This photo is from the Eastern Front, probably taken during the winter of 1941-42. Soldiers carrying the mess kits of their comrades wait for the food to be served. Instead of the usual horse-pulled, wheeled groβe Feldküche Hf. 11, this field kitchen is on the back of a lorry. It’s probably belonging to a motorized or armored unit. It has a 200 liter cauldron and a 90 liter coffee boiler. Getting hot food, especially in wintertime, is necessary to keep the spirits up. In the Wehrmacht, stews and soups were common, but the menu could contain some variety if the cooks managed to get hold on fresh meat. The daily rations were supposed to include:
Cold food
- 750 grams of bread
- 150 grams of fat (divided into butter, lard, margarine as bread spread about 60 – 80 grams , animal or vegetable fat for the preparation of the warm food about 70 – 90 grams)
- 120 grams of sausage (fresh or in cans) or fish preserves or cheese
- up to 200 grams of jam or artificial honey
- 7 cigarettes or 2 cigars
Hot food
- 1000 grams of potatoes, which could be partially replaced by:
+ 250 g fresh vegetables or
+ 150 g vegetable preserves
+ 125 g pasta, rice, grains, etc. - up to 250 grams of fresh meat
- 15 grams of ingredients (salt, spices, etc.)
- 8 grams of bean coffee and 10 g of coffee substitute (or equivalent tea)
Eggs, fruit, chocolate, etc. depending on availability.
The truck is parked in what appears to be a farmyard. It’s likely that the farm is used as quarters for the supply column of a company or battalion.
World War 2 in Photos 