Planned by Churchill, authorized by Eisenhower, and executed by five specially trained bomber units, the attack on the oil refineries of Ploesti, Romania, was among the most daring and dangerous missions of World War II. If it succeeded, the Nazi war machine would be brought to its knees.On August 1, 1943, nearly 200 bombers flew from North Africa, with directions to descend on the target at treetop level, bomb the refineries, and return. But despite warnings that the secrecy of the mission had been compromised, it went ahead. The ensuing air-ground battle claimed dozens of aircraft, and many of the survivors were forced to ditch into the ocean due to lack of fuel and/or terminal damage. Into the Fire recreates this great battle, combining original research and interviews with survivors in order to capture the tension, drama, and heroics of this fateful attempt to cut of the Nazi supply of black gold.