"Roads in NW europe 1944" Topic

What type of roads would have been typical in NW Europe 1944. Dirt tracks seem to be common with wargamers but I wonder if main roads would have been tarmacked/cobbled?

Like so many things, it depends …

Some main roads would have been tarmaced. Roads in towns and vilages might be cobbled. Out "in the sticks" dirt roads would be much more likely, but then you may well find a cobbled farmyard …

Look at some period photographs and you'll see what I mean.

They did have proper roads in NWE as well as dirt tracks, the latter were more common on secondary routes. Otherwise, all the stuff you'd expect – tarmac, cobbles, concrete…

The boom in cycling was partly made possible by the large network of tarmac roads.

A lot of roads had tarmac laid directly over a previously cobbled surface. I think tarmac was pretty common.

I would have thought Tarmac would be the most common surface.

Most British roads were tarmaced by 1939. I don't see why NW Europe should be any different.

Most British roads were tarmaced by 1939. I don't see why NW Europe should be any different.

A lot lower population density so less traffic, particularly in rural areas.

By the late 1930s, all major roads and many, if not most, secondary roads would be either concrete or asphalt concrete. Some secondary roads and many minor raods probably still had a cobblestone or macadam surface. Although these are Wiki links, the information is fairly reliable in a general sense.

link

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarmac

link

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete

Jim

By the late 1930s, all major roads and many, if not most, secondary roads would be either concrete or asphalt concrete.

That might be true of (for example) the USA, but not necessarily of any other country. It would certainly NOT be true for some countries in Africa. As Cerdic said above most roads in the UK were tarmaced by 1939, not concreted.

Although these are Wiki links, the information is fairly reliable in a general sense.

Unfortunately, your links to Wikipedia, although of general interest, make no specific references to road surfaces in NW Europe amd therefore cannot infer any conclusion as to the road surfaces in use in that part of the world in 1944, or indeed at any time.

photographic evidence (talking mainly Normandy) indicate that a lot of secondary country roads and lanes were dirt surfaces, including those in small villages- lots of pics here, which show a variety of surfaces

link

Don't forget that you need oil to manufacture bitumen/asphalt. I assume that the Germans mostly had better things to do with their available oil than maintain non-critical roads. I am guessing that many roads which were well paved in 1939 were pretty badly potholed by 1944.

The tar part of tarmacadam was a by-product of gas production from coal not oil and was usual on main roads up to the late 50s in UK and North Italy so I would think most of Northern Europe. Being replaced in stages by asphalt after the war.

Much of the secondary roads in North Italy and some places in Scotland were Macadammed which is a compressed and graded gravel construction which would appear to be dirt for appearance but is none the less a good surface for much traffic. I imagine most of North Europe would be like this.

x42

Most wargamers use brown roads because they are pretty multi-period functional.

Having said that, x42's pronouncement on not all brown roads being dirt (but Macadam surfaced) makes a lot of sense.

I've always wondered why they always looked brown and dusty – thanks x42, having just read up, that explains it.

Thanks x42. My knowledge of road surfacing is based on modern asphalt/bitumen and I assumed that the materials 70 years would have been the same. Always good to learn more from the knowledgable folk on TMP.