Dining out

Submitted by Eric Daniel

The German military of WWII was famous for a number of technological inventions, which, at the time, were the benchmarks of their time. The MG42 (which is still used by the German army today as the re-chambered MG3) machine gun, the 8.8cm FlaK 18 (commonly known simply as THE "88"), the PzKpfw Mk. VI (the Tiger I tank) are just a few. One of the devices for which they are, unfortunately, less well known is their excellent mess kit. The German mess kit is a 3-piece design that incorporates a large boiling pot, a small frying pan, and a small bowl. All three pieces nest to form a compact kit with ample space within the kit to store condiments such as salt and pepper shakers, hot sauce, as well as matches, fire starter, and dish soap. While the army has phased out its 3 piece aluminum kits years ago, I still use the German kit simply because of its versatility. The pot and frying pan seal to form a container capable of transporting prepared food, which means that you meal gets delivered to you still hot and dirt free as opposed to cold and full of dust, which is how most meals are delivered in a tactical environment. Furthermore, the pot, now that the steel pot is no longer available, is an excellent source of boiling water for the entire squad (rather than have everyone boil their own canteen cup full.)

German 3 piece mess kit

Comments

[RTHawaii12]

dit dah dit. I have used this mess kit for about 20 years and still havn't found anything better.

[12of12]

looks just like the stuff we used in the seventies

[Thomas Milo]

Hm. Nazi pots. Good as they may be, I personally would only be able to vomit in them.

Thomas Milo
Captain Royal Netherland Army Ret'd

[wirjur76]

old, but nearly perfect. never seen anything better for having a meal outside.

Lars L.,
sniper, Objektschutz JaBoG 33, Büchel, GER

[Ruby T. Miller]

Why are some of you commenting on the viciousness of these mess kit? Have we not "used" the Japanese cars, cell phones, their songs - aka Lili Marlene? I lived, lost and loved someone in these wars, and that can not be changed, I appreciate that we care, but to take it out on "pots and pans?
Still fighting,
Ohio

[patrick kirchner]

http://www.uscav.com/

This place has everything from hats, camping blankets, tents utility belts. It's like a mammoth army navy store online and open to civilians too!

I ahve yet to find those really great mess kits like decribed above...

patriock kirchner
p212k.daytona.beach@gmail.com

[Torin Cowles]

Not all Nazis were Germans, and certainly not all German soldiers were Nazis. The vast majority of foot soldiers were just boys doing their jobs. I see nothing wrong or distasteful in appreciating their hardware.

[American Soldier]

The Nazi thing dont bother me at all.W hile in the military I married a little german girl.....grand daughter of a "PARTY" member and she still has her grandpas iron cross and lots of his orders.

I'd never thought about how the old man may be rolling in his grave every time I pork her HA HA!

[Richard Barbieri]

The mess kit can also be used to bake in. Use the cup inserted in the pot, put on the cover and you can bake in it. Also, if you add a little water to the pot you can bake by steam or steam food. The Japanese copied this design around 1900 and used a slightly smaller, but same design for their mess kits up to WW II. Many German designs were and still are superior. The mess kit is a good exapmple. I have used this mess kit for about 30 years and found it the best.

[Joanne]

This little item sounds pretty neat. however trowing a fit because the German Army of ww2 once used it is dead silly. about as silly as making a ruckus over any other purely cosmetic politically correct issue.

The U.S> has a long history of taking good ideas from our enemies and leaving the bad.

Not using a perfectly good mess kit because the Germans once did sounds to me like racism and aint racism wrong?

[Michael Tousignant]

It might be tough to forget how nasty the Germans were and still keep a open mind about a mess kit. I still cannot think of a single thing I would use, or buy,that came from Vietnam.

[Felix]

German soldiers always had excellent gear except for their rifles...Nothing was better than the M1 Garand.

Their mess kits were similar to what I saw our troops carrying across Europe & the Pacific.

And can we please stop the Nazify of every aspect of German military WWII history.

Geez,

[Mike]

This fellow has it right. As a US Marine, I trained with those from The Netherlands, Norway, and others; I served in the Middle East, and my Dad humped in the US Army through Europe during WWII, and my Uncles fought the Nazis as well. My son is currently in the Armed Forces. We don't serve in the military to pat the enemy on the back, but to defend freedom and all that is right. Screw that Nazi crap, as Capt. Milo wrote:

Hm. Nazi pots. Good as they may be, I personally would only be able to vomit in them.

Thomas Milo
Captain Royal Netherland Army Ret'd

Posted by: Thomas Milo | December 13, 2006 at 01:05 AM

[Patric Waters]

My best freind and I use these on our hunting trips. The ones we use came from my great grandfather from WWII. He got these while fighting over there.

[Former Armor Captain]

Assigning emotionally charged associations to a piece of metal field equipment because of where the design originated is about as immature as you get. A well designed piece of equipment is nothing more than that - a well designed piece of equipment. Get a grip, you whining gentlemen, as we wouldn't want you to go cathartic and become incapacitated (nto helpful during combat) at the thought that the 120mm cannon used in the M1A2 Abrams tank is licensed production from Rhein-Metall, a German company that also made gun tubes for the German Army during WWII. Shall we now also throw eggs at our tanks and refuse to use them out of "emotional disgust"? Or, stop using the excellent M240 machine-gun (since the design is very heavily based on that Oh-so-German best MG ever, the MG-42 (and MG-34) series? Or, perhaps you recommend all young people refuse to join the Air Force because the early U.S. jet designs were hevily based on the Me262 and other German aviation technologies? (All of today's compressor turbine technology originates from German WWII jet engine designs) - Better choose not to fly in any modern aircraft if you wish to be true to your emotional outpourings, 'cause the vehicle might have Nazi associations.... Really, people, practice a little Vulcanology and lose some of these ridiculous emotional associations you place on inanimate objects.

[Bill Warnock]

My uncle brought one of the kits back from Germany after serving in WWII. It passed to my father and finally my sister. They use it on all their campouts. It is the most versatile implement you could want. During that war, we had relatives fighting relative. As a family we own applicances or cars made in Germany, Japan, China and Korea.
Enjoy the day,
Bill Warnock

[Scot]

The idea of bashing this simple, yet versatile equipment is absurd. If we are to discard anything German, then we should get rid of many current weapon systems used today. It is well known in the US Military that the M-60 machine gun, for example, is modeled after the MG42. Germany also introduced the world to the main battle tank, guided missiles and bombs, etc. Don't confuse technology with National Socialism.

[George M]

How about the "Jerry" can. The cans used by the allies in ww2 leaked badly. After capturing a German can, we changed our design and still use it today. I don't hear anyone complaining.

Geo

[Torin Cowles]

Owing to the fact that most German hardware was superior to ours in WWII, is it not a testament to the American soldier that we prevailed? I realize that there other factors (generalship, fuel, resources, etc.) but leave it to the American GI to do more with less. It's not so much the gear as the man who carries it.

[Yoda_91bravo]

I only used my army issue mess kit one time and then had to spend a long time with steel wool geting it ready for the next inspection.

After that I went to the boy scout department of Sears & Roebuck (they had them back then) and bought a boy scout mess kit for field use and left the issue mess kit at home ready for inspection.

[Dan]

I found one of these kits at the big
army surplus place on the west side of I-15 just south of Brigham City, Utah, when I was driving truck back in '81. It was great for the weekend off-road motorcycle camping trips I would make in the summer. On the other hand, I can see the point of those who could only use it to collect the former contents of their stomach because it reminds them of an enemy so horrible they rank with the Barbarian Hordes, if not worse. My folks, who went through this time period [my Dad was a Marine on the USS California; Navy Cross, Purple Heart] said they made the barbarians look like Boy Scouts.

[Ed]

Re Joanie and "rascism": Only if an Asian or Black said it.
Ed

[Steve]

I retired from the military and was more than once very glad I had my mess kit with me. I feel like this, a soldier is a soldier. He or she goes where they are told to go and fights who they are told to fight. If most of you were overseas, and spent a little time learning about your location, instead of complaining about it you might have been better off.

[PAUL]

ANYONE KNOW WHERE WE CAN BUY ONE

[Robert A. Dott]

Where can I purchase this German mess kit?

[psyops]

Nazis developed the modern rocket and jet aircraft. So we should boycott airliners, the space program, sattelite TV, and GPS?

[Christopher Lindley]

If it is not broken don't fix it. It doesn't matter who developes anything for the comfort of the troops makes it wrong, Anybody that thinks anything should be discarded because of the past that works is a friggin idiot and racist. Racism is not just between the Whites and as we have to say Afro-American. I guess I am an European-American. I feel that all forms of identification should have the choice for non whites ie Black, Asians and Aliens but I also feel that people of European distinction should be included in any survey. When was the last time you heard any white person from America say they were European American, but people of the BLACK race can claim they are AFRO-AMERICAN. This bis BULLSHIT on high. You are either an AMERICAN or you are AFRICAN< ASIAN< EUROPEAN or other. I am tired of this 1 sided piece of BULLSHIT when it comes to AMERICAN. I believe in immagrants as long as it is done legally.

[Gary Todd]

Speeking of Good ideas The Germans had Was What we call the eisenhauer interstate system. Just Look at some of the 30's erra German films of cars going down the Autobaun. looks just like I-57 to me, the exact same bridges. I-57 was started in the 60's

[H White USMC]

RE; The mess kit. I've cooked many a C-Rat meal right in the can. Anything can be a utensil if you adapt it properly. I once cooked a spaghetti dinner for 4 grunts on a hubcap. Necessity can truely be the Mother of invention. At my last AT with the Ohio Military Police, one of our guys (56 yrs old) strained his knee. With no heating pad at hand, we wrapped his knee in hot towels and placed our Company's iron on it. He was good to go in about 45 minutes. The point is, if it works, USE IT!! As always, improvise, adapt and overcome. H. White U.S.M.C.

[Chuck B]

I spent 13 years Riding Missile Subs.. I didn't serve in Tents on the Front line eating out of a Mess Kit... My Opinion is that if it works better than what you have... Use it.. If you can use it as a basis of a new design.. Design away...

The US Military uses Armored Cars, Tanks, Jeeps, SMGs, Planes, Rockets, You name it... Origionally Designed by some other Nation or Group.. And Improved or Adapted for our use... give the Best there is to our Forces.. Or use it for Civilian Uses.. Whatever works best.... Adopt and Adapt..

[Wanye]

I have samples of the Japanese, German, and Swiss mess kits. I use the American one the most because it is more durable, being made of steel and practically never wears out.

[Tim]

Though made of a different material, our present day helmets look very much like the German army's of WWII

[Major Phillip Foraker (ret)]

You never tried eating the stuff the nazis
called food and ate out of those during
WWII. Yuk.

Remember who won that war!

[Greg]

On the issue of the horrific or evil scale. The Germans don't hold a candle to the Japanese. PERIOD! Lets look at the rates o death for captured Marines,airmen,sailors,soldiers. It was a little above 26 percent with the Japanese and slightly higher than 3 percent with the Nazis.By the way the Japanese still killed more people by far,even if you include the concentration camp totals.Get real I had relitives that fought in WW2 (Sure they are long dead before I knew them).The difference between the stories that carried down to the family about those that fought in the Pacicfic and in Europe--- jaw dropping!The SS even the concentration camps had nothing on the Japanese! YET WE BY MORE OF THEIR CARS THAN ANYTHING FROM EUROPE!

[Steve Edwards, GySgt (Ret)]

Isn't it great to be an American? After 20 years in the Marines, I can look back and see what it was all for. We have the right to be immature and hold a grudge against an inanimate object because of where it came from. The funny thing about this piece of gear is I have several Russian weapons around the house, should I get rid of them because they are communist? I don't think so. If people don't want the gear because it is German so be it that is their right. Personally, I would really like to know where to get one.

[Mike Lauerman ll]

My grandfather migrated here from Germany in '36, hated the Nazi scourge. My uncle was V.P. of Consolidated during the War years, B24 Liberator Project his favorite. Dad fought Pacific Theater, USN. We drive BMWs.

[N. R. Glenn]

A good soldier, sailor, marine, or airman uses what works best to defeat the enemy, equipment, recon, high ground, whatever. This includes equipment. As for the cruddy chow the Germans had, there wasn't any better available to them, on the line or at home. Only the Nazi higher echelon had the luxury items, usually stolen from whereever.

[Larry Babitts]

Cut out the stoopid crap...let's tell the folks about some great AMERICAN inventions...like the Garand M1 and other stuff...we are still the best country in the world...Larry the B

[Larry Babitts]

Cut out the stoopid crap...let's tell the folks about some great AMERICAN inventions...like the Garand M1 and other stuff...we are still the best country in the world...Larry the B

[Michael Dress]

I feel the need to jump into this, why? I don't know. All I can say is if you don't use something simply because the German Wehrmacht had it then I guess you wouldn't be using our Aircraft today as the Germans invented the Jet engine and we stole it. I guess you would have a deep hatred for NASA for using German engineers to make our rockets after they made V2's that bombed London. Hell for that matter I guess you wouldn't ever drive VW or on any highway because those were influenced by the Autobahn. Being American IS accepting other cultures and ideas as our own.

[MMC(CC) Van Worman]

Opinions are like assholes; everyone is entitled to one.
I have an M-1, a k98k Mauser, a 1911 Colt and a Sig-Sauer P-226. I like, and am proficient with all. My mess kit is GI, and works just fine. Looks like the German one does, too. Cheers.

[Nevadan]

Let me understand this ... if the WWII German used it, then we shouldn't or we should vomit in it? Does that extend to air? Water? Potatoes?

Interestingly enough, the German Wehrmacht wasn't too keen on the Nazi's. From as early as 1939, they referred to the Nazi political officers that accompanied their units as "Goldenen Fasanen" -- golden feasants for their silly mustard yellow uniforms and foppishness.

[Boyd]

Gotta like the kraut stuff from the past, it works.
Their beer sucks though!

[MSgt (Retired) USAF]

It is interesting to find such a wide range of comments on this mess kit and will just say it looks like an excellent device. As for the other comments, granddad always told me, "Boy, you just can’t fix stoop-id!"

[Marvin Buffi]

How many of you that dislike the German mess kit of WWII or Germans can trace your ancestory back to Germany, France, Italy, Russia or other European countries? Does that make you any less of a patriotic American? I can trace mine back to Germany, France, Italy and even Russia and I served 20 years in The US Navy. Where can I find one of those mess kits? I can see where it would be great for camping, hiking, fishing or any outdoor activity where you want to pack light and yet still be able to prepare a meal.
As to retired Captain Milo of the Royal Netherland Army, how in the hell did you ever attain Officer status?
Remember we only fought the Germans because of their Leaders beliefs and hatereds not because they were Germans. ML Buffi, Retired US Navy, E6

[steven w. wilgus]

my reply as many above said is NEVER attribute to inanimate object the good or bad attributes of people. Period - they were never alive so tere is no way a cooking pot is guilty of war crimes - who stops breathing air because they might share oxygen molecules? silly as hell to think such foolishness. Be thankful you breathe FREE>

[jeat.bullock]

Where may one of these German mess kits be found and purchased?
Jeat Bu;llock, Captain
US Martine Corps, Retired

[Jake of Sigourney]

Lest ye forget, BASF made the cyanide used in Hitler's death camps. BASF does not make the stuff we use, only more lethal. Get used to it!, Mistubishi made the Jap Zero, and also cars and electronics we now buy in America.

[DALE BRETT]

The beat goes on! Jeez louise, some of you people actually are really funny. Hey, i heard in the new Mercedes, if you look hard enough, you'll find one with your flat tire kit! Hahaaaaaa Didn't the good guys use one of those in stallag 13, corporal lebeau? We should all get a life insted of looking for reactions on a friggin chat line on cyber space....i gotta get back to work Good reading Hope our men and women get to leave the desert soon. We have lost too many already. Anyone seen Bin laden and his forty thousand or so thieves? God Bless us all.

[Michael Adam]

This mess kit is still used by german armed forces today.
It can be bought in german militay stores for not much money.