Figure 1.--This is a Wehrmacht Gulaschknone set up in an unidentified Germn town , probably in Fall 1944. (A reader thinks it may have been a little earlier.) It looks like late-Fall because the officer is wearing a coat and the boys long stockings. There areno identifying signs, only the name of a store propritor. These Gulaschkanone were often brought out after air raids, but this town seems to be in tact. We also see this in the East as German refugees streamed west fleeing the advancing Red Army. And was also common in Fortress Cities. Unfortunately we do not know the circumstances here. Notice the boys enjoying either a soup or stew. One boy has a cannister to bring the food home.

The German field kitchen (Gulaschkanone) was like everything associated with the Wehrmacht carfully stududied and thought out. The objective was to ensure that every German soldier got at least one hot meal every day. The German Gulaschkanone or field kitchen was an efficient means of providing large quantities of nourishing hot meals using the the minimum of resources. Meal menus regularly included both potato soup and pea and ham soup as well as all sorts of stews. Meals were accompanied by a bread or biscuit ration. The Germans set up a food system that when the campaigns were going right ensured that the soldiers were well fed. The daily ration for each German soldier was determined by OKW, taking into account the soldier's assignment and theater of operations. The Whermacht had a different approach than the American Army. The Whermacht had an offensive ethos and thus with planned to acquire supplies in the countries occupied. It confiscated supplies or in some cases purchased them for both men an animals. (The Whermacht still relied on draft animals.) These confiscated foodstuffs to supplement or as far as possible replace military rations. Confiscating food stuffs from the Belgians in World War I caused enormous suffering among civilians and was part of the reason that the German Army acquired a reputation for brutality that it never lost and fully lived up to in World War II. The standard operation was for units to maintain a 10-day reserve for every soldier on its established strength. The daily ration (Portionsatz) consisted of three meals, breakfast (1/6 daily callories ), lunch (1/2), and evening meal (1/3). A small issue of wine was added during the summer. There were several different categories: Type 1, Type II, Type III, Type IV, Iron Rations, Combat and Close Combat Ration Packs, March Ration, and Animal Rations. Meals when possible were cooked centrally. The Wehrmacht despite its reputation had both mechanized and non-mechanized units. There were horse-drawn wood-burning field kitchens or Gulaschkanone in non-mechanized units and comparnle field cooking ranges mounted on trucks for Panzer and Panzergrenadier units. Field kitchens were categorized either as large (catering for 125-225 men) or small (catering for 50-125 men), with other types of field cooking equipment issued to units of less than 60 men. [Thompson] When the War began going against the Germans, the system begn breaking diwn, especially dilivering hot meals without air cover. And we notice the Germans setting up Gulaschkanone to feed refugees and civilians after air raids. Serious problems developed as the Wehrmacht retreated ihto the Reich and could no longer seize food from occupied countries.

Purpose

The German field kitchen (Gulaschkanone) was like everything associated with the Wehrmacht carfully stududied and thought out. The objective was to ensure that every German soldier got at least one hot meal every day. The German Gulaschkanone or field kitchen was an efficient means of providing large quantities of nourishing hot meals using the the minimum of resources.

Terminology

Gulaschkanone is nickname popular with the troops. It as a compound word. Such words are very common in German. "Gulasch" = "Goulash" in English, a Hungarian meat meal with smaller parts of meat in sauce, often called a stew in America. "Kanone" = "cannon" in English which comes fom the "stovepipe" which is a characteristic feature and looks rather like a cannon. The proper German term is Feldkochherd (FKH) or Feldküche.

Meals

Meal menus regularly included both potato soup and pea and ham soup as well as all sorts of stews. Meals were accompanied by a bread or biscuit ration. The Germans set up a food system that when the campaigns were going right ensured that the soldiers were well fed. The daily ration for each German soldier was determined by OKW, taking into account the soldier's assignment and theater of operations.

Local Food Acquisition

The Whermacht had a different approach than the American Army. The Whermacht had an offensive ethos and thus with planned to acquire supplies in the countries occupied. It confiscated supplies or in some cases purchased them for both men an animals. (The Whermacht still relied on draft animals.) These confiscated foodstuffs to supplement or as far as possible replace military rations. In France because of the Armistace it could be done legally as part of reparations. In the East, the Wehrmcht simply seized food. This was all one without any concern about the impact on civilians. Confiscating food stuffs from the Belgians in World War I caused enormous suffering among civilians and was part of the reason that the German Army acquired a reputation for brutality that it never lost and fully lived up to in World War II. In fact it was during World War II, part of the overall German Hunger Plan, an intergral part of the German war effort. The Germanns used it to both control and in the East to reduce civilian populations as part of Generalplan Ost. Hitler believed that invading the Soviet Union would secure for Germany vast quantities of food and raw material to support the War Effort. In fact the food obtained in the East mostly went to feed the Wehrmacht operating there.

Standard Operation

The standard operation was for units to maintain a 10-day reserve for every soldier on its established strength. The daily ration (Portionsatz) consisted of three meals, breakfast (1/6 daily callories ), lunch (1/2), and evening meal (1/3). A small issue of wine was added during the summer.

Categories

There were several different categories: Type 1, Type II, Type III, Type IV, Iron Rations, Combat and Close Combat Ration Packs, March Ration, and Animal Rations. Meals when possible were cooked centrally. The Wehrmacht despite its reputation had both mechanized and non-mechanized units. There were horse-drawn wood-burning field kitchens or Gulaschkanone in non-mechanized units and comparnle field cooking ranges mounted on trucks for Panzer and Panzergrenadier units. Field kitchens were categorized either as large (catering for 125-225 men) or small (catering for 50-125 men), with other types of field cooking equipment issued to units of less than 60 men. [Thompson]

Operational Mode

When the War began going against the Germans, the system begn breaking diwn, especially dilivering hot meals without air cover.

Civilian Use

We notice the Germans setting up Gulaschkanone to feed refugees and civilians after air raids. Serious problems developed as the Wehrmacht retreated ihto the Reich and could no longer seize food from occupied countries. The image here shows a Gulaschkanone set up for civilian use in aman town (figure 1). We are not entirely sure, however, why it was set up here.

Sources

Thompson, Scott L. Gulaschkanoe: The German Field Kitchen in World war II and Modern Reenactment (Schiffer Military History, 2001). 146p.

Created: 1:02 AM 2/3/2013
Last updated: 8:04 PM 2/3/2013