Shown above are Department of the Army Civilian and Military Baking School Instructors during the Korean and Vietnam Wars. The instructors trained Master Bakers for the U.S. Army, The U.S. Air Force, The Marine Corps, and the Canadian Army. The Basic Baking Course for beginners was also taught. Special Baking Courses (Bakery Management Courses) were also taught to Officers ranking from Warrant Officer up to and including Lt. Col. from the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and U.S. marine Corps along with officers from about 20 Allied Countries.
PORTABLE FIELD BAKING EQUIPMENT.
Shown above are Portable Field Bakery Ovens used during World War One, and World War Two. The ovens came in about 20 parts and had to be assembled in the field. The oven had three baking chambers capable of holding 6 field baking pans for a total of 18 pans. Each pan could hold two 4- pound loaves or six 2- pound loaves. It was heated with wood, coal or by a special fuel oil burner which was developed late in World War Two. To determine when the oven was hot enough to load the loaves of proofed dough the baker stuck his hand in the oven chamber. If he had to withdraw his hand from the baking chamber at about the count of 10, the oven was hot enough to load the dough. Since there was no mixing machine available during World War One, all doughs had to be mixed by hand. 100 pounds of flour plus the other necessary ingredients was mixed at one time. The dough was mixed directly into the Dough Trough and remained there until the end of the fermentation time at which time it was made-up into individual loaves. Dough Proofing Cabinets had to be improvised.
M-45 MOBILE FIELD BAKERY EQUIPMENT
The U.S did not have the M-45 MOBILE FIELD BAKERY EQUIPMENT shown below during World War 11, so some British Field Baking Equipment was used by some U.S. Baking Companies. Also some Portable Field Baking Unit Detachments which supported Battallion Size Troops used the-M-1942 Portable Field Baking Equipment which consisted of small gasoline heated ovens each of which was capable of baking 72 pounds of bread per load. Small Dough Troughs, Folding Bread Molding tables plus other small pieces of equipment such as bench scales to weigh the ingredients were also provided. Prior to the development of the M-1942 Portable Field Baking Equipment and the M-45 Trailer Mounted Field Baking Equipment, some research was done by The U.S. Army Natick Laboratories in cooperation with American Bakery Equipment Manufacturers putting Commercial Type Baking Equipment in large trailers similar to those used in the shipping Industry. This was not successful but it did result in the ultimate successful development of the M-42 and M-45 equipment.
THE FOLLOWING TRAILER MOUNTED M-45 MOBILE FIELD BAKING EQUIPMENT WAS USED TO TRAIN MILITARY BAKERS DURING THE KOREAN AND VIETNAM WARS.
NOTE: THE FOLLOWING DEMONSTRATIONS WILL INCLUDE AN EXPLANATION OF THE FUNCTION OF EACH PIECE OF MOBILE FIELD BAKERY EQUIPMENT WHICH WAS USED DURING ACTUAL BREAD PRODUCION FROM MIXING TO PACKAGING DURING THE KOREAN AND VIETNAM WARS. THE MOBILE FIELD BAKERY EQUIPMENT WHICH IS DEMONSTRATED BELOW HAD NOT YET BEEN DEVELOPED FOR USE IN WORLD WARS ONE AND TWO, SO SOME BRITISH FIELD BAKERY EQUIPMENT AND PORTABLE FIELD BAKERY EQUIPMENT WAS USED BYAMERICAN BAKERS.
The Trailer Mounted M-45 Dough Mixing Machine is capable of mixing 500 pounds of dough at one time and is equipped with a reservoir and water measuring device. Shown is a dough being dumped into a dough trough hanging from a mono-rail. By mixing a dough every 30 minutes, the mixer is capable of feeding 3 ovens cntinuously. After the dough is mixed it is allowed to ferment for approximately 2 hours before being divided into individual size loaves.
The Trailer Mounted M-45 dough dividing machine in process of dividing the fermented dough into individual size 2-pound loaves.
The Trailer Mounted M-45 Dough Molding Molding Machine in process of molding the individual loaves which are placed into the field baking pan. Each pan holds six 2-pound loaves.
Panned loaves being loaded into the M-45 Dough Proofing Cabinet which has heating elements to heat pans of water for heat and humidity. Each proofing cabinet holds 36 pans of dough which is exactly the number of pans which each oven can hold. The dough remains in the proofing cabinet about 60 minutes at which time it is ready to be loaded into the oven.
Loading the 36 pans of proofed dough into the M-45 Trailer Mounted Oven.
Unloading the M-45 Trailer Mounted Oven. The Skate Conveyors near the loading and unloading end of the oven are used to roll the pans of baked bread to the cooling and storage area.
Baked bread being transferred to the cooling and storage area on skate conveyors.
Dumping field baked bread from pans unto cooling racks.
After about 60 minutes cooling period, cooled bread is being packaged in special bags for shipment to the dining facilities. When the dining facilities are located long distances from where the bread is baked, the trucks take the bread to the air port where is is loaded on air craft where it is unloaded and reloaded on trucks to be delivered to the dining facilities. During the Vietnam War, fresh bread was shipped by air to Army Bases located in remote areas hundreds of miles from the field bakeries. In most cases however field bakeries were located at most of the large Military Camps.
NOTE: IN ADDITION TO THE ABOVE FIELD BAKING EQUIPMENT, 30 KILO-WATT GENERATORS, LARGE TENTS, WATER TRAILERS, AND OTHER ITEMS OF EQUIPMENT ARE INCLUDED. ALSO, LARGE FORCED AIR HEATERS ARE PROVIDED DURING COLD WEATHER.
THIS COMPLETES THE SUBJECT ON DEMONSTRATIONS OF MILITARY FIELD BAKING OPERATIONS.