Oil and its products in all shapes and forms including aviation, motor, and diesel fuels were a German strategic weakness. Allied strategic bombing targeted the oil refineries in Ploesti, Romania. Germany's 1942 summer campaign, Case Blue, aimed to capture the oil fields of the Caucasus both providing themselves needed oil and denying the Soviet Union oil. The above graph … [Read more...] about German Aviation, Motor, and Diesel Fuels Availability
Economic
USSR Production versus Lend-Lease Support
The USSR prior to World War II implemented several five-year plans developing massive industrial production capabilities. This required a steady raw material input producing final military and industrial grade good. Lend-Lease Categories Raw Materials Copper – In an unusual twist the Soviet Union was providing copper along many other raw materials to Germany per the … [Read more...] about USSR Production versus Lend-Lease Support
Relative Productivity Ranking Of World War II Foes
Of six major World War II combatants four Allied and two Axis nations the four Allied nations ranked one, two four, and five in industrial relative productivity ranking. Whereas Germany and Japan were third and sixth overall. Most of the combatant nations increased their productivity as the war went on but the Axis nations were fighting a losing battle industrially as well as … [Read more...] about Relative Productivity Ranking Of World War II Foes
UK National Income and Expenditure 1938-1945
United Kingdom’s war expenditure as a percentage of the UK National Income and Expenditure went from single digits in 1938 to just more than half by 1941 where it would remain until nearly the war’s end. The above graphs can be downloaded as images. To download the data shown below from which the graphs were developed click on the icon below corresponding to … [Read more...] about UK National Income and Expenditure 1938-1945
US War Cost of Production by Category
Aircraft and naval vessels drove the United States (US) expenditures. These two US World War 2 war cost categories were just shy of two thirds of the US WWII spending in 1944 at 63%. Both aircraft and naval vessels played significantly into US and United Kingdom (UK) strategic planning and became overwhelming strengths as the war proceeded in all their respective theaters. So … [Read more...] about US War Cost of Production by Category
US Congressional War Department Allocations – 1939
Military pay and new equipment took the lion’s share of the 1939 War Department budget for the US Army. The Army appropriations totaled $646,000,000 for 1939. However, $192,000,000, or nearly 30 percent, were for nonmilitary purposes, such as Panama Canal costs and rivers and harbors work. Leaving the Army with $454,000,000. The total US federal budget outlays in 1939 were $9.1 … [Read more...] about US Congressional War Department Allocations – 1939
German Oil Production by Source 1939-1945
Germany placed great importance on self-sufficiency in their war preparations. They implemented several strategies to achieve this goal, including the construction of synthetic oil production and rubber plants, prioritizing military over civilian economic policy, and stockpiling raw materials. Additionally, Germany envisioned a series of short wars or political takeovers of … [Read more...] about German Oil Production by Source 1939-1945
Annual Allied Axis Crude Oil Production 1939-1945
Crude oil production was the single most strategic natural resource for modern warfare. The Allies had it and the Axis did not. The US and USSR both had enough that they were self-sufficient, and the US could also export. Germany and Japan both had strategic goals to capture oil resources. The Allies countered by destroying what the Axis Nations could produce and limiting their … [Read more...] about Annual Allied Axis Crude Oil Production 1939-1945
Annual Allied Axis Iron Ore Production 1939-1945
The global conflict of World War II witnessed a vast array of economic and industrial endeavors, with iron production playing a crucial role in the war efforts. This article aims to examine the annual iron production from 1939 to 1945, comparing the output of the Allied nations (USA, USSR, UK, and Canada) with that of the Axis nations (Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, and … [Read more...] about Annual Allied Axis Iron Ore Production 1939-1945
Annual Allied Axis Coal Production 1939-1945
Coal production and its supply played a crucial role in the outcome of World War II. Coal was vital for the Allied nations (USA, USSR, UK, and Canada) and the Axis nations (Germany, Italy, Hungary, Romania, and Japan). Coal powered their industries and provided energy for transportation. Both sides targeted coal’s strategic potential. For example, Germany long saw the potential … [Read more...] about Annual Allied Axis Coal Production 1939-1945
