"Rations" in the late Twilight War

[Legbreaker]

I read in a magazine article from the early 90's about a number of different military ration packs from around the world. The one that really sticks in my mind is the Saudi Arabian one - contained such delicacies as dates, foul madames (you just know westerners will avoid that one!) and, for those with really strong stomachs, preserved sheeps eyes...

[Abbott Shaull]

Yes, I do recall the Sovs had unit farms as well which is a cool concept.

As for the manpower to provide workers, troops that are recovering from wounds, or who are to crippled to do combat operations any longer could be used to work the farms as well as a troop rotation to bring the troops off the line for a couple weeks to let the troops winddown but not let them go wild in the local town at the brothels and taverns or just have them melt into the countryside. But, a small regular day that is pretty much safe and with a regular routine that a farm would bring, wake up from living inside a house in a bed even, breakfast at a table that is hot that someone didn't have to dodge snipers to get to you if you got anything at all. Work the fields, shovel the manure, feed the animals store some hay, heavy labor for sure, but pretty safe compared to a regular T2K day. Ending the day after a hot meal inside sitting by a warm fire reading or talking and sleeping under a roof in a bed. All things that could be welcome in a T2K world.

It is one of the points where the Soviet units would be ahead of the learning curve compare to others.

[jester]

True, they would be ahead of the curve, they would also be ahead of the curve in the reguard that a good number of their troops would have also have been from farms and farm communities, or have done time on collective farms at least. Thus, they would have farm knowledge, animal husbandry and tending animals.

I would also venture to guess that a good number of them would be used to eating a bland diet of porridge, bread and soups and stews.

Whereas, most Western troops or US troops well, initialy there is going to be a good drop in weight when we loose our fast food fat, and maybe beer fat for some of us older guys But! On the plus side we would be hating life, but have more fat to loose, thus we could last longer on short rations than alot of other troops.


Another issue, the troopers from the republics well, a good number of them wouldn't speak the same language, or at least not very well. So, coordination with their forces would be a bigger issue. At least the Canadians, Brits, Ozies and Kiwis and Americans would be able to talk among one another easily, as well as the Germans and Dutch would all have persons in their units who speak English.

<And, a good number of Eastern European people speak English pretty well!>

[FMDeCorba]

I think the transition from an industrially prepared and serviced menu to, well, simpler foods (variations according to local resources, knowhow and ingenuity) would pose very serious morale problems for a lot of western troops. One thing is the learning curve, another is the ability to appreciate how lucky one can be to have a handful of spuds in a dirthole, as opposed to none. In this respect the Russians have huge cultural advantage in coping with adverse conditions- they're simply a lot more fatalistic.
With the partial loss of industrial food production and distribution, gathering enough calories would become a lot more labor intensive and probably divert a lot of attention and effort away from fighting a war for principles. Principles that are likely to lose a lot of meaning for the individual in the foxhole- with or without spuds.

But, I'm curious, I play in a different campaign (Headquarters'), that seems to be a bit on the colourful side compared to what you're discussing here.
Do your campaigns all play out in mainland Europe What rank are your characters Is the 'party' a squad or similar-sized unit part of a line formation or a more specialized outfit What movie would best describe the mood
Ours is a very entertaining mix of high-powered action movies, bizarre megalomaniac characters, backstabbing and exotic weapon systems sprinkled with gritty realism, drug abuse and a well-developed, somewhat baroque backdrop. I've always thought it would make a fabulous manga movie.
I really enjoy our long-running campaign, but I've often wished for a bit more "sachlichkeit" from my co-players, sometimes from myself. (Rolf, if you're reading this, I adore the dust whirled up by your stylish boots- but you know what I'm talking about.)

[Abbott Shaull]

Yes, I think this one of the point that GDW got right, for in 1999 and 2000 there was limited fighting largely due to the troops trying to grow plots of food. Lot of attention would be diverted to keep food in their bellies. Also some would be diverted to replace what the former supply chain was no longer supplying.

For the growing of crops as among other things the Soviets would be somewhat ahead of the curve, of some of the Reserve/National Guard/Territorial units. Yet one has to remember after couple years of fighting, everyone will be on level playing field. Even in the US Regular Army there were people who would special jobs while they weren't in the field.

By 1999 time frame, yeah some units will be able to achieve the learning curve faster than others.

[jester]

This also brings to mind the whole idea of raiding the enemys farms or grainaries, to improve your food supply but, also to knock the enemy down to prevent them from going on a spring offensive, or so that you can more easily attack him come mid winter, or just force them to disapear when they run out of food in the winter, or before winter.

I can see this as the basis for a good number of raids in the T2K world.

And then again, we also have units with their farms, so how willing would they be to accepting anyone into their ranks and thus another mouth to feed, reguardless of nationality. I propose that unless you were from that unit, or had some very usable skill you would at best be told to keep moving, at worste shot or driven off maybe with or without your equipment.

[Raellus]

I agree. In my way of thinking, destroying the enemy's crops and stored food before the coming of autumn was a major strategic objective of the German 3rd Army's summer offensive.

[pmulcahy11b]

Might give birth to a new MOS in the military: Farmer

[Graebarde]

Might give birth to a new MOS in the military: Farmer

Naw, just an ASI. Of course there are MOS, or use to be, in Civil Affairs that were agriculure related IIRC.

[Abbott Shaull]

And then again, we also have units with their farms, so how willing would they be to accepting anyone into their ranks and thus another mouth to feed, reguardless of nationality. I propose that unless you were from that unit, or had some very usable skill you would at best be told to keep moving, at worste shot or driven off maybe with or without your equipment.

I believe this is why the Going Home module they made it sound so interesting for US units to move to the port to evacuate the parts of the US Military that were able, willing, and interested on heading back to the States. It mention quite a few times how some German units may resist the idea of US unit moving through their for various reasons with hints toward the extra mouths to fed while traveling through their area. Another hint was some units may try to fleece the US units out of equipment on their move too.

[Abbott Shaull]

I agree. In my way of thinking, destroying the enemy's crops and stored food before the coming of autumn was a major strategic objective of the German 3rd Army's summer offensive.

Could have been, but I would think they would of been better off with offensive in the south if this was their intentions for the offensive. The Polish in the north were pretty well spent by this time. Granted there were some units if they wanted too who could carry out offensive attacks, but by this time many of their commander had come to the same conclusions that the Commander of the 8th and 14th MRDs had. Many of the units that had already were former Border Guard Brigade, and had declared for NATO.

Some of the reason why they hadn't themselves done so, was there were still Soviet Armies that were capable of Offensive action in the Front they were attached too. Many of the units were also taking steps to separate themselves from the Pact chain of command, but realize they had to do in slower fashion. The Offensive of 2000 by NATO hasten some of these units. I don't see these units declaring for NATO either. I see them more or less taking the position of 8th MRD where they want to be left alone and help rebuild their nation.

[General Pain]

I think the transition from an industrially prepared and serviced menu to, well, simpler foods (variations according to local resources, knowhow and ingenuity) would pose very serious morale problems for a lot of western troops. One thing is the learning curve, another is the ability to appreciate how lucky one can be to have a handful of spuds in a dirthole, as opposed to none. In this respect the Russians have huge cultural advantage in coping with adverse conditions- they're simply a lot more fatalistic.
With the partial loss of industrial food production and distribution, gathering enough calories would become a lot more labor intensive and probably divert a lot of attention and effort away from fighting a war for principles. Principles that are likely to lose a lot of meaning for the individual in the foxhole- with or without spuds.

But, I'm curious, I play in a different campaign (Headquarters'), that seems to be a bit on the colourful side compared to what you're discussing here.
Do your campaigns all play out in mainland Europe What rank are your characters Is the 'party' a squad or similar-sized unit part of a line formation or a more specialized outfit What movie would best describe the mood
Ours is a very entertaining mix of high-powered action movies, bizarre megalomaniac characters, backstabbing and exotic weapon systems sprinkled with gritty realism, drug abuse and a well-developed, somewhat baroque backdrop. I've always thought it would make a fabulous manga movie.
I really enjoy our long-running campaign, but I've often wished for a bit more "sachlichkeit" from my co-players, sometimes from myself. (Rolf, if you're reading this, I adore the dust whirled up by your stylish boots- but you know what I'm talking about.)

I wonder if you're talking about your own character here...kind of remember all of them like this....

sachlichkeit------why do all my former slaves rant about this....'

(I'm just playing my god-given part.....I blame society...but you dare blame the GM......what a mindfield you're entering!!!)

..27 days to next session

[headquarters]

10-4

I really enjoy our long-running campaign, but I've often wished for a bit more "sachlichkeit" from my co-players, sometimes from myself. (Rolf, if you're reading this, I adore the dust whirled up by your stylish boots- but you know what I'm talking about.)

roger that - but remember you guys have weirdness on your side ,and I can only put up a defense for so long until my dryness crumbles.

As for rations - when the party where at the head of the table so to speak they had access to the produce of their underlings/subjects- they dined on all sorts ,wines,shell fish,quail, venison ,beef etc -all thoroughly checked by radiation meters etc and tasted by the food tasters of course.

ordinary personnel had only vague memories of such feats ,but as long as things were going good they had adequate nutritions from beans,spuds,some veggies,some bread and the occasional piece of meat or fish.

All this is now gone of course.

the long standing military staple in our campaign has been :

daily rations : flour ,salt, oil + a slab of fish,cold cuts ,meats or veggies on and off .Local produce ,the most accessible foodstuff predominant in the region in the ration bags

field rations : freeze dried vegetabilic compound with lard and seasoning.add hot or cold water as pr taste .( Its pretty much a salty mulch anyways) - produced at central facilities/factories from the harvests etc .More costly due to longevity and weight to kcal ratio

Developments have been made though -
even though things are as grim as I could possibly paint it the party has members that are getting into livestock and food produce-

landshrimp

algae vats

fungii

edibles that can be grown and harvested inside .

[Webstral]

Smoked, dried, and/or salted meats might be good for stored foods. Canning isn't an especially difficult technology to master and doesn't actually require cans. Any cantonment that can produce its own glass containers can go into canning. Of course, glass doesn't necessarily travel very well. It's all just another reason why late Twilight formations aren't especially mobile and why sending a single brigade into a neighboring region for pacification purposes (thinking of CONUS) is such a massive undertaking.

Webstral

[Webstral]

Maybe we need a new thread: The Cuisine of Twilight: 2000. (No cannibal recipes, please)

Webstral