Leuna works: Difference between revisions

▲The '''Leuna works''' ({{lang-de|Leunawerke}}) in [[Leuna]], [[Saxony-Anhalt]], is one of the biggest chemical industrial complexes in [[Germany]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.infraleuna.de/en/leuna-site/the-area/ | title = The area | publisher = Infra Leuna}}</ref> The site, now owned jointly by companies such as [[Total S.A.]], [[BASF]], [[The Linde Group|Linde AG]], and [[DOMO Group]], covers 13&nbsp;km² and produces a very wide range of chemicals and plastics.

▲As one of the largest [[Brabag|synthetic oil plant]]s and second most extensive chemical operation in [[Nazi Germany]], the [[IG Farben]] Leuna works headed by [[Heinrich Bütefisch]]<ref name=Speer>{{cite book |last=Speer |first=Albert |authorlink=Albert Speer |year=1970 |others=Translated by Richard and Clara Winston |title=[[Inside the Third Reich]] |publisher=Macmillan |location=New York and Toronto |isbn=978-0-684-82949-4 |page=415 |lccn=70119132}}</ref> was a prime target for the [[Oil Campaign of World War II|Allied bombing offensive against German oil production]]. Leuna had been the first plant to test the [[Bergius process]] that synthesized oil products from lignite, but switched to brown [[coal tar]] in 1944 due to air raid damages.<ref>http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/Bureau_of_Mines/info_circ/ic_7375/ic_7375.htm</ref> Leuna covered three square miles of land with 250 buildings, including decoy buildings outside the main plant, and employed 35,000 workers, including 10,000 prisoners and [[Forced labour under German rule during World War II|forced labourers]].{{reference needed}} The 14th Flak Division responsible for protecting Leuna had 28,000 troops, 18,000 RAD personnel, 6,000 male and 3,050 female auxiliaries, 900 Hungarian and Italian 'volunteers', 3,600 Russian [[Hiwi (volunteer)|Hiwis]], and 3,000 others, thus making up a total of 62,550 persons.<ref>https://books.google.com/books?id=rVVeO4B985wC&pg=PA321</ref> More than 19,000 of Leuna's workers were members of the air raid protection organization which operated over 600 [[88 mm gun|radar-directed guns]], while the fire-fighting force consisted of 5,000 men and women.{{reference needed}}

▲A total of 6,552 bomber sorties over 20 [[Eighth Air Force|US Eighth Air Force]] and 2 [[RAF]] attacks dropped 18,328 tons of bombs on Leuna.<ref name=USSBS>{{cite web |last=D'Olier |first=Franklin |author2=Alexander |author3=Ball |author4=Bowman |author5=Galbraith |author6=Likert |author7=McNamee |author8=Nitze |author9=Russell |author10=Searls |author11=Wright |date=September 30, 1945 |title=The Attack on Oil |url=http://www.usaaf.net/surveys/eto |accessdate=2009-02-10 |work=[[Strategic Bombing Survey (Europe)|The United States Strategic Bombing Survey Summary Report (European War)]] |publisher=[[Air University (United States Air Force)|Air University]] Press}}{{dead link|date=December 2016}}</ref> As the most heavily defended industrial target in Europe, Leuna would become so dark from flak, German smoke pots, and exploding oil tanks that "''we had no idea how close our bombs came to the target.''" ([[Tom Landry]], B-17 co-pilot and later Dallas Cowboy coach). On clear days, only 29% of the bombs aimed at Leuna landed inside the plant gates; on radar raids the number dropped to 5.1%. During the first raid of the [[Oil Campaign of World War II#Oil Plan|Oil Plan]], 126 Leuna workers were killed. However, after defenses were increased, only 175 additional workers were killed in 21 subsequent raids. Leuna bombing from May 12, 1944 to April 5, 1945 cost the Eighth Air Force 1,280 airmen. In three separate attacks by the Eighth, 119 planes were lost and not one bomb fell on the Leuna works.<ref name=Miller>{{cite book |last=Miller |first=Donald L. |year=2006 |title=Masters of the Air: America's Bomber Boys Who Fought the Air War Against Nazi Germany |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=5GMoWyUd41cC&pg=PA314 |location=New York |publisher=Simon & Schuster |isbn=978-0-7432-3544-0 |pages=314–9}}</ref> The Eighth Air Force also dropped 12,953 tons of explosives on nearby [[Merseburg]].<!--ref name=Davis/> Bombing the European Axis Powers {{Rp|541}}-->

▲The successful aerial attacks contributed vitally to the defeat of Germany in World War II, since they deprieved the country and its troops of essential commodities. On 4 Aprl 1945, production in Leuna stopped entirely.