C-ration
Operational conditions often caused the C-ration to be standardized for field issue regardless of environmental suitability or weight limitations.
It contained three 3-ounce cakes (made from a concoction of beef bouillon powder and parched, cooked wheat), three 1-ounce bars of sweetened chocolate, and packets of salt and pepper.
The ration was issued in a sealed tin packet that weighed one pound, to be carried in an infantryman's top tunic pocket, and was designed for emergency use when the troops were unable to be supplied with food.
The Reserve Ration was issued during the later part of World War I to feed troops who were away from a garrison or field kitchen.
There was noticeable variation in the depth of gold color in World War II vintage cans, because of the large number of suppliers involved.
Late in the war this was changed to drab green paint, which remained standard through the remainder of the C-ration's service life, as well as that of the MCI.
[8] Initially, C-ration cans were marked only with paper labels, which soon fell off and made a guessing game out of evening meals; US Soldiers and Marines receiving an unpopular menu item several nights in a row often found themselves powerless to bargain for a more palatable one.
[9] The C-ration was, in general, not well liked by U.S. Army or Marine forces in World War II, who found the cans heavy and cumbersome, and the menu monotonous after a short period of time.
[12] Australian forces tended to dislike the C-ration, finding the canned food items generally bland, overly soft in texture, and unappealing.
[13] Originally intended only for infrequent use, the exigencies of combat sometimes forced supply authorities to make the C-ration the only source of sustenance for several weeks in succession.
[15] A Marine tank commander serving in Vietnam in 1968 noted his unit was frequently supplied with older stocks of C-rations, complete with early 1950s dates on the cans.
[16] The M-unit contained a canned entrée originally made of stew meat (a mixture of beef and pork) seasoned with salt, various spices, and chopped onions.
[17] The B-unit (bread and dessert portion) contained several calorie-dense crackers, 3 sugar tablets, 3 dextrose energy tablets, and a packet or small can of beverage mix (instant coffee; powdered synthetic lemon drink, containing the rations' main source of vitamin C; or bouillon soup powder).
Another B-unit, consisting of pre-mixed oatmeal cereal, was introduced in 1944 as a breakfast ration that was usually paired with the "Ham, Egg, and Potato" Meal.
[18] The brown butcher paper accessory pack contained sugar tablets, halazone water purification tablets (for a brief period in 1945), a flat wooden spoon, a piece of candy-coated chewing gum, 3 "short" sample 3-packs or one "long" sample 9-pack of commercial-grade cigarettes and a book of 20 cardboard moisture-resistant matches, a paper-wrapped P-38 can opener printed with instructions for its proper use, and typically 22.5 sheets of toilet paper (compared to 3 sheets for the British Army).
[citation needed] Cigarette brands issued included Camel, Chelsea, Chesterfield, Craven A, Lucky Strike, Old Gold, Philip Morris, Player's, Raleigh, and Wings.
Later rations (c. 1944–1945) added a breakfast meal of 8 Chopped Ham, Egg, & Potato M-units and 8 Compressed Cereal B-units in place of the Meat and Vegetable Hash.
[21] After the failure of the E-ration, ration planners decided to save costs by returning to the basic C-ration designation, intermittently revised with new menus and item specifications.
[22] Due to the required individual portability of this ration, maximum nourishment had to be provided in the smallest physical unit.
A sample C-4 ration (stamped March 1954) contained: At its introduction, the QMC stated that the C-ration was intended for short-term use for periods not to exceed three days.
Instead, the C-ration, still designated as a packaged ration intended for infrequent or short-term use, went through a series of largely unsuccessful minor revisions.
