HEAVY DRAIN ON OIL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 250, 4 August 1941, Page 5

HEAVY DRAIN ON OIL.

CONSUMPTION IN GERMANY. ESTIMATE OF 300,000 TONS A MONTH. LONDON, August 1. Great interest is taken in London in the latest estimates of the heavy drain on German oil resources involved by the Russian war. The British Petroleum Press Service calculates that German oil consumption in the Russian campaign must, at the minimum rate, bo 300,000 tons a month. A conservative assumption that all tanks operate at an average of 00 miles a day, and the remaining vehicles the equivalent of 100 miles a day, gives a total consumption of 1,020,000 gallons of fuel a day, or. about 100,000 tons a month. To keep the advanced bases supplied an estimate of 72,000 vehicles —equivalent to the number operating with the fighting divisions—would be conservative. Assuming again an average distance, of 100-miles a day at 10 miles a gallon, a consumption of 74,000 tons a month is arrived af. The air force, used for all purposes, is placed at 4000 aeroplanes. Assuming that the Germans have half their force in the air. for three hours a day, the total fuel consumption'would be 2000 tons a day, or 60,000 tons a month. An allowance for ground staff requirements raises this to 72,000 tons a month.

The consumption by the German naval forces in the Baltic and hv the Finnish, Hungarian, and Rumanian armies brings the German oil expendi tore to well over 300,000 tons a month which probably errs on the low side.— British Cfffieial Wireless.