"Stomach" / "Magenkranke" units

[Mori]

German "Stomach" units are a well know story: there were some units for recovering wounded / sick soldiers requiring specific food. These units were called "stomach" units ("Magen", I think).

I wonder whether the phenomenon has ever been quantified.

When it comes to NW Europe campaign, these units are mentioned in the contemporary intellligence reports, then in the official history, then in regular history books. But according to these sources, they also seem to be everywhere on the front. For example, I saw some against 1st US army in the Aachen area, then others against 1st Canadian army during or before Veritable. And I wouldn't be surprised if 3rd US army (Patton's) would mention them too.

It could be that the "stomach" story was so striking, or so funny, that it stuck in the mind of people. Any vague sign of such unit would be taken for the actual existence of a full, organised, stomach batallion.

Do you know of any quantification of the Stomach units? Any study that would investigate how frequent (and how effective) such units where?

[jpz4]

Made a quick list to help others (encountered some of these units during my research). As you may know these can typically be identified by the M (Magenkranke) or O (Ohrenkranke) behind their names. A quick check of Tessin resulted in the following (incomplete) list:

Magenkranke:
Landesschützen-Btl. 883 (as "M"-Btl. in 1945)
Gren.Btl. (bo) M 1201, 1202
Sich.Btl. (M) 1203 - 1214 & 1216 - 1220
Fest.Inf.Btl. (M) 1441 - 1443 & 1453 - 1456, 1482
(M) I./136 and (M) II./136 (under '136. ID' in Antwerp, later 719. ID)

70. Inf.Div.:
Gren.Rgt.1018: using Sich.Btl. 1203 & 1205
Gren.Rgt.1019: using Sich.Btl. 1211 & 1212
Gren.Rgt.1020: using Sich.Btl. 1213 & 1214

Ohrenkranke:
Sich-Btl. (O) 1215, 1221-1223, 1225
Fest.Inf.Btl. (O) 1444
Fest.Mg.Btl. (O) 76, 77, 94

[Mori]

Thanks. And I admit I did not know about the M and the O

That's about 20 batallions, or ca. 10 000 men; and not all at the same time.

The 70 ID was in Walcheren I think, fighting against the Canadians in Oc-Nov 1944. This does not leave many facing the American armies and feeding the numerous intelligence reports talking about them...

[yantaylor]

Didn't they refer to these units as White Bread soldiers?
Because they could only eat certain foods?
Not sure, but I am remember something along those lines.

Yan.