From Fortune February 1, 2013 by Michael Schrage
In this Fortune post, it is logistics, not strategy that played key role in victory in WW II (of course strategy is the choice of resources and key activities to reach an objective, as winning a war.) Thus WW II was won by Europe in a lend lease program of USA to its European allies.
This was contained in the books: Engineers of Victory by Paul Kennedy, and Blacketts War by Stephen Budiansky
Yesterday, a student discussed Sun Tzu and she asked me to interpret her infographics that one of the key elements of strategy is logistics. The supply chain for the troops is more important than the weapons or tactics. Thus Sun Tzu emphasizes the cost of waging a war.
Thus General MacArthur understood this in running the WWII Pacific War, and the Korean War. Eishenhower utilized this for the European theater. Each had their own supply train (convoys supplying huge amount of supplies - food construction equipment, food, medicine etc and other war materiel. This supply chain must be kept and protected.
On the other hand, Gen Rommel, the Desert Fox lost to less brilliant Montgomery in the battle of El Alamein because his tanks rank out of fuel.
Thus the adage that soldiers can not fight on an empty stomach.
Schwarskopf understood this thus he always had a computer supply model for each battle scenario. From toilet paper to soap and soldier's slippers must be listed, categorized, packed and brought to the battle front. For the Desert Storm and Desert Shield, he did not have such a model, thus Lt. Gen William Pagonis (whom he later promoted as a general) ran the war on a 3 x 5 index card.
From Smartbrief on Leadership
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