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/

German Ration of World War II

On the whole, the regular German Army foot soldier (Landser) received scientifically designed, high-calorie/protein rations. Typically, each soldier carried a daily supply of the so-called Halbieserne or “Iron Ration” that contained one 300-gram tin of meat and one 125- or 150-gram unit of hard bread. The canned meat could be Schmalzfleisch (a pork product), Rinderbraten (roast beef), Truthahnbraten (turkey), or Hahnchenfleisch (chicken). In addition, there was canned Fleischkonserve, its contents generically, and thus ambiguously, labeled “canned meat,” which allowed for a number of interpretations.

Another longstanding staple of the German Army’s menu of portable food items was the Erbswurst, a nourishing soup compressed into a pellet, packaged six to a ration. A pellet was crushed and dropped into a half pint of boiling water. One minute later and the instant soup was ready to eat. Condensed canned tomato soup was also available as a substitute when a field kitchen was not available, soldiers often adding half a can of water and half a can of milk to maximize its flavor. The milk also came condensed in cans.

Elite troops received food “perks” as in the case of Kampfpackung fur Fallschirmjäger or “Combat Rations for Paratroops,” one item consisting of real canned cheese, but these were issued only prior to a combat mission. The special kit also contained two cans of ham chunks, one bar of ersatz high-energy food, and Milchkaffee (powdered milk and instant coffee), as well as Knäckebrot and candy drops.

The SS had their exclusive food rations, the cans treated to a special extreme climate coating and painted in a rust-preventing yellow/brown lacquer. Standard rations for SS units in the field consisted of a four-day supply: about 25 ounces of Graubrot (gray rye bread); 6-10 ounces of Fleisch (canned meat) or Wurst (canned sausage); some five ounces of vegetables; a half ounce of butter, margarine, jam, or hazelnut paste; either real or ersatz coffee; five grams of sugar; and, oddly enough, six cigarettes, despite the SS leadership’s antismoking stance, the rationale being that cigarettes served the troops under combat stress as a “nerve tonic.” There were also other special SS supplements, one example being canned Leberwurst, a quality liver spread.

The Third Reich’s antismoking initiatives, part of the general public health campaign that included protocols about alcohol and exposure to workplace contaminants, was prompted by research conducted in 1939 by German scientist Franz H. Muller, who published the world’s first epidemiological, case-control study showing a link between tobacco smoking and lung cancer. The various health programs sought to reduce lost time and expense due to illness, to help produce fit and healthy workers and soldiers and to “preserve the racial health of the Volk.”

Source :
http://histomil.com/viewtopic.php?t=13861&start=1850
https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/rations-of-the-reich/

A U.S. Army Forward Artillery Observer with a Field Phone and Radio

A U.S. Army forward artillery observer with a field phone and radio. He also served as telephone operator as the remote control point relays the observer's report on enemy activity to the Artillery Battalion Command Post. Infantry units would have observer from artillery units attached to direct artillery fire. Artillery support was a crucial element in the American advance in all theatres of war in World War II. On the left of the picture are several boxes of K rations. These rations were the most frequently consumed ration on the frontline. Each box contained a complete meal. Boxes were marked separately for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Source :
Book "Patton's Third Army" by Christopher J. Anderson
http://historylink101.com/world_war_II_resources.html