This article originally appeared on the Warfare History Network. Air University History Office Guest. As armies became more mechanized, the need for secure sources of fuel and lubricants became the sine qua non for military operations. Post Sep 08, 2003 #1 2003-09-08T12:35. Additionally, the Luftwaffe experienced growing losses of its experienced pilots as they had to enter aerial combat more frequently to “shepherd” the new pilots. Image: Wikipedia. The world has not yet had to experience a real oil shortage because it can count on Saudi Arabia to increase production and pick up the slack when needed. Although there were temporary shortages, there was never a serious oil supply crisis in the US. This was followed by meat, fish, tea, jam, biscuits, breakfast cereals, cheese, eggs, milk and canned fruit. It caused a shortage of not only food but rubber, metal, clothing and more. They had inadequate oil reserves for gasoline and aviation fuel production. The last car rolled off the assembly line on February 10, 1942. 4.4 out of 5 stars (10) Total Ratings 10, $32.54 New. The Allied bombing program also depleted urgently needed stocks of fuel. It imported oil from the Soviet Union until the German invasion of that country in June 1941 and from Hungary and Romania (25 percent of its annual requirements by 1944) after April 1941 when these two countries became German allies prior to the Soviet invasion. In 1942, Nazi U-boats lurked off the American East Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico, waiting for tankers bound for East Coast ports in an attempt to prevent oil supplies from reaching England. From August to December 1944, 15th Air Force B-24 Liberators bombed the complex four times. The Gasoline Shortages That Crippled German Offensive. Plus, their synthetic gasoline production was never quite adequate. The most significant problem of the Allied bombing campaign was the lack of accuracy of the bombs actually hitting their specific targets—about 15 percent of the bombs dropped directly struck their discrete targets. One of his generals had a plan to do just that. Rationing was popular with the people and a Gallup Poll showed over 60 per cent in favour of this system. Later in the year the pace of air operations in the east led to a shortage of aviation fuel throughout the Luftwaffe; again it was the flying training schools that suffered. A German fuel shortage in World War 2, caused largely by Germany’s small natural oil reserves, was a factor in the German defeat. Shortages By September 1944, the around-the-clock bombing of the German oil industry had reduced the production of petroleum, oil and lubricants, or POL, by more than 90 percent, resulting in spreading shortages of gasoline for German mechanized and motorized divisions and several curtailments of the Luftwaffe’s pilot training program. The German fuel shortage in World War 2 was largely responsible for the Germany losing the war. by Warfare History Network John F. Murphy Jr. With Rommel driving on Egypt and the British pushed out of Greece, a … The leaders of every nation involved in World War II were aware of how crucial oil supplies were to their war plans. ]]> Because of these losses, the destruction of German industrial was not catastrophic. All oil had to be purchased from foreign nations; most of it from the USA, which was at … The campaigns against oil and transportation were perhaps the most effective of the Allied bombing efforts. Synthetic fuel plants were located along the North Sea, in the Ruhr Valley, and in southern parts of Europe. Go to next slide - Best Selling. Overview about the relative comparison of the military production and wartime expenditures of the Axis and Allies in 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. Albert Speer said later that this was a decisive turning point in the war. Germany was especially vulnerable to systematic attacks against its oil industry. 10 Food Inventions That Changed The Way We Eat Breakfast. Along with gasoline, sugar, coffee, processed foods, meat, and cheese—fats and oils were rationed. Guest. [CDATA[// >