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DID YOU KNOW
THAT?
During the Second World War, the
most precious thing in China for the Americans against their war against the
Japanese was 'gasoline. Gasoline was so precious that war sometimes stopped
because of shortage of gasoline for the engines of the battle. As you know the
allied armies had to fly all materials of war including gasoline to China
flying over the hump from Chabua, Assam. The estimated cost of flying gasoline
into China - including losses, crews etc - ranged as high as $1000 per
gallon.
Although critical for military
aircraft, gasoline was almost non existent for civilian use in China. During
such times, it was purely Chinese native ingenuity which kept the civilian
trucks moving. They devised the technique whereby they burn charcoal for
motor vehicles. As many as four men were needed to keep a charcoal truck in
operation. The first man was the driver. Another man would stoke the
charcoal burner to keep the fire burning. The truck had a large tank, like a
hot-water heater where charcoal was burned, and the gases from the charcoal went
into the carburetor through a hose. But there were problems. When they came to a
hill, the truck refuses to go over and would begin to roll backward. Then
the third man would jump out and put blocks under wheels.
The fourth man would then turn a small valve from a gallon can to another
small hose into the carburetor. The truck would then take off. It
was a can of alcohol. They would cross the hill in this manner.
I wonder if such Charcoal Burning
Trucks were there in India too.
RB
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