BATTLE FOR OIL
ONE OF BIGGEST
Br Lyle C. Wilson
United Press Correspondent
Copyright, 1945, by United Press
Inside Germany, June 27
(U.R) One of the great untold
stories of World War II Is the
"battle for oil."
It was a top secret operation
which began May 12, 1944 and
continued for exactly 12 months.
Engaged in it were more than
500,000 American air force men
and their 5,700 planes.
The most significant aspect of
the fantastic story is that it is
being repeated now In general
outline against Japan. The same
strategical considerations and
the same methods of operation
which were unbelievably suc
cessful against Germany already
are being developed In the Pa
cific theater.
Japanese industrial targets
will disintegrate under that at-
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Tanks of Sixth Marine Division blast enemy as they move through the rubble of Naha. capital city of OH
oawa, to broaden their bridgehead across Asao River Inside the city almost to the shores of the East Chins
Sea, Bridges shown were blasted by retreating Jans. Marine Corps photo.
tack Just as targets did in Ger
many. Began In 1944
The complex story of the
"battle for oil" begins in Febru
ary 1944 when the United States
strategic air force commanded
by Gen. Carl A. Spaatz and the
Royal Air Force bomber com
mand hit the German luftwaffe
a stuning blow. In six days, Feb.
20-28, the entire allied air force
was concentrated on the German
aircraft industry. Our airmen
had determined that deep day
light penetrations into Germany
were not feasible until the Ger
man airforce had been knocked
out. Those six days stopped Ger-
0.95
11.15
'Marines Push Throuqh Noha Citv Ruins
4ft X?-" . .i"
..wsrx
72
1- .
man plane construction for a
time. The time was long enough
for the allied air forces to obtain
mastery of the air and they
never lost it.
The storm broke over Ger
many's refineries in May, 1944.
It continued in terrible blasts of
high explosive and incendiary
bombs until the Germans quit.
I have just returned from, visit
ing some of Germany's greatest
refining areas. The great instal
lations in the port of Hamburg
are masses of twisted pipe, bro
ken retorts and rubble. The
enormous Leuna plant in central
Germany simply does not exist
any more.
Refineries Smashed
Brux, Politiz, Schloven, Blech-
hammer all are blasted to bits.
There were 36 prime refinery or
synthetic manufacturing targets
in all. In May 1944 those plants
produced 1,344,000 metric tons
of gasoline and lubricants each
month. By January, 1945, pro
duction had been cut to 36 per
cent of normal. It was down to
24 per cent in February. Late
last March under the precision
bombing of the United States
strategic air force production
had increased to 29 per cent.
The Germans are sturdy folk
and they were repairing their
plants as the fliers knocked
them out.
But it was an uneven contest.
Repair materials were short.
Manpower was shorter. By mid
April of this year as the great
German war machine was run
ning down, production was cut
to 7V4 per cent of the 1,344,000
metric tons a month of which
the plants had been capable.
Germany's refineries by then
were producing only 4 per cent
of their gasoline capacity, 1 per
cent of their kerosene capacity,
8 per cent of their diesel ca
pacity.
Taken Underground
Germany was through. She
tried to go underground with
her refineries as she had with
her airplane industry. At Eben
see a great underground refinery
was built. It actually had pro
duced 24,000 tons of synthetic
oil when the war ended. The
plant was built into a mountain
with elaborate air conditioning
equipment. But the Job was too
great for the enemy. Putting the
whole industry underground was
an impossible task.
Jjev
(Acme Telephoto)
Plant managers became dis
couraged as the Americans de
veloped their attack on oil. As
plants were knocked out they
were put under almost daily
photo reconnaissance. Time after
time German workers would re
pair the great refineries, un
tangle twistings of pipe, patch
the retorts, get steam under the
boilers. This could be done
sometimes in a matter of weeks
if no effort was made to repair
the buildings themselves.
At Rhenania and elsewhere
the refineries actually kept
stand-by of repair workers in
barracks near the plants. They
sometimes were more numerous
than the workers in the refiner
ies themselves. When the Amer
icans came over, repairs were
begun before they had returned
to their bases in England or
France or Italy.
Plant Blasted 16 Times
The great plant at Leuna was
attacked 16 limes in 10 months
from May, 1944, to the end of
the war. On May 28, 1944, the
8th air force, knocked out the
synthetic gasoline plant at Roth
ensee. The plant was out of pro
duction three weeks. It resumed
production June 20 and made 50
tons of synthetic gasoline that
day. On the afternoon of June
20 the 8th airforce re-appeared
over Rothensee. This time the
plant was knocked out until De
cember, 1944, when it resumed
production at a rate of 12,000
tons a month.
On January 15 the 8th air
force called again. Thereafter
Rothensee ceased to be a factor
in oil production for the luft
waffe. The story of Rothensee is
typical of all of them.
When the war ended Ger
yan's refining and synthetic In
Bedford Branch
0ffi of Tli.
United States National Bank
27 BRANCH OFFICES IN OREGON
dustry was a wreck. Three
weeks before the surrender
there remained in all the ex
panse of Hitler's reich only two
production targets and seven
storage targets which were con
sidered worth attacking at all.
T
Washington, June 27. U.R)
The army is expected to lower
the number of points required
for discharge from 85 to between
78 and 80 in the next few weeks,
it was reliably reported today.
At the same time members of
the house military affairs com
mittee said they anticipated no
change in the army regulations
qualifying men for automatic
discharge on reaching 40 years
of age.
They also said that the army
will stand on its demands for
7,000,000 men to lick Japan. If
one group is relieved of service
the pressure will mount for re
lease of other groups, they said.
However, the army itself has
made it clear that some time
soon the number of points need
ed for discharge will be further
reduced. .
New Soap Won't
Leave Tub Rings
Cincinnati, (U.F) Rings around
the bathtub, the bane of house
wives since American families
stopped scrubbing themselves in
galvanized tubs will be ban
ished by a post-war soap that
isn't soap at all.
Chemists of Proctor & Gam
ble Co. call their new product a
"soapless soap." In hard, soft
or salt water, the soap result
of 10 years' research cleans,
but leaves no tell-tale rings.
Soap experts said it was done
by juggling molecules.
Dr. Brougher Will
Wed Ex-Parishoner
Glcndale, Cal., June 27.,-flJ.R)
Dr. James Whitcomb Brougher,
Sr., 75-year-old Baptist clergy
man and newspaper columnist,
tomorrow will marry Mrs. Mar
garet Townsend Wood, 55-year-old
widow whom he first met
when she was a parishioner at
White Temple Baptist church,
Portland, Ore., where he was
pastor.
ACCUSED CAUFORNIAN
UNDER ARREST HERE
William Nick Schmlttroth,
wanted by California authorities
on burglary and parole violation
charges, was arrested by sher
iff's officers yesterday in the
south end of the county. He is
being held in the county Jail
awaiting California officers. He
signed a waiver of extradition,
sheriff's officers said.
' Closing time for Clnssined Ads 6:30
a m. Too Late to Classify 12:15 p m
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Bank Money Orders are Issued by
the Untied Stales National Bank In
any amount up to $300. Remember,
the name of the purchaser appears
fin the receipt.
PFC. LUNSMAN OF
OF 96TH KILLED
A wire received yesterday
from the war department by
Mrs. Marjorie E. Lunsman stated
that her husband, Pfc. Harvey H.
Lunsman of the 96th Infantry
Division was killed in action
May 22 on Okinawa. Pfc. Luns
man, 25, had been overseas
eight months and before induc
tion was an employee of Timber
Products company.
The soldier is survived by his
wife, one daughter, Sharon Lee;
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Har
vey H. Lunsman of Oakland,
Calif., and a brother, Cedrlc, 9.
He attended school in Oakland.
Mrs. Lunsman and daughter
make their home here with her
sister, Mrs. Juanlta Brenner, 728
King street.
Cordless Electric
Iron Heated From
Element In Base
Detroit (U.R) The house
wife's "postwar dream" of a
cordless electric iron, free of
dangling and entangling cords,
has become a reality.
A go-ahead signal has been
given by the war production
board to the Eureka Vacuum
Cleaner Co. to begin production
of the iron, which the company
recently perfected.
"The cordless electric Iron Is
an entirely new kind of iron,"
according to H. W. Burrltt, pres
ident, "and represents the most
important development in this
field since the invention of the
original electric iron."
Operated without a cord, the
new iron draws instant heat
from a thermostat controlled
electric safety base, and retains
the heat for considerable time
through a sponge-like heat ab
sorbing plate Inside the iron. A
micro heat control unit governs
the exact temperature required
for any fabric being ironed, and
instlres safety even if left unat
tended while connected.
One of the chief features of
the cordless electric iron la a
"silent watchman" regulator that
prevents overheating and elimi
nates the fire hazard, which
through defective and unattend
ed ordinary irons accounts for
$2,000,000 of damage every year,
Receptionist Plans
Necklace of Teeth
Camp Maxey, Tex., (U.R) Miss
Ruth Grant, receptionist in the
dental clinic, has a bracelet of
wisdom teeth extracted from
soldier patients.
The dental surgeon once asked
Miss Grant to hold a private's
hand while he performed the ex
traction. He found the plan
worked wonders, so he continued
it. And now the receptionist is
planning to make a necklace and
ear screws from wisdom teeth,
Wednesday, June 27, 194S MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE THRES
F
Fire at 7:18 p. m., yesterday
did considerable damage to a
residence occupied by Clarence
English, 113 Laurel street, and
owned by E. F. Bigham, Fire
Chief Roy Elliott said today.
Cause of the blaze is unknown
but is under Investigation, ac
cording to Elliott.
The conflagration had a good
start by the time the fire de
partment was called and burned
throughout the lower part of the
house, through the front part of
the upstairs and the roof. Elliott
said there was no Insurance on
the furniture but the house is
understood to be insured.
The family was home when
the blaze was discovered.
THE GRANGE
Griffin Creek Grange
The quarterly birthday party
will be held by Griffin Creek
Grange members following the
regular session July 3. The party
will be a picnic dinner at 7 p. m.
for Grangers and their families
and each family is asked to bring
table service.
A patriotic program will be
given under the direction of Lec
turer Isabella LeVander.
Closing time for Clssiined Ads 8:30
i m Too Late to Classify 12:13 p m
FINE MUSLIN, PRESHRUNK, A
LIBERTY-TYPE COTTON
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stitchery traces its loveliness down
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panel. Tiers, etched with stitchery
and banded with spanking white
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PAY LESS AND DRESS BETTER
M. M. DEPT. STORE
"E" Bond Baying
Shy One Billion
Washington, June 27. (U.R)
Total sales in the seventh war
loan stood at $20,791,000,000 to
day but E bond buyers were a
billion dollars away from their
$4,000,000,000 goal.
The gigantic total was primar
ily the result of corporation sales
which reached $14,121,000,000
according to latest reports. That
was more than twice their orig
inal $7,000,000,000 goal and
more than the overall goal of
$14,000,000,000 for the entire
drive.
Closing time for Classified Ails 1:30
a m Too Late to Clasilfy 12:15 p m.
Quickly eases
the pain or
your money back.
e
10c, 50c or $1.00
at all drug counters
Mrs. Alice Stewart Cannon
POWER HEALER
On Highway 99, Route 4,
Box 260-C, Medford Same
Healer Previously in Ashland
214 SO. RIVERSIDE
PHONE 4757
MIMBIR F.D.I. CM