OIL DEPOTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXXI, 14 September 1940, Page 9

OIL DEPOTS.

GERMANS' PROBLEM.

Constantly Hammered By R.A.F. Bombers.

(Rccd. 11 a.m.)

RUGBY, Sept. la

I Over 700 of the 1500 bombing raids carried out by the Royal Air Force on Germany and German-occupied territory, covering 200 localities, have been on territory of the Reich itself.

The chief objectives have been oil depots, refineries, armament works, aircraft works, aerodromes, docks, naval bases, goods yards, rail junctions, main lines, barges and shipping on canals.

The particular Importance which attaches to attacks on synthetic oil plants and oil refineries is appreciated when it is recalled thnt Germany's production is 6.200,000 tons and tiermany's synthetic production ~2.000.000 tons. Forty per cent of this synthetic production—l.ooo,ooo tons —is in western Germany and has been continuously and heavily attacked in the last two months. A further 1,300,000 tons production is in ccntral Germany, and Attacks on these plants have now begun, including Leuna, which has an output of about 400,000 tons annually. German Refineries. Another very important part of the German oil industry is her refining plant. Germany has a total refining capacity of about .1.000.000 tons yearly. Of thi6 total, about 2.500.000 tons are situated in Hamburg, Bremen and western Germany, including all producers of high grade lubricating oils.

Owing to the shortage of crudc oil supplies, other than from domestic wells and Russian imports, these refineries arc not likely to have been working at full pressure, but they arc still extremely suitable targets, because a very large percentage of Germany's commercial storage capacity is located ut the oil refineries.

t If, therefore, Germany withes to hold large stocks, she has to store a considerable proportion at refineries liable to constant attack by the Royal Air Force. The whole of the 2,500,000 tons refinery capacity in western Germany has been heavily and repeatedly attacked.