Logistics are the lifeblood of military operations. Your men won’t be able to do very much without food, ammunition, fuel and so on.
If the troops have no ammunition, they can’t do much damage to their opponents. Without food and medical supplies, your soldiers will melt away without ever fighting a battle. Without spare parts and fuel, vehicles and equipment quickly become inoperable.
“How to make War 3rd ed” James F Dunnigan
If you have 5 minutes
How much do you need?
A general rule of thumb for the US military is that every day:
- A soldier needs 100 lbs
- A sailor needs 400-600 lbs
- An airman needs 1,000 lbs
Besides what military branches you’re employing, there are a few factors that increase your logistical needs, such as:
- Size of your force
- Distance from your supply base
- (this means that militaries find it important to have bases near where they want to operate)
- Size of the supply reserve you want to have
- Combat operations
- A lack of road or rail networks (or a single road)
- (this means that militaries find it important to have a supply line which can put through the flow of supplies it needs)
- Transport by air, truck or rail.
- Ships are the most efficient)
What happens to militaries when they’re cut off from their supply line?
If they’re lucky, they get to surrender. When the Germans quickly carved through Poland, France and the Soviet Union during World War 2, they did not do so by killing every enemy soldier. Instead they surrounded hundreds of thousands of enemy troops and forced them to surrender. The alternative was to starve.
If you have 30 minutes
Logistics, the lifeblood of military power, The Heritage Foundation
Defence and Military 101 