Heavy flak over Merseburg

28th July 1944: Casualties are inevitable at the 8th Air Force targets one of the most heavily defended sites within Germany

A formation of B-17s flies through heavy flak as they approach a target in Germany.

Another day, another daylight mission to Germany for the USAAF bombers based in England. Except this time the target was the Leuna oil refinery at Merseburg, Germany, part of the programme to strangle the fuel supplies of the Wehrmacht.