RammyLad1 Posted 9 November , 2013 Share Posted 9 November , 2013 How vital to the Royal Navy were the oilfields at Basra, Mesopotamia. I have always been under the impression that ships of that time were coal fired. Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
widavies Posted 9 November , 2013 Share Posted 9 November , 2013 Hi Duncan, The switch to oil fired warships began prior to WW1 and therefore a stable source for fuel oil was essential to keep the more modern ships running. Not only that you also needed oil for lubrication for an increasing mechanised military. However oil was also sourced from the US. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 9 November , 2013 Share Posted 9 November , 2013 http://www.epmag.com/archives/digitalOilField/5911.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RammyLad1 Posted 9 November , 2013 Author Share Posted 9 November , 2013 Thanks for the replies. My late Grandfather joined the Royal Navy in 1925 and spent 25 years in the service eventually rising to the rank of chief stoker. I always imagined that his time would have been spent shovelling coal. By his time in the service most of the ships must have run on oil. The rank of stoker must have been something carried over from the old days. Duncan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James A Pratt III Posted 10 November , 2013 Share Posted 10 November , 2013 I think there is mention of this topic Basra oilfields in the book "Ends and means" on the "Mespot Campaign" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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