HN 2: The British and their Works

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2 2.1 Unsettled Production Shortages of resources The production increase to 1,500 vehicles scheduled for August 1946 ran up against the limits of a rigid raw materials and semifinished products supply system. Whether the Volkswagenwerk would be able to meet the quota imposed by the Military Government depended decisively on the release of the necessary allocations of steel, textiles and glass, because only after this had been effected could orders be placed. The waiting time for sheet steel was two-and-a-half to three months, for textiles and finished assemblies up to five months. The August programme also caused consternation in the purchasing department, because the quotas already submitted for textiles and glass had been based on 1,000 vehicles. The releases for the disc wheels manufactured by the Kronprinz company were only sufficient for a monthly production of 800 vehicles, and the urgently-needed iron tickets for the third quarter had not yet been received. The purchasing manager Julius Paulsen came up with a sobering calculation. Whereas the scarce sheet-metal blanks were sufficient for a monthly production of 1,500 cars to the end of September 1946, no new blanks would be available before mid-October at the earliest. If the programme were implemented, bottlenecks would have to be expected in several areas at the beginning of October 1946. 67 This episode points up the dilemma of inadequate supplies of raw materials and semi-finished products. It was thus not the fault of the British military government if production remained on a constant rate. In spite of preferential treatment, some allocations to the Volkswagenwerk were delayed, and on account of the shortage of raw materials the suppliers could only patchily cover the requirements. In addition to which the zoning had severed vital connections with the supplier industry. For example most of the light-bulb manufacturers were located in the Soviet zone of occupation, which in November 1946 resulted in a bottleneck for bilux lamps. Stocks were running out, and neither the "Verband der Automobilindustrie" (Motor Industry Association) nor anybody else could say who produced this scarce commodity. Only the Osram company in Berlin had of recent date been manufacturing light bulbs in small quantities for the Volkswagenwerk. 68 Supplies from the American zone also ran into problems. The potential suppliers for the Volkswagenwerk had in August 1945 as yet received no production permit, or only a limited one, and the bureaucratic procedures of the American controlling authorities proved a hindrance to a straightforward trade in goods. Each order had to be approved by the Military Government in Schweinfurt. For supplies to the British sector the approval of headquarters in Frankfurt was required. An internal report on the situation of the supplier industry in the American-occupied area came to the conclusion that, by comparison with the British zone, the reconstruction of the transportation infrastructure was behindhand. This profoundly inhibited industrial activity. The compiler therefore recommended placing orders in the British zone, "where it is recognised that a far higher degree of order prevails in all matters, and industry receives far greater support in the accomplishment of its tasks". 69
Final assembly line at the Wolfsburg plant. In August 1945 the Volkswagenwerk opened negotiations with the Bosch company concerning the suggestion that it should transfer its manufacture of dynamos, starters and spark plugs to the British zone. The Bosch management declined, as they did not wish to lose the benefits of a centralised production in Württemberg. However, the company declared itself willing as of February 1946 to supply all electrical equipment on an ongoing basis. This offer swiftly fell victim to the supply control system, and in March 1946 the Bosch director Honold called on the Volkswagenwerk. Honold complained that of the iron quota allocated to Württemberg by the British military government, Bosch had as yet "not received a single kilogram". 70 80 per cent of the 1,000 tonnes allocated, a small quantity in itself, had been used by the American occupying power. The rest went to agriculture and transport, leaving industry empty-handed. Bosch had therefore resolved to transfer some orders to the British zone, where they were to be processed by the Trilke works in Hildesheim. The VW management promised to take care of the necessary iron tickets and to itself procure the difficult-to-comeby materials such as dynamo armature material, band metal 32 33 SHORTAGES OF RESOURCES
Page 1 and 2: The British and their Works The Vol
Page 3 and 4: 1 2 3 4 PREFACE 4 1. THE LUCK OF TH
Page 5 and 6: This applies as much to the service
Page 7 and 8: Radclyffe, head of the Mechanical E
Page 9 and 10: survived the attacks practically un
Page 11 and 12: British officers inspect a saloon c
Page 13 and 14: The Volkswagenwerk also had its own
Page 15 and 16: Workers remove the roof of a saloon
Page 17 and 18: The laxity of this procedure outrag
Page 19 and 20: Major Hirst (right) in discussion w
Page 21 and 22: However, accommodation in Wolfsburg
Page 23 and 24: individuals in positions of respons
Page 25 and 26: The absence of special tools led to
Page 27 and 28: visional compromise permitted sale
Page 29 and 30: British soldiers take delivery of t
Page 31: Wing Commander Richard H. Berryman,
Page 35 and 36: On 17 June 1946, chief trustee Dr.
Page 37 and 38: General manager Münch approached t
Page 39 and 40: Under the pressure of the material
Page 41 and 42: Arrival in Wolfsburg of Displaced P
Page 43 and 44: The factory management deliberated
Page 45 and 46: Owing to the chronic lack of living
Page 47 and 48: A lack of supplies meant that the V
Page 49 and 50: 2.3 Works council in the deficit ec
Page 51 and 52: Due to the works council’s engage
Page 53 and 54: enlistment at a meeting of the prod
Page 55 and 56: After the production restarted in M
Page 57 and 58: Volkswagenwerk. As required by thes
Page 59 and 60: The service school began running co
Page 61 and 62: The Jeep repair workshop celebrates
Page 63 and 64: In spite of all these difficulties,
Page 65 and 66: corrosion between filler and topcoa
Page 67 and 68: defects. Josef Kales, the head of t
Page 69 and 70: that he had rejected to production,
Page 71 and 72: the adherence to manufacturing tole
Page 73 and 74: The Ministries of Trade and Supply
Page 75 and 76: therefore arose as to whether the t
Page 77 and 78: compared to other manufacturers. Ma
Page 79 and 80: Minutes for the 11th meeting of the
Page 81 and 82: Supplies of raw materials still det
Page 83 and 84:
The first press conference of the g
Page 85 and 86:
In the upturn after the currency re
Page 87 and 88:
workforce at the Volkswagenwerk inc
Page 89 and 90:
For all its criticism of the bureau
Page 91 and 92:
Colonel Radclyffe signed the takeov
Page 93 and 94:
fident, since "nowadays when people
Page 95 and 96:
40 Notes by Brörmann dated 12 th A
Page 97 and 98:
162 Kales to Münch, 30 th December
Page 99:
Picture Sources REME Archives and M
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HN 2: The British and their Works

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