Figure 1.--Here we see data on British imports of raw oil in millions of tons indicating the source during World War II. This may not include aviation fuel, much of it high-octane. The German's lack of high-octane fuel adversely affected the performannce of their fighters.

Britain was one of the major World War II beigerants and had to fight the Germans on their own for more than a year. It has a much larger fleet than the Gerams and an airforce that could take on the Luftwaffe. And they had a major industrial base as well as an important technological infrastructure. And they had the Channel which stopped the Panzers cold. In terms of food and raw materials, they like the Germans were less well situated. Like Germamy except for coal, Britain had limited domestic resources. And like Germany, Britain had to import large quantities of food. These resources, however, existed in the Empire and overseas partners. And thanks to President Roosevelt, America's vast resources were available. The Royal Navy existed to ensure access to those resources in time of War, but budget cuts during the inter-War era substantially reduced the ability to safeguard maritime commerce. Many Brits believed that it was war that was the greatest danger and that military sprending was not only weasteful, but actually dangerous. The leadership of the Labour Party advocated inilateral disarmamment. This did not change until 1935 as Labour becane more aware of NAZI suprresion of the free labor movement in Germany. Prime Minister Baldwin and Chamberlain, however, were intent on appeasing Hitler and did not see the need to match German rearmanent. The Royal Navy thus was allowed to decline in strength during the inter-War period. The situation was created by the Admiraltly's assessment that Asdic (SONAR) meant that U-boats were not a threat. Adm. Dönitz realised that Asdic would not be as effective as the British had concluded. As a result, the Battle of the Atlantic became one of thhe central conflicts of the War. And here oil was the most vital of all the raw materials. Before the War, Briatain was imoorting oil from the Middle East, Caribbean, and the United States. When Italy entered the War (June 1940), the Middle Eastern deliveries through the Mediterranean were cut, although Middle Eastern oil supplied the Meditterranean Fleet and British Desert Army. For the rest of the War Carribean sources (Venezuela and Mexico) and the United States supplied Briutain;s oil with thevUnited states becoming increasinglky bimoortantbas the War progressed--all delovered by the perilous North Atlantic convoys and paid for by Lend Lease.

Overview

Britain was one of the major World War II beigerants and had to fight the Germans on their own for more than a year. It has a much larger fleet than the Gerams and an airforce that could take on the Luftwaffe. And they had a major industrial base as well as an important technological infrastructure. And they had the Channel which stopped the Panzers cold. In terms of food and raw materials, they like the Germans were less well situated. Like Germamy except for coal, Britain had limited domestic resources. And like Germany, Britain had to import large quantities of food. These resources, however, existed in the Empire and overseas partners. Thry could lso be imported from neutrals. And thanks to President Roosevelt, America's vast resources were available.

Food

Food had played a key role in World War I and would do so again in World War II. It would become a terrible weapon of war. Industrialization meant that both Britain and Germany were no longer self sufficient. Here France was in a better position. The Allied Naval Embargo made it impossible for Germany to import food from abroad. The failure of the Central Powers to address this problem by maintaining farm labor levels and rationing undermined home front morale. Britain was able to maintain supplies until poor harvests and other problems reduced the supply. In response the British Government established the Ministry of Food. Germany hoped to cut off food and raw materials and unleashed unrestricted submarine warfare. The principal result, however, was to bring America into the War. The Woman's Land Army was created to help with the harvest. The Ministry of Food was wound down and disbanded after the War. When World War II broke out, Britain was again vulnerable because it imported 60 percent of its food. This time Hitler made sure that the German people would be well fed. He looted the economies of occupied countries, causing shortages and even famines. The Ministry of Food was reestablished (September 1939). The British set out to increase domestic food production. A key slogan was 'Dig for Victory'. They also introduced the rationing of available supplies to ensure that everyone's minimal needs were met. The success of U-boats at the onset, caused Hitler to order a major U-boat campaign to cut Britain off from America and the Dominions. William Morrison was the first Minister. The Ministry became the sole buyer and importer of food. They regulated prices, in part to guarantee farmers fair prices and markets for their produce. The Marketing Boards, except for milk and hops, were suspended. The Women's Land Army was reestablished (1940). Schoolboys also helped bring in the harvest. Lord Woolton succeeded Morrison as Minister for Food. The United States passed the Land-Lease act (1941). This was not only to provide Britain war material, but food, agricultural machinery, and equipment. The British did their best to reduce imports and increase domestic harvests of key food stuffs such as potatoes, carrots, onions, wheat, and rye. Lord Woolton proved to be an effective public relations man. He persuaded Britons to try new things and adopt new methods. Woolton helped Britain increase food production and make better use of items that were not in short supply, like carrots. The Ministry even providing recipes using items actually available in the shops. the British people thus learned new skills to alleviate the wartime shortages. The British diet was dull. Children growing up during the War did not know about items like bananas oranges and chocolate. As sugar was not produced domestically, candy, jam, and other sweets were in very short supply. One reason why British kids loved American GIs who had pockets full of gum and Hershey bars. One historian writes about the Ministry, "It fought on the Home Front, so played a part in winning the war. Also it kept children and adults healthy throughout the period.” [Patten, p. 9.]

Natural Resources

But coal hd many disadvatges, especilly for military oprrastionsd. Here oil was the most vital of all the raw materials for waging a mobile mechanized war. It was important in World I, but vital in World War II. It was needed for lasd, sea and air forces. And one which Britain almost totally lacked. Before the War, Britain was imoprting oil from the Middle East, Caribbean, and the United States. When Italy entered the War (June 1940), the Middle Eastern deliveries through the Mediterranean were cut, although Middle Eastern oil supplied the Meditterranean Fleet and British Desert Army. For the rest of the War Carribean sources (Venezuela and Mexico) and the United States supplied Britain's oil with the United States becoming increasinglky imoortant as the War progressed--all delovered by the perilous North Atlantic convoys and paid for by Lend Lease.

Coal

Britain had few if the ntural resources needed by an industyrial economy. The one resource Britain had in quantity was coal. This was what jump strtedv the vindustrial revolution (19th century). Britain produced the cial needed by bindudstry and to heat himes. Britain also supplied the coal needed by many continental questions. The proved to be a major problem for the Germans. To utilize the economies of occupied countrues, the Germans needed to replace the coal no longer available from Britain.

Oil

Unlike Germany which lost its empire in World War I, Britain had access to oil in is empire and assiociated states, although they were only beginning to develop oil fieds. Here oil was the most vital of all the raw materials for waging a mobile mechanized war. It was important in Wirld I, but vital in World War II. It was needed for lasnd, sea and air forces. And one which Britain almost totally lacked. Before the War, Britain was imoprting oil from the Middle East, Caribbean, and the United States. Britsin had developed oil fields in Birnbeo and had an interest in the Royal Dutch Shell oilfields in the Dutch East Infies. There was somevlimited production in India as well as Middle Eastern fields. Anglo-Iranian oil company had begun to prtodyce abnd had aefuiery at Abadan. This was a major reason why British troops moved in to occupy Iran in 1941. The company (modern BP) attemopted to keep the oil flowing from Abadan, and this played a major role in powering the Allied war effort in the Mediterranean, Middle East and Far Eastern theatres after Britain’s Borneo oil fields were lost to the Japanese (early-1942).ritain also had access to significant oil output from Iraq, shipped via a pipeline to Jaffa. The Middle Eastern oil field, however, were just beginning to produce. American raw oil production dwarfed Iran/Iraq and the Axis oil productioin from the Romanian Ploesti fields. The numbers are illuminating. Romania: 6.6 million tons (1938). Iran: 10.4 million t (1938) rising to 19.2 million t (1945). Iraq: 4.3 million t (1938) increasing to only 4.5 million t (1945). United States: 172.9 million t (1938). The British were getting twice as much oil from the Middle Eastern fields as the Germans were from the Romanian ones, but the Americans were producing nine times as much as the British and Germans combined! When Italy entered the War (June 1940), the British Middle Eastern deliveries through the Mediterranean were cut, although Middle Eastern oil continued to supply the Meditterranean Fleet and British Desert Army. For the rest of the War Carribean sources (Venezuela and Mexico) and the United States supplied Britain's oil needs with the United States becoming increasingly important as the War progressed (figure 1). And all all this oil had to be delovered over the perilous North Atlantic convoy routes thriough the U-boats. In addition, it was paid for by American Lend Lease.

Battle of the Atlantic

The Royal Navy existed to ensure access to those resources in time of War, but budget cuts during the inter-War era substantially reduced the ability to safeguard maritime commerce. Many Brits believed that it was war that was the greatest danger and that military sprending was not only weasteful, but actually dangerous. The leadership of the Labour Party advocated unilateral disarmamment. This did not change until 1935 as Labour becane more aware of NAZI suprresion of the free labor movement in Germany. Prime Minister Baldwin and Chamberlain, however, were intent on appeasing Hitler and did not see the need to match German rearmanent. The Royal Navy thus was allowed to decline in strength during the inter-War period. The situation was created by the Admiraltly's assessment that Asdic (SONAR) meant that U-boats were not a threat. Adm. Dönitz realised that Asdic would not be as effective as the British had concluded. As a result, the Battle of the Atlantic became one of thhe central conflicts of the War.

Created: 4:12 AM 1/20/20217
Last updated: 4:12 AM 1/20/2021