undermanned

[ uhn-der-mand ]

/ ˌʌn dərˈmænd /

lacking a normal or sufficient work force, complement of troops, or the like; understaffed; short-handed.

RELATED WORDS

First recorded in 1865–70; under- + manned

The crisis in Iraq is a disaster for the moderate rebels, including the undermanned and under-resourced FSA.
Obama Admin Debates Whether Assad Really Must Go|Josh Rogin|July 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The expedition had been poorly outfitted and undermanned from the beginning.
Despoilers of the Golden Empire|Gordon Randall Garrett
Stock was carried off, homesteads were burned, even castles here and there were taken, when ill-provisioned and undermanned.
Owen Glyndwr and the Last Struggle for Welsh Independence|Arthur Granville Bradley
As to the 27 disappearance of the ship, many an undermanned vessel has gone down in a storm, without leaving a trace.
The Radio Boys Rescue the Lost Alaska Expedition|Gerald Breckenridge

The Spanish ships, if higher and of greater size, and therefore dangerous at close quarters, were unwieldy and undermanned.
Europe in the Sixteenth Century 1494-1598, Fifth Edition|A. H. (Arthur Henry) Johnson
This too was undermanned and the two women at once took their places at the oars.
Sinking of the Titanic|Various