[Yo-Yo]

I am a WWII buff and have read many books on all the Theaters for the US & ALlies as well as Germany, Italy and Japan, however never read about the Fischer-Tropsch process.

Really? Ever ask yourself why Rommel was in North Africa? Oil wells. The Fischer-Tropsch liquification process was used to make diesel out of coal, but it was even more inefficient than this article makes it out to be, and wasn't used until very late in the war, after Germany lost it's crude oil sorces in North Africa.

Similarly, the reason the Japanese invaded the Philippines was so they could control that part of the Pacific and get crude oil from Indonesia (Dutch East Indies.)

[K-oneTexas]

I knew about the invasion reasons on both country's parts for oil ... all I was saying was that I never read in any books details about the coal gasification process happening back in Germany.

Also a little domination was mixed in to their goals. Sounds like the Dem Primary.

[rahbert]

I thought Rommel was in Africa in order to seal off the
British Empah via the Suez Canal. IIRC the discovery of
oil in North Africa was a postwar event.

[Argus]

Reason for Hitler shifting the main thrust of Barbarossa away from Moscow and toward Stalingrad was his desire to break through and seize the Baku oilfields. Didn’t make it, needless to say.