Re: Transport

From: janjero_at_...
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2001 07:08:02 -0000

> > Recommendation: Alexander the Great and the Logistics of the
> > Macedonian
> > Army, by Donald W. Engels.
>
> Excellent book! I'd also suggest reading Xenophon's 10,000. A good
> manual for living off the land and trying hard not to die in a
hostile
> land written in the 5th(?) century BC. Possibly one of the first
> tactical manuals (Sun Tzu's more strategy). Poor Xenophon and his
10 000
> mercenaries were stranded in Persia when the King of Kings decided
they
> should die... He got most of his men home too.

The Anabasis also shows the internal weakness of a great ancient empire who "could field a million army" but was unable to stop a big mercenary regiment from crossing it and going home... The lack of airborne troops, machine-gun and panzer, I suppose (like in Napoleone's Beresina Crossing).
:-)

> walk-run-walk...

Remember that neolithic hunters simply (included Boscimani and aborigen AFAIK) outran their preys, even horses or deers, by running behind them until the animal is exhausted. A couple of foot gave men a big hand in gaining competitive advantage in the survival contest

> A bit of information that General Marius demonstrated in the Second
> Century BC (okay, I LIKE Marius). Once the Roman armies got rid of
the
> slow moving baggage trains and transported their supplies by Marius'
> Mules (the legionary), the Roman armies began to move with an
incredible
> speed. They could manage a steady 30 miles a day compared to the
other
> armies of the time making 10 or so.

Like Napoleone's grognards, They made war with their legs, or so they said.

Gian