Evening star., 1935-12-01
Importance of
Weather i'm War
By Frederic J. Haskin.

'NA'SA Al aAlOtllCi WdI LIlC great dQNdElCeS
which have been made by the Federal
Government in meteorological research
or study of the weather will constitute
an important weapon.
What has gone down in history as oua
OF the most disastrous and dramatic of
deIeatS was caused by the weather That
was the defeat of Napoleon in his Russian
campaign. The grand army swept over
Europe, brushing aside all opposition,
Entering Russian territory in mild
weather, the French legions defeated the
Russians with apparent ease. Then the
weather changed. Winter drew on and
the French fled, not before the Russians,
but before the Russian weather. The
defeat became an utter rout, the Russian
cavalry harassing the half frozen
fugitiveS.
While full information is so far lacking
there IS every indication that, whatever
the outcome of the African war may be,
Italy will have found her greatest enemy
the Weather-in this case the reverse of
the French experience in Russia. But
intense heat with accompanying fevers
and insect annoyance can be as hardy
an antagonist as bitter cold.
The earlier warriors were we'll aware
OF the Importance of the weather, but
had no means of forecaSting its mani
festations. True, medicine men, augurs,
sacrifices Of beasts, and all manner of
offerings to the gods were resorted to
in an effort to bring favorable weather,
but there was no scientific approach such
as there is today. 1t was not until 1643
that Torricelli invented the barometer
and really not until the World War that
meteorology was very seriously employed
as an aid to war.
Another decisive battle was largely
determined by the weather. 1t is custom
ary to think of Howard and Drake as
having won the tremendous victory over
the great Spanish Armada, a victory
which inaugurated Britannia's rule Of
the waves and broke forever the Spanish
sea power. 1t may be that they would
have won the action in any event, but it
is by no means certain. The rising of a
great storm which scattered the Spanish
galleonS had as much TO do with the
victory, in the perspective of history, as
the heroism of the British. Indeed, study
of the Battle of Trafalgar where Lord
Nelson fell, reveals that the weather
strongly favored the British there, driv-
ing the French fleet on lee shore while
Nelson's ships were able to stand off and
lombard them.
So there are cogent examples of the
influence of the weather on warfare by
both land and sea. A combination of
such fighting can be cited with good
effect The first attack by the combined
British and French fleets on Gallipoli was
planned and, indeed. carried out as a
surprise assault. The Turks were taken
unawares and the allied forces had VIC
tory and occupation within their grasp
when, 10, the weather changed. South
west gales forced the fleets to put to
sea to escape being cast on the lee shore
and these gales blew long enough to
give the Turks ample time to prepare
When the allies returned to the attack,
bombarding from ships and landing
regiment after regiment in a forlorn hope,
the hour had passed. They could not
take the guardian of the Dardanelles.
They were still trying, however, when a
three-day blizzard blew, wreaking such
havoc that evacuation was determined
upon 1t may be recalled that British
cabinet fell as the result of this defeat.
Not only does the weather affect fight
ing on land and sea and combination
land and sea fighting such as that at
Gallipoli. Throughout the early part of
the war, the Germans had been building
tremendous fleet of zeppelins with the
intention of making a raid which would
destroy London and, in the German
opinion, force Britain to sue for peace.
The science of meteorology was well de-
veloped in Germany, as well if not better,
at that time, than in the United States.
The forecasters had been working for
weeks studying every aspect.
They were, however, under one serious
handicap. Every one remembers the
which the German submarines only par
TALLY disturbed. This was a blockade
against shipping. But there was another
serious blockade. The German scientists
were unable to obtain all the weather
data they desired from western sources
and most of the weather comes from the
west, so far as Western Europe is con-
cerned. So it happened that when all
was ready for the great onslaught which
was to destroy London and the German
weather men had set time which all
their data showed to be propitious, the
vast air fleet started.
1t had scarcely got over the English
Channel when the weather changed.
The German forecasts had promised high
barometric pressure over the London
area, the most favorable kind of weather,
Gentle southwest winds had been blow
ing but, to their dismay, the Zeppelin
commanders saw their barometers begin
to fall. A dangerous area of low pressure
had formed west of the British Isles and
the warm southwest winds were SUD-
planted by biting winds from the north
and east. Only one Zeppelin got over
London. Fog complicated matters and
when the fleet lowered altitude, believing
London to be beneath, it was discovered
it hung over Flanders fields behind the
allied lines. Some ships, including the
flagship, were brought down. One, at
least was lost in the Atlantic The
weather had saved London and lack of
that important western weather data had
defeated the Germans.
The tale is endless. Gibbon has tale
of how an army was defeated because the
wind suddenly sprang up with such
strength that the arrows let fly by bar
barians and the javelins as well were
turned, in full flight, by the wind, and
hurled back to do execution upon the
very men who had discharged them.
Then there is the story of how a fleet
of warships was captured by cavalry.
This happened in the low countries. A
sudden freeze caught the fleet while It
lay at anchor offshore The ice formed
so thick that troops of cavalry were able
to charge over the frozen surface and
take the vessels.