Fuel

[Helmut]

Servus,
Did German tanks use diesel or gasoline?

How about Soviet tanks?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,

Helmut

[Christoph Awender]

Hello

German tanks usually gasoline while the russians used Diesel.

/Christoph

[Helmut]

That is very interesting. I guess, at least then the Germans only needed one type of fuel. Made resupply easier.

Thanks for the information.

Regards,

Helmut

[nebelwerferXXX]

The Germans considered Soviet equipment as second-rate...except the T-34, KV-series, Josef Stalin-series tanks, Katyuska rockets, the 71-round SMGs & the Sthurmoviks.

[Florin]

Higher pressure in the combustion chamber of Diesel engine needs thicker walls for those cylinders, to cope with that pressure. With the technology available in the 1940's, that resulted in heavy engines, unless you use aluminum, like the Soviets for T-34. The Germans needed their aluminum for the huge needs of aviation, and could not afford to spare some for Diesel tank engines. That cornered them into use gasoline for their Otto engines used in tanks. I cannot consider this a plus: gasoline is more flamable, and more difficult to obtain as synthetic fuel.

Interesting enough, some German airplanes made in World War One had Diesel engines.
As most people here know, all internal combustion engines in wide use today were developed by Germans: Otto, Diesel and Wankel.

[phylo_roadking]

Interesting enough, some German airplanes made in World War One had Diesel engines.

Florin - it was rarely but not unknown in WWII too! Thinking here of the diesel installations that the Soviets attempted to use for their strategic bombing raids on Berlin in late 1941, and the diesel engines in the long-range, high-altutide Junker's recce aircraft the 86P?

[Florin]

Hi Roadking,

Because you mentioned the engines of the Soviet planes bombing Berlin in 1941, I have to say they were very unreliable. Few Soviet bombers were lost just because of that, during the raid in August 1941. Because other bombers reached Berlin, the mission was considered a success. As a result, the Soviet colonel leading the mission was invited to Stalin, to be congratulated. He used the opportunity to complain about the engines, and demanded their replacement with another type. Some of the henchmen around Stalin interrupted him, saying that he is insolent. However, Stalin allowed him to finish. Eventualy that type of bombers had their engines replaced, if I remembered right with radial air-cooled engines.

[Helmut]

So what type of fuel did American and British tanks use?

[Florin]

So what type of fuel did American and British tanks use?

Gasoline - according to what do I know.

[Helmut]

Thank You