![]() Under the repeated bombing, production of all grades of lubricating oil decreased steadily, dropping from an average of 73,000 tons in the first four months of 1944 to 38,000 tons in August, to only 14,000 tons in January, 1945, and thereafter to almost nothing. The May, 1944, attacks on synthetic lubricating oil plants caused a crisis in the already critical aviation lubricating oil stocks, and shipments direct from the plants to the front became necessary. The German planning in January, 1944, showed that they fully expected to have the northwest refineries destroyed by the middle of the year. Plans were made to increase processing from crude in Austria and the eastern region by moving French and Italian equipment, and to hasten completion of several synthetic lubricating oil plants. The requirements for 1943 were met by short-range planning, by compromising requirements with production, by substituting lower quality products, by employing water-oil emulsions, and by using a higher percentage of reclaimed oil. Had the Hamburg air attack been divided or diverted to include the three principal northwestern lubricating oil refineries, the resulting industrial and military chaos would have been far-reaching. It takes a minimum of ten months to build such a refinery. The Allied air forces had demonstrated their strength over Hamburg in mid-summer 1943, but fortunately for the enemy, the large lubricating oil refineries was practically untouched. The stock position, always precarious, was at that time equal to only two months of consumption. Industry was already sharply rationed, and lubrication specialists had made extensive surveys to reduce industrial requirements. Only one new crude processing plant was scheduled to start before 1944, as indicated in Table B2.ġ943 Schedule for Starting New Lubricating Oil Plants Synthetic lubricating oil production had lagged initially because of the extremely high production costs and later because of lack of manpower and steel. The 1937 decree had not been observed to the letter, and some lubricant raw stocks had been diverted to fuel and other purposes. The loss of the Naples and Livorno refineries by bombing increased the Italian demands on Germany from 7,000 tons to 30,000 tons per year, an increase of 3 percent of the total German lubricating oil production.Įxpansion of crude oil processing capacity had lagged because of manpower and steel shortages, as well as of the poor outlook for increased crude oil production. The German air force had increased its demands for aviation lubricating oil alone from 62,000 tons to 87,000 tons per year, which was about 50 percent above the current production. The situation in late August, 1943 was somewhat different. Occupied and friendly territory, including Italy During the war, stocks were fairly well maintained, as shown in Table B1, except for brief crises. By substituting raw unrefined oils for some lubricants, by stressing the regeneration of used oil, and by generally guiding consumption and production, Germany was able to satisfy requirements with a minimum of processing expansion. It appears that the decision was then made to attempt to fill motor fuel requirements from coal hydrogenation and synthesis in the hope of satisfying lubricating oil needs from German crude. In 1937 governmental decree forbade the diversion of raw lubricating oil materials to any other product. Foreseeing eventual needs, the Germans in 1934 began to expand their lubricating oil processing facilities to obtain maximum production from native crudes. ![]() Oil fields discovered in Germany during the intensified drilling program in 1930-1934 yielded waxy oils that were unsatisfactory for lubricating oil manufacture as they required considerable additional refining. In general, lubricating oil was manufactured from wax-free crudes, which only required light refining to produced mediocre products. The crudes or semifinished materials imported were chosen to fit the eventual products manufactured. Lack of crude mineral oil forced prewar Germany to import a large portion of what she consumed. The factors affecting the German lubricating oil situation are thus somewhat different from those governing fuels, and therefore are discussed separately. Lubricating oils, though principally derived from petroleum, require either special kinds of petroleum, or special processing, or both, for their manufacture. ![]() Strategic Air Attack on the Lubricating Oil Industry
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