Q&A · 1:12:52-1:13:14

How exploited Libyan oil might have changed the naval war

Local oil could ease Axis fuel problems only if refining survived the maritime and air campaign around North Africa.

Question

What would the Mediterranean war look like if Libya's oil fields had been developed before 1939?

Short answer

Axis fuel supply could improve, but the refineries would become high-priority British targets and their location would be decisive.

Notes

The counterfactual starts with Libyan oil fields being exploited before the war. Their effect would depend heavily on where refining facilities were built. Refineries would become priority targets for British attack, linking the land resource directly to control of the sea and air. If they remained usable, Rommel's army would face a materially easier fuel situation.