Wargame Articles

Logistics in the Gulf War II: Operation Telic

To support 1 (UK) Armoured Division and 16 Air Assault Brigade of 26,000 took 31,000 men.

To move 1(UK) Armoured Division to theatre took a tremendous effort. Sailing from Emden in Germany to Kuwait were 1,029 armoured vehicles, including 120 Challenger 2 MBTs, 150 Warriors, 36 AS90 (self propelled guns), 2,926 B-vehicles (soft skinned vehicles that run B or the supply echelon of an army), 18 light guns, 215 engineer vehicles (some tracked, armoured and B-vehicles).

A total of 23 trains carried the equipment to the port for the convoy of 19 ships. The RAF and civilian aircraft took 900 soldiers from Hanover to Kuwait per day.

From the UK, 4,350 vehicles were sent in support (B vehicles, land rovers, light ARVs [Armoured Reconnaissance Vehicles), APCs, 2,400 trailers, 1,700 ISO containers, 4,800 heavy kit (e.g. bridges, helos), 3,000 tons of ammunition, 55,000 other tons of equipment/ stores. This took 40 ships to move to Kuwait.

Ammunition Expenditure

120 MBTs fired 1.9 tonnes of Depleted Uranium shells, 540 HE shells.

The AS90 artillery of 36 guns, fired 9,000 assorted rounds.

16 105mm light guns fired 11,000 rounds

2,000 bomblet shells were used.

Lessons: The UK armoured division is dependent on reinforcement from Britain to support field operations.

It takes 7,276 vehicles to support 120 tanks and 150 warriors i.e. 27 per armoured vehicle in the front line.

Never loot destroyed enemy tanks if you want to start a family.