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World War II U.S. Gen. Omar Bradley is often cited as the originator of the famous military quote: “Amateurs study tactics, professionals study logistics.” Irrespective of its origins, the adage holds true for most extended conflicts — and World War II is no exception. Managing logistics for the production, movement and consumption of energy was one of the critical determinants of success during the war.
For example, in 1939, the U.S. Navy consisted of a grand total of 380 ships. By the end of the war, the fleet had grown to 6,700, of which 1,200 were auxiliary ships used for transporting fuel, ammunition and food. In the same six-year span, the U.S. produced more than 300,000 aircraft, 100,000 armored vehicles and tanks, and several hundred thousand bulldozers, halftracks, trucks and jeeps. Amidst this massive industrial mechanized mobilization, the U.S. also managed to conduct the largest single government development effort ever undertaken at that time: the Manhattan Project. Employing more than 130,000 people and requiring $22 billion in today’s dollars, the project developed the atomic bomb in just three and a half years.
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