Allied bombers wipe out Nazi oil plant near Magdeburg.

Allied bombers wipe out Nazi oil plant near Magdeburg. High Nazi officials are shown speaking at the elaborate ceremonies in 1937 dedicating the new synthetic oil refinery constructed by the Braunkohle Benzine A.G. at Rothensee, a suburb of Magdeburg, Germany. This plant was destroyed during the Spring of 1945 by RAF and Eight U.S. Air Force planes in a series of strategie bombinh attacks directed at enemy oil resources. In 13 daylight operations, 1,246 Eight Air Force heavy bombers dropped 5,954,000 pounds of bombs on the plant. About 36,000,000 pounds of gasoline and Diesel engine fuel oil flowed from this refinery every month-four per cent of Germany's synthetic oil output. The huge plant was operated by 2,300 employees, of whom 40 per cent were foreigners or forced laborers. This sketch, made by a Nazi artist, was found by U.S. photographers in the rubble and ruins of the battered factory.