@@High-Speed-History not the OG guy but that mess kit is still used by the modern german army, last time i checked atleast. Also the esbit cooker is still the same, tho with a different inscription
Always admired the form and function of the A-Frame, genuinely something I could see myself using for my messkit and woobie as well as other things when camping / hiking... That being said I also don't wanna look like a wehraboo 😅
The metall ring on top and the one on the left and right where made to hold a blanket or the coatroll! And normally you would carry food in the mess kit.
The A-Frame grew out of the improvised Assault Packs that the Germans Soldiers created in WW1 (search "ww1 german assault pack"). Basically the REMF Generals decided that by Regulations, the only Objects a Soldier could carry in that little Pack were- Gun Cleaning Kit, Tent Rope, Half Iron Rations (Meat Can & Crackers), and a Sweater. All else went into Pockets or the Bread Bag. By War's end, Soldiers were carrying Rucksacks; due to the need to carry more Gear, and because the Army basically stopped making the complex/costly A-Frame. Btw Sir, I believe your Mess Kit should be secured horizontally/sideways.
Thanks for the info! and yeah the mess kit definitely is meant to be on there horizontally. I have seen them on there this way however, and I like it better this way because I can keep the leather strap on it to easily transition it to my bread-bag if I want to.
Actually I think this WOULD be something to carry into combat, and you would leave the larger rucksack behind (sustainment load). this is the equivalent of a butt-pack, which we (retired 11B40, a long time ago) used to attach to our LBE. I mean, maybe you wouldn't carry your mess kit (unless you had a combat ration in there), but otherwise, that's a nice small combat load to put extra ammo and a poncho and extra pair of socks in. Perhaps you could carry a box of MG-42 ammo or a rack of mortar rounds in place of the mess kit?! That's why the leather strap has three holes?
Yeah there are tons of photos of them being worn in combat as well! The ruck would be left in the rear for sure, this is a much less convenient version of a butt pack to be sure haha but definitely a similar concept!
Nice video! By the way, do you happen to know how they early model M39 eihandgranate (egg Grenade without clip) were carried by soldiers, along with how many were issued to each rifleman? Thank you.
As I was watching this something about it was niggling the back of my brain as it tried to connect the dots as to why this seemed, not exactly familiar, but close. Then it hit me. Buttpacks. This is the (honestly nicer) equivalent to buttpacks. Instead of having something attached to your webgear or LBE, you have a separate carrying device for the sniffle gear and luxury items. Its pretty dang cool seeing the same concept we're all familiar with in its past form.
Yeah right!? I love this old gear for that reason. I have a buttpack and the concept is great but it does just drag the back of a belt down. I like to keep my war belt pretty slicked out
Exactly! Probably not very often. It would be the first thing you would eat when hungry and in the chaos of the war going on they would just give you whatever was on hand. Or you would have to find it yourself.
The contents of the A frame you're showing there isn't dissimilar to what we carried in CEFO [combat equipment fighting order] as I carried it in the late 70s early 80s. As the name suggested, you were expected to be able to move and fight while carrying it.
I believe I’ve seen a photo of a straight version e tool strapped to the outside where the zeltbahn sits. Often they weren’t wearing the e tool on their belt as it makes it hard to move around.
I think you're downplaying the practicality of this kit as a field kit. Having something come undone like that in seconds is very useful when setting up camp in the dark for example. You'd be digging around finding things in your normal pack or just be unloading everything to get what you need.
@@High-Speed-Historylater on the m31 rucksack they have also d rings. So you could carry the pack on your schoulders and the a frame in front of the backpack!
