Combat rations of 20 armies around the world revealed

[Blacksmith]

What armies around the world ate eating. Showing the contents of rations packs from 20 different armies. It may give you some ideas.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/fo...-revealed.html

[Outpost75]

Early American Rations

At the opening of the Revolutionary War, the colonies fed their own militia. Once the Army had grown, and had taken on a uniform character, the problem of feeding this unit became both acute and difficult. The earliest legislation fixing the components of the Army ration was passed on November 4, 1775. A ration is the allowance of food for the subsistence of one person for one day. This first ration provided the following components:

l6 oz; beef 6.8 oz.peas
18 oz. flour 1.4 oz. rice
16 oz. milk .1830 oz. Soap
1 qt. spruce beer .0686 oz. candle

Compared with present dietary requirements, this ration provided more calories, twice as much protein, an adequate supply of all minerals and vitamins with the exception of vitamins A and C.

Feeding problems in the Continental Army

The difficulty in securing salt presented one of the greatest problems in feeding the Army during the Revolutionary War. The small amount of salt that was imported came from Spain and her possessions. The only known method of preserving meat and fish was by salting, and once it became apparent that this item could not be had in the quantities necessary, cattle had to be driven to the immediate vicinity of the camp to await slaughtering as meat was needed. Bad roads and lack of forage reduced the cattle to skin and bone. Later in the war, the British West Indies was persuaded to sell both salt and ammunition to the Americans.

In the spring of 1778, the Continental Army was 26,000 strong. Transportation means were not always available at the right time. After days of starving, suddenly more cattle were received than could possibly be slaughtered and eaten. Since there was no forage, nor enough salt to preserve the meat, the cattle starved; when the troops were ready to consume the meat, the cattle were too thin to make killing them profitable.

In 1780, Congress decided to procure food by contract. Under this system, a contract stated the price of the ration; the component parts were defined as to quantity and kind. The ration was to be delivered by the contractor, to the individual soldier, for the price fixed in the agreement. It proved that this method was better than the previous system for food procurement, but it was found not too reliable. When one considers the meagerness and lack of variety which characterized the ration of that time, this need is easily understood.

The ration of 1812

The difficulty encountered in obtaining food supplies for the soldier of the Continental Army was probably the cause that the soldier of the War of 1812 was not as well fed as the soldier of the Revolutionary War. In 1785, one gill of rum had been added to the ration, also some vinegar, and some salt, but the peas, milk, rice, and spruce beer are missing from the ration given to the men fighting in the war against the British in 1812. The meat and flour component was increased, but not sufficiently. A decrease of calories and all the other nutrients are characteristic of this diet, which provided the following:

20 oz. beef .64 oz. salt
18 oz. flour .64 oz. soap
1 gill rum .24 oz. candle
1 gill vinegar

This ration provided ample supplies of proteins, calcium, thiamin, and niacin, but was deficient in vitamins A, riboflavin, and vitamin C.

Changes in the military organization

In 1813, the country was divided into nine military districts, which did not improve the supply problem. In April, 1818, a bill was passed by Congress which placed the responsibility of purchasing and issuing rations upon the Commissary General and his assistants. The same bill provided that "the President may make such alterations in the component part of the ration as a due regard to health and comfort of the Army and economy may require."

Spirit Rations

The gill (4 oz.) of rum which had been added to the ration in 1785, was reduced in 1790 to one half a gill of rum, brandy, or whiskey. Four years later, a congressional act authorized: that to such troops as are, or may be, employed on the frontiers, and under such special circumstances, as in the opinion of the President of the United States, may require an augmentation of some parts of their ration, the President may be authorized to direct such augmentation as he may judge necessary, not to exceed one-half a gill of rum or whiskey in. addition to each ration.

Coffee, and sugar substituted for rum

The additional one-half gill of rum for those employed on the Western frontier was cut by an act of Congress in March of 1795; in July, 1795, the spirit ration was increased to one gill again, which lasted until 1832 when the rum ration was eliminated, and coffee and sugar was substituted.

Mexican War ration

The Mexican War ration was established in 1838 shows the change of substituting coffee and sugar for rum. Compared with the ration provided the soldier in 1812, this ration shows considerable improvement. The caloric value had been increased, and it provided a better supply of vitamins. Vitamins A and C are noticeably lacking in this ration as they were in the other rations. The components of the ration included the following:

20 dz. beef .64 oz. salt
18 oz. flour .0686 oz. candle
2.4 oz. dried beans .183 oz. soap
.16 gill vinegar .96 oz. green coffee
1.92 oz. sugar

Civil War ration

By Congressional Acts in 1860 and 1861, the variety of the ration was increased noticeably. Besides the coffee and sugar components, which had been added in the 1830's, the flour component was increased to 22 oz., and at the same time potatoes, yeast powder, and pepper were incorporated in the ration, increasing the components from 9 to 12 items as follows:

20 oz. beef~ 2.4 oz. sugar
22 oz. flour .32 gill vinegar
7 oz. potatoes .64 oz. salt
.045 oz. yeast .04 oz. pepper
2.65 oz. dried beans .64 oz. soap
1.6 oz. green coffee .24 oz. candle

Whenever the supply lines were open, and when food was available, the soldiers of the Civil War were comparatively well-fed; however, from history we know that the troops were often without food. Obviously, the ration does show a marked improvement over earlier rations.

Spanish American War ration

Very few changes were made in the ration allowance between the Civil War and the Spanish American War. The potato ration was increased, and yeast was replaced by baking powder; the flour component reverted back to the 18 oz. allowance used in the Mexican War, and the issue of dried beans was decreased. The nutritional value of this ration varies only slightly with that of the Civil War period.

World War I ration improvements

In 1899 the sugar ration had been increased; in 1908, butter or margarine, lard, and flavoring extract were added to the ration., At the time of World War I, the ration components had increased to 17 items, and the substitution list showed a variety of foods which improved the soldiers diet considerably. Compared with the present requirements, the ration of World War I was deficient only in its lack of vitamin A.

First Emergency Rations

In the early days of Indian campaigning in the southeastern part of the United States, our officers noticed that when the Mexican and Indian started out on a raid, when his sole transportation was the pony on which he rode, or when he perhaps did not have even a pony, but went afoot, his subsistence, aside from what he gathered by "living on the country" enroute, consisted mainly of jerked beef and pinole.. As a result of this observation, the Army created an emergency ration which was composed mainly of powdered evaporated beef, and parched and cooked wheat. To this was added a small quantity of sweetened chocolate. In 1907, this emergency ration was authorized. It was packed in tins, vacuum sealed, and weighed 1 pound; its ingredients consisted of evaporated beef powder, cooked and parched wheat, sweet chocolate, and salt and pepper for seasoning.

Improved reserve ration

In October of 1922, the War Department approved a reserve ration which was made up of the following components:

16 oz. meat 14 oz. hard bread
.6 oz. soluble coffee 2.4 oz. granulate sugar
extract tablets

WW2 Rations

Field ration D
Field ration D was developed by Colonel Paul P. Logan, who worked on its development from 1933 to 1937. This ration in no way resembled the old World War I ration, which has been called the Armour ration, or the reserve ration of 1922. It consisted of a chocolate bar, stabilized to a high melting point by the inclusion of oat flour, and it provided 600 calories. Three 4-ounce chocolate bars provided one ration.

Field ration D proved to be convenient and versatile; it can be called the first modern emergency ration. Because it did not provide the soldier with 3 full, palatable, and nutritionally balanced meals per day, it was felt that another ration was needed. Early in 1932, a Sanitary Corps Reserve officer submitted "a balanced meal in a can", which consisted of a pound of stew composed of 12 vegetables, and 9 meats mixed in the proportions supposedly required to make a well-balanced meal and alleged to contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
On 1 November, 1939, the Adjutant General announced the adoption of field ration C. It consisted of 3 cans containing a meat and vegetable component, and 3 cans, containing crackers, sugar, and soluble coffee; it furnished 2974 calories, 114 grams of protein, and an adequate supply of vitamins and minerals.

The K ration

Neither the C nor the D ration filled the need for a special ration suitable for use in highly mobile warfare. The D ration was intended to allay worst hunger of a single missed meal; the C ration was considered too heavy and bulky for mobile units. Dr. Ancel Keys, Director of the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene at the University of Minnesota, first suggested a ration to be used for parachute troops, tank corps, motorcycle troops and other mobile units. Several organizations worked on the specifications prescribed by Dr. Keyes for such a ration. The final results of this work was the ration officially designated as field ration, type K. The letter K had no particular significance; it was chosen merely to have a phonetically different letter from the letters C and D. The K ration was officially adopted in 1942. It was packed in 8 units, and yielded approximately 8300 calories, 99 grams of protein, and was slightly under specifications in minerals and vitamins as recommended by the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council.

The 10-in-1 ration

The possibility of packaging the type B field ration in units of 10, with an approximate weight of 50 pounds, was suggested as early as 1941. But little or nothing was done about this suggestion until the spring of 1943. At that time, conditions in the battle areas called for such a type of ration. The purpose of this ration was to serve as the principle ration for subsistence of troops in all areas in advance of the field kitchen, but prior to engaging in actual combat, for troops isolated in small groups, and for highly mobile troops. The general specifications for the ration were set in early 1948, and by the end of April of the same year the project had been completed. Several late changes were effected on the ration before it was finally adopted in the fall of 1943.

The 10-in-1 ration is composed of 5 menus, varying in calories between 8500-4050 and supplying between 91 and 121 grams of protein. The vitamin and mineral content was slightly below requirements, and the ration weighed 5 more pounds than specifications called for. The present 5-in-1 ration replaces the 10-in-1 ration.
The rations now considered as standard which have been developed, and for which improvement has been indicated are:

1. Ration- standard
a) Ration, field A
b) Ration, operational B
c) Ration, small detachment, 5-in-1
d) Ration, combat, type E
e) Ration, individual, combat, C-2
f) Ration, individual, combat, C-3
g) Ration, individual, combat, C-4

Field Ration A
As mentioned in the history of the rations, fighting men, in the early stories of our country subsisted on foods found locally. It was not until the number of troops became too large to be supported by the local vicinity, and it became necessary to deliver food from other areas, that food or ration issue became common. This was the beginning of what is known as the ration, field, type A, defined as the finest food available for feeding troops who have the benefit of organized kitchens and refrigeration facilities. For troops in the field, this ration issued as often as circumstances will permit for the preparation of 3 nutritionally balanced and palatable meals a day. The value of this ration meets all nutritive requirements as specified in AR 40-250.

Field Ration B

Ration, operational, B, may be defined as the best substitute for the A ration under conditions where kitchens are available, but refrigeration facilities are not. Representative components of the B ration include the following: canned meats, cereal and cereal products, canned fruits, canned milk products, and canned vegetables and legumes. Due to longer lines of supply and the lack of sufficient, available local fresh foods, the B ration attained a far greater use in overseas theaters than the A ration. Ration, operational, B, meets the nutritive requirements as specified by AR 40-250.

Ration, small detachment, 5-in-1

Ration, small detachment, 5-in-1, is designed for conditions where small groups of men are able to prepare hot meals with rudimentary cooking facilities, or where large groups may be divided into bodies of 5 or 10 men for the purpose of feeding themselves. Specifically, the necessity for such a ration is predicated on its usefulness to tank or armored vehicle crews when committed, to anti-aircraft automatic weapons organizations when gun crews are separated by considerable distances from the battery kitchens, and to troops traveling by rail without kitchen cars. The ration provides food for 5 men for 1 day. The components of the ration are placed in one case; the case and contents weigh 27 pounds, and it can easily be carried by one man. The 5 menus contain combinations of 10 canned meat items, canned bread, or type V biscuits, 3 types of pudding, 5 kinds of jam, 6 kinds of vegetables, sugar, milk, beverages, confections, cheese spread, butter spread, and accessory items consisting of cigarettes, can openers, toilet tissue, soap, water-purification tablets, sponge, cellulose tape, and paper towels. Each case contains one menu; the case is properly labeled Menu No.1, etc., enabling the consumer to select the desired menu. This ration averages 4000 calories, and adequately meets all other nutritive requirements.

New combat ration replace C rations used in World War II

Ration, combat, type E was developed to replace the old C and K rations. Reports from overseas indicated that the latter were often used interchangeably, and that both rations had certain desirable and certain undesirable characteristics. A ration combining the favorable features of both rations, and completely fulfilling the military requirements of combat conditions would avoid the possibility of duplication. It was in answer to this need, that the E ration developed. By actual use of the E ration, it was discovered that the bread component of the ration was undesirable. Because of this fact, the ration was declared obsolete, and has been replaced by ration, individual, combat, C-2.

The C-2 ration

This ration is described in TB QM 53, Department of the Army, dated March, 1948, as an individual ration which consists of packaged precooked foods which can be eaten. hot or cold; it replaces the old C ration, and more recently, the E ration. It can be carried and prepared by the individual soldier. The ration was designed for feeding combat troops from a few days to an extreme of three weeks. Due to the required individual portability of this ration, maximum nourishment had to be provided in the smallest physical unit. The components of this ration were prepared in 5 different menus. Each menu includes an accessory packet which consists of essential toilet articles, tobacco, and confections. It is contemplated that as modifications develop, the ration will be classified as C-3, C-4. etc. C-2 has been modified, and is currently filed as C-2, with the modified version being called C-3.

The C-3 ration
The figure "3" in "C-3" represents the third revision of specifications for components of what was known originally as the C ration. This ration is composed of 5 full menus of a greater variety, and in addition to the new and improved B (bread) and M (meat) units, each menu contains an accessory packet, fruit, and cigarettes. The ration weighs 88½ oz., and is packed in 8 small cans; 3 of the cans, 1 for each meal, contain M (meat) components, which offer any one of 10 different varieties of meat; 3 more cans, again, 1 for each meal, include B (bread) components consisting of a unit of .5 crackers and 2 cookie sandwiches, a unit of pre-mixed cereal, jam, crackers, soluble coffee, sugar, cocoa disc, and another unit of crackers and jam. In addition, the C-3 contains 1-12 oz. can of fruit, the accessory packet, and cigarettes with matches. Field cooking equipment is not required. for the preparation of this ration. The C-3 ration is more adequate than the original C ration in respect to its nutritional value.

The C-4 ration

Ration, individual, combat C-4 has been developed recently, and is a modification of the C-3 ration. One modification of the C-3 ration will be the issue of 2-6 oz. cans of fruit for 2 meals to replace the 1-12 oz. can issued for one meal in the C-3 ration.
The task of moving food supplies to overseas theaters is a difficult one, as is shown by the channels covered by the movement of food. All these problems are tied in with ration development. Though an Army must necessarily function with the impersonality of a machine, its efficiency is in the last analysis dependent upon the ability of the individual men who compose it to do at any time whatever they are called upon to do. If they are fed poorly, their fighting efficiency will drop. This is particularly true for a citizen Army, the kind which has always protected the United States in times of emergency.

Ration planning has to find its way through two extremes: the best possible food available for the soldier, and the most convenient, least complicated, least space consuming and labor-consuming food to send him. Research is finding its way in ration development. And, for this reason, it is believed that the American Army will always have the best fed soldier in the world.

(Obviously this article pre-dates the development of Meals Rejected By Everyone!)

[Blacksmith]

Here is a link to the above article.
http://www.qmfound.com/history_of_rations.htm

[shtur]

In the 1970's my detachement went abord a French battle ship. For breakfast, they had wire baskets filled with pieces of broken bread and a bowl of marmalade at each table. I don't remember lunch, or if they served it. For dinner, we were served two pieces of mutton that equaled the size of a deck of cards, and a vegtable and lastly, either potatoes or a pasta. At the end of the line were two stainless steel bowls, one with wine, the other with beer. You filled your glass with your choice, and at the table would be the left over bread from breakfast. Almost none of us could eat the mutton, thankfully we had brought some C-rats.