Petrol and rubber

[oscar]

Would the Reich manage to have full suply of rubber and petrol of efficiently many syntetic plants were build? Would it be possible to build many enough, and why was it not done if there was such problems with to little petrol and rubber ? if they would be build undergruond they wouldnt be possible to bomb out...

[Penn44]

Even if the Germans built the necessary underground synthetic fuel plants, the Germans would still face the difficulty of getting the coal or shale to the plants, and then getting the produced synthetic fuel and lubricants to the units in the field. Allied interdiction of German rail lines was a major problem.


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[Redbaron1908]

I agree towards the end of the war the German transportation system broke down completly even if they managed to make it they might now be able to get it to their field units.

[oscar]

Remember that much of the damage to the railway could be prevented maybee completly if there was petrol from the beginning.

[Eightball]

That may be, Oscar. Though the destruction of Germany's infrastructure was mostly, if not fully, the Allied airforce's doing. Who could stop the many bombers coming over Germany? The Luftwaffe, which we know all to well had a poor leadership which eventually would lead to its complete destruction as an efficient airforce *cough*Göring*cough*.

[Redbaron1908]

Remember that much of the damage to the railway could be prevented maybee completly if there was petrol from the beginning.

I think it depends on the luftwaffe and how they could defend the reich but if they did not do a better job it is useless to have fuel. You also need good pilots.

[hauptmannn]

Fuel and Leadership problems plagued the Luftwaffe, remember that during the last 1-2 years there was only a handful of aircraft that could actually leave the ground while many hundreds remained on the ground. A handful of brave fighter pilots cannot stop hundreds of bombers and escort fighters. Btw when did Germany start losing air superiority?

[ChrisMAg2]

Btw when did Germany start losing air superiority?

If that can be fixed to a specific date: after mid 1943 latest. That was the time when the long-range fighter appeared and the fighter protection was assigned to the bombers, IMO.
Regards

[oscar]

If there are planes standing on the ground without fuel how could you not build more synthetic fuel plant?

[Penn44]

If there are planes standing on the ground without fuel how could you not build more synthetic fuel plant?

Where are you going to get the skilled and unskilled labor to dig these synthetic fuel plants? Projects were under way but underground factories do not appear overnight.

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[ChristopherPerrien]

Synthetic fuel plants, combine coal processing facilites, a chemical plant and an oil refinery. I can only imagine the amounts of work, labor, materials and costs to put even one of these complexes fully underground.


Given the machinery and processes involved I don't think you could, or would want to. One fire, bomb, accident, etc. and BOOM!

[Qvist]

Theoretically, you can of course produce any amount of fuel and rubber as long as you have enough coal. The reason why Germany did not should be perfectly obvious - there was only so much construction capacity, machine tools, labor and time.


cheers

[Penn44]

Not to mention starting late (spring 1944) the program of emplacing the synthetic fuel plants underground.

[jmlima]

And weren't there very strong problems with the syntethic fuel?

[Mark V]

And weren't there very strong problems with the syntethic fuel?

You mean synthetic fuels suitability to engines ??

Synthetic fuel was/is as good as normal motor gasoline, avgas, or diesel. Mostly the differences came from availability of additives, in avgas especially tetraethylene lead. Was the base gasoline made through hydrogenation of coal, or is it a fraction of crude oil makes no difference (though they are different in their chemical composition).

There was though an product range that could not be produced without crude oil with WW2 era technology - lubricants.

Mark V