Mighty Eighth Podcast
@mighty8thpod.bsky.social
Remarkable stories about the People, Planes & Places of the US 8th Army Airforce during WW2. With @johanntasker and @mikehistorian
If you like our Mighty Eighth podcast series, perhaps you might enjoy listening to some live narrative? Mike is talking about the exploits of the 381st BG this month. Join him on 21st October - details below:
October 17, 2025 at 9:40 AM
If you like our Mighty Eighth podcast series, perhaps you might enjoy listening to some live narrative? Mike is talking about the exploits of the 381st BG this month. Join him on 21st October - details below:
Our next podcast is focused on the fateful raid on Kassel on 27 September 1944. The 445th BG suffered heavy casualties that day - the most by a single BG in a single mission. Watch out for our next release in advance of the anniversary.
September 16, 2025 at 11:02 AM
Our next podcast is focused on the fateful raid on Kassel on 27 September 1944. The 445th BG suffered heavy casualties that day - the most by a single BG in a single mission. Watch out for our next release in advance of the anniversary.
As part of our recording yesterday, we visited the wartime headquarters of the 2nd Air Bombardment Division, 8th USAAF, at Ketteringham Hall in Norfolk. It's so good to see the memorial plaque still in place.
August 9, 2025 at 8:26 AM
As part of our recording yesterday, we visited the wartime headquarters of the 2nd Air Bombardment Division, 8th USAAF, at Ketteringham Hall in Norfolk. It's so good to see the memorial plaque still in place.
We are recording a new podcast today. We will be in Norfolk telling the dramatic story of the 445th BG and the Kassel raid on 27 September 1944. The 445th flew into a ferocious air battle that cost all, but four of the thirty-five Liberators that began the mission. The greatest one day loss to a BG.
August 8, 2025 at 9:10 AM
We are recording a new podcast today. We will be in Norfolk telling the dramatic story of the 445th BG and the Kassel raid on 27 September 1944. The 445th flew into a ferocious air battle that cost all, but four of the thirty-five Liberators that began the mission. The greatest one day loss to a BG.
1st August 1943 - The USAAF launches a huge force of B24 Liberator bombers from Benghazi in Libya. Their mission to carry out an audacious low-level strike against the heavily defended Ploesti oilfields in Romania. Hear the dramatic story here:
open.spotify.com/episode/4niqBg…
open.spotify.com/episode/4niqBg…
July 31, 2025 at 7:32 PM
1st August 1943 - The USAAF launches a huge force of B24 Liberator bombers from Benghazi in Libya. Their mission to carry out an audacious low-level strike against the heavily defended Ploesti oilfields in Romania. Hear the dramatic story here:
open.spotify.com/episode/4niqBg…
open.spotify.com/episode/4niqBg…
Standby to Scramble! Our new podcast on the RAF Eagle Squadrons will be live soon. We look at the American Pilots that flew for the RAF and how the Eagle Squadrons joined the fledgling US Eighth Airforce.
July 14, 2025 at 2:03 PM
Standby to Scramble! Our new podcast on the RAF Eagle Squadrons will be live soon. We look at the American Pilots that flew for the RAF and how the Eagle Squadrons joined the fledgling US Eighth Airforce.
We are back online recording new podcasts! Our next episode pre-dates the arrival of Ira Eaker and his advance party in England. We are looking at the American airmen that joined the RAF Eagle Squadrons. It's absolutely fascinating stuff...
June 27, 2025 at 6:15 PM
We are back online recording new podcasts! Our next episode pre-dates the arrival of Ira Eaker and his advance party in England. We are looking at the American airmen that joined the RAF Eagle Squadrons. It's absolutely fascinating stuff...
We were out and about recording a new podcast today. It was a lovely day, and we had time to call in and pay our respects at the 34th BG Memorial in Mendlesham. It's a beautifully maintained memorial relocated from the roadside to the village churchyard.
June 27, 2025 at 6:14 PM
We were out and about recording a new podcast today. It was a lovely day, and we had time to call in and pay our respects at the 34th BG Memorial in Mendlesham. It's a beautifully maintained memorial relocated from the roadside to the village churchyard.
Mike's been away leading the National WWII Museum Masters of the Air tour, but he is back now. We will resume our programme of Mighty8thPod episodes soon! Stay tuned for updates.
May 9, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Mike's been away leading the National WWII Museum Masters of the Air tour, but he is back now. We will resume our programme of Mighty8thPod episodes soon! Stay tuned for updates.
Check out our refreshed Mighty 8th podcast logo wherever you download your episodes. We are keen to hear your views on the retro look...
May 8, 2025 at 9:11 AM
Check out our refreshed Mighty 8th podcast logo wherever you download your episodes. We are keen to hear your views on the retro look...
Following on after our Op Tidal Wave episode. Here's how the raid was viewed in the days that followed...
February 21, 2025 at 2:44 PM
Following on after our Op Tidal Wave episode. Here's how the raid was viewed in the days that followed...
We have had lots of requests for recommendations for further reading on Tidal Wave. The 3 books below are all good accounts. If you just want a good overview, start with the Osprey.
February 18, 2025 at 2:19 PM
We have had lots of requests for recommendations for further reading on Tidal Wave. The 3 books below are all good accounts. If you just want a good overview, start with the Osprey.
Thank you to everyone who downloaded our Operation Tidal Wave podcast. We have received some very positive listener feedback. It really was a daring plan carried out with bravery and skill. We hope our podcast is a fitting tribute to the B24 crews that flew from Benghazi.
February 18, 2025 at 12:15 PM
Thank you to everyone who downloaded our Operation Tidal Wave podcast. We have received some very positive listener feedback. It really was a daring plan carried out with bravery and skill. We hope our podcast is a fitting tribute to the B24 crews that flew from Benghazi.
So, Mike had a long car journey to Anfield and back last week. He listened to the audio book "I Flew For The Fuhrer". It was a real pleasure to get reacquainted with Heinz Knoke's unvarnished and insightful memoir. It really does give the view from the other side of Air battle. Highly recommended...
February 9, 2025 at 11:10 AM
So, Mike had a long car journey to Anfield and back last week. He listened to the audio book "I Flew For The Fuhrer". It was a real pleasure to get reacquainted with Heinz Knoke's unvarnished and insightful memoir. It really does give the view from the other side of Air battle. Highly recommended...
We are editing our Op Tidal Wave podcast this week. The Ploesti mission was a spectacular raid by the US 9th Airforce using B24 Liberator BGs at extremely low-level was audacious. Tune in soon to hear our account of events in August 1943.
February 5, 2025 at 10:14 PM
We are editing our Op Tidal Wave podcast this week. The Ploesti mission was a spectacular raid by the US 9th Airforce using B24 Liberator BGs at extremely low-level was audacious. Tune in soon to hear our account of events in August 1943.
What a great addition to the 93rd BG Museum collection. On arrival in Libya before Op Tidal Wave, USAAF personnel were issued British desert clothing. Here is a BD tunic worn by a 93rd BG Airman. It was amazing to see it up close while we recorded our Ploesti podcast.
February 1, 2025 at 12:13 PM
What a great addition to the 93rd BG Museum collection. On arrival in Libya before Op Tidal Wave, USAAF personnel were issued British desert clothing. Here is a BD tunic worn by a 93rd BG Airman. It was amazing to see it up close while we recorded our Ploesti podcast.
We are just back from recording our first podcast of 2025. Thanks to the team at the 93rd BG Airfield Museum at Hardwick for their hospitality today. We shared a great day talking about the 4 Liberator Bomb Groups involved in Operation Tidal Wave on 1 August 1943.
January 30, 2025 at 6:06 PM
We are just back from recording our first podcast of 2025. Thanks to the team at the 93rd BG Airfield Museum at Hardwick for their hospitality today. We shared a great day talking about the 4 Liberator Bomb Groups involved in Operation Tidal Wave on 1 August 1943.
We are back online recording an exciting series of new podcasts for 2025. We are starting off with Operation Tidal Wave, the dramatic low-level mission to knock out the Ploesti oilfields in Romania. Watch this space for updates...
January 16, 2025 at 11:55 AM
We are back online recording an exciting series of new podcasts for 2025. We are starting off with Operation Tidal Wave, the dramatic low-level mission to knock out the Ploesti oilfields in Romania. Watch this space for updates...
This was Mike's Mighty Eighth read over Christmas. It's a comprehensive history of VIII Fighter Command during WWII. Superbly written, it gives so much detail and, most importantly, wider context. Thoroughly recommended to Mighty8thPod listeners.
January 8, 2025 at 5:57 PM
This was Mike's Mighty Eighth read over Christmas. It's a comprehensive history of VIII Fighter Command during WWII. Superbly written, it gives so much detail and, most importantly, wider context. Thoroughly recommended to Mighty8thPod listeners.
If you like traditional Christmas movies with a WWII thread, take a look at The Shepherd on Disney. Written by Frederick Forsyth, it's a great Christmas tale with a twist. The featuredcaircraft are brilliant, and one of the pilots is a surprise cameo appearance. It's a short, enjoyable movie.
December 16, 2024 at 11:32 AM
If you like traditional Christmas movies with a WWII thread, take a look at The Shepherd on Disney. Written by Frederick Forsyth, it's a great Christmas tale with a twist. The featuredcaircraft are brilliant, and one of the pilots is a surprise cameo appearance. It's a short, enjoyable movie.
80 years ago today. A USAAF Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman departed RAF Twinwood Farm, Bedfordshire, and disappeared in bad weather while flying over the English Channel. On board was American Big Band musician, Glenn Miller, who was going to play for US troops in Paris.
December 15, 2024 at 12:19 PM
80 years ago today. A USAAF Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman departed RAF Twinwood Farm, Bedfordshire, and disappeared in bad weather while flying over the English Channel. On board was American Big Band musician, Glenn Miller, who was going to play for US troops in Paris.
We wish all of our American friends and followers a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving. This photograph taken from Life Magazine captures the spirit of friendship between the men and women of the Mighty Eighth and their British hosts in wartime.
November 28, 2024 at 12:19 PM
We wish all of our American friends and followers a happy and peaceful Thanksgiving. This photograph taken from Life Magazine captures the spirit of friendship between the men and women of the Mighty Eighth and their British hosts in wartime.
We are working on our next podcast, the daring low-level raid on the ploiești oilfields. We will be telling the story of the B24 Liberator Squadrons tasked with disrupting Hitler's oil supply. It was an amazing raid in the same summer as the RAF Dams mission.
November 17, 2024 at 10:04 PM
We are working on our next podcast, the daring low-level raid on the ploiești oilfields. We will be telling the story of the B24 Liberator Squadrons tasked with disrupting Hitler's oil supply. It was an amazing raid in the same summer as the RAF Dams mission.
This poster was shared today by the American Library in nearby Norwich, England. It marks another important aspect of Anglo/American relations. We will also be highlighting this very important day with a new and appropriate Mighty Eighth podcast.
November 11, 2024 at 10:13 AM
This poster was shared today by the American Library in nearby Norwich, England. It marks another important aspect of Anglo/American relations. We will also be highlighting this very important day with a new and appropriate Mighty Eighth podcast.
Standby for a new Mighty Eighth podcast in the next 24 hours! To mark remembrance in both the UK and the US, we are releasing, 'No Man Left Behind' the story of a single B17 - The Little Boy Blue. In a remarkable podcast, we feature crew relatives, crash witnesses, and UK veteran archaeologists.
November 10, 2024 at 8:50 PM
Standby for a new Mighty Eighth podcast in the next 24 hours! To mark remembrance in both the UK and the US, we are releasing, 'No Man Left Behind' the story of a single B17 - The Little Boy Blue. In a remarkable podcast, we feature crew relatives, crash witnesses, and UK veteran archaeologists.