Israeli "Battle Rations" update

[donaldjcheek]

I'm assuming the cardboard box, and probably the corn, came from the US. You're right on the Loof; don't think they make it here in the US.

I have seen cans of corn with Hebrew labels pasted over the existing English labels.

But it is also possible that more of the MK contents in '73 came from the US. The US emergency airlift of ammo & supplies kept the Israelis from being overrun. The US sent all sorts of things - uniform trousers, for instance - to fill in the empty spaces, and I suppose food might have been flown in as well.

[biscuits brown]

I'm assuming the cardboard box, and probably the corn, came from the US. You're right on the Loof; don't think they make it here in the US.

I have seen cans of corn with Hebrew labels pasted over the existing English labels.

But it is also possible that more of the MK contents in '73 came from the US. The US emergency airlift of ammo & supplies kept the Israelis from being overrun. The US sent all sorts of things - uniform trousers, for instance - to fill in the empty spaces, and I suppose food might have been flown in as well.

Israel is pretty much self sufficient in food, but that was the largest and most intensive resupply in military history, 500 M60s flown over in 3 days for instance. Awesome. 120 F4s flown straight over from the states, the US pilots flying all the way. Huge ATW and munition flights. At one point BG was taking a galaxy or Starlifter or civil contracted plane down every 15 minutes, 24/7 for 10 days. The Israeli people have never forgotten that. Like the Berlin airlift encapsulated in 2 weeks

Operation Nickel Grass. M60 being unloaded, oct 1973

It was a really significant event in the formation and expansion of AMC too. The US Airforce realised its transport fleet was too small to sustain the sheer material consumption of the 70s high intensity battlefield. i think the Yom Kippur war is still the most closely studied campaign in staff colleges.

It was still used up to the end of the cold war as the template for US resupply of NATO in event of a WARPAC invasion of Europe.

[dirtbag]

When the Arab-Israeli war broke out in '73, I was in Venice, Italy on a Port visit, Two Patrol Gunboats and our 'Mothership', a converted WW2 LST.
We left ASAP, and were underway for 52 days, which is a very long time on a small ship!
We were tasked with following the Russian warships and the Soviet Bloc freighters, counting noses and types of cargo.
We saw hundreds of Sov ships, but only one Israeli ship. It had It's name painted over, and was running at night without lights...
We knew it was Israeli, because it had four USAF F-4 phantoms on the deck, that still had the dark green paint job and the US markings were painted over too.
We were in 'condition 2' the entire time, one level below all out war. Ammo up in the Gun , Our missle system on line , cleared to return fire if fired on...
Exciting times!!!
Except we were so damned tired, it was only 'interesting' much later, when we realized we were in the middle of a very bad situation, and were very expendable!
The 100 boat was mine!

[biscuits brown]

Great anecdote db!
The big guy on the right is the mothership, and 100 and the sister on the left. The life on a small ship always sounds better than on the giants it seems.

[Cracker]

I don't think so.. the giants, like supercarriers have just about anything on them.. Those are simply floating cities
The positive thing, I'd rather be on an floating thingie with "100" painted to the side, then on an citysized prime target

[biscuits brown]

I don't think so.. the giants, like supercarriers have just about anything on them.. Those are simply floating cities
The positive thing, I'd rather be on an floating thingie with "100" painted to the side, then on an citysized prime target

Dunno.. certainly in the RN it used to be that destroyer, corvette or frigate captains and crews used to swear by their ships, the less "floating barracks" atmosphere and the increased chances of promotion, and the better opportunities for displaying initiative in action, as opposed to h. cruisers and battleships. A certain "type" used to be attracted to service in destroyers etc, the crazy ones, more individualistic

It may have been the same in the USN. Now its subs v flattops in terms of factions I believe, from what ive read in the contemporary USN stuff.

[dirtbag]

What BB said!
Much better on the 'Small boys' !!!
The PG's were called (By Janes Fighting Ships), 'For their size, the heaviest armed ships in the US Navy' (At the time, anyways...)
Those 'Boxes' on the stern contained 4 'Ship Killers', sink anything up to Cruiser size.
Of course, having a hull of 3/8" Aluminium, and superstructure of fiberglass, it wouldn't take much to sink us
Our attack plan involved shooting at Maximum range, and then running like hell the other way!
We could hit 45 knots, which is about 50 MPH, pretty fast for 250 tons!
Still, can't outrun their missile's (or Guns)
I did mention Expendable, didn't I?

[Treesuit]

Sorry guys I've missed the past three days and have been catching up. My question is that with the more modern MK are parts still manufactured in the US? I read the entry that maybe the corn and cardboard box are but what about the other contents? I understand the idea of Israel being self suficient food wise but if Israel is anything like the US doesn't that mean they still might outsource or buy items from other countries (like the US), non military hardware I mean.

[biscuits brown]

Sorry it O.T guys but its a good story..

On the 6th april 1940 the 1,300 ton G class destroyer HMS Glowworm was escorting minelayers off the Norwegian coast.
In the early hours of the 8th april Glowworm detatched from the group, searching for a man overboard.

At 8am Glowworm encountered 2 Kreigsmarine destroyers, who exchanged fire. In bad visibilty Glowworm followed. She abruptly encountered the ultra modern 14,000 ton new Kreigsmarine heavy cruiser Admiral Hipper.

Glowworm engaged, using smoke and launched torpedo attacks. This continued for 20 minutes. By this time Glowworm had been hit severly by Hippers 175mm and 120mm armament.

HMS Glowworm making smoke, seen from Hipper

Her commander, Lt Cdr GB Rooper, then ordered Glowworm to ram the KMS Admiral Hipper. This she did, tearing away 30m of Hippers armour and causing some other damage. Glowworm managed to back away, her entire bow ripped away but recieved another salvo, causing final damage and beginning her to sink.

Glowworm sinking. seen from Hipper

The commander of Admiral Hipper, Helmuth Heye, gallantly stayed in the area for over an hour picking up survivors, despite risk of submarine attack.

Glowworm survivors being rescued by Hippers crew

HMS Glowworm 13A.png (191.9 KiB) Viewed 7834 times

However due to the cold and the many badly wounded, only 39 of the Glowworms 149 crew were rescued alive. Her commander was lost.
Lt Cmdr Rooper was posthumously awarded the VC, the first of the war. This award was greatly assisted by Capt Heye, who wrote a commendation of the Glowworms conduct to the British Admiralty, via the red Cross.

This was perhaps the last "battle of gentlemen" in naval warfare.

After the war Vice Admiral heye served under Conrad Adeneur in the CDU, elected to represent Wilhelmshaven.
He was the Bundestag ombudsmen for all military matters until his resignation in 1964. he died in 1970.
He was a recipient of the Ritterkreutz. (Knights Cross) in 1941.

This is a good example of small ship spirit. I really admire all small ship crews the world over. They are the light cavalry of the ocean.

[biscuits brown]

Sorry guys I've missed the past three days and have been catching up. My question is that with the more modern MK are parts still manufactured in the US? I read the entry that maybe the corn and cardboard box are but what about the other contents? I understand the idea of Israel being self suficient food wise but if Israel is anything like the US doesn't that mean they still might outsource or buy items from other countries (like the US), non military hardware I mean.

I know what you mean ts, but most of the stuff in the MK looks to be commercial type labelling that you could get in any Israeli supermarket, just look commercial. The exception is the Tuna cans. Im thinking they are US or Thai, and the plain black and white labels have the look of Israeli GI issue, or more like I would expect Govt stocks to look like.
Unless Shop rite is a US budget brand?

Via Rationworld website

Via Rationworld website