US embargoes before Pearl harbor

[Doug_FL]

Did the US stop selling aviation fuel to Japan before an oil embargo was placed
on Japan. The process of cracking, which was used to produce high octane fuel,
was developed in the US. I'm not sure the Japanese knew how to make aviation
fuel, back in 1940. Anyone know more about this? Like who ordered it?

 

[MontyB]

Did the US stop selling aviation fuel to Japan before an oil embargo was placed
on Japan. The process of cracking, which was used to produce high octane fuel,
was developed in the US. I'm not sure the Japanese knew how to make aviation
fuel, back in 1940. Anyone know more about this? Like who ordered it?

Yes they did stop selling aviation fuel to the Japanese, the Export Controls Act (July 5 1940) halted the shipment of material such as airplanes, parts, machine tools, and aviation gasoline to Japan.

The higher quality/octane processes you are talking about we not developed until after hostilities began so it is doubtful that the Japanese received this technology from the Allies although German C3 fuels were of high quality and it is entirely possible that German technology was given/traded to the Japanese.

As I recall the Japanese used water/alcohol injection and lightweight designs to get around lower octane problems.

Here is a section on Japanese Aviation Gasoline from a report by the UN Naval Technical Mission To Japan written in Feb 1946...

http://www.fischer-tropsch.org/prim...rts/USNTMJ-200K-0292-0390 Report X-38 N-1.pdf

 

[lljadw]

good post

 

[Doug_FL]

Yeah, that's a real good answer.

 

[MontyB]

I assume that is what you were after?

There were rumours that the export of aviation gas actually stopped in late 1939 but I cant find any confirmation of that.