Written by NHHC historians Peter Luebke, Timothy Francis and Heather Haley, Contested Logistics describes how the United States Navy dealt with World War II in the Pacific. Bereft of practical experience at projecting such a large force at such distance, the Navy had to learn and create logistics as it went. This NHHC publication describes the struggle to supply the Pacific fleet in the early days of World War II, the later successes in creating an integrated logistics system, and how the Navy attempted to institutionalize lessons learned.
The short booklet provides an accessible introduction to the topic, suitable for both military professionals and the general reader.
In their contributed forward Rear Adm. Philip Sobeck, Commander, Military Sealift Command; Rear Adm. Dion English, Director, Logistics Division (OPNAV N4L); and Rear Adm. Chris Cavanaugh, Commander, Submarine Group SEVEN/Commander, Task Force SEVEN FOUR/Commander, Task Force FIVE FOUR, highlight the importance of this publication’s subject, “Since the end of the Cold War, our military has benefited greatly from our ability to execute maneuver and distribution at the strategic, operational, and tactical levels. Today we face expanding threat environments and expect our maneuver across echelons will be contested in ways we have not seen since World War II. The importance of sustainment planning and execution and its interdependent relationship with operations is on full display in the ongoing Ukraine crisis. These events are a stark reminder of the need to transform how we plan for and execute sustainment today. There is no better starting point for this discussion than to examine the evolution of our theater logistics that sustained the victorious Pacific War forces.”
To download a 508-compliant PDF version, visit: Contested Logistics: Sustaining the Pacific War (navy.mil)
To download other NHHC publications, visit: www.history.navy.mil/research/publications
NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy's unique and enduring contributions through our nation's history, and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, USS Constitution repair facility and the historic ship Nautilus.
For questions or more information, contact Naval History and Heritage Command public at 202-433-7880 or NHHC_PublicAffairs@us.navy.mil.
