The Role of Army Railroading at the Tactical Level of War

Abstract

Railroads have played a key role in the conduct of war for well over a century. Few can dispute the contribution rail has made at the strategic and operational levels of war. Tactical use of railroads, however, is an entirely different matter. There have been some instances of successful tactical employments of rail throughout the history of modern war but little has been written about it. Most question the modern applicability of rail in the tactical sphere and see it as an anachronism. In certain circumstances, tactical rail might be used to deliver men, equipment, and supplies into the rear of tactical units. And trains have been used as fighting platforms to provide a measure of self-defense. Keywords: Logistics; Logistics planning; Military doctrine; Military supplies; Military tactics; Railroads; Rail transportation; RALES; Sustainability; Tactical rail; Transportation.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Dec 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA211013

Entities

People

  • Bradley E. Smith

Organizations

  • United States Army Command and General Staff College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Human Systems
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Artillery
  • Civil War
  • Combat Areas
  • Combat Support
  • Contingency Operations (Military)
  • Doctrine
  • Employment
  • Land Transportation
  • Logistics
  • Management Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Personnel Management
  • Rail Transportation
  • Students
  • Training Management
  • War Colleges
  • Warfare

Readers

  • Aerospace logistics and air mobility.
  • Logistics and Supply Chain Management.
  • Strategic Security Studies