Evening star., 1942-05-18
BY FRANCIS E. STAN,
Star STAT Cnrresnnndenf


NORFOLK, Va-When Rudolph
Diesel of Munich invented his in
ternal combustion engine about
1900 he was to give Germany one
Of its excuses to believe 1t could
conquer the world. Industrialists
and military men agree that, with
out oil-burning Diesels, Adolf Hitler
might have been unable to send
panzer divisions of such strength
riding over Poland, the Low Coun-
tries and France. Reason: Lack Of
gasoline.
For more than 80 years the
Diesel has been available to Ameri-
can engineers to develop. to make
lighter in weight and yet add
horsepower. But America was slow
to concentrate on the engine. Uncle
Sam has used it for years in sub
marines but only recently has he
gone all out on Diesels to supple
ment the war program.
More and more sub-chasers, net
tenders. cargo and running ships
are being Diesel-powered. There
still is an overwhelming majority
of gasoline driven tanks and
armored cars being made but the
Diesels are rolling of the line, too,
and in greater number than ever
before.
The Germans, it is said, were
using Diesels in mobile machines
while we were employing the engine
only in stationary plants. This
chiefly was because in this country
it was difficult to reduce the weight,
which formerly ran between 200
to 300 pounds per horsepower. Now
American engineers have cut it to
II pounds per h.p.-or less.
Whether the United States will get
around to installing Diesels in war
planes in time to fully test them
in this war remains to be seen.
Germany Is reported to have
powered its Junkers with Diesels,
lightened to IL pounds per horse
power.
Only Better Men Make Grade.
The Navy, wholly alive to the
value OF the lightweight Diesel, is
buying up all of the engines it can
get, but there is another problem: !:
Experts to run and repair them.
That's, why here on the Norfolk
Operating Base the Diesel School
Is running full blast and two shifts
a day. Whereas the Navy formerly
turned out so graduates a month,
1t now Is producing 200 to ship all
over the world.
The Diesel school is not the ro-
mantle spot at the operating base
1t Is q plain brick building filled
with men in blue denim. Grease
smeared gobs peer without express
sion into the innards of a dozen
different engines. But without men
to man the oil engines of subs and
converted aircraft carriers, and to
care for the auxiliary Diesels of
the battleships and cruisers, Uncle
Sans new Navy wouldn't be 100 per
cent effective.
Raw recruits are not considered
as candidates for the school. Under
1t. Harry M. Rudio of Washington
and q group of tough petty officers,
al former submarine men with IA
to 80 years of experience in the pig
boats, the eight-week course is so
geared that only the Navy's better
mechanics make the grade. Many
Of the men now taking the courses
were at Pearl Harbor December Z.
Why this new emphasis on the
Diesel, aside from gas conservation?
Greater efficiency, argue the pro-
Diesel men. And greater safety.
Declared More Efficient.
Anti-Diesel men argue that Hit
ler's panzers are powered with the
oil-burners only because of the lack
Of gasoline. The pro-Diesels don't
deny that the Fuehrer may have had
a shortage in mind. But we figure
the Diesel is 80 per cent more
efficient than gasoline engines" says
1t. Rudio, "and there can't be much
argument as to the greater safety.
The Diesel uses oil for fuel and
there = no spark system-Simply