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Feeding the soldier/rations

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
The old Comando Supremo had a thread on 2GM Italian rations. A recent question by a member caused me to revisit this topic and to repost what I could find.

Rations is a question I have struggled with for many years and feel it requires proper research.

Besides the knowledge that Italian soldiers were provided rations prepared in field kitchens for the majority of their meals, and that canned rations were stamped A.M., what do we really know about the foods provided to frontline Italian soldiers?

Like all armies, the RE had a scale of issue that listed what soldier should receive over a period of time. These rations weren't normally provided directly to the soldiers, but issued in bulk to the unit for the unit mess detachment to prepare as meals. There were times when the rations were distributed to the soldiers, normally in very fluid combat situations when it was unlikely that the unit mess could successfully cook and distribute the meals.

The daily scale of rations for a soldier in Russia in 1941 was:
Bread 700 grs
Fresh meat 250 grs
or
Canned meat 1/2 can
Canned fish 100 grs
Pasta 220 grs
or
Rice 170 grs
Fat/lard 20 grs
Preserves 10 grs
Roast coffee 10 grs
Surrogate coffee 10 grs
Sugar 20 grs
Grated cheese 10 grs
Block cheese 40 grs
Marmalade 30 grs
Chocolate 30 grs
Cognac 3 cl.
Vine 25 cl.
Tobacco 5 grs

The cooks would make the meals using these items plus anything they could find locally.

Pista! Jeff
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
The following is from Le squadra della fanteria: organici – formazioni – movimenti – servizio – delle armi – dati vari, pp.14-15. This manual was published by the Scuola di applicazione di fanteria in 1943.

3. - Echeloning of provisions:
- individual issue (carried by the soldier):
1 can of meat
1 ration of biscuits (gr. 400)

- unit issue:
Daily distribution - 1 ration bread, 1 ration complementary provisions. 1 ration of meat.
In the transport - 1 ration complementary provisions, 1 can of meat.

The total specified 3 days of provisions:
- 1 for the day
- 1 carried on the transport (with 1 can of preserved meat in place of the fresh meat if the latter is impossible to provide.
- 1 in reserve with the soldier.

4. – Echeloning of forage:

- daily distribution: 1 ration oat, 1 ration hay, 1 ration of hearty straw.
- carried in the transport: 1 ration oat

5. - Ration provisions:

The daily ration provisions varies due to the different operational zones in which the troops are employed, and is varied from the troops in national territory (see "Manual of the principal reflecting dispositions the service of commissary - provisioning" of the M.G. Dir. Gen. Sez Comm. Div suss.)

The ration is normally made from:

Fundamental part:
bread
pasta or rice
meat
vegetables or potatoes
substitutes (or coffee)
sugar
wine

Types of seasoning:
lard or oil
tomato preserves
graded cheese
improvement ration (I have no idea what this is)

Types of comfort [foods, snacks]:
chocolate
cognac, rum, or anise
jams
warm wine
sugar

tobacco
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
A video on canned meat made in the factory in 1935.

 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
This one is similar but made in 1940.

 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
This video covers several different items, but the first part is pasta and gallette (biscuits).

 
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jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
This web page has picture of soldiers being issued their rations. You can click on the pictures to enlarge them.

 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
A picture of a ration can found in Russia. This picture has floated around the Internet for quite a long time.
ItalianMeatCan.jpg
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
While not a military recipe book, this was published during the 1GM (1916) for families under rationing. It reflects the type of meals that use simple and available foods such that a military mess detachment might have available. The book itself was published by the Comitato dei Mutilati (Committee of the Wounded/Maimed), another indicator that many of the recipes could have military orgins.

Manuale di 150 ricette di cucina di guerra 1916
https://it.wikisource.org/wiki/Manuale_di_150_ricette_di_cucina_di_guerra
 

1089maul

Member
Jeff,
Interesting posts. My books have little in respect of feeding. I attach a page from Rex Tryes book MUSSOLINI’s SOLDIERS. The only reason I do so is the last paragraph with memories of a soldier in Albania. No doubt, all armies suffered from lack and quality of food!!
Regards,
Bob
 

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Slavomir

New Member
The daily scale of rations for a soldier in Russia in 1941 was
Sorry for jumping so late, but here is what I have. Those are norms for June 1940, as you see not that much different from numbers presented by Jeff.

Best regards

Slavomir

Razione di Guerra_06.1940.jpg
 
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jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Thanks! Which book is that page from?
 

Slavomir

New Member
F. Botti "La Logistica Dell'Esercito Italiano (1831-1981)" Vol. IV, Tomo I, Documento 2/b

Regards

Slavomir
 

jwsleser

Administrator
Staff member
Grazie!
 
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