Key Aspects of Warfare Logistics since World War II Assignment

Key Aspects of Warfare Logistics since World War II - Assignment Example The Second World War built up the backdrop of the largest logistics 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 was the hardest supply on the battlefield 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). September 1944, 1st and 3rd armies experienced critical fuel problems due to the 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 of petroleum shortages (Gudehus, 2012). Clothing problems involved everything from production to development and design to transportation problems. Also, blankets lacked in the needs of prisoners of war, the 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).  Ã‚