So how does one go about re-labelling cans?

The first step is to create new Syldavian canned food labels.  Since food will have originated from several regional military supply centers the labels should be similar, but with some variation.  Labels should be olive, off white or light brown with simple black lettering noting the contents.  For example:

 Baza, 300 grams

Klobaza, 200 grams

 Krajek, 300 grams

or  you could even run it through a fake cyrillic generator http://www.theworldofstuff.com/other/cyrillic.html

ЬДZД, 300 GЯДMS

  КLФЪДZД, 200 GЯДMS

   КЯДJЗК, 300 GЯДMS

 

You should then keep these in a handy folder, either as hard copies or electronically.  Whenever a label is needed, either travel down to the local office supply or have your original colour copied. Another option is to print reproduction labels from computer files such as jpg or PDF files. The original label should be scanned at 300 dpi or better and then printed on a laser printer. For those without their own laser printer your files can be saved to a datastick/flashdrive and again taken down to an office supply/Kinko’s and printed on the laser printer. Once the reproduction label is created, remove the modern label from the can and apply the reproduction to the can – it’s that simple.  At some point in the future I intend to post several examples of these labels in this section.

Meat

Processed beef was probably the most common form of the meat ration, and was packed in 12-ounce trapezoidal cans. Similar items are available in any grocery store in the canned meat section from companies such as Libby, Armour or the store’s own brand.

Bread

The soldier’s bread ration usually came in one of two possible forms – hard bread and loaf bread. The best approximation of this hard bread is the German knackebrot and is available in most stores. Like the crackers hard bread was issued to the soldier in cardboard boxes.  It might seem odd with the concerns over spoilage and contamination; however, it was fairly common for soldiers to receive loaf bread (again usually with food coming from the mobile kitchen). Loaves of bread from these kitchens varied by region and style, to replicate this choose a wholemeal loaf weighing one pound, un-sliced, these are commonly available at most local bakeries and specialty grocers.

Canned Fruits, Vegetables and Soups

Fruits and vegetables received by the soldier were most often of the canned variety. When using canned fruits and vegetables stick to the staples and avoid the exotic products.  Soups and stews were also frequently issued to frontline troops.

Salt, tea, coffee

There is no need to do anything special about tea, coffee, or salt. We all have it in our home kitchen. Condiment tins were issued and permitted the soldier to carry several days’ ration of these.

Local Foods

While the army provided the bulk of soldiers’ food, the local population serves as a possible source of food available for purchase. The soldier was sometimes able to purchase such items as eggs, cheese, breads, fresh meats, fresh vegetables, and wines.

Royal Syldavian Army, A Guide for Re-creating Foods and Rations

During both peacetime and war, a soldier usually received his food prepared by company cooks, in their garrison or if in the field from mobile kitchens, who were able to prepare meals from canned, fresh and dehydrated foods. The mobile kitchens allowed the cooking and feeding operations of a company to keep up with advances or to operate to the rear of a static line. Food would then be brought up to the front in insulated cans to be distributed to soldiers in the lines.

While on campaign or if the tactical considerations prohibited the bringing up of hot food for 24 hours or more, soldiers would then rely their full or half-field rations supplied by the company kitchen’s stores. The ration was carried in the soldier’s musette or “bread bag”.  The full Field Ration consisted of 300 grams of hard bread or crackers (maznica or mazek), 200-300 grams of preserved meat or Sausage (Baza or klobaza) or Stew (zka), 300 grams of preserved or canned vegetables (krajek), 25 grams of tea or coffee (tolko or vovka), and 25 grams of salt.  The half Portion consisted of canned meat and crackers only.

Supplies of the “full” Field Ration (with canned vegetables, salt, coffee, etc.) were stored with the field kitchen. Prior to beginning a tactical march or a movement to contact, troops were issued an additional day's issue of field rations if sufficient numbers were available.

What did the Field Ration look like?  While few examples of the canned meat are known to have survived the war, we do have some detailed descriptions left by soldiers.  For example, the standard meat portion of the Field Ration came packed in a can that measured 3 inches high by 2 ⅝ inches wide.  Weighing between 200 and 300 grams net, the can was normally packed with various pork or beef products.  Size had to be kept to a minimum in order for the can to fit inside the soldier’s bag.  The cans were usually labelled quite simply, since they were issued directly from the regimental store, with a descriptive paper label glued to the outside.

The hard bread/cracker portion of the Field Ration offered a bit more variety, though its taste apparently left something to be desired.  Depending upon what was available from Syldavia’s food industry, a soldier could have received 300 grams of hard bread or plain crackers.  They were occasionally issued individually or pre-packed in paper or cardboard boxes.  Again, it would have had to fit inside the “bread bag”.  This hard bread was similar to the Swedish crisp bread that is available at any modern deli.  It came packed four to a carton, with each piece measuring 5 ⅜ inches by 4 ½ inches by ¼ inches thick.  Another common substitute for fresh bread in the Field Ration was the common cracker.  These were often issued loose, directly from a tin or wooden crate, and varied in shaped, but generally measured 2 ⅛ inches by 2 ⅛ inches by 3/16 inches thick.

In the field articles requisitioned or purchased locally or shipped from the rear often supplemented the Field Ration.  As we start, it is important to note that a large portion of the field ration was packaged in cans and boxes for effective food preservation, efficient use of shipping space and protection from contamination. However, the methods of food packaging have changed considerably. The biggest developments which affects the re-creation of the rations is the use of “EZ-open” tops. Cans with “EZ-open” tops must be avoided, as these aren’t appropriate to the period.  It is the re-labeling and repackaging that allow our Syldavian rations take shape. Removing the modern label and replacing it with a Syldavian label will go a long way to creating the right look for our impression.

Syldavian Cuisine

 One of the items commonly found in a soldier’s bag is his ration’s.  In order to ascertain what goes into a Syldavian soldier’s ration we must first determine what Syldavian cuisine is.  As with much of this exercise I have taken the little crumbs of info left by Herge and extrapolated from there.

Syldavian cuisine would appear to be quite typical of Eastern Europe; blini, herbs, sausage and garnish feature heavily. Mineral water is revealed as an important export, and alcohol is scarce, although Syldavian wine is mentioned.

As I see things there is no such thing as a single, uniform, distinct Syldavian cuisine. That there are numerous distinct cuisines in a country whose main distinguishing feature is a diversity of land formation, climate, wind movements, humidity, terrain and history, is not surprising.

In the north there are the rugged Zympathia and Polishov mountains, in the east, the green and hilly Moltuja region, in the south the green valleys of Zeta, Along the Adriatic coastline lies Ragusia, in the northwest the plains of Hum, the Wladir marshes and the wine producing hills of Wladruja. All these factors influenced the development of the great variety and range represented by Syldavian cooking.

To begin with soups are a relatively recent invention in Syldavian cuisine, first appearing in a royal cookbook in 1799. There were, earlier on, various examples of porridge, stews and one-pot meals. The most common meat soups are beef and chicken based. These soups are traditionally served only on Sundays and feast days, although more frequently in more prosperous country or city households. Syldavians are familiar with all kinds of meat, but it is generally served only on Sundays and feast days. Pork was popular and common in western Syldavia. Poultry also often featured in Wladruja. There are a wide variety of meats in different parts of Syldavia. In Hum and Polishov they eat mutton and goat meat. On St. Vladimir's Day people feast on roasted goose and duck. In Travunia roasted quail and potato dumplings is common. Until the great crab plague in the 19th century, crab was a prime source of income and often on the menu in Ragusia and Zeta.

Rezcek is a wild lettuce, which has been gathered in the fields for centuries. Even today rezcek and potato salad is highly valued. Since it can be picked only for a short time in early spring, much is made of it. Families go on rezcek picking expeditions, and pick enough for a whole week.

In the Medieval Syldavia acorns and other forest fruits were a common dietary staple, especially in times of famine. Chestnuts remain highly valued, and served as basis for many dishes. Walnuts and hazelnuts are used in cakes and desserts. Wild strawberries, loganberries, blackberries, blueberries are a rich source of vitamins.

Mushrooms have always been popular, and Syldavians liked picking and eating them. There are many wild and cultivated varieties.

Honey was traditionally used to a considerable extent. Medjaki, which come in different shapes are traditional honey cakes, and are often used as gifts.

Syldavian National Dishes

    * Slaczek - It is traditionally the hind leg of a young dog in heavy Syldavian sauce. A popular dish in the Polishov Mountains. Slaczek is served with mushrooms and a salad.

    * Azganci - A Zetan dish of roast chicken in a light sauce.  Typically served on feast days

    * Belokrajek - Roast root vegetables with traditional Travunian spices

    * Bujepa - Traditional Buckwheat blinis

    * Poljedina bujepa - Cheese and mushroom filled blini, popular in Moltuja

    * Kranja klobaza - A Moltujan dry cured sausage, due to the regions traditional Muslim population this is usually a beef filling.

    * Bajek klobaza - A Zympathian smoked sausage.

    * Spekhovka monik - A dish of wheat and egg noodles with venison and rich gravy from Hum.

    * Vipavska - A sweet corn meal cake traditional to St Vladimir day celebrations.

    * Omir - Rezcek and potato salad

List of other traditional Syldavian foods

Soups and stews

    * Prezka (lamb stew)

    * Minestrazka (Barley and lentil stew)

    * Jota (Tomato soup)

    * Stajota (Onion soup)

    * Bogrezka (Spicy potato stew)

Vegetarian dishes

    * Spekhovka (wheat and egg noodles)

    * Kaza (Potato dumplings)

    * Smojka (Smoked chestnut sausage)

    * Medla (Honeyed roast root vegetables)

    * Njoki (Potato cakes)

Bread and Porridges

    * Devek (ring-shaped bread)

    * Mak (boiled oat or barley porridge)

    * Pervek (White bread)

    * Povek (Whole wheat bread)

    * Maznica (Hard/crisp bread)

    * Mazek (Cracker)

    * Pog (flat bread)

Meat dishes

    * Krvavice klobaza (Black pudding)

    * Jetrnice klobaza (Liver sausage)

    * Zelodech (Venison)

    * Bunka klobaza (Mutton sausage)

    * Mavta (Budva fish cakes)

    * Vamzcik (Dbrnouk style fish)

Desserts and pastries

    * Kovika (spiced cake)

    * Zpehova (bacon roll)

    * Prekmurska (Pastry from Jstow with varied fillings)

    * Kofik (apple roll)

    * Pojica (nut roll)

Drinks

    * Kislo mleko (kefir)

    * Zabezcek (Zympathian plum wine)

    * Tolko (black tea)

    * Ceznjevec (cherry brandy from Douma)

    * Vovka (coffee)

    * Brinjevec (mineral water from Moltuja)

    * Cviek (Syldavian wine from the Wladuja region)

A bit of background on Syldavia's military

As I see things the Kingdom of the Black Pelican is, or rather has been until recently, a traditional and conservative nation.  However the current reigning monarch, Muskar XII, strikes me as a rather young king with perhaps modern ideas.  The King appears to have been a keen motorist and carried a gun for his own protection. He shows himself to be an actual ruler (if a bit autocratic) rather than a constitutional monarch. It is the king himself who orders the steps necessary to prevent the coup and the invasion.  As a result of this the armed forces would likely be a combination of traditional and conservative typologies alongside more modern forces.  For example, I would expect to see an increasing mechanisation and airpower.  The Syldavian air force is for example still quite small, but I feel that it would make use of relatively modern aircraft.  The mechanisation of the various other arms would also be a logical goal of the young king.  With that said let us then start with an overview of the composition and traditional elements of Sydavia’s armed forces before moving on to discuss the more modernist elements.

Traditionally, the method of raising an army in medieval and the post medieval era was along the lines of what is often referred to as “bastard feudalism”.  Originally, the king could only rely on the support of his personal retinue (although the size of this force could change dramatically throughout the years) and have to enter into alliances with the various powerful dukes in order to persuade them to commit their personal forces to raising of a “national army”. 

That was of course until the reign of Boris III and his military reforms of the 18^th century.  Boris implemented sweeping reforms aimed at modernizing Syldavia. Heavily influenced by his advisors from Western Europe, Boris reorganized the Syldavian army along modern lines and dreamed of making Syldavia a regional power. The Army had its roots in the meagre feudal forces of medieval Syldavia.  Boris III developed it into a viable standing army, while his son Boris IIII increased its size. King Kromir the Great led the disciplined troops to victory during the 19th century border wars with Borduria and increased the prestige of the Kingdom.

Boris III had begun his military innovations in his Royal Guard regiment during the 1720’s. His friend, Ivan, Duke of Hum, served as the royal drill sergeant for the new Army, in this role he introduced new flintlock muskets, increasing firepower, and the slow march. The new army trained and drilled relentlessly, focusing on the firing speed of their new muskets and formation manoeuvrability. The changes gave the army flexibility, precision, and a rate of fire that was largely unequalled in the region.

Uniforms and weaponry were standardized, and in addition facial hair was to be of uniform length within a regiment; soldiers who could not adequately grow beards or moustaches were expected to wear a false version. The General War Commissary, responsible for the army and revenue, was removed from interference by the dukes and placed strictly under the control of officials appointed by the king.

Boris IIII opened enrolment in the officer corps to all and compelled the dukes, the Syldavian aristocracy, to serve in the army. Although initially reluctant about the army, the nobles eventually saw the officer corps as its natural profession. Until 1740 the common soldiers consisted largely of peasantry recruited or impressed into service, leading many to avoid service. In order to halt this trend, Boris IIII divided the nation into regimental regions. Every youth was required to serve as a soldier in these recruitment districts for three months each year; this met agrarian needs and added extra troops to bolster the regular ranks.  The Army would continue in this model with only limited technical modifications and modernizations (such as weaponry and uniforms) until after the First World War. 

Although all the armies changed their appearance following the War, that of Syldavia probably changed more than any other, going from neglected and outdated to visibly modern in short order. The changes were brought about, in part by the Duke of Travunia who wrote extensively on the subject of modern military doctrine as a result of his experiences observing the First World War as a military attaché in France as well as those of the future king Prince Muskar XII who observed the war from Switzerland.

Despite her small population Syldavia was prosperous for the region. But, unlike other European countries, her military budget was small. Because of her neutrality, small size and location far from the heart of Europe her armed forces were neglected in both organisation and equipment, and she placed much faith in a number of defensive fortresses.  She had no system of universal military service, and her army was recruited by voluntary enlistment and a curious system of short-term regional conscription.

Another permanent problem was continued domination of the officer class by career officers in an army that had not seen action since the border conflicts of the 1850’s and were more interested in their career progression than military matters. As a result officers were often seen as aloof and insensitive to the conditions of the men, 10% of who were functionally illiterate.

If her neutral status caused stagnation in peacetime, the equally looming problem of war with its neighbours was a growing concern for Klow. Borduria had in recent years made no secret of it’s desire to absorb the kingdom into a “greater Borduria”and to use the country as a corridor to the sea.

In 1912, as the Borduria situation became more ominous, Muskar XI had ordered a review of the military, and in 1913 conscription was extended, but only to include one member of each household. The long-term reorganisation was to be completed by 1918, but the War and budgetary concerns intervened.

Equipment had been neglected to such an extent that some of the troops would not have looked out of place in the Crimea. The reforms of 1913 proposed to introduce a completely new uniform, but through reluctance to spend money the plan was not pursued. Instead, minor changes were made to the existing uniform, notably the replacement of the double-breasted tunic with a single-breasted model, but not until the old ones wore out; consequently the two could be seen side by side.

The army’s strength on paper was a far cry from the facts of the matter. Many units were under-strength, conscription was not rigorously enforced, and the Home Guard was not organised or subscribed to with any great enthusiasm.  Estimates of the Regular Army’s nominal strength in 1914 vary, but there were officially seven Regiments of infantry, each of 10 Battalions. A Battalion comprised 3 Companies, each of 4 Platoons, plus a field battery. A Regiment was, in theory, about 3,000 men.

The Cavalry consisted of two Regiments of lancers, one of hussars, a Battalion of cuirassiers, 3 of dragoons, as well as ambulance and support.

Just how many men this amounts to is not straightforward, since some sources’ are ambiguous or confused. What some refer to as the Regular Army was mostly composed of conscripts, since professional, regular soldiers numbered only about 14,000 in a total given as between 21,000 (the cavalry contributed an additional 10,000). The Home Guard’s strength was nominally 40,000, but it is reckoned that about 10,000 at most could be relied upon.  Perhaps the best guess comes from The Military College in Klow, which gives a total of 31,200 in the Field Army and a total including reserves of 24,000.

The standard infantry rifle was the 1888 7.65mm Mauser.  The Guard had an assortment of various other arms. Another indication of Syldavia’s unpreparedness was the availability of only 45,000 rifles. The total number of machine guns was 12.

The Artillery was similarly under-resourced, totalling 24 mostly obsolete guns; each Regiment was intended to have 3 batteries of Krupp 75mm guns and 2 of 9.5-inch howitzers, but only one of the latter had ever been formed.

The Flying Corps had no aircraft and relied on private owners offering themselves and their machines for scouting.  The Army reforms of 1913 simplified uniforms and established a basic dark red for most arms, although some Cavalry maintained some traditional aspects. 

Military reforms of 1924

In the spring of 1924, following the coronation of the new king Muskar XII the Army began the process of totally re-equipping itself. Also part of these reforms was the reorganistion of the Royal Flying Corps and the mechanization of the Cavalry.  The young King being a keen motorist as well as an aviator took an active role in the development of these two arms, while the Duke of Travunia headed up the reorganization of the remainder of the military.

The new uniform, issued to all arms, was French in style but made from olive serge.  The tunic was single-breasted with a standing collar. The greatcoat was double-breasted with falling collar, half-belt at the back.

Trousers were straight-cut for non-mounted units, worn with the traditional Syldavian boot.  Mounted troops and cyclists wore jodhpur-style breeches and taller riding boots.

Officers’ dress was more British-influenced, but retained the standing collar, and officers’ greatcoats varied in detail but were generally similar to earlier styles.

Headgear was an olive fez with a unit badge or national emblem on the front.  By the end of the year the Swiss style helmet came into service for all ranks and units.

A new brown leather belt with integral ammunition pouches was issued to mounted troops and cyclists.

An unobtrusive system of arm of service identification was introduced, using collar patches and the fez. Numbers on the fez and collar indicated the unit, while colours indicated the branch.  This system covered every job in the Army, but these are the main distinctions:

Branch	Collar	Cap Badge
Infantry	Green	Regt. Number
Grenadiers	Green	Grenade
Mountain Infantry	Green w/white band	Regt. Number
Flying Corps	Blue	Group Number
Cyclists/Motorcyclists	White	Company Number
Cavalry	Yellow	Regt. Number
Independent Cav.	Crimson	Company Number
Home Guard	Brown	Regt. Number
Artillery	Royal Blue	Regt. Number
Engineers	Black	Various
Transport	Light Blue	Regt. Number

Mechanisation of the Cavalry

The king sanctioned the creation of the Experimental Mechanised Company, which was formed on 1 June 1924, under Colonel Trovik. The unit was entirely mechanised and consisted of FT17 tanks and assorted armoured cars plus a motorised company of field engineers.  After a period of experimentation it was disbanded in 1929.  In 1930 the Army formally began the conversion of its cavalry from horse to tanks. Although there was some resistance, all but a few regiments were fully converted by 1938.  The units that remained un-mechanised in 1939 were the 5th Zeta Lancers and the 3rd Polishov Hussars. 

The Royal Syldavian Flying Corps

With the growing recognition of the potential for aircraft, the king established the Committee of Royal Air Defence to examine the question of improving the nation’s military aviation in November 1925. The following February the committee reported its findings which recommended that the flying corps be reformed and that it consist of a military wing, a central flying school and an aircraft factory.

The recommendations of the committee were accepted on 13 April 1926.  The Flying Corps' initial allowed strength was 33 officers, and by the end of that year it had 36 aircraft. The RSFC originally came under the responsibility of General Schzlozitch.  By 1931 the RSFC had expanded to 5 flying groups with 125 aircraft (25 Dewoitine D.27 reconnaissance aircraft, 50 Fokker D.XXI fighter aircraft, 40 Fokker C.X light bombers) and 200 officers.

Syldavian 1939 order of battle

The Syldavian Army of 1939 was organized as follows:

The King was the commander in chief

The regular armed forces had 4 Corps with 25,000 active duty personnel and a strength reaching 75,000 when fully mobilized.

The Army Corps
(The 3rd, 4th, and 5th regiments are privately raised)

The Royal Guard Regiment

1st Infantry Regiment, The King's Fusilers
2nd Infantry Regiment,The Royal Zeta Guards
3rd Infantry Regiment, The Duke of Travunia's
4th Infantry Regiment, The Duke of Moltuja's Rifles
5th Infantry Regiment, The Duke of Hum's Fusilers
6th Infantry Regiment, The King’s Ragusian  Rifles
7th Infantry Regiment, The Zympathia Rifles

The Army Corps had the following:
Corps Staff
Four active and three reserve Infantry regiments
Corps Artillery Battalion of 3 companies of two batteries with 16 artillery pieces, heavy mortars or Infantry antitank guns. per battalion
Pioneer company
Seven Infantry Regiments each of 2,000 men.

Cavalry Corps
Composed of the following regiments, all of which were armoured. Each with three companies:
Corps Staff
1st Royal Hussars
2nd The King’s Dragoon Guards
3rd Royal Lancers
4th Light Dragoons
5th Royal Cuirassiers
6th The King’s Hussars
Training squadron

Mountain Corps
Corps Staff
1st Mountain Rifle Brigade
2nd Mountain Rifle Brigade
(both of which were partially motorized.)

Royal Syldavian Flying Corps 
1st Observation Group with 25 aircraft
2nd Fighter Group with  25 aircraft
3rd Fighter Group with 25 aircraft
4th Reconnaissance/Bomber Group with 25 aircraft
Each squadron also had an anti-aircraft artillery company
5th Auxiliary Group with ancillary and refueling squadrons

Syldavian Home Guard regiments
Hum
Travunia
Ragusia
Zeta
Wladruja
Moltuja
Zympathia
Polishov

Three independent bicycle companies

Two independent feudal horse cavalry companies
5th Zeta Lancers
3rd Polishov Hussars

Two independent frontier motorcycle companies

Final reckoning

In total 907 were killed during the 74 days of the conflict:

    * Borduria - 649
          o Army - 549 (16 officers, 35 NCOs and 498 conscript privates)
          o Air Force - 55 (including 31 pilots and 14 ground crew)
   
    * Syldavia - 255
          o Royal Guard - 86
          o Syldavian Army - 168 (7 officers, 40 NCOs and 121 privates)
          o Royal Air Force - 1 (1 officer)
         

Of the 86 Royal Guards, 57 were lost in Niedzdrow, 10 lost at Mount Harad Grad.

Thirty-three of the Syldavian Army's dead came from the 1st brigade 2nd Regiment, 21 from the 3rd Battalion 2nd Regiment, 18 from the 2nd Battalion the 3rd Regiment, 19 from the 1st mountain infantry regiment, 3 from Royal engineers and 8 from the Polishov Home Guard.

The Fall of Niedzdrow

Notable battles:
    * Battle of Mount Haraz
    * Battle of Mount Zilharum
    * Battle of Tiran Ridge
    * Battle of Mount Harad Grad
    * Battle of Two Sisters

On the night of 11 June, after several days of painstaking reconnaissance and logistic build-up, Syldavian forces launched a brigade-sized night attack against the heavily defended ring of high ground surrounding Niedzdrow. As the 2nd regiment began their assault on Niedzdrow, units of 3rd Brigade, supported by artillery gunfire, simultaneously assaulted Mount Haraz, Two Sisters, and Mount Zilharum. Mount Haraz was taken at a cost of 22 Syldavian and 38 Bordurian soldiers. At Two Sisters, the Syldavians faced both enemy resistance and friendly fire, but managed to capture their objectives. The toughest battle was at Mount Zilharum, where Syldavian forces were bogged down by rifle, mortar, machine gun, artillery fire, sniper fire, and ambushes. Despite this, the Syldavians continued their advance.  After a night of fierce fighting, all objectives were secured. Both sides suffered heavy losses.

The night of 13 June saw the start of the second phase of attacks, in which the momentum of the initial assault was maintained. At the Battle of Tiran Ridge the 2nd regiment with armour support, captured Tiran Ridge with a loss of 3 Syldavian and 25 Bordurian dead.  The 2nd battalion, Royal Guards, captured Mount Harad Grad in the Battle of Mount Harad Grad, which cost 10 Syldavian and 30 Bordurians dead.

With the last natural defence line at Mount Harad Grad breached, the Bordurian town defences of Niedzdrow began to falter. A cease-fire was declared on 14 June and the Bordurian garrison in Niedzdrow surrendered the same day.