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 German city of Kassel. But only four of those planes returned home safely.

It was the greatest single-day loss to a single bomb group from a single airfield in aviation warfare history – all within six minutes.

In this episode, we follow the mission from Norfolk over the skies of occupied Europe to discover what went wrong – and what happened to the aircrew involved.

We visit Ketteringham Hall, the headquarters of the Second Air Division in eastern England; and Tibenham airfield – which is still an active airfield today.

This episode includes edited excerpts of archive interviews with 445th Bomb Group pilot Web Uebelhoer and bombardier George M Collar, courtesy of the Dzenowagis family YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/@2nd.Air.Division.8thUSAAF.

The FULL interview with Web Uebelhoer is here: https://youtu.be/SE_Y9AoLhJ0?si=_Lx5UtP4VIrLUii1&t=498

The FULL interview with George M Collar is here: https://youtu.be/Jc8RPBAHlFA?si=PGLr4O9glaPbE4PO&t=559

For copies of Eric Ratcliffe's book The Kassel Raid, please visit Amazon USA or Amazon UK, depending on your location.

For more information about the Kassel Mission, please do visit the Kassel Mission Historical Society website.

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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), Silver Wings shines a spotlight on the stories of American servicemen and women stationed in Norfolk.

This 10-day exhibition and event series runs from 12-21 September 2025 as part of Heritage Open Days – England's largest community-led festival of history and culture.

For full details and the programme of events, please visit theforumnorwich.co.uk/silver-wings.

The Joe Dzenowagis YouTube channel is at www.youtube.com/@2nd.Air.Division.8thUSAAF.

With grateful thanks to Orla Kennelly, Joe Dzenowagis and Julie Mathien.

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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 how what they did was technically illegal because the USA was neural in the conflict.

We take a trip to Little America and the site of the former US embassy in London's Mayfair.

And we follow in the footsteps of the Eagle Squadron pilots at an airfield in England – still working today after 80 years.

With thanks to Peter Gardner and Jack Holloway of North Weald Airfield Museum – well worth a visit.

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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 in complete radio silence across the Mediterranean towards their target.

In this episode, we tell the story of the mission – from conception to completion.

We delve into the tactics, get to grips with the personalities involved and look at the effectiveness of one of the most daring and ambitious raraids carried out by the United States Army Air Force (USAAF).

For photos and more information about Operation Tidal Wave, visit the episode page on the Mighty Eighth Podcast website.

With special thanks to David Pratt, Kerry Wilmot, Paul Thrower, the Woodrow family and Hardwick Airfield Museum.

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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 modern times.

A comprehensive operational history of the Army Air Corps experience, the book provides a unique insight into the aircraft deployed and the experiences of the men and women involved.

Covering the years 1957 to 2017, it captures the pace of change and turbulence as a small embryonic corps of aviators evolved into the fully fledged combat arm of today.

The book Ops Normal can be purchased from:

• Helion & Company (UK Publishers)
• Army Flying Museum (UK)
• Amazon

For regular listeners, further episodes of the Mighty Eighth Podcast are in the pipeline and due to be released in early 2025.

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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 memory.

We speak to Brian Cracknell – one of the last remaining eye-witnesses of the Little Boy Blue air crash just outside the village of Thurston, near Bury St Edmunds.

We’re also joined by archaeologists who have been excavating the crash site and local farmer Stephen Honeywood to unveil a memorial to those who served.

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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 Mustang – and how an American airframe matched with a Rolls Royce Merlin engine helped change the face of the air war.

We tell the story of 361st FG commanding officer Colonel Jack Christian, great-grandson of American Civil War General Stonewall Jackson.

And we discover what life was like for fighter pilot Edward Marevka, who was shot down, captured and taken prisoner of war – with his family back home wondering about his fate.

With very special thanks to podcast guest Jason Webb, chairman and trustee of Bottisham Airfield Museum, which is well worth a visit.

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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 two months before D-Day.

The raid saw 824 Mighty Eighth bombers target the nerve centre of the Third Reich's railway system at Hamm, in Germany's north-east Ruhr.

We experience the mission through the eyes of George Glevanik, of the 448th Bomb Group, stationed at Seething, south-east of Norwich.

We visit Seething Church of St Margaret & St Remigius, which includes a memorial to the 448th BG; and Seething Control Tower Museum, which includes artefacts from the Night of the Intruders.

We examine what went right – and what went wrong – and why the Mighty Eighth attacked Hamm in the evening, rather than sticking to its tried-and-tested strategy of bombing in broad daylight.

Our special podcast guest is author, historian and aviation archaeologist Ian McLachlan, whose book 'Night of the Intruders' is published by Pen & Sword.

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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 Horham in Suffolk – including the Blue Lounge dance hall, Brad's Bar and the 95th Bomb Group museum.

We find out why the 95th Bomb Group pushed ahead with the Berlin raid – despite a recall order which saw other planes turn back.

And we discuss the strategy behind the mission – and how it helped the Allies achieve air supremacy, paving the way for D-Day three months later.

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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 display outside the USA.

And it is the only place in the UK where you can stand side by side between a Fortress and a Liberator.

We discuss the merits – and sometimes fatal flaws – of both iconic planes with museum curator Dr Hattie Hearn.

We debate their armaments, their bomb loads – and the ability of each aircraft to successfully complete a mission and return home.

And we find out what it was like for the crew during combat – including inside the ball turret.

The museum stands as a memorial to the 30,000 American servicemen and women who died while flying from Britain between 1942 and 1945.

Their names appear on a special digital Roll of Honour, which draws names and photographs from the museum archive into the exhibition space. 

Please do subscribe to the Mighty Eighth Podcast wherever you listen to your podcasts – and if you like what you hear, please do leave us a review.

To contact Johann and Mike, please email [email protected].

You can also contact us via our website at www.mighty8thpodcast.com and on X at www.twitter.com/mighty8thpod.

With very special thanks to the American Air Museum for welcoming us and allowing us to record this episode.

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