”Lack of food, or worse still, hunger, was one of the nightmare scenarios of a soldiers' existence. The Blitzkrieg, in spite of all its advantages in terms of warfare, meant an ongoing serious problem for the supply corps. Supplies had to be transported across un-surfaced roads and along trails, often under enemy fire and in all kinds of weather. Of course, ammunition that was essential for the development of the campaign and maintaining what could be a fluid front was given priority. In consequence, and more often than not, the troops suffered alarming ration shortages until positions were stabilized and supplies delivered regularly. Until that time, the men had to survive on combat rations, more popularly as 'iron rations' that-whenever possible-were swapped for fresh products with the local population.”

Fresh bread in loaves seems to be popular. However other bread products in cans, cartons, paper wrapping were also options.

Fresh sausage or salami seemed to be popular. However tube cheese, canned meat or fish were also options.

Its possible that mixed canned meat/vegetables were issued.

Its unlikely that pudding powder was issued. Small aluminum cans of milk were perfect in size and weight.

Butter, lard, marmalades, fats and bread spreads.

Units were ample supplied with a wide variety of chocolates and other sweets. These would have been perfect for troops on the offensive.

Dec. 16 -

Dec. 21 -

Unteroffizier Wilhelm Stetter, 3rd Co. GR 915

Dec. 15 -

In the attack.

Ate bread ration.

Shared his half iron ration with Naval personnel who had either eaten or thrown away their iron rations.

Got mail and rations to include hot coffee.

Found U.S. Rations and a jar of jam.

Got rations to include bread.

Order given to eat Iron Rations.

Found food in abandoned homes. Received a hot meal from the Field Kitchen.

Friedrich Schmäschke, 3rd Co. I Bn. GR 916

Iron rations distributed and checked. Got a hot meal.

In the attack. Captured U.S Rations. Field Kitchen arrives that evening.

Got hot meal from the Field Kitchen. Cold rations were not distributed.

Field Kitchen had moved and food was not received till noon. He went to stable where equipment from dead and wounded soldiers was stored and picked up three extra Iron Rations, bread, and Scho-ka-kola. Between 1400-1500 he received a hot meal. Was later wounded and evacuated.

Eduard Krüger, 5th Parachute Division

0530 issued Iron Rations and breakfast. Found some potatoes and bacon.

Hot food delivered from the Field Kitchen, but he had so many captured U.S. Rations that he and his comrades passed on the issue foods. He was captured sometime after this date.

Ulrich Krüger, 14th Co., Parachute Regiment 15, 5th Parachute Division

Issued cold rations which included bread, butter, sausage and soft cheese.

Paul Engelhardt, 276th VGD

In the attack.

0300 got a hot meal from the Field Kitchen. It consisted of a casserole with peas, beans, savory cabbage, carrots, potatoes, turnips or red cabbage with a lot of meat or fat. Now and then there were also baked potatoes, goulash or a piece of roast meat with vegetables, fruit and salad. The food was plentiful here, and each man received a mess kit with 1.5 to 2 liters of it. The cold rations were also distributed along with the Half Ration (The cold rations were given out when it was anticipated that the Field Kitchen would not be able to provide food in the course of the following day). The cold food consisted of Army Bread, various spreads like butter or margarine, sausages of various types, jelly, Ersatz Honey, hard cheese or cheese spread, sardines in oil, fish in tomato sauce and Scho-ka-kola. He later mentions receiving 3 cigarettes a day as the daily ration, plus 10 extra a day for being in the Front Lines.

Was issued the Front Line Assault Ration.

"The rations intended to be the morning, midday or evening meal could, naturally, not always be delivered at the regular times on account of the fighting. For this reason the field cooks had to be movable and able to improvise. While in times of quiet, every soldier in the assembled company came forward with his own utensils and field flask to get his food, in times of action the food was brought close to the front. In darkness the Field Kitchen was driven to a known, designated place, as protected as possible, to which the company's food gatherers (three to four men per group) came to get warm and cold food for the following day; one man per group took about six full cooking pots for his comrades, a second had the field flasks filled with coffee or tea and slung on himself, and a third carried the cold food in a tent square or sack. Such a distribution of food was not without danger. The clearly audible rattling of the utensils, the flashes of flashlights and such often drew enemy fire."

"Naturally, there were times of hunger and deprivation often enough, when supply problems or critical situations brought rations to a stop. But no soldier starved as long as he was with his troops (with the exception of the Sixth army's defeat in the Stalingrad basin). And it probably would have been impossible for half-starved German soldiers to have marched forward and back for thousands of kilometers through all of Europe in campaigns that went on for years."