German Textile Industries during 1939–45

Abstract

FOR some years before the Second World War, the German textile industries had been short of natural fibres such as cotton and wool. Substitutes therefore were sought in rayon and staple fibre, cottonized bast fibres (Flockenbast), paper and to a small extent in synthetics such as 'Perlon' and 'Pe Ce'. During the War, the difficulties were accentuated, and the chie aim of Germarn textile technologists was to produce materials as similar to cotton or wool as possible and which would permit existing cotton or woollen machinery to be utilized. Rayon staple and, to a pomt, Flockenbast are genuinely useful fibres in their own right ; but they were used by the Germans as substitute materials without regard to their inherent properties. The paper yarns were poor substitutes for the genuine article, though they found useful scope in the book cloth and artificial leather trades. These developments are described in a recent B.I.O.S. Overall Report (No. 13 ; pp. 178 ; London : H.M. Stationery Office, 1949 ; 3s.) which shows that the volume of fundamental research undertaken was small. There was, however, a high utilization-rate owing to the high level of technical ability among managers. Technical training at all levels was fostered by excellent textile colleges, which were integrated with research institutes and official testing houses.