It would have used *a lot* of coal, which probably would have been better used for, say, power generation, which is pretty important for an industrial nation fighting an impossible war. Maybe the reason they lost was because they foolishly wasted millions of tons of coal disposing of bodies. Or maybe that whole idea is a fabrication - a *political fiction*. EDIT: it occurred to me I meant millions of *pounds* of coal, and typed “tons” which is a bit exaggerated. But the idea stands - stupid waste of valuable resources that doesn’t make any sense.