British logistics in the Falklands War

British logistics in the Falklands War

According to Admiral Sandy Woodward, who commanded the British fleet during the Falklands War, the British Army, Royal Air Force, the Ministry of Defence and the Secretary of State for Defence, as well as the United States Navy, all “initially suspected the operation was doomed.” [Woodward, 2003: xviii.] The logistical difficulties of operating 8,000 miles from home were part of the reason.

Merchant ships sent by the British during the Falklands War carried 100,000 tons of freight and 95 aircraft as well as 9,000 personnel. The supply chain also carried 400,000 tons of fuel. Even fresh water was a constituent of the logistics load sent to the south Atlantic. The Fort Toronto served as a water tanker for the Task Force. [Webb, 2007: 298-299.]

Because of the distance of 8,000 miles from northwest Europe, the British took advantage of forward located supplies where they were available to them. The nearest forward base to the Falklands was on the British island of Ascension. The facilities there were run by the Americans but they released their strategic stockpiles on the island. Chief among these was the provision by the US Air Force of aviation fuel. The Americans provided a total of 12.5 million gallons or about 40,000 tons for British aircraft. [Webb, 2007: 298.]

But Ascension was still situated 3,800 miles from the Falklands. As a result, the British were compelled to make use of whatever they could find in the South Atlantic. They went so far as to visit whaling stations that had been abandoned two decades earlier. After South Georgia was taken back from the Argentines, ships called in at the stations on the island where they requisitioned steel and other repair material. Then having landed on East Falkland the British made use of tractors lent by local farmers. There was little else available in forward locations. The British were forced to bring almost everything they required. [Webb, 2007: 298.]

Notes

References

Kieran Webb, 'The Continued Importance of Geographic Distance and Boulding's Loss of Strength Gradient', Comparative Strategy, Volume 26 Issue 4, 2007.

Admiral Sandy Woodward, One Hundred Days, (London: HarperCollins, 2003).

ee also

*British logistics in the Second Boer War
*Distance in Military Affairs
*Upward Spiral


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужна курсовая?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • British logistics in the Second Boer War — The Second Boer War (1899 1902) involved the British in a global logistics effort. According to the contemporary military writer, Alfred Thayer Mahan, the transportation required by the war in South Africa was “an incident unprecedented, and in… …   Wikipedia

  • British ground forces in the Falklands War — This is a list of the ground forces from the United Kingdom that took part in the Falklands War. For a list of ground forces from Argentina, see Argentine ground forces in the Falklands War Land Forces The land forces employed by the United… …   Wikipedia

  • Falklands War — Map outlining the British recapture of the islands …   Wikipedia

  • Events leading to the Falklands War — There were many events leading to the 1982 Falklands War ( Guerra de Malvinas in Spanish) between the United Kingdom and Argentina over possession of the Falkland Islands ( Islas Malvinas ) and South Georgia ( Georgia del Sur ).BackgroundThe… …   Wikipedia

  • Aftermath of the Falklands War — Remains of a helicopter shot down in South Georgia Island during Falklands War. (Photo taken 1999) Contents 1 Political aftermath …   Wikipedia

  • British Caledonian in the 1980s — Articleissues cleanup= March 2008 copyedit = March 2008 confusing = March 2008 expert = Airlines essay = March 2008 peacock = March 2008 tone = March 2008 wikify = March 2008 context = March 2008 introrewrite = March 2008There were many ups and… …   Wikipedia

  • War artist — For information about the genre, see War art. A war artist depicts some aspect of war through art; this might be a pictorial record or it might commemorate how war shapes lives. [1] War artists have explored a visual and sensory dimension of war… …   Wikipedia

  • Military of the Falkland Islands — British Forces South Atlantic Islands The British joint forces flag used in the Falklands [1] …   Wikipedia

  • logistics — /loh jis tiks, leuh /, n. (used with a sing. or pl. v.) 1. the branch of military science and operations dealing with the procurement, supply, and maintenance of equipment, with the movement, evacuation, and hospitalization of personnel, with the …   Universalium

  • History of the British Army — The history of the British Army spans over three and a half centuries and numerous European wars, colonial wars and world wars. From the early 19th century until 1914, the United Kingdom was the greatest economic and Imperial Power in the world,… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”