german oil shortage ww2

Between May 1944 and May 1945 when the war in Europe ended, the Allies had launched 651 attacks against German oil targets and dropped 208,566 tons of bombs. From August to December 1944, 15th Air Force B-24 Liberators bombed the complex four times. The importance of oil had become apparent during the First World War. Increasing numbers of German Army mechanized and motorized units literally began running out of fuel on the battlefield. Synthetic fuel plants were located along the North Sea, in the Ruhr Valley, and in southern parts of Europe. To help produce the glycerin needed by the military, housewives also collected kitchen waste fats. Germany had only a small domestic-oil industry and depended heavily on Ploesti for its supply of oil and for most of its petroleum-based products. While German production of tanks and airplanes actually continued to increase until the end of the war, their potential threat to the Allied forces had been effectively reduced because there was no fuel to power them. Given the limited quantities of crude oil from German-controlled oilfields, the German war machine depended extremely heavily on POL products—75 percent of its aviation gasoline—from 16 synthetic oil production plants, which turned German coal into oil. These plants were large, complex facilities not easily dispersed or moved underground. This resulted in the rationing of canned foods (Make It Do – Rationing of Canned Goods in World War II). 121 MBD equivalent or 0.3 days supply) in their strategic oil reserves. Originally Published October 7, 2018. The campaigns against oil and transportation were perhaps the most effective of the Allied bombing efforts. Similarly, the Allies realized that the destruction of the oil industry that fueled the German and Italian war machine would be a major step toward an Allied victory. //-->