So what did the German soldier eat?

[Mobius]

Hello.

I find it truly amazing the amount of information available in the research forums in feldgrau, especially regarding unit organization, and individual unit histories. Nevertheless, there seems to be a lack of discussion on more "mundane" things, so to speak (i.e., the system of permissions, relaxation in the rear, the opinion of the common soldier about the war, his leaders, his officers, the enemy, etc.)

So I would like to start a thread on that most important of subjects for any soldier in any war: food.
How was the food given to the German soldier during the war? What did he eat? As this is a very broad subject, I'll better narrow the question: How was the daily diet of the regular infantry soldier during mobile offensive operations, like Barbarossa in 1941 or Blau in 1942? What was for breakfast? What did he have for supper?
Thanks for taking the time to answer my question.

regards,
mobius

[Christoph Awender]

Hello

First let me comment on the things you didn´t find well covered or answered:

1. the system of permissions, relaxation in the rear

Did you ask questions regarding these topics because I can´t remember seeing them posted.

the opinion of the common soldier about the war, his leaders, his officers, the enemy,

My oppinion is that every individual has his own personal oppinion. So you will hear 20 different stories from 20 different vets. So questions about THE oppinion about this and that cannot be answered.

Now to your question regarding food supply of the Wehrmacht.
Every company size formation had a so called field kitchen which used the supplied raw material to provide the company with a warm meal. Of course it highly depended on the combat and supply situation how this meal looked like.

Nevertheless there was of course a planed ration for every soldier:

Cold supply:
750g bread
150g fat (in butter, animal and plant fat etc...)
120g sausage
up to 200g marmelade or artificial honey
7 cigarettes or 2 cigars

Warm supply:
up to 1000g potatoes
up to 250g fresh vegetables or 150g caned vegetables
+125g dough wares, rice, barley etc..
up to 250g meat
15g salt, spices
8g coffee or substitute coffee

If available additionally eggs, chocolate etc...
These warm supply was used in the field kitchen to make all kind of stew variants.

For situations where no field kitchen could provide food the units received so called iron rations which consisted of:
- 250g Zwiepack
- 200g caned meat
- 150g caned soup
- 20g coffee

Each soldier had a shortened iron ration at the man which should be used in situations where nothing else was available.
- 250g Zwiepack
- 200g caned meat

Of ocurse everything found in the country was used and provided additional supply so if a unit had a good "Organisator" it could eat grilled chicken etc...

\Christoph

[Mobius]

Hello Cristoph. Thank you for your feedback.

I have not asked questions regarding the topics of permission and relaxation in the Wehrmacht. I mentioned them as the kind of subjects that, from what I gather, have not received a lot of attention in the forum.

Thank you for the information on the food supply!
Perhaps a couple of questions?
I could not find the term Zwiepack in my German dictionary...Is it Zwieback (dry biscuits) that you were refering to?

In circumstances where it was anticipated by batallion or company HQ that warm food from the Feldküche would not be available for the forward platoon, where the iron rations distributed on a day-to-day basis, or did the soldiers receive something like a 2 or 3-days supply?

regards,
mobius

[Brian67]

I could not find the term Zwiepack in my German dictionary...Is it Zwieback (dry biscuits) that you were refering to?

Yes, for sure!

[Christoph Awender]

In circumstances where it was anticipated by batallion or company HQ that warm food from the Feldküche would not be available for the forward platoon, where the iron rations distributed on a day-to-day basis, or did the soldiers receive something like a 2 or 3-days supply?

That all depended on the situation. All variants were used from packing them with fresh food to giving them two iron rations or just one and deliver the second etc..etc..
Nothing was planable during war.. it was mostly always improvisation.

\Christoph

[Bittrich]

Christoph Awender,

Nice posts. I can say with all seriousness that I learned something new today.

Common sense dictates that planning for supplies depended on the situation at the time, but the food rations or what was suppose to be their rations was very detailed. Thank you for the information.