Page 187 - NS-2 Textbook

182 NAUTICAL SCIENCES

Sea of Japan, Barents Sea, and Bering Sea. There are a finding terrain that would be helpful in fighting the bat-
number of important glllfs, or pockets of the seas that tle-hills, rivers, forests, and so on. At seal the ancients
reach into the continents. Most notable of these are the looked for sheltered coves or the leeward side (side away
Gulf of Mexico, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Aden. from the wind) of islands where seas were caim. Here
You should be able to locate all of these on a world map their oarsmen might be more effective in ramming
or a globe. enemy vessels. Narro,,\' channels with shoals Inade de-
A sinillar body of water to a gulf but usually though fense easier for those familiar with the area.
not always smaller is a bay, defined as a large body of In World War I military geography began to be con-
water opening into a sea. Examples are the Chesapeake sidered. By World War II, every aspect of geography be-
Bay on the U.S. East Coast, and San Francisco Bay on the came important in militaty planning. Global warfare had
West Coast. A SOlllld is similar to a bay, except that it con- begun. Planners had to think about fighting and sup-
nects behveen hvo or lllore inlets or parts of a sea, like porting armies in deserts, jungles, polar regions, moun-
Long Island Sound off New York. tains, and islands around the world. Supply lines, routes
Only in the last hundred years or so have the scien- of communications, and transport became crucial. Man-
tific instruments been available for making accurate made features such as cities, roads, railroads, bridges,
charts and maps of the ocean floor. These show that the airfields, and harbors often decided success or failure. In
ocean floor is just as varied as the land surfaces. Subma- the Korean and Vietnam Wars the geopolitical effects
rine (underwater) geography shows deep sea ridges like "\Tere ·world\vide. The same is true of the turmoil in the
mountain ranges, sea mounts like motmtain peaks on less-developed nations of Africa, Asia, and Central
land, basins and plains like valleys and surface plains on America since then.
land, and great trenches even deeper than the Grand Natural resources of all kinds have become neces-
Canyon. These features fall within the study of ocean- sary for military victory. Vital materials must be shipped
ography, which is covered in unit 2. over long sea-lanes (routes across the sea) from distant
On the edges of the oceans are the world's seaports places. Soils have to grow enough food to support mil-
and naval bases from which ships sail forth. Seaports are lions of personnel overseas as well as the home popula-
harbors! towns, or cities having access to the sea, and tion. Increasing amounts of watel~ coal, and petroleum
containing facilities for cargo handling and ship mainte- are needed to support industry and fuel nillitary vehi-
nance of all kinds. A naval base mayor may not be lo- cles. Raw materials, transportation, and distance have
cated at a seaport. It has facilities for sustaining naval become crucial to victory in war and to national slITVival.
warships and auxiliary vessels. The routes these ships Today, as in World War II, every aspect of world ge-
travel are the strategic waterways of the world. ography is taken into account by military planners. Be-
cause we depend on foreign sources for many natural re-
sources, as well as overseas bases and alliances, the
MILITARY GEOGRAPHY
maritime aspects of military geography are very impor-
From ancient days until World War II, military geogra- tant. Sea communications routes, through geographic
phy was largely a matter of opposing armies finding choke points such as straits, island groups, and canals,
places to fortify and defend. It might have also involved are more important than ever before.