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The Strategische Material Reserve-Verwaltung (Strategic Materials Reserve Administration), at the direction of the Ministry of Economics, maintains a system of depots for the stockpiling of petroleum and other strategic materials to be drawn upon in time of national emergency or disruption of the normal patterns of commerce in event of war. At the present time there are fourteen (14) depots for the storage of oil and petroleum products, five (5) for the storage of industrial commodities and six (6) for the storage of cereals and other food products.

In March 1940 the Deutsches Heer was authorised to establish an organic war reserve of petroleum products separate and distinct from the national petroleum reserve administered by the Strategische Material Reserve-Verwaltung but organised and operated in concert with that organisation. By the close of the year the Heer had established four main fuel depots (Zentralhauptlager) and had requested funding for additional storage depots in the forthcoming fiscal years. However, due to changes in the strategic situation, construction of new depots has been deferred in favor of incremental expansion of the existing depots.






In April 1940 the Deutsches Luftwaffe was authorised to establish an organic war reserve of petroleum products separate and distinct from the national petroleum reserve administered by the Strategische Material Reserve-Verwaltung but organised and operated in concert with that organisation.

In addition to the Government’s Strategische Material Reserve-Verwaltung (Strategic Materials Reserve Administration), that maintains a petroleum reserve for the national economy, the Kriegsmarine maintains and controls its own system of storage depots. These not only support on-going activities of the fleet but also form an immediate reserve to support fleet operations without drawing on the national petroleum reserve.

Where possible the tanks forming the naval petroleum reserve have been located underground and protected against bomb damage. Some have been equipped with heating coils to assure that the contents maintain their required viscosity. Supporting the depots are a network of pipelines and fueling points, complemented by barges and railway tank wagons under naval control.

Details of the Kriegsmarine’s fuel reserves have not been released but are estimated at three million tons, or approximately twelve months at normal consumption.

The Strategische Material Reserve-Verwaltung (Strategic Materials Reserve Administration), at the direction of the Ministry of Economics, maintains a system of depots for the stockpiling of petroleum and other strategic materials to be drawn upon in time of national emergency or disruption of the normal patterns of commerce in event of war. At the present time there are fourteen (14) depots for the storage of oil and petroleum products, seven (7) for the storage of industrial commodities and eleven (11) for the storage of cereals and other food products.

In March 1940 the Deutsches Heer was authorised to establish an organic war reserve of petroleum products separate and distinct from the national petroleum reserve administered by the Strategische Material Reserve-Verwaltung but organised and operated in concert with that organisation. By the close of the year the Heer had established four main fuel depots (Zentralhauptlager) and had requested funding for additional storage depots in the forthcoming fiscal years. However, due to changes in the strategic situation, construction of new depots has been deferred in favor of incremental expansion of the existing depots.

In April 1940 the Deutsches Luftwaffe was authorised to establish an organic war reserve of petroleum products separate and distinct from the national petroleum reserve administered by the Strategische Material Reserve-Verwaltung but organised and operated in concert with that organisation.