ww2 military rations

Ww2 Military Rations - As the saying goes, an army marches on its stomach, relying on good and plentiful food to fuel its fighting ability.

For the modern US military in combat, this usually means a meal, ready meal or MRE. The US military switched to MREs in the early 1980s, replacing the rather dodgy canned rations that sustained troops through most of the post-WWII Vietnam War. In September 2018, a specially designed pizza that can last three years was added to the 24 available MRE options as part of a broader strategy to improve morale (and prevent so-called "menu fatigue").

Ww2 Military Rations

Throughout the period, feeding the troops was a challenge for every large fighting force, from the Roman legions to the armies of Genghis Khan and the successors of Napoleon. Here's how they did it:

The Combat Ration Collectors Who Eat Decades Old Military Meals

Roman armies hunted whatever was available, the archaeological remains of wild animals show, says Thomas R. Martin, professor of classics, College of the Holy Cross. The Roman administration provided the soldiers with limited evidence, adding that the main source of calories was carbohydrates: barley or wheat. One source says that the soldiers were given 1 kilogram of meat daily. "The army had to kill 120 sheep a day just for the meat ration. Or 60 pigs," says Martin.

Whatever the exact amount, it would not have been enough to support a Roman soldier, who was "more than any other mule," says Martin. They were carrying very heavy equipment on bad roads, and then they weren't burning calories fighting. With their food, they were given wine—a diluted version of what we're used to—or something closer to vinegar, which would help reduce the bacteria in their drinking water. It is not surprising that Roman armies looked to olive oil for their fat supply.

During the Crusades, the average Christian soldier under siege ate dried meat and grain to make something like porridge. But it was food they took with them, with added fruit and vegetables or locally bought cheese. During the First Crusade, soldiers provided their own food stores where they deposited or sold property to buy. Later, during the 14th century Crusades called by Pope Innocent III, agreements were made with the Venetian navy and merchants to supply soldiers.

During the fighting, "when the crusaders got into the Muslim camp, they stopped fighting and started eating. And that cost them the battle. It happened twice during the siege of Acre," says John Hossler, an associate professor of military affairs. US Army Command. & General Staff College, medieval military expert and writer

Meals, Revolting To Eat: The Most Disgusting Military Rations Ever

. At one point during the Third Crusade, an observer noticed several kitchens in Sultan Saladin's camp, each containing nine cauldrons. These cauldrons were large – Hössler notes that each could hold four heads of cattle. The Christian conquerors had nothing to compare.

. In the early 13th century, when Genghis Khan conquered territories in Asia (mostly what we now call China), his hordes could not carry much. Warriors acquired their own families, and after conquering territories, the Mongols came into contact with foodstuffs such as wine. (Their local brand of alcoholic beverage was fermented mare's milk, called airag or kumis.)

Mongolian lands were not particularly arable, and Mongols did not stay in one place for long, so fruits and vegetables were not a staple diet. The Mongols took cows and sheep with them. When cattle were not available, horsemen hunted game (dogs, marmots, and rabbits) or were fed dried curds, roasted meat, and both fresh and fermented mare's milk.

At the height of its power in the late 17th century, the Ottoman Empire was a vast Mediterranean empire covering vast areas of North Africa, the Middle East, modern Turkey, and Eastern Europe. The Janissaries, the elite foot soldiers and bodyguards of the Imperial Sultan, are considered Europe's first modern standing army.

Ww2 British Army Rations At A Living History Reenactment. Spetchley Park, Worcestershire, England Stock Photo

Janissaries ate well, according to research by Aksan, a professor emeritus at Virginia H. McMaster University and a leading scholar of the Ottoman Empire. He writes that the soldiers were fed "fresh bread, biscuits when bread was not available; a daily ration of meat (lamb and mutton) about 200 grams; Honey, coffee, rice, Bulgarian and barley for the horses.

Above all, biscuits seem to have been preferred for the sustenance of soldiers. One observer spotted 105 ovens in Istanbul, where biscuits were baked exclusively for the army. Another wrote angrily about cookie bakers collecting surplus flour for profit and replacing it with dirt, resulting in the deaths of many soldiers.

George Washington—along with his commander and commissary general—had great difficulty feeding the Continental Army. Congress had no revenue authority and therefore had no funds to purchase supplies. This was a problem compounded by transportation and other delivery issues. According to Joseph Glattaar, a professor at the University of North Carolina, the result was that soldiers often went days without food. "You get some flour and maybe some meat, and often the meat is pretty bad," he says.

In 1775, Congress established a uniform ration of one pound of beef per day (or three quarters of pork or one pound of salt fish) and one pound of flour or bread per day; Three pounds of peas or beans a week, a pint of milk a day, a pint of rice a week, a pint of Christmas beer or cider a day and a little molasses. (Vinegar was added later.) Since army commanders rarely had supplies, soldiers begged civilians and gave them whatever animals they could find. Congress pressured Washington to accept food paid for in low-value paper currency (actually IOUs)—but General Washington feared that this practice would alienate the colonists.

More Than A Full Stomach: Nutrition And The Field Ration > Joint Base San Antonio > News

"Napoleon's soldiers spent most of their time on campaign desperately hungry," says Charles Esdale, a professor at the University of Liverpool. When all was planned, a French ration included 24 ounces of bread, half a pound of meat, an ounce of rice or two ounces of dried beans or peas or lentils, a pint of wine, a pint (about a quarter of a pint) of brandy, and half a pint of vinegar. (French measurements are slightly different, so this number is approximate.) When bread was not available, flour, salt, and water were used to make a rough little dough, baked over fire, or kneaded.

Helping to sustain French troops was the fact that European agriculture shifted to products like potatoes and corn that could be eaten almost off the ground. “French bread comes on long sticks; Bagels,” says Esdale. "The story is that the baguette was created so that French soldiers could carry bread in their trousers."

In the American Civil War, the Union Army had a standard ration: about three-quarters of a pound of meat, a pound of flour or cornmeal, some vegetables, and vinegar and molasses. "If you get a normal dose, it's going to be significant," Glatthar says. Over time this became impractical; They began to produce hard cakes called salt cakes, as well as salted meat and dried vegetables. They were made from flour and water and dried to make them last longer.

During campaigns, especially as Union soldiers moved south, seasonal fruits and vegetables such as apples and sweet potatoes could be looted from orchards and farms. In addition, the soldiers received care packages from home, as the Union postal system was quite reliable throughout the war. For water, both the Union and Confederate armies relied on lakes and streams.

Bestand:chocolate British Military Rations World War Ii.jpg

During World War II, there were two staples for US forces: the C Division (for combat troops) and the K Division (less bulky and originally developed for landing regiments and emissaries). "The C-Ration version had six containers in one box, and the content of the C-Ration changes," says Glataar. "You have staples like franks and beans, cigarettes, canned fruit, gum, chocolate bars, instant coffee, toilet paper. There are some processed cheeses and some crackers, but they're really crackers. You also got a book of matches."

The ration, which contained three meals - and about 3,600 calories - each, was almost universally unpopular. Later, soldiers received powdered drinks such as lemonade and broths, and eventually sweet cocoa. The K-District has three "meals": breakfast, lunch, and dinner, which includes four ounces of meat and/or eggs, cheese spread, "crackers," candy, gum, salt tablets, and a sugary drink. There were also cigarettes, a wooden spoon and toilet paper.

Between 1958 and 1981, the US ration, known as Meals, Combat, Individual or MCI, was eventually replaced by Meals Ready to Eat (MRE). In Vietnam, they were distributed to combat soldiers in a cardboard box containing 1,200 calories in a can of meat (like ham and lima beans or turkey patty), a can of "bread" that could be crackers or hard. Cookies and cans of desserts such as applesauce, sliced ​​peaches or cake.

Complete

The 5 In 1 Ration