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The Second Boer War (1899–1902) involved a global logistics effort to provide that which is needed as part of any military action, as well as, the local conditions that require out of the area resources be imported due, as in the case with southern Africa, the limited amount available from local sources or the loss of local sources due to the hostilities. According to the contemporary military writer, Alfred Thayer Mahan, the "transportation" required by the war in South Africa was "an incident unprecedented, and in its success unsurpassed, in military history."[1]
Animals were an important part of the supply load, drawn from across the British Empire as well as Europe and the Americas. 360,000 horses out of a total of 519,000, had to be shipped into South Africa. 106,000 mules and donkeys out of a total of 151,000 were also brought into the region for the war. Food was brought from Britain. The British drew upon food reserves that were kept at Woolwich, London, prior to the war. By 30 September 1900, 298,000 water bottles, 41,000 camp kettles, and 384,000 bars of soap had been purchased in Britain and sent to South Africa. With the collieries of the Transvaal unavailable and those of Natal under enemy occupation, there were limited stocks of coal in South Africa. The naval base at Simon's Town near Cape Town had only a reserve of 13,000 tons at the start of the war. Much of this too had to be transported from Britain. Construction material was sent. Enough was shipped to rebuild destroyed railway bridges along the whole length of the Orange Free State. 118,000 rifles, 8,500 carbines, and 2,300 pistols were sent out between 1 June 1899 and the end of the war. Accompanying these were 139 million rounds of small arms ammunition.[2]
南アフリカはイギリスから6,000マイル離れているため、戦争の物流ニーズにより、同国の海運は逼迫した。これは、同国が世界最大の商船隊を保有していたにもかかわらずである。そのため、イギリスは可能な限り地域内から物資を調達しようとした。159,000頭の馬、45,000頭のラバとロバが南アフリカ国内から調達された。トレッキング用の牛はほぼすべて地元で調達された。最初の15か月で150,000頭が使用された。イギリスは戦争中にケープ植民地とナタールから2,163台の荷馬車とカートを購入し、さらに1900年3月までに1,400台の牛車を借りた。地元の企業が供給業者として契約され、その主な企業はジュリアス・ワイルであった。鉄道車両の注文は南アフリカ国内で行われた。製造はケープタウンのソルトリバー、ポートエリザベス郊外のウイテンハーヘ、イーストロンドンで行われた。[ 3 ]
食料の多くは地元で購入された。ケープの部隊への肉の供給は、南アフリカ冷蔵会社に委託された。イギリス軍はまた、地元で生産された食料を栽培・飼育した。戦争のゲリラ戦期には、この目的のために70の空きボーア農場を占拠した。トーチカや通信線の周囲の土地さえも耕作された。[ 3 ]