Given my heavy business travel, I read a lot. I read mostly non-fiction and a lot of history, so when I got an email from a Freightdawg reader about an interesting "infographic" put forth by Derby Logistics on the supply chain challenges of the American Revolution, I was interested. Most interesting of all were the challenges the British faced in fighting a war 3000 miles away by sea.
The "logistical tail" of an army is the supply chain that keeps the beans, bandages and bullets flowing to the front. This has been a strategic element of armies from the beginning of time. It was critical to the defeat of Napoleon and later, the Nazi's in Russia. It was physical limiter that ultimately contained the Roman Empire. It's also why some of the finest minds in Logistics today are in the United States military. It's also one of the key reasons a bunch of farmers and militia folks lead by an aristocratic professional leader like Washington could challenge then eventually defeat the greatest superpower of the age.
Check this article out on the supply chain that won the American Revolution. Our country owes much to those who worked to move the materiel that General Washington needed but we also owe our fortunes to the Atlantic Ocean, which forced great hardship on the British.
Eric
PS: As a guy who spent years working for a British shipping company, I find this fascinating.
Eric,
Cool article. There is a similar story in Germany's march to Russia in WW2. The attack moved smoothly ahead until winter, when thousands died from the elements. Thanks for posting it.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Heilman | July 02, 2011 at 12:38 PM