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Where did German Diesel come from? Surely it came from the same oil plants that provided them with petrol?
Hydrogenation plants are very large targets, just ripe for aerial attack. It would take susained attacks to disable the plants, as was the case historically. Also, the transportation of coal to the plant is another area where the plants are vulnerable. Disruption to the coal supply through attacks on the transportation industry would also restrict the output of the hydrogenation plants.
Perhaps teh best method would have been to purchase larger quantities of fuel in the years leading up to war, creating a larger stockpile.
Don't forget the T-34 had a diesel engine, so operating one in subzero weather can be done.
I know from experience with coal trucks, you can let them idle for hours, and they use very little fuel at idle, unlike a gas engine.
Yes, but one had to know how. Russian knew the tricks, Germans didn't at first, so during the winter 41/42 they were in deep trouble whether they used petrol or diesel and as bobbysocks wrote, normal diesel became rather unuseable in subzero enviroment.
Juha
I agree. However it was fuel efficient which would make it look more attractive in this scenerio.
In many cases they used lubricant oils derived from marine mamals eg Whales and Seals not really available to the Germans, particularly important for guns.
I think its fairly well known that you reformulate diesels for winter and add gasoline to sump lubricants to start an engine.
Parts of Eastern Germany do get -40C; that is serious cold.
...a few days latter his urine was solid ice as it hit the snow.
Apart from some silly mistakes like de lanolising wool to make lightweight garments the Germans knew what to do, in general they just didn't prepare enough.
LW was much better prepared for winter than Heer.Few Ju 52's were equiped with winter pre-heating equipment for instance.
Shortage of high octane gasoline was the single greatest obstacle to Luftwaffe effectiveness. Historically Goering recognized this to some extent with the largest synthetic fuel program in history. However the historical German efforts were inadequate for fighting a protracted war.
What might Goering have done differently as head of the German economic plan?
My ideas…..
Build two additional large hydrogenation plants. Theoretically Germany could produce an unlimited supply of synthetic gasoline from their bottomless supply of coal. However these plants were expensive to build and operate so two are probably the practical limit. This will significantly increase the aviation gasoline supply but it won't solve the entire problem. Germany must find other ways to reduce dependence upon gasoline.
German Army adopts diesel engines en mass for trucks, half tracks, field generators etc. This will make Daimler-Benz happy as they were the world leader for diesel truck engines during the 1930s. More importantly, diesel engines are inherently more fuel efficient then gasoline engines so the existing supply of petroleum will go further. This frees up a bit of low octane gasoline suitable for use in primary training aircraft.
Aerodynamics to lower drag and thereby increase fuel mileage becomes a major criterion to determine which aircraft enter mass production. Light weight also becomes more important. He-100 is likely to be an early beneficiary. So will the DB603 engine, at the expense of the large and heavy BMW801 radial.
Development of diesel aircraft engines receives the highest priority. Perhaps they will be suitable for transport aircraft and heavy bombers. Any 4 engine aircraft that doesn't use diesel engines is unlikely to be approved for mass production. The 26 liter Jumo 208 aircraft diesel program starts in 1936 (3 years earlier then historical) and is pushed to completion (if it works). I suspect Daimler-Benz would also compete for the aircraft diesel contract. If one of these powerful aircraft diesel engines works they will power the He-177B heavy bomber (4 engines). Otherwise the He-177 program will be shelved in favor of a DB603 powered Do-217.
Jet engines use low octane fuel so jet engine development receives the highest priority. The Jumo 004A engine will enter mass production during 1943.
What are your ideas for reducing the German aviation gasoline shortage?
It is perfectly possible for urine to freeze "en route" to the snow if the air is cold enough. I was working,in Canada,many years ago,in some God forsaken town who's name I have forgotten. It was as cold as I have ever experienced in my life! A local stage hand showed me a party trick whereby he threw a cup of warm water (not cold) into the air which almost instantly froze into a sort of snow.
Cheers
Steve
...had the Germans managed to capture, hold and exploit the Caucuses oil fields they would have had all the energy they needed. Ironically this involves Hitler following Halders advice and taking Moscow and destroying the Soviet Army rather than turning Sth and heading for those oil fields and the granary that was the Ukraine...
Now what you think AG South and PzGroup 1/1. PzA were doing in Ukraine in 1941, they got to Rostov, the gateway to Caucasus, but were then pushed some way back by Soviet counter-attacks. Hitler did another try in 42 but messed up that try with well-known consequences.
Juha
Fuel has a shelf life, unfortunately. You cannot store the same fuel for years, so large stockpiles only make a sense up to a certain point.
I am not sure though it is same case with crude oil...