Nazi Germany. This dual-pronged raid on August 17, 1943, saw more than 350 B-17 bombers despatched to bomb the cities of Schweinfurt and Regensburg. The goal was to strike a major blow against the Nazi war...
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The Ultimate Sacrifice
In this episode, we pay tribute to the thousands of Americans who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War Two while fighting for freedom. We do so by visiting Cambridge American Cemetery in eastern England, which commemorates almost 9,000 American personnel. We tell the stories of some of...
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Anatomy of a Mission
Just how do you put hundreds of B17 Flying Fortresses into the sky, send them on a bombing mission over occupied Europe – and then bring them home again? In this episode, we find out during a visit to USAAF Station 153 (Framlingham) – home to the 390th Bomb Group during World War Two. We visit…
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The Bomb Run
Welcome to the Mighty 8th Podcast – the podcast about the people, planes and places of the United States Eighth Army Air Force. In this very first episode, we visit Grafton Underwood – where B-17 bombers took to the skies for the very first America-led mission over occupied Europe in World War…
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Mighty Eighth Podcast have?
The Mighty Eighth Podcast currently has 18 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Mighty Eighth Podcast about?
Amazing True Stories about the People, Planes & Places of the US Eighth Army Air Force during World War Two Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How often does The Mighty Eighth Podcast release new episodes?
The Mighty Eighth Podcast has 18 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to The Mighty Eighth Podcast?
You can listen to The Mighty Eighth Podcast on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Mighty Eighth Podcast?
The Mighty Eighth Podcast is created and hosted by Johann Tasker & Mike Peters.
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