German synthetic oil plant bombed out by allies.

German synthetic oil plant bombed out by allies. Oil and tank cars lie on their sides after being blown from a track at the Leuna synthetic plant near Merseburg, Germany, during an Allied air attack. The blasted plant, third largest in the Reich, is a graphic example of why Nazi oil production had dropped by 1945 to only 10 per cent of its level of early 1944, when the combined Eighth U.S. Air Force and RAF assault on German oil industries was launched. More than 400 anti-aircraft guns made Merseburg one of the most dangerous sectors in Germany for Allied airmen. One of the most savage air battles of the war was fought over the area November 2, 1944, when the Luftwaffe made an unsuccesful attempt to prevent U.S. bombers from blasting the Leuna plant. Excorting American fighter planes beat off the Luftwaffe, the largest enemy force of planes encountered for many months.