5-in-1 ration
Encyclopedia
The 5-in-1 ration was a United States military ration issued from 1942 to the end of World War II
. Procurement ended with the war, though remaining stocks were issued to troops after the war, as well as distributed as surplus in civilian feeding programs overseas. The 5-in-1 specification remained in effect after the war, and was again used in 1948 for a new field ration.
s or large groups divided into multiple units to cook
meals without the need of complex kitchen
utensils or cooking skill. Another objective was to furnish sufficient food to take care of five men for one day. The U.S. Quartermaster Corps' Subsistence Branch originally planned for the rations to be used by troops without immediate kitchen facilities, such as train
s without kitchen cars, motorized infantry, armored vehicle crews, or gun crews.
Unlike the Mountain ration
or Jungle ration
, the 5-in-1 was a ration developed solely by the SRL. The 5-in-1's components were packed as a group, with noncanned components placed in a separate carton overpacked in a larger carton with the canned products. Menus were enclosed in the carton as a guide in the selection of meals.
By mid-1943, the ration was the most successful field ration in use in North Africa
. In that same year, the 10-in-1 ration
ration was developed to replace it, as it offered a wider menu and greater flexibility in small unit issue. Extensive procurement of the 5-in-1 ended the same year. However, use of 5-in-1 stocks continued throughout the war, and the ration was still in distribution when hostilities ended.
Though procurement of the 5-in-1 had ended with the war, the specification remained in effect and later became the basis for a postwar revision in 1948, under which the 5-in-1 nomenclature was reestablished.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Procurement ended with the war, though remaining stocks were issued to troops after the war, as well as distributed as surplus in civilian feeding programs overseas. The 5-in-1 specification remained in effect after the war, and was again used in 1948 for a new field ration.
Development, Adoption, and Use
The 5-in-1 was developed in 1942 by the Subsistence Research Laboratory (SRL) of the U.S. Army's Quartermaster Corps to fulfill a need for a pre-packaged field ration for use by small motorized combat groups. The 5-in-1 allowed small groups of soldierSoldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
s or large groups divided into multiple units to cook
Cooking
Cooking is the process of preparing food by use of heat. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely across the world, reflecting unique environmental, economic, and cultural traditions. Cooks themselves also vary widely in skill and training...
meals without the need of complex kitchen
Kitchen
A kitchen is a room or part of a room used for cooking and food preparation.In the West, a modern residential kitchen is typically equipped with a stove, a sink with hot and cold running water, a refrigerator and kitchen cabinets arranged according to a modular design. Many households have a...
utensils or cooking skill. Another objective was to furnish sufficient food to take care of five men for one day. The U.S. Quartermaster Corps' Subsistence Branch originally planned for the rations to be used by troops without immediate kitchen facilities, such as train
Train
A train is a connected series of vehicles for rail transport that move along a track to transport cargo or passengers from one place to another place. The track usually consists of two rails, but might also be a monorail or maglev guideway.Propulsion for the train is provided by a separate...
s without kitchen cars, motorized infantry, armored vehicle crews, or gun crews.
Unlike the Mountain ration
Mountain ration
The Mountain Ration was a United States military ration developed for use by U.S. troops operating in high-altitude or mountainous regions of the European theater of operations during World War 2.-Origin, Development, and Use:...
or Jungle ration
Jungle ration
The Jungle Ration was a dry, lightweight United States military ration developed by the U.S. Army in World War II for soldiers on extended missions in tropical regions.-Origins, development, and use:...
, the 5-in-1 was a ration developed solely by the SRL. The 5-in-1's components were packed as a group, with noncanned components placed in a separate carton overpacked in a larger carton with the canned products. Menus were enclosed in the carton as a guide in the selection of meals.
By mid-1943, the ration was the most successful field ration in use in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. In that same year, the 10-in-1 ration
10-in-1 food parcel
The 10-in-1 food parcel, commonly known as the 10-in-1 ration was a field ration prepared for soldiers of the United States Army, intended to provide one meal for 10 men.-Development:...
ration was developed to replace it, as it offered a wider menu and greater flexibility in small unit issue. Extensive procurement of the 5-in-1 ended the same year. However, use of 5-in-1 stocks continued throughout the war, and the ration was still in distribution when hostilities ended.
Though procurement of the 5-in-1 had ended with the war, the specification remained in effect and later became the basis for a postwar revision in 1948, under which the 5-in-1 nomenclature was reestablished.
Contents
The 5-in-1 ration contained:- Beverages
- ButterButterButter is a dairy product made by churning fresh or fermented cream or milk. It is generally used as a spread and a condiment, as well as in cooking applications, such as baking, sauce making, and pan frying...
spread - 10 varieties of canned meatMeatMeat is animal flesh that is used as food. Most often, this means the skeletal muscle and associated fat and other tissues, but it may also describe other edible tissues such as organs and offal...
combinations - Canned breadBreadBread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
or type V biscuitBiscuitA biscuit is a baked, edible, and commonly flour-based product. The term is used to apply to two distinctly different products in North America and the Commonwealth Nations....
s - Can openerCan openerA can opener is a device used to open metal cans. Although preservation of food using tin cans had been practiced since at least 1772 in the Netherlands, the first can openers were patented only in 1855 in England and in 1858 in the United States. Those openers were basically variations of a...
s - Cellulose tapeTapeTape refers to a strip of long, thin and narrow material, usually rolled up. Most commonly, it refers to:- Recording media :* Cassette tape* Digital Audio Tape * Digital Compact Cassette * Digital Tape Format* Magnetic tape sound recording...
- CerealCerealCereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
- CheeseCheeseCheese is a generic term for a diverse group of milk-based food products. Cheese is produced throughout the world in wide-ranging flavors, textures, and forms....
spread - CigaretteCigaretteA cigarette is a small roll of finely cut tobacco leaves wrapped in a cylinder of thin paper for smoking. The cigarette is ignited at one end and allowed to smoulder; its smoke is inhaled from the other end, which is held in or to the mouth and in some cases a cigarette holder may be used as well...
s - Dehydrated soupSoupSoup is a generally warm food that is made by combining ingredients such as meat and vegetables with stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, forming a broth.Traditionally,...
s - 5 varieties of jam
- Evaporated milkMilkMilk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Early-lactation milk contains colostrum, which carries the mother's antibodies to the baby and can reduce the risk of many...
- FruitFruitIn broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
- Fruit juice
- Hard candyCandyCandy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
- Paper towelPaper towelA paper towel is an absorbent textile made from paper instead of cloth. Unlike cloth towels, paper towels are disposable and intended to be used only once. Paper towels soak up water because they are loosely woven which enables water to travel between them, even against gravity...
s - 3 varieties of puddingPuddingPudding most often refers to a dessert, but it can also be a savory dish.In the United States, pudding characteristically denotes a sweet milk-based dessert similar in consistency to egg-based custards, though it may also refer to other types such as bread and rice pudding.In the United Kingdom and...
- SoapSoapIn chemistry, soap is a salt of a fatty acid.IUPAC. "" Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. . Compiled by A. D. McNaught and A. Wilkinson. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford . XML on-line corrected version: created by M. Nic, J. Jirat, B. Kosata; updates compiled by A. Jenkins. ISBN...
- SpongeSponge (tool)A sponge is a tool, implement, utensil or cleaning aid consisting of porous material. Sponges are used for cleaning impervious surfaces. They are especially good absorbers of water and water-based solutions....
- SugarSugarSugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
- Toilet paperToilet paperToilet paper is a soft paper product used to maintain personal hygiene after human defecation or urination. However, it can also be used for other purposes such as blowing one's nose when one has a cold or absorbing common spills around the house, although paper towels are more used for the latter...
- 6 varieties of vegetables
- Water-purification tabletsPortable water purificationPortable water purification devices also known as point-of-use water treatment systems and field water disinfection techniques are self-contained units that can be used by recreational enthusiasts, military personnel, survivalists, and others who must obtain drinking water from untreated sources...
See also
- 10-in-1 food parcel10-in-1 food parcelThe 10-in-1 food parcel, commonly known as the 10-in-1 ration was a field ration prepared for soldiers of the United States Army, intended to provide one meal for 10 men.-Development:...
- United States armyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
- C-rationC-rationThe C-Ration, or Type C ration, was an individual canned, pre-cooked, or prepared wet ration intended to be issued to U.S. military land forces when fresh food or packaged unprepared food prepared in mess halls or field kitchens was impractical or not available, and when a survival ration was...
- Jungle rationJungle rationThe Jungle Ration was a dry, lightweight United States military ration developed by the U.S. Army in World War II for soldiers on extended missions in tropical regions.-Origins, development, and use:...
- Mountain rationMountain rationThe Mountain Ration was a United States military ration developed for use by U.S. troops operating in high-altitude or mountainous regions of the European theater of operations during World War 2.-Origin, Development, and Use:...