Food: Besides ammunition, the second most important item a German soldier would need to carry would be food. Again, the tunic pockets were able to hold a small amount of the rations that a Landser might need during a patrol or while occupying an observation post. If a Soldat was going into immediate combat, as much gear as possible, including the bread bag and other unnecessary items such as the gas mask container, would be left behind in his fighting position or vehicle. The tunic pockets could hold enough food to last him for a few hours. However, the type of ration carried depended on what he might have been issued at the time. Bread could be sliced and wrapped in a paper or a small ration bag or simply just stuffed in the pocket. However, a more common sense approach saw Soldaten carrying the kinds of compact rations that could not be easily crushed or smashed while engaged in combat operations. Examples of these rations included canned food, such as sardines, other canned meat products, chocolate (like Scho-Ka-Kola), candies, or packages of crackers. An Esbit folding field stove would also easily fit in a tunic pocket if the Landser wanted a quick warm meal.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Sep 2014 20:41:22 +0000