Key Aspects of Warfare Logistics since World War II - Assignment Example

Key Aspects of Warfare Logistics since World War II World War II is the war that lasted for six years, from 1939 to 1945. The world countries aligned with the allies or the axis power to battle in a real war. A truly bloody and long war officially began on1st September 1939 when Germany invaded Poland. World War II lasted until both the Japanese and the Germans surrendered in 1945 to the allies (Johnson, 2006). This paper describes the key aspects of warfare logistics since World War II.

It will also examine the duration of supply-based operations logistically to the proposed real-time Army transformation operations. The Second World War built up the backdrop of the largest logistic operations. The war involved thousands of personnel, hundreds of ships and supplies of force in terms of millions of tons (Langford, 2007). To exercise this massive operation logistically, planners used resupply throughput and supply point operations which included rear stockpiling of supplies at depots, transporting them to the units and moving them to the forward depots.

In the month of August and September 1944, the forces started transporting food, medical supplies, ammunition, fuel, barrier materials and equipment to units quickly by road, rail and air. Ammunition and petroleum occupied half of the daily supplies and were indeed a real requirement (Johnson, 2006). Ammunition shortfall Ammunition was the hardest supply on the battle field because of its different configurations and types. Eventually, the problem solved by the army by combating the supply rate and establishing the required supply rate.

Combat supply rate is the amount of ammunition the system can support whereas the required supply rate is the number of ammunition a commander requires for an operation (Gudehus, 2012). Fuel shortages September 1944, 1st and 3rd armies experienced critical fuel problems due to shortage of transportation. They built the pipeline to transport petroleum thus solving the problem of fuel shortages. Increased consumption and lack of truck transportation were the principal cause to petroleum shortages (Gudehus, 2012).

Other Supply DeficitsClothing Clothing problems involved everything from production to development and design to transportation problems. Also, blankets lacked in the needs of prisoners of war, civilian population and French forces. There was a lack of blankets in the winter of 1944 (Gudehus, 2012). Second World War was an ongoing process of experimentation and initiatives to try and fit the correct logistic system with the right situation. Whenever logistician confronted roadblocks at a strategic level, they overcame them as fast as possible.

Mulberries served as expedient piers at the operational level (Langford, 2007). Logistic operations in World War II, the Vietnam War the Gulf War and the Korean War, employed far much the same methodology. Came up with a supply base, debarkation port secured, and by whatever means applicable pushed supplies forward (Gudehus, 2012). Conclusively, logistics structure transformation must begin with system renovation including maintenance and transportation changes, also in the supply of water, food, ammunition, barrier materials and fuel.

The army needs to lighten its supply load and equipment, reduce logistic tail and increase the sustainability force as this is the bottom line of any successful war. ReferencesGudehus, T., & Kotzab, H. (2012). Comprehensive logistics (2nd rev. and enl. ed.). Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.Johnson, W. B. (2006). The U.S. Pacific campaign in World War II from Pearl Harbor to Guadalcanal. New York: Routledge.Langford, J. W. (2007). Logistics: principles and applications (2nd ed.). New York: SOLE Press/McGraw-Hill.