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One major factor beyond performance stats, is the ability to keep them flying. Wars are not won by the best airplane, tank, or rifle, but through logistics. Having equipment that is robust, simple to maintain, in large quantity, operator friendly, with well trained crews, pays greater dividends than individual performance characteristics. Great example, the Tiger and Panther tanks. Compared to allied tanks, T-34 and M4 Sherman for example, they were regarded as the better vehicles. But when looked at through the logistics lens, they failed miserably. Harder to produce, highly technical and complex, difficult to maintain (without adequate spare parts), not in great enough quantity, and a host of other factors, reduced their combat effectiveness.
And this from the man whose empire included the Military Sea Transportation Service, the Seabees, and the greatest amphibious warfare fleet the world has ever seen!My favourite one:
I don't know what the hell this 'logistics' is that Marshall is always talking about, but I want some of it.
(E.J.King)
And this from the man whose empire included the Military Sea Transportation Service, the Seabees, and the greatest amphibious warfare fleet the world has ever seen!
Cheers,
Wes
Logistics is something you don't have but you can not have, when it is minus 40C and all your troops are in summer clothes you don't have logistics.But Tiger Panzer is a cool machine and logistics is a subject so boring.
My favourite one:
I don't know what the hell this 'logistics' is that Marshall is always talking about, but I want some of it.
(E.J.King)
"But Herr Marshall, der Fuhrer said we would conquer Russia before winter! We haven't conquered Russia yet, so it can't be winter."Logistics is something you don't have but you can not have, when it is minus 40C and all your troops are in summer clothes you don't have logistics.
UNREP, the ultimate force multiplier....and the greatest ability to support modern warships at sea, without bases.
Our spies confirm that V1s are hitting central London, so forget all that scientific measurement malarkey."But Herr Marshall, der Fuhrer said we would conquer Russia before winter! We haven't conquered Russia yet, so it can't be winter."
Cheers,
Wes
Well that would be a shortage of 3.2 million horse shoes, since they started with 800,000 horses, in truth they were short of a lot of things but no shortage of hot air in Berlin.To be way off topic, the real reason the Whermacht stalled? Lack of Winter Horse Shoes...
If you have every tried to ride a horse in the winter shod with regular shoes, you will immediately understand.
Logistical problem: How do you transport that hot air to the front, which has a huge shortage? Maybe it would make Tante Ju a little more buoyant and extend her range? Now there's a quality that doesn't show up in the stats!In truth they were short of a lot of things but no shortage of hot air in Berlin.
Logistical problem: How do you transport that hot air to the front, which has a huge shortage? Maybe it would make Tante Ju a little more buoyant and extend her range?[/QUOTE
Quite simple, on a broad gauge railway of course.
"Til Stonelev's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again. It was December of forty one, we were desperate, the war had just begun."Quite simple, on a broad gauge railway of course.
I was referring to a story I read years ago about 1000 people being involved in the design of a pan Europe broad gauge railway up until days before Berlin fell. Hard to tell fantasy from reality."Til Stonelev's cavalry came and tore up the tracks again."
The proposed broad gauge railway was 3m wide more than twice "standard gauge".Russia still runs a broad gauge. Allegedly the "Standard Gauge" dates back to the track width of Roman Chariots which translated down to horse drawn wagons etc in England. Winter horse shoes usually have cleats built up on them by welding much like grousers on cat tracks.
I have to say that essay must have been written by Beaverbrook's PR department. Plans to build the Merlin in the US were well underway before long before Beaverbrook was appointed Minister of Aircraft Production.At the start numbers were about equal because no Spitfires were sent to France, the higher number of Hurricanes reflects it being easier to produce.
Document-42: Aircraft production during the Battle of Britain
The proposed broad gauge railway was 3m wide more than twice "standard gauge".