Desert warfare

In desert warfare, the heat and lack of water can sometimes be more dangerous than the enemy. The desert terrain is the second most inhospitable to troops following a cold environment. The lack of water, extremes of heat/cold, and lack of cover make it hard for troops to survive.

Properties and tactics

The barrenness of the desert makes the capture of key cities essential to ensure the ability to maintain control over important resources (primarily clean water) and being able to keep a military well supplied. As such, this makes sieges in conventional warfare a more frequent occurrence as the defender often prepares entrenched positions to protect the cities that they are supplied from.

Camouflage and cover

Many deserts have limited amounts of noticeable landmarks and which can make maneuvering through a desert a logistical nightmare.

Mobility

Mobility is essential to a successful desert war. This explains the heavy use of armour in battles such as El Alamein in the Second World War. It has been noted that mobility is so important in desert warfare, that battles can sometimes begin to resemble naval engagements, where the actual possession of territory is less important than the positions of one's tanks (or ships).

Unlike other types of terrain which depend on roads, movement in deserts is often possible in all directions due to the wide, open expanses. However, the resource scarce desert environment means that availability of supplies can greatly constrict movement. Militaries often make use of cavalry to traverse the large expanses of a harsh desert without increasing the exertion of the soldiers who are already at a higher risk of dehydration because of the high temperatures during the day.

There are many enemies to the desert fighter. These include aircraft, and tanks, which can be extremely menacing to desert guerrillas because there is little way to equal such force. Additionally, there are few places to hide from such weapons in the desert environment where there is little obstruction.

Another problem is the sand dunes, mobility is reduced by 60%. With no firm and stable ground footing it is easy to slide down or even get buried.War Department (1942). ''Basic Field Manual - Desert Operations''. Washington: United States Government Printing Office. p. 5.

Water scarcity

Lack of water and extreme heat can also cause complications when engaging in desert warfare. Military personnel consume much higher quantities of water in the desert due to perspiration, so troop movements are often limited by water carrying capacity. The scarcity of water may lead to change in bases, moving from one position to another looking for a water source.

Harassing supply lines

In the context of guerilla warfare, the wide expanses of deserts can make it harder for large forces to defend their supply lines. A guerilla force can use ambushes to their advantage, forcing their adversary to deploy forces to protect railways or other infrastructure at great cost. This tactic was successfully used by T.E. Lawrence during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire.

Health effects

Body temperature

In desert warfare an individual's body temperature can reach unusual highs causing fever-like weakness and dehydration.

Dehydration

An individual may have to face conditions of dehydration in desert warfare due to the lack of edible fluids and clean water.

Fatigue

Fatigue and bodily stress caused by the heat can cause very serious discomfort.

Glare

Sunlight can irritate eyesight or reduce visibility.

Examples

Battles

* Battle of Gazala (1942)
* First Battle of El Alamein (1942)
* Second Battle of El Alamein (1942)
* Battle of Asal Uttar (1965)
* Battle of Longewala (1971)

Wars

* French campaign in Egypt and Syria (1798–1801)
* Crimean War (1853–1856)
* War of the Pacific in the Atacama Desert (1879–1884)
* Middle Eastern theatre of World War I (1914–1918)
* Middle Eastern and North African theatres of World War II (1939–1945)
* Sand War (1963)
* Indo-Pakistani War of 1965
* Six-Day War (1967)
* Indo-Pakistani War of 1971
* Yom Kippur War (1973)
* Western Sahara War (1973–1991)
* Iran–Iraq War (1980–1988)
* Gulf War (1990–1991)
* Iraq War (2003–2011)
* 2011 Libyan civil war (2011)
* War in Iraq (2013-2017)

Current conflicts

* Somali Civil War (1991–present)
* Syrian Civil War (2011–present)
* Mali War (2012–present)

References

{{Reflist

Further reading

Information site on Desert warfare, Iraq war

Desert warfare: German experiences in WWII - Combined arms Research library

Land warfare
Desert warfare