Claude, both allied sides , or at least the English and the Germans, were
not concerned about the origin of the jerrycans they used since the English
pattern was an exact copy of the German one, except for the markings.
So there were three types of Jerrycans in general use on the Western front
during the War: the English one, the German one and the US one; the first
two are undistinguishable, except for the markings, the US model is
different in that it has a screwed bung instead of a lever-operated one,
and its dimensions are different, it is a bit shorter and thicker,
The US jerrycans came later on the theaters of operations, and as they were
not interchangeable, I dont know whether any captured ones were taken over
by the German Army.
You can only differenciate between the British and German jerrycans by the
markings stamped in the metal at the time of manufacture:
Both bore the markings on the panel on the spout side
>From top to bottom, the British ones were with the Broad Arrow ( /|\ )
which has for time immemorial been the sign of British Government property
(at least since the times when Sir Philip Sidney was Master of Ordnance to
the Good Queen Elizabeth and ordered all supplies thus marked with the
Broad Arrow (or Feon) that was his armorial familly device) between the
letters WD (War Department) in letters 25 mm (1") tall, below that the year
of manufacture in figure 12.7 (1/2") high, and in the raised panel where
the reinforcing ribs meet the initials of the manufacturer in letters 12.7
(1/2") high.
The German Jerrycan was marked from top to bottom: "Kraftstoff 20L." and
below "Feuergef=E4hrlich" ("Petrol 20 L." and "Flamable") or "Wasser 20L"
(Water 20 L.) in letters 24 and 18mm high, with below the date of
manufacture in figures 18 mm high.=20
On the center panel, the logo or initials of the manufacturer, and at the
bottom "Wehrmacht", "Luftwaffe" or "SS", depending on which arm of the
forces the jerrycan belonged to.=20
A friend of mine tells me of having seen a water jerrycan made of
brass-sheet, marked "Marine".
The water jerrycans used by the German army usually bore on each side a
broad cross in white paint, to make them more conspicuous and avoid errors.
During the campaign in North Africa, with its incessant advances and
retreats, both sides often took over stores of ennemy supplies, and it was
not uncommon to see jerrycans of one army used by the other side; as I said
before, I have to this day two English Army jerrycans, marked with the
broad arrow, which my dad "liberated" from a German depot in 1944 !=20
They are painted in German AK sand-colour.
These bear , clipped on the front of the middle carrying handle, a little
red tin-plate marked with the figure "80" in a circle; I suppose this was
to indicate the octane rating of the content, but I dont know to this day
whether this is of British or German origin.-
>When you say "stamped", does it mean painted ?
>Further, I don't see the reason why the text painted on an US jerrycan
>fitted on an MB jeep should be in german ?
No, I mean stamped, as in "pressed in the metal-sheet at the time of
manufacture".
And if the jeep in question was in service during the war in the British
Army, you _can_ have on it a jerrycan of German origin without being=
faulted.=20
Its not the US jerrycan that could have markings in German, its a German
jerrycan that could be used on a British jeep.
As an aside, US jerrycans were not held in such high esteem by users as the
British/German pattern, as the screwed bung of the former thended to leak,
and is much slower to use than the the British/German model; the latter, on
the other hand, can pinch you fingers in a most cruel manner ;-(
Hope this helps,
Cheers,
Ron the Frog, in Darkest Paraguay.
List-owner of the WWIIVW list
http://personales.conexion.com.py/~rolgiati/kubele.htm=20
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