The food onboard the
U-boats
Foods Carried Aboard a Type IXC
U-Boat for a 12-week Voyage
Please note that this is
only a reference page, not hard science. This should however give
you a pretty good indication on what was eat and how it was handled
on the U-boats. The traditional truth is that the German U-boat men
ate the best food of all the German forces in the war.
Example of how the food was stored, here on
the U-505 a IXC type
boat.
494 lbs. fresh and cooked meats 238 lbs. sausages 4,808 lbs. preserved/tinned meats 334 lbs. preserved fish 3,858 lbs. potatoes 397 lbs. dried potatoes 3,428 lbs. other vegetables 1,226 lbs. bread dough 2,058 lbs. preserved breads 463 lbs. rice and noodles 595 lbs. fresh eggs 917 lbs. fresh lemons 2,365 lbs. other fruits 551 lbs. butter and margarine 611 lbs. soup ingredients 408 lbs. marmalade and honey 309 lbs. fresh and preserved cheese 1,728 lbs. milk 441 lbs. fruits juices 154 lbs. coffee 205 lbs. other drinks 441 lbs. sugar 132 lbs. salt 108 lbs. chocolates
Menus were followed strictly to promote proper diet and good
nutrition. Breakfast would usually consist of coffee, buttermilk
soup, biscuits, hardbread with butter or honey and eggs. Lunch would
be soup, potatoes, cooked meat and vegetables, and fruit. Dinner
included sausages or canned fish, cheese, bread, and coffee, tea or
chocolate.
The galley was located on the starboard side, between the chiefs'
quarters and the wardroom, and was made up of three hotplates and
two small electric ovens. It also contained a refrigerator,
self-heating soup kettle, provision lockers, and an enamel sink with
hot and cold fresh water and hot salt water.
Food storage was the responsibility of Obersteuermann (Navigator)
who doubled as the Quartermaster. Non-perishables were stored in the
small larder, located across from the galley, as well as the after
head, which was located in the same compartment.
Hams, sausages and other preserved meats were
stowed between the forward torpedo tubes and also overhead in the
control room. These out of the way spaces allowed long term storage
of these items which were consumed rather slowly. Bread was stored
in the forward torpedo room and electric motor room. While it was in
the way, bread was consumed pretty quickly. Fresh meat and produce
was stored in the small refrigerator and pantry. These were the
coolest places on board, but the products only lasted a short number
of days.
Once out of fresh food the crew settled down to sausage and
canned food, straining the cooks ability to satisfy the crew.
Needless to say, a good cook was worth his weight in gold. Later in
the war the addition of Bratlingspulver (soya-based filler) made the
food even more bland.
Three rules governed the storage of food.
- It had to be secured so as not to come loose during an enemy
attack.
- It had to be evenly distributed as to disturb the trim of the
boat as little as possible as it was consumed.
- It had to leave free access to all hatches and valves.
Consumption was weighed daily and the trim would be adjusted to
compensate this usage.
U-boat crews would often trade with fishermen for fresh fish as
well as board their victims and remove any foodstuffs they could
carry.
(I've lost the name of
the person who compiled this information. If the person wishes to
receive a credit she should just drop me a line.)
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