Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 4:44:42-4:45:29

Oilfield denial complicated Japan's Dutch East Indies gains

Dutch engineers sabotaged useful oilfields despite threats against themselves and their families, obstructing Japan's access to fuel.

Dutch East IndiesJapanese NavyNaval LogisticsOil LogisticsScorched EarthWorld War II
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Question

Did some Southeast Asian oilfields produce oil that could be used with little or no refining?

Short answer

Yes, but Dutch engineers sabotaged the facilities, making the oil difficult for Japan to obtain and use.

Notes

Some Southeast Asian oilfields produced crude usable with little refining, but Dutch engineers could still deny access to it by sabotaging the facilities. Their technical knowledge made the damage difficult to reverse. Engineers continued the destruction despite Japanese threats to kill saboteurs and their families. Japanese forces may then have carried out those threats against some of the people they found.