staged resupply

Staged resupply is a military logistics strategy where supplies are moved through a chain of intermediate points, or "staging areas," rather than directly from a distant base to the front lines. This method was crucial before mechanization, involving wagon trains that shuttled supplies from a railhead to magazines closer to the army.12

The system was designed for steady, slow advances on a fixed schedule. However, it struggled to keep pace with rapid movements, as seen when German forces outran their supply trains in 1914. On the Western Front during World War I, the static nature of the conflict allowed staged resupply to function effectively, enabling armies to sustain themselves even when stationary. Large reserves were accumulated near the front before major operations, such as the extensive build-up before the Normandy invasion. In the Pacific theater, supply ships often served as "floating warehouses" as forces advanced.2