After Pearl Harbor, priority was given to the War in Europe and US forces poured into the ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ – Great Britain. From the team behind FlyPast magazine, Mighty Eighth is a 100-page special souvenir edition which celebrates the men, their machines and the airfields they flew from. For the first time, using an innovative base-by-base reference guide, it examines all aspects of American air power in Britain in World War Two and the ‘Cold War’.
Features include:
All operational airfields, detailing the units and aircraft that flew from them
Profiles of the major combat aircraft of World War Two
Fighter ‘aces’ and leading personalities
Colour schemes, unit markings and camouflage
Traces of history: discovering former airfields and the clues left behind
Museums large and small, memorials and other visitor attractions
and much more!
Mighty Eighth is AVAILABLE NOW for just £4.99 from WHSmith and other leading newsagents. Alternatively, order your copy with FREE P&P* from our online shop or download a digital version here.
Key Magazine subscriber? Call (0)1780 480404 to claim your £1 special discount!
By: The Bump - 23rd March 2013 at 16:41
Thank you, I stand corrected.
It’s a concern that I spotted a couple of those errors whilst on an initial casual first browse through.
How many more on closer inspection?
By: Pyker - 21st March 2013 at 23:52
No, it was three Groups that shared codes. 1stFG codes used by 56thFG, 31stFG used by 78thFG and 52ndFG used by 4thFG. George Loving’s 42-106538 WZ-D was issued to the 31stFG on 22 March 1944 and was lost on 29 May 1944 with Thomas Howell, 309th FS, 31st FG becoming a POW. There really is no excuse for such shoddy research in a publication aimed at enthusiasts. I wouldn’t mind so much if the black/white check noses of the 78th weren’t well known.
I could also mention the completely wrong entry for Mount Farm, home to the 7th PRG and not the 13th, the incorrect codes given for two squadrons in 364th FG, the ridiculous statement that the 370th FS/359thFG used CR codes for P-47s and CS codes for P-51s, when the code change was competed by 26th March and they did not fly their first P-51 mission until 6 May. I could go on but will leave it to others more expert than I in respect of the other units although even I take issue over the photo of a 67th PRG F-6B at Middle Wallop when it is almost certainly with the 10th PRG at St. Dizier, France.
When one thinks that this will possibly become a work of reference in some quarters, it is a slur on the memory of the men who servend in the units so poorly represented.
By: The Bump - 19th March 2013 at 14:45
Excellent guide to the airfields, but what’s with the profiles?
A “Blue” Lou IV? OK, that’s open for debate in a few circles still but the Mustang profile on P28??
Not only is it not 78th FG but it’s not even 8TH USAAF. It’s not even ETO!
Hmmm, just spotted that too, and the wrongly captioned A-10 pic on page 94.
Think the Mustang confusion arose from the fact that two ETO units shared squadron codes with two MTO units.
The 31st FG shared the 78th FG codes………..playing devils advocate, maybe the P-51 on page 28 had previously served with the 31st?:dev2:
By: J Boyle - 16th March 2013 at 02:03
The nightfighter war!There is so much that has not been covered about the other side…It would make for very interesting reading.
“The Nightfighter war….”
Obviously, it had limited impact anagist 8th AF Bomber Command.
But your point is well taken, more information on German defense would be welcome.
But that does lead me to a question I’ve had for awhile and have never gotten answered…did night raids really give the RAF Bomber Command the hoped for cover?
The more I learn about Bomber Command and its losses, the more I question whether night missions really provided much protection.
Obviously, a comparison of USAAF and RAF loss rates would have to be carefully done…and it may not even be possible to avoid and “apple vs oranges” comparison…but it might be a worth while effort.
By: NIGHTFIGHTER - 16th March 2013 at 01:47
Great guide got mine today. But i wish someone would do a mag about the other side. What tactics did the Luftwaffe use against such well armed formations? How did the German air defence system develope? The nightfighter war! What impact did the introduction of jet fighters have on the bomber offensive….There is so much that has not been covered about the other side…It would make for very interesting reading.
By: lampie - 15th March 2013 at 21:14
P-51 profile on P28
Excellent guide to the airfields, but what’s with the profiles?
A “Blue” Lou IV? OK, that’s open for debate in a few circles still but the Mustang profile on P28??
Not only is it not 78th FG but it’s not even 8TH USAAF. It’s not even ETO!
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March 15, 2013 at 11:39 am