What's the relationship between weather and war?

Military Meteorology —— Combination of Meteorology and Combat

Military meteorology is a subject that studies the influence of meteorological conditions on military operations, the use of weapons and technical equipment and the implementation of meteorological support for military operations. It is a branch of meteorology applied to the military field.

Military meteorology is gradually formed and developed on the basis of science and technology such as military science and meteorology according to the needs of war. Meteorological conditions have both advantages and disadvantages on military operations. Even the same meteorological conditions often have different results due to different subjective treatments.

In the war, Battle of Red Cliffs used the southeast wind to attack with fire, and correctly used meteorological conditions to gain advantages and avoid disadvantages. It has always been regarded as an indispensable command art for military strategists. Sun Tzu's Art of War, a military masterpiece written by China at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period, juxtaposes weather and climate conditions with other factors that affect the outcome of the war as Tao, Heaven (referring to Yin and Yang, cold and heat, time system), Earth, generals and law, and points out "these five capitals"

In the war history of ancient and modern China and foreign countries, there are countless examples of clever use of meteorological conditions to win. For example, in October of the 13th year of Jian 'an in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China (AD 208), Sun Quan and Liu Bei joined forces to defeat Cao Jun in the Battle of Red Cliffs with the help of the southeast wind. During World War II, the Japanese took advantage of the bad weather and successfully attacked Pearl Harbor in one fell swoop. On the contrary, it is not uncommon to lose because of ignoring meteorological conditions. 18 12, Napoleon led 600,000 troops to attack Russia. Because he did not adapt to the local continental cold climate, there was a serious non-combat attrition. Under the counterattack of the Russian army, only 20,000 people were left.

The ancient combat styles and weapons were simple and compact, and the influence of meteorological conditions on military operations was more tactical. With the expansion of war scale, the emergence of new technologies and weapons and the corresponding development of military theory, after the Second World War, military meteorology continued to focus on solving tactical application problems, and at the same time carried out more research work on the influence of meteorological conditions on the use of military technology and weapons and equipment, and began to form its own system, which made great progress.

Based on the different effects of meteorological conditions on the use of arms and weapons and equipment, the research of military meteorology has gradually expanded to the fields of navy, air force, artillery, missiles, chemical weapons, biological weapons and nuclear weapons, and carried out the research on weather modification by military climate and military purposes.

Military meteorology in the field of naval vessels and troops comes from marine meteorology, which mainly studies the influence of meteorological conditions on the navigation, combat and training of naval vessels, the methods of preventing or avoiding dangerous weather in navigation and the methods of implementing meteorological support for naval vessels and troops. The main meteorological factors affecting the navigation and combat of naval vessels are wind, sea fog, wind waves and so on.

Influence of meteorological factors on weapon performance and combat effectiveness of troops

In ancient China, there were many examples of using favorable weather to win the battlefield. In the 12th year of Yuanhe in Tang Xianzong (AD 8 17), Li Su attacked Cai Zhou on a snowy night and captured Wu Yuanji alive. In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Cao Cao in the battle of Guandu took the advice of Xu You, a counselor, and took advantage of the "crisp autumn and sunny weather" in October to attack Yuan's grain depot overnight. In the battle of Yiling, Lu Xun did the same thing, using the hot and dry weather to burn Liu Bei's camp for 700 miles; Even Guan Yu, a military commander, took advantage of the cold front weather in October, "heavy rain, the Han River flooded", built a dam to store water and flooded the seventh army. It can be seen that the influence of weather on war has been valued since ancient times.

During World War II, hostile countries took measures to control meteorological information with each other, and regarded meteorological information as a state secret. At the beginning of World War II, Germany, which was located in the downwind of the westerlies, could only use the weather map of the English Channel for nearly 50 years and the fragmentary weather data sent back by submarines, and could not predict the weather changes in the British Isles, so it had to set up secret weather stations in Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Spitsbergen Islands and Jan Mayen (the hinterland of the Arctic Ocean). 1940, the Royal Marine Corps raided and destroyed these meteorological information stations, forcing Germany to set up a temporary trawl meteorological fleet in the North Sea or airborne meteorological intelligence personnel to collect meteorological information in Britain. However, these fragmentary and inaccurate meteorological information never helped Hitler to carry out his evil plan of "bombing London", and Hitler had to blame the failure on the bad weather.

Generally speaking, when participating in the war, the General Staff Department will fully pay attention to and make use of meteorological conditions when formulating strategies, campaign plans and facing wars. Taking 194 1 Japan's joint fleet attack on Pearl Harbor as an example, it is enough to illustrate the importance of meteorological information, and whether meteorological conditions are used correctly or not is itself an art of battlefield command.

Modern warfare mostly uses long-range raids, large fleets and large ships, which requires timely and accurate grasp of meteorological information in the war zone and its adjacent areas. In modern warfare, various services and arms cooperate to fight, and meteorological support requires multi-level, all-round and comprehensive. Modern warfare is fast-paced, with special emphasis on the first battle. Therefore, meteorological support should be fast and accurate, so as to choose a favorable opportunity for war. During the Gulf War, the US military used the global meteorological automation computer network system to collect meteorological data from all over the world, and transmitted, processed and synthesized them at high speed through C3I computer system. Finally, it successfully chose June 65438+1October 65438+July to launch its first attack. There is no doubt that meteorological information and support will be one of the key factors to determine the outcome of future wars.

(1) Temperature and war temperature have great influence on weapon performance and human function. It is difficult to start aircraft, tanks and vehicles under severe cold conditions. The strength of rubber tire decreases, and all kinds of rubber gaskets become brittle and easy to crack; The sensitivity of various electronic components and devices decreases; Chemical agents volatilize slowly, and it is not easy to reach the exposure concentration in a certain period of time, but it lasts for a long time. In cold conditions, people are prone to frostbite, which increases the load and consumes a lot of physical strength. If it is ice and snow, it will also cause snow blindness. All of the above will lead to the decline of the combat effectiveness of the troops. The most typical example is the winter of 194 1, when Hitler's "typhoon" plan to attack Moscow was defeated by the cold. The winter in Moscow came very early this year. "It seems that God is on the Russian side.". As a result, the Soviet army defeated the German army, broke the myth of "invincible" of the German army, greatly boosted the morale of the Soviet army and civilians, and laid the foundation for the final victory of the Soviet army.

If the temperature is too high, it will make it difficult for motor vehicles to dissipate heat, increase fuel consumption, reduce engine power or even stall; Accelerated aging of radar, electronic components and rubber parts; The wear of gun bore increases and the temperature rises rapidly, which leads to the decrease of the number of bullets fired continuously. Because of the high temperature and low air pressure, the engine power of fighter aircraft decreases, and the takeoff and running distance will increase. The hot weather also makes soldiers easily tired, weak and prone to heatstroke, which seriously affects the combat effectiveness of troops. Take the Gulf War of 1990 as an example. In August of that year, nearly 65,438+10,000 multinational troops led by the United States entered Saudi Arabia to camp. Saudi Arabia has a typical tropical desert climate, with an average temperature of 36℃ in July, a maximum temperature of over 50℃ and a night temperature of around 30℃. Sunny days account for more than 90%, and there are no clouds and no rain all day, and the sun is shining. The relative humidity is below 30%, and sometimes it is zero. Dry and hot air accelerates the evaporation of water in human body. Even the motionless soldiers drink 23 liters of water every day under the baking of hot sand. Even more frightening, soldiers have to wear long trousers, chemical protective clothing, sleeping bags and food. Many soldiers suffered from heatstroke because they couldn't resist the heat, which greatly affected the combat effectiveness of the troops. In addition, the high temperature distorts the scenery seen by various telescopes and tank sights, and the shooting accuracy decreases. The high temperature also forced the American military chariot Ambras tanks to refuel frequently, and the US military logistics department almost followed the attacking troops to supply water and oil. Although the American army finally won, the hot and dry climate did greatly reduce the combat effectiveness of the American army.

(2) Wind and war wind are closely related to military activities. The wind makes the flight trajectory of various shells deviate, and the impact point is far from the target area. Strong headwinds will also slow down the speed of walking and driving, and extend the marching time. Strong winds can easily cause ships to deviate and get lost. In naval battle, headwinds are easy to make people tired, reduce their observation ability and reduce the power of weapons on board, so we should try our best to occupy the windward sea area. Strong winds at sea are usually accompanied by huge waves, which can overturn ships and destroy ports and military facilities. In order to shorten the taxiing distance, aircraft carriers usually take off and land against the wind. Wind will also affect the concentration, exposure duration and diffusion range of biochemical agents, and the best time is when the wind is downwind and relatively stable, and the wind speed is not big.

(3) The important influence of fog and low fog in war on combat operations is mainly manifested in the reduction of visibility, the accuracy of observation and shooting, the difficulty of taking off and landing of aircraft, and the difficulty of ship formation navigation and coordinated operations of various services and arms. The rime formed at low temperature will affect the wired communication and even interrupt the line, so the vehicle can't drive because of the fog. Planes flying in the middle and low clouds are prone to icing and bumping. Fog and clouds will also affect the accuracy of missile launch because they absorb various electromagnetic waves. During the Gulf War, the hit rate of American Tomahawk cruise missiles was only 50% ~ 60%, which was due to the interference of foggy weather. Fog has a particularly obvious impact on chemical and biological nuclear weapons, which will inhibit their proliferation speed and scope. Clouds have a certain hiding function because of poor visibility. 1940, the British and French allied forces successfully retreated from Dunkirk, that is, using the fog as a cover, so that the German Air Force could not find the bombing target. 1942 In the Battle of the Coral Sea in May, both sides lost two aircraft carriers. However, the Japanese "Ruihe" aircraft carrier was safe and sound because it sailed into cloudy waters, while American bombers mistakenly thought that the Great Barrier Reef was the "Ruihe" aircraft carrier and bombarded it indiscriminately. During World War II, Germans also used artificial fog to protect Ruhr-gebiet and others from air strikes.

Dunkirk's retreat was shrouded in fog. (4) Rainfall and thunderstorms and wars have more direct and harmful effects on military operations. Precipitation reduces visibility and makes it difficult to observe and shoot; Make the road muddy and it is difficult for people and cars to travel. Dehydration makes exposed guns, optical systems, spare parts and ammunition face the possibility of corrosion, damage and failure.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms may interrupt the communication between radar and overhead lines, and may also cause aircraft to freeze, bump, interrupt communication or even crash.

Heavy rain and strong wind are often twin brothers, which also affect the health and combat effectiveness of ship deck personnel. It is even more unfortunate for a ship to encounter typhoon precipitation.

Heavy rain and continuous rainfall will also cause rivers to flood, flash floods, damage traffic lines and bridges, and even make troops unable to move forward. Although rainfall and thunderstorms are not good for both sides, they generally do more harm to the attacker. For example, after the allied forces led by Eisenhower landed successfully from Normandy on June 6, 1944, they quickly set up artificial breakwaters and artificial ports on the landing beach to transport ammunition, fuel and food, so as to facilitate the subsequent troops to land. To this end, they spent nearly 40 million pounds to establish two medium-sized artificial ports, which can be described as "nip in the bud." However, unexpected events happened. On June 19, the weather changed suddenly and a storm swept across the English Channel. More than 800 allied ships were blown away or damaged by the storm and stranded on the shore. Breakwater and 4 km long artificial pontoon disappeared in the storm, and many vehicles and weapons were damaged or swept away. It is said that the 80-hour storm caused more losses than the German blockade in the previous two weeks.

Meteorological conditions are an important factor in determining the operational opportunity.

Choosing the battle opportunity according to the weather change is one of the important factors to win the initiative in the battlefield. During his war career, Marshal Liu Bocheng summed up the experience of using "night, snow, rain, fog" and other weather to destroy the enemy by surprise. In modern warfare, multiple arms and large corps cooperate to fight, and the requirements for meteorological conditions are more stringent, and the requirements for meteorological information are more timely and accurate.

As we all know, the Normandy landing war in June 1944 was the largest amphibious landing war in the history of world war, with a total force of 2.8 million, more than 6,500 ships and transport ships and more than100 combat aircraft. The success of Normandy landing shattered Nazi Germany's "Atlantic fortress" in one fell swoop, accelerated the demise of German fascism, and laid the foundation for the overall victory of anti-fascism in World War II. However, the choice of combat opportunity is the most critical factor for the success of the landing plan. Geographers and meteorologists of the wartime General Staff tried to choose the landing time.

Normandy Landing Battle-Weather Conditions Decide the Battle Opportunity

Normandy is located at a high latitude, with a white day in June, usually at 4 o'clock and 6 o'clock. Allies not only need to cover their troops to sail quietly at night, but also need a period of time after dawn to identify beachhead targets and carry out accurate shelling and landing of landing craft. In addition, Normandy is a semidiurnal tide with an average tidal height of 5.4m and a gentle beach slope. The army hopes to land at high tide to shorten the beach-related distance; The navy requires landing at the lowest tide, so that ships can seize the beach outside underwater obstacles; It is best for airborne troops to parachute at the full moon to ensure accurate landing in the designated area. According to the comprehensive calculation of geographers, the days that can meet the requirements of the three armed forces are only June 5 -7. Eisenhower, Montgomery, Taylor and others finally decided to land on June 5, and the first echelon landed from 6: 30 to 7: 45.

It's really hard to predict. Since the allied forces entered the landing zone on June 1 Japan, there have been unprecedented storms and waves in the English Channel for 20 years. According to the forecast of the meteorological logistics department, the weather was extremely bad on June 5, which was originally scheduled to land. On the morning of June 4th, the Allied Forces were forced to postpone the landing date by 1 day. Eisenhower earnestly asked the experts to analyze the weather again to see if there is any chance, otherwise, the allied landing forces will inevitably be exposed and hit. According to the analysis of high and low altitude isobars, Staag and other experts found that a continuously strengthening trough of low pressure appeared over the Atlantic Ocean on the morning of the 5th. Due to the cold front, there will be 24 hours of weather suitable for crossing the English Channel before the trough of low pressure behind the cold front arrives. Eisenhower made a decisive decision and gave the order to carry out landing operations on the morning of the 6th. 1In the early morning of June 6, 944, the wind in the English Channel gradually slowed down. At 5: 50, a thousand guns roared and the beaches of Normandy rained down. At 6: 30, the first batch of landing soldiers bravely rushed to the beach in the rumble of guns ... The greatest landing war in human history finally began and ended in the victory of the allies.

Many strategists in modern times believe that "whoever controls oil will control the lifeline of the world and will dominate the world." 1On August 2, 990, Iraq invaded Kuwait and declared Kuwait the seventeenth province of Iraq. The world "oil depot" in the Gulf region has become a veritable "powder keg". 165438+1On October 29th, the United Nations adopted a resolution to use force against Iraq, and the multinational forces led by the United States began to March into the Gulf region from malta island in the Mediterranean, Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean and Yokosuka Naval Base in Japan.

When to launch air strikes and ground attacks on Iraq, the multinational forces headed by the US military fully considered a series of physical and human geography factors in the Gulf region before making a decision. The general staff of the multinational force has more than 60 experts in geography, meteorology and religion. After repeated research and weighing the pros and cons,199117 was chosen as the date of launching air strikes and 14 as the date of launching ground attacks on Iraq on February 20th. Because every March 17, when Ramadan begins, if Muslims take military action during Ramadan, it will be regarded as blasphemy by Muslims, which will inevitably cause great indignation in the whole Muslim world, thus making the situation more complicated. If the United States wants to win this war, it is bound to pay a higher price.

Therefore, the US military will go to war in June 5438+10, hoping to end the war as soon as possible before Ramadan. In addition, Kuwait and southern Iraq are hit by desert storms for some time every spring. This kind of bad weather will not only reduce the combat effectiveness of the multinational forces who come from afar and are not acclimatized, but also be unfavorable to air flight and missile launch. American Army meteorologists and hydrologists predict that the moonless nights in the Gulf are: 65438+ 10/0/2 ~ 20, February10 ~/0/8, March1/kloc-0. The time of high tide in the bay is: 65438+1October 3~7 and 17 ~ 23, February 1~6 and1; March 2-7 and17-22. If considered together, 65438+1October 17 is "moonless night" and "high tide night", which is beneficial for ships to get close to Yishui, with less thunder and lightning, and is conducive to the concealment and attack of carrier-based bombers. 65438+1October 17, F- 17 stealth bombers, F- 15 fighter jets and B-52 bombers stationed at air bases in Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Bahrain and other countries, as well as American aircraft carriers and battleships cruising in the Mediterranean Persian Gulf and the Red Sea in the east and west respectively. All kinds of shells and missiles of the U.S. military, like thousands of arrows, carried out "carpet bombing" and achieved the expected goal with little resistance. The final result can be imagined. It seems that how to use meteorological conditions to determine the combat opportunity is really important.