Secondary Bases

The bases established at the beginning of a campaign and from which the first advances are made, are known as primary bases . An army carries with it ammunition only sufficient for one battle, and but a few days’ supply of food. Other supplies of ammunition and provisions must be brought from the base; and as an army advances, the difficulty of keeping it supplied increases. Unle some additional provision be made for its supply, the army cannot advance and is then said to be “tied to its base.” As the nece ary supplies cannot be obtained in the theatre of operations in sufficient quantities for the daily needs of an army, depots and magazines must be organized near the army from which these supplies can be procured, and these together form what is known as a secondary base .