Oil Plan

The Oil Plan was a strategy devised primarily by Carl Spaatz, the commander of the US 8th Air Force during 1943 - 1944.

Spaatz's premise was that the Achilles' heel of the German war industry was the means of producing and synthesizing oil, and that a concerted attack on these resources would produce a large effect at a small cost. Bomber Harris opposed the plan, deeming it another 'panacea' target, as he also did many other plans involving Precision Bombing including the Transport Plan.

The plan was given approval on April 19 1944 when Eisenhower gave approval for two experimental attacks against oil plants. Further attacks followed, and despite only being allowed to devote 11% of his forces time to the plan, it had dramatic results, causing the amount of petroleum available to Germany in June 1944 to fall from 927,000 tons to 427,000 tons. The amount of aviation spirit fell from 180,000 tons to 50,000 and finally down to 10,000 tons in August, effectively grounding much of the Luftwaffe.