WI Truppenamt went to diesel?

As it say on the tin.

WI, when Germany's military has highly restricted with few legacy issues in the early 20s or so, the Truppenamt decided that the German Army would use diesel fuel for all of its engines?
 
Pros & cons there through the 1930s. After 1938 the Cezch tanks will have to be converted to desiel engines, or extra fuel transport provided. In the 1940 campaign the advancing mechanized corps will have to scrounge for diesel fuel, the numerous petrol depots captured in France cant be used.In 1941 Wehrmacht logistics become complicated as the large numbers of foreign trucks taken up to support the eastern campaign use petrol. Any assistance sent to Italy will have the same complication. Perhaps they will convert to Italian vehicles?
 
IIRC in France 1940 Czech tanks were about 350 of 2200, and grouped into their own divisions. The Germans could organise a 'petrol corps' with odds and ends of petrol powered AFVs and supply vehicles, they could scale that up in Russia in 1941 using the petrol powered vehicles they get from France to have a petrol Panzergruppe.

As for scrounging petrol in France, I know its bought up a lot but how much difference did it really make? And what's more given that all thins being equal a 1440s diesel engine will be at least 50% more efficient than a 1940s petrol engine I doubt there would be nearly as much need to scrounge fuel.
 
How important the 'scrounged' fuel was depends on the source. Most folks assume this was fueling the tanks & thousands of lorries from the road side petrol stations. The bulk was topping off the division tanker trucks from commercial storage or warehousing depots along the way. Vs sending them back to railheads, airfields, or the franticaly establsihed forward depots somewhere to the east. The Belgians & French drained or burned many of the storage facilites, but many others were overrun in the 9th Armies sector when that command disintigrated on the 15th - 17th May.
 
That sounds more like it, and sounds like a handy bonus rather than something to be relied upon like in 1945.

In that case I wouldn't think that scrounging fuel is a reason not to go for diesel in the 20s, particularly given the strategic benefits of diesel for an oil poor country like Germany.
 
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