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The proximity of the site to [[lignite]] (brown coal) mines was also advantageous for the production of [[syngas]] ([[hydrogen]] and [[carbon monoxide]]) and tests of [[Coal liquefaction|coal conversion into liquid fuels]] on an industrial scale. The Leuna plant for the commercial [[Bergius process|hydrogenation of lignite]] started production on April 1, 1927.<ref>{{cite book | title = Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis, Catalysts and Catalysis | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=akVem4E9XzEC&pg=PA18 | publisher = Elsevier | year = 2006 | editor = B. H. Davis, M. L. Occelli}}</ref>
Since in late 1925 BASF had become a branch of [[IG Farben]], the Leuna site operated as ''Ammoniakwerk Merseburg GmbH – Leuna Werke''. The site was rapidly expanded in the 1920s and 1930s, with plants producing [[methanol]], synthetic [[petrol]] derived from the hydrogenation of lignite, [[amine]]s and [[detergent]]s.<ref name=infraleuna>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070711015728/http://www.infraleuna.de
Construction of the [[synthetic rubber]] plant [[Buna Werke Schkopau]], then a subsidiary of Leuna ammonia works, started in 1936.
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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 {{convert|3|sqmi|km2}} 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]].{{citation needed|date=January 2017}} 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.{{citation needed|date=January 2017}}
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
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 April 1945, production in Leuna stopped entirely.
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