Afrikakorps Soldiers Eating

DAK (Deutsches Afrikakorps) soldiers eating their rations in the desert of North Africa. The very important issue of rations had to be addressed as well and was not just a matter of transferring the European diet and applying it the the Tropical theatre. The hot climate would turn many foods inedible in a relatively short space of time and foods such as potatoes and bread were replaced with black bread in a carton and dried peas and beans. Rice was also issued but the main food was bread which was either German Kommisbrot or Italian Maisbrot with olive oil instead of butter which would go off rapidly in the heat of the desert but the olive oil proved very unpopular with German troops. The Italians were forced to provide foodstuffs for the Germans which included coffee beans, cooking oil, marmalade and tins of preserved meat which was also very unpopular with both German and Italian troops. The tins were stamped with the initials AM which stood for "Administrazione Militare" but the Germans always refereed to this as Alte Mann (Old Man) or as some Italians called it "Asinus Mussolini" (Mussolini's Arse) due to it's rancid taste but they  went one better calling it Arabio Morte (Dead Arab). Captured tins of British corned beef, white bread, jam, hard tack biscuits and tinned fruit were considered a luxury and was most a most welcome supplement to the bland tasting rations issued to the Afrika Korps. The British thought their rations were terrible and welcomed captured German foodstuffs as well! Fresh meat was sometimes procured in the shape of a goat or pig but this was a rare occurrence as livestock was relatively hard to come by and the preservation of fresh meat in the desert was difficult to say the least. Perhaps the most important commodity in the desert was water. Vital for sustaining life and keeping vehicles moving it was important to preserve it as best as possible. The "Jerrycan" as it was nicknamed by the British could hold 4.5 gallons of either water, fuel or lubricants and was much preferred to the British petrol can which would often leak and much of its precious cargo of fuel or water would be lost, a very serious situation as being stranded in the desert miles from friendly or even hostile lines could prove fatal. Both sides marked their respective water cans with a white cross to denote it was carrying water and  this would mean that the particular can in question would never hold the wrong substance as water stored in a can that previously contained petrol would be undrinkable ( a lesson found out by the United Nations troops stationed in the congo during the 1960's).

Source :
http://deutsches-afrikakorps.blogspot.com/2010/12/life-in-afrika-korps.html
https://id.pinterest.com/davidmichaeld/dak/