第二次世界大战时,纳粹德国最大的隐忧是战略物资的短缺,最为紧迫需要的是橡胶和稀有金属如钨、锡等。然而他的战争伙伴日本,却有大量的此类物资的储备,尤其是日本于1942年占领了马来西亚半岛后,更增加了橡胶和锡、钼等金属的来源。但是从远东输送该类物资到德国占领的欧洲地区,却是一桩既危险又艰巨的任 World War II, Nazi Germany’s biggest worry is the shortage of strategic materials, the most urgent need is the rubber and rare metals such as tungsten, tin and so on. However, Japan, as its warring partner, had a large stockpile of such materials. In particular, Japan acquired more sources of rubber, tin, molybdenum and other metals after it occupied the Peninsular Malaysia in 1942. However, it is a dangerous and arduous task to transport such materials from the Far East to the German-occupied Europe.