The surprising impact of weather on war
Terry Lloyd
Published April 12, 2023 07:06:22
weatherman
History is replete with examples of how weather directly affects the outcomes of military operations and causes planners to attempt to negate and avoid those effects.
Here is the impact of weather on war:
Wind and waves
One of the earliest recorded stories of unusual weather in war comes from the two attempts by the Mongols, under Genghis Khan’s grandson Kublai, to invade Japan. In the autumn of 1274, a fleet between 500 to 1,000 Mongol ships appeared off the east coast of Japan, carrying over 30,000 troops. A typhoon struck the fleet, killing thousands and sinking or damaging most of the ships. Again in 1281, another attempt with over 4,000 ships and almost 150,000 troops was made. Shore defenses prevented an easy landing by the Mongols, and the invasion fleet remained offshore for several months until another storm struck that fleet. It is estimated that half of the invaders were killed or captured, with most of the ships destroyed.
https://www.wearethemighty.com/history/impact-of-weather-on-war/
