early IMPs ....

[German_EPA]

hey people...

found a site: http://liberationlure.fr/La%20ration%20K.htm

i dont speak french - so i cant read it - but the pics look cool...

[kman]

If you go over to:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

you can have babelfish translate the French site into German or English or whatever works best for you.

But even without translating it, I can tell you those are pictures of US K-rations from World War II. The pictures with the plain labeling are from the earlier part of the war while the rations with the fancier graphics are from the latter part of the war.

[German_EPA]

i should have known it. the matches looked to familiar to me. and then the cigaretts...

[Stef]

I can't see your problem, all that looks perfectly clear

[housil]

If you go over to:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

you can have babelfish translate the French site into German or English or whatever works best for you.

But even without translating it, I can tell you those are pictures of US K-rations from World War II. The pictures with the plain labeling are from the earlier part of the war while the rations with the fancier graphics are from the latter part of the war.

...or you read at oliv-drab.com
http://www.olive-drab.com/od_rations_ck.php

where the pics came from...

[German_EPA]

thats a really cool site...

If you go over to:

http://babelfish.altavista.com/

you can have babelfish translate the French site into German or English or whatever works best for you.

But even without translating it, I can tell you those are pictures of US K-rations from World War II. The pictures with the plain labeling are from the earlier part of the war while the rations with the fancier graphics are from the latter part of the war.

...or you read at oliv-drab.com
http://www.olive-drab.com/od_rations_ck.php

where the pics came from...

[MasterOfPuppets]

early IMP's....

Um, these are K-rations not IMPs

[German_EPA]

now i know it...

[kman]

Here's a question for everyone. I could probably google for it, but it's much more fun just to ask here... :-)

Why are they called "k-rations"? "C-rations" (c for combat?) makes more sense, but I think that letter was taken.

[donaldjcheek]

Beginning in 1939, the US Army reorganized its field ration system into the following categories:

A = bulk canned & dried rations suitable for feeding at a field mess, attempting to replicate the garrison ration in a field environment

B = prepared bulk canned & dried rations, but scaled down for smaller units (company & squad level); WW2 examples are the five-in-one ration, the ten-in-one ration, the jungle ration, and the mountain ration

C = individual combat ration; in WW2 consisted of two 12-oz cans, an "M" unit with meat, vegetables, etc and a "B" can with hard bread (crackers), candy, coffee, etc. Later examples include the Vietnam era "MCI" (Meal, Combat, Individual). Technically, an MRE is a C-ration

When the Army requested a lightweight individual ration for use by assault troops & paratroopers, Dr. Ancel Keys of the University of Minnesota developed what later became the K-ration. Supposition is that K stood for "Keys"