Not completely so. Turkey. was neutral, and for a price one could get safely across Italy and the Balkans between Switzerland and Turkey. Some Jews did manage to escape the *** via that route.
wjstix An oddity of that time was the World monetary / banking organization that was headquartered in Switzerland continued to meet all during the war. So you could have a meeting with representatives from the US, Great Britain, Nazi Germany and Japan all sitting at the same table. Things apparently remained cordial, IIRC one of the Japanese reps used to play tennis with one of the Americans.
An oddity of that time was the World monetary / banking organization that was headquartered in Switzerland continued to meet all during the war. So you could have a meeting with representatives from the US, Great Britain, Nazi Germany and Japan all sitting at the same table. Things apparently remained cordial, IIRC one of the Japanese reps used to play tennis with one of the Americans.
Considering that Switzerland was surrounded by Axis countries or Axis-occupied areas from 1942 to 1944, the Allied diplomatic representatives in Switzerland weren't going anywhere for the duration.
UP's Harriman had a great inlfuence on FDR and served in roles related to relations with wartime allies and many matters of policy. And he did so with patriotism and no thought whatsover about personal gain. Many people in industry put personal and corporate gain aside to insure the war was waged as efficiently as possible, otherwise they would have been acessories to the casualties of our own serivcemen
DuPont had tremendous investments in German factories, but stopped all relations with them immediately on Pearl Harbor Day. Some of these factories were prime targets for USA and British bombers.
IBM was the real culprit, continuing to aid Hitler, not only in the war effort, but also in the Holocaust by business connections through neutral Sweden and Switzerland. The whole Holocaust efficiency depended on the IBM punch-card system, and there were special codes that got information passed censors. This has zero relation to IBM in the Post War era, which did its best to erase this image, was one of the first large USA companies to ban discrimination on racial and religious grounds, and gave a great help to staring an Israeli computer industry which ended up inventing the whole USB technology.
J.Rob One other thing to look at is political considerations. Many government employees were political appointees who behaved much the way things are run now. Favoritism exists due to other dealings, so what was good for the country might translate to what was good for the political bosses themselves. Should you doubt such things going on you might look at the history of such things as the National Road, US 40. It was routed through Wheeling, WV due to influence of Henry Clay. Also U.S. Grants administration was terribly corrupt. It seems corrupt officials have been around for quite a while and are nothing new.
One other thing to look at is political considerations. Many government employees were political appointees who behaved much the way things are run now. Favoritism exists due to other dealings, so what was good for the country might translate to what was good for the political bosses themselves. Should you doubt such things going on you might look at the history of such things as the National Road, US 40. It was routed through Wheeling, WV due to influence of Henry Clay. Also U.S. Grants administration was terribly corrupt.
It seems corrupt officials have been around for quite a while and are nothing new.
Ya that's baloney. FDR had several cabinet members who were Republicans, and the WPB and other boards tended to be run by people who were captains of industry, company presidents etc. not union bosses.
JimValle They had to accept the 2900 class 4-8-4's and the 5100 class 2-10-4's instead
They had to accept the 2900 class 4-8-4's and the 5100 class 2-10-4's instead
What a shame!
ChuckAllen, TX
One railroad that was able to get a lot of FT units out of the WPB was the Santa Fe. Their double track mainline across New Mexico, Arizona and Southern California was the best rail link between the East and the Los Angeles Basin and it was virtually all desert. By assigning diesels here the line was kept fluid even though it was saturated with traffic and the need to haul water for steam engines, some 300 tank cars per day, was greatly reduced so even more war traffic could be carried. By 1945 the Santa Fe had practically achieved dieselization between Belen and Barstow. The WPB kept a close eye on the Santa Fe, though and when they requested even more diesels to operate over their non desert territories they were denied. They had to accept the 2900 class 4-8-4's and the 5100 class 2-10-4's instead
Even before WWII British Patroleum had set up refinaries in both Egypt and then Mandatory Palestine. The Haifa refinary still operates today for Israeli companies. The rail link between Haifa and Egypt was rushed to completion partly for that reason. But ships could sail from Saudi Arabia directly to Haifa, and return to Egypt with processed fuel. Haifa was the main refinary and Egyt had some refinaries also.
From about 1940 to 1948 it was possible to travel by train from Cairo to Istambul by rail, through Lod (near Ben Gurion Airport), Haifa, Naharia, Beirut.
daveklepper Saudi oil fueled Allied Armies in North Africa and then in Italy. ...
Saudi oil fueled Allied Armies in North Africa and then in Italy. ...
Even today's best multi-fuel engines don't like crude oil. Where was that Saudi oil refine, Dave?
Saudi oil fueled Allied Armies in North Africa and then in Italy. The campaign in France and then western Germany, and Holland and Belgium, was fueled by ships from the USA and Canada. Some Saudi oil also reached Russia via the trans-Iranian Railway, which was half operated by US Military railroaders and half by British military railroaders. This was the deal that made Saudi Arabia an ally of the USA despite a government that everyone knows operates even today 100% opposite from the USA, where there is freedom of religion and ballot-box Democracy. When Russia recaptured the Caucasus oilfields from the Germans, they quickly reestablished drilling and refining and did not need oil from Saudi Arabia. But the USA and Britain still did for the Italian campaign.
Deggesty From what I have read of the movement of the Allies in Europe, the tanks used gasoline.
From what I have read of the movement of the Allies in Europe, the tanks used gasoline.
I think youi're right. Do you think that might have had anything to do with the German nickname, "Tommy Cookers", for the M4 Shermans used by the Brits?
My earlier comment on this matter expressed a tanker's preference for diesel as opposed to gasoline fuel. As a matter of fact, I'm not certain if any US tanks before the M48A3 and M60 burned diesel.
aricat Both the British and US Armies did not know what type of fuel might be available overseas. Both Armies designed trucks that would be diesel powered early on. There was no certainty that gasoline would be available where the army might be deployed in 1942. I don't know if the US Army ordered diesel powered trucks or tanks in World War II or if it was only in the design stage.However, the British did put into operation both gasoline and diesel powered trucks. This diesel fuel would most likely come from the United States.
Both the British and US Armies did not know what type of fuel might be available overseas. Both Armies designed trucks that would be diesel powered early on. There was no certainty that gasoline would be available where the army might be deployed in 1942. I don't know if the US Army ordered diesel powered trucks or tanks in World War II or if it was only in the design stage.However, the British did put into operation both gasoline and diesel powered trucks. This diesel fuel would most likely come from the United States.
Johnny
Safety and range were also considerations in whether a tank should be diesel or gasoline powered. Diesel fuel is less volatile and thus harder to ignite and safer than gasoline. Extended range in terms of mileage was a diesel bonus.
Just ask any old (pre-Abrams) tanker whether he'd rather have had a diesel or gasoline fueled tank. I had both (gasoline M48A2C and diesel M48A3) at various times and there is no question that I'd prefer my tank to have a diesel engine in it..
Not only did the War Production Board often deny new orders for road diesel-electrics, they often forced RR's to use existing designs (with some allowable modifications) of steam. The PRR J1 2-10-4 , which was pretty much a direct copy of the older C&O T1 2-10-4 was a good example. Many other RRs were also forced to use "War Babies" that were not their favored design.
What is interesting about the EM1 2-8-8-4 was that it was a totally new design than previous large articulated freight engines. They were as modern as large steam got, and closed the book on articulated locomotive engineering. I always found it interesting exactly how Baldwin and the B&O got the EM1 past the board. More than likely it was a case of who you know and what political connections they have, but we will probably never find out the real answer.
Keep in mind too that at that time America was EXPORTING oil. Gasoline rationing would strongly imply there was a shortage, though it may have been self-imposed, just as were rations on meat and sugar. Military needs, and supplying our allies in Europe, created shortages here.
AltonFan My understanding is that it was not that there was a shortage of gasoline, but that rubber, which could only be obtained from Japanese-held areas in Southeast Asia, was in a critically short supply, so to save rubber, gas was rationed.
My understanding is that it was not that there was a shortage of gasoline, but that rubber, which could only be obtained from Japanese-held areas in Southeast Asia, was in a critically short supply, so to save rubber, gas was rationed.
The definitive book on the subject is the recent "TRAINS TO VICTORY, America's Railroads in World War II". What the WPB (and other boards and agencies) did was to try to manage the best use of limited materials like steel, rubber, petroleum etc. In the case of locomotives, it did say that no new designs were allowed, only proven ones.
FT production was shut down for a time, GM was doing a lot of work building tanks etc. FTs when made were given to railroads that had the most need, like ATSF. Oddly, when Minneapolis & St.Louis ordered 2-6-6-2 steam engines to handle their increased traffic, they were given FTs instead - a turnabout from usual complaints of railroads that ordered diesels and got steam. The gov't decided the amount of steel the railroad would have needed to upgrade it's bridges so the new steam engines could cross them weren't justified - it used less materials to give them diesels of similar power.
jrbernier Alco & Baldwin were limited to 'switcher' production(EMD was not allowed to build their SW1/NW2 switchers). Alco also was allowed to build a military version of the RS-1 for the Trans-Iranian railroad. Alco and the New Haven also petitioned the production board and were allowed to build 'dual service' DL109's. Late in the war, Alco also was given permission to built a tested set of road freight engines(Black Maria). The RS-1 production gave Alco an 'edge' in the road switcher market and they fielded the RS-2 right after the war. Alco's real problem was not EMD's massive lead in road freight engines, but the problems with the '244' series engine.
Alco & Baldwin were limited to 'switcher' production(EMD was not allowed to build their SW1/NW2 switchers). Alco also was allowed to build a military version of the RS-1 for the Trans-Iranian railroad. Alco and the New Haven also petitioned the production board and were allowed to build 'dual service' DL109's. Late in the war, Alco also was given permission to built a tested set of road freight engines(Black Maria). The RS-1 production gave Alco an 'edge' in the road switcher market and they fielded the RS-2 right after the war. Alco's real problem was not EMD's massive lead in road freight engines, but the problems with the '244' series engine.
EMD did have a significant lead in diesel engines due to the large production of 567's for the Navy, which was important enough that the WPB allowed EMD to do development work on the 567 during the war.Improved reliability was probably as important to Navy as it was to the railroads. Alco, on the other hand, was not allowed to commit significant resources to developing the 244 along with not having a large installed base of the 567 to spot problems with the engine. Had the 244 been as reliable as the 567, Alco would have taken over the post WW2 passenger market as the PA was a lighter and less expensive locomotive to build than an EMD E of the same horsepower.
It would have been interesting to see what would have happened in the road switcher market if Alco had a reliable prime mover immediately post WW2.
- Erik
Alton..., yes, rails moved petroleum products in tank cars because German U boats lurked off the Atlantic Coast.
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Alco had been supplying the U S Navy with Model 330, 531 and 538 engines prior to the war. During WW2 the Navy continued to use Alco engines. The 540 welded block engine was used in patrol boats, mine sweepers, mine layers and tugs.
tpatrick: I think you will find Steinbrenner's Alco Book fascinating. In regards to the WPB there were so many factors to be considered as to what was to be built that it can be seen why there was a need for it. For example the WPB determined production capacity for the locomotive builders and assigned work accordingly.
Ed in Kentucky
artschlosser And there was a gasoline shortage. I came across my older brother's ration card. Everybody had a farm buddy that would come through in a pinch.
And there was a gasoline shortage. I came across my older brother's ration card. Everybody had a farm buddy that would come through in a pinch.
IIRC, submarine warfare in the Atlantic forced the railroads to ship most petroleum products in tank cars, even as crews were frantically working to build the first oil pipelines.
Dan
Excellent input from everyone. Thanks to you all. And a special thanks to SSW 9389 for referencing the Steinbrenner book. I just ordered a copy for myself. Can't wait to get into it!
Author Richard Steinbrenner details the War Production Board (WPB) in his book The American Locomotive Company A Centennial Remembrance. In his Chapter VII, ALCO and World War II from pages 193 to 233 there is mention of the WPB and how it effected locomotive production. From what I can piece together from reading Steinbrenner's work the War Production Board required locomotive builders to obtain prior authorization from the WPB before committing to production. The WPB controlled the raw materials for production, provided the plants and tools for production and ensured that there was a trained and skilled work force at the production plants.
In the WPB there was a Transportation Equipment Branch and part of that Branch was the Railroad Industry Advisory Committee. This Committee created a plan for locomotve production and a system of priorities for that production. What happened to a particular railroad's request for new motive power was subject to the WPB Plan and the priority given to the request.
Steinbrenner cites various Committee letters and records in this chapter that reflect a serious approach to writing about the WPB. To my knowledge these records are available for study at the National Archives.
LaGrange could not expand its production facilities and most were needed for diesels and generators and other equpment for war purposes, including landing craft, patrol boats, portable generators for field use, etc. Other than that it built FT diesels as quickly as possible. In addition to the AT&SF, the Southern and B&M were able to get some. Also diesel fuel was in short supply. Saudi oil went to the African and Italian campaigns, often refined at Haifa, then under British rule. The American motorist was very limited in the amount of gasoline he could use (A-cards) unless he was a doctor or somone similar. But there was no rationing of coal. Meat was rationed.
I think I see the confusion-- the original poster said B&O got 2-8+8-4s because "the War Production Board vetoed the production of some diesel locomotives". But far as we know WPB never vetoed any FT production; they likely were delighted to see EMD crank them out as fast as they could. The WPB might have vetoed sending FTs to B&O, but the FTs the B&O had hoped for got built all right, and sent elsewhere.
henry6TRAINS Magazine has done numerous articles through the years
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