Logistics - Heitan (English spelling)

To maintain, strengthen, and provide the human and material fighting power necessary to wage war. Today, it is usually called the rear. In the former Japanese Army, the facilities and their operation that connected the operational army with the strategic resources in the home country and carried out the operational army's objectives were called logistics, and this communication line was called the logistic line. In the former Navy, logistics was called battle services. The objects of the rear include materials, services, facilities, and personnel, and functionally include supply, maintenance, transportation, construction, sanitation, personnel, and administrative management. Procurement, appropriation, production, conscription, and employment are also necessary. In the Self-Defense Forces, activities other than personnel and administrative management are called rear supply. Only the Ground Self-Defense Force calls this rear supply logistics. Logistics lines are often called rear communication lines.

At the national level, the term national logistics is used. In the era of total war after World War I, national logistics was emphasized because it was necessary to use all of the nation's economic and political power to support the war effort, and this was achieved through total national mobilization.

[Haruo Fujii]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

戦争を遂行するために必要な人的、物的戦闘力を維持、増強して提供すること。現在は普通、後方という。旧日本陸軍では、作戦軍と本国における策源を連絡し、作戦軍の目的を遂行させるための諸施設とその運用を兵站といい、この連絡線を兵站線と称した。旧海軍の場合は兵站のことを戦務とよんだ。後方の対象には資材、役務、施設、人員があり、機能的には補給、整備、輸送、建設、衛生、人事、行政管理が含まれる。調達、収用、生産、招集、雇用なども必要となる。このうち人事および行政管理を除く活動を自衛隊では後方補給という。陸上自衛隊だけがこの後方補給を兵站と称している。兵站線のことを後方連絡線とよぶことが多い。

　国家レベルにおいては国家兵站という語を使う。第一次世界大戦以後の総力戦時代においては、経済、政治など国力のすべてをもって戦争の遂行を支えることが求められることから、国家兵站が重視され、国家総動員をもってこれにあたる。

［藤井治夫］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例