by
Adrian Stevenson
Hi George, Steve has pretty much covered it and is correct.
Typical wartime US produced "Jerrycan". American cans were based upon the basic German design but were adapted for US mass production methods. The top was very different being a separate stamping and the lid was threaded to take the standard US gas filler nozzle.
US cans made for the USMC though had the cam type German lid. The US Army water/food can also had a cam lid but of larger design to enable ease of cleaning out the inside.
The first captured German examples were passed to the then neutral USA by the British in 1940. The Motor transport divison of the QMC depot at Camp Holabird drew up the US design in the autumn of 1940. The first contracts for the new five gallon can went to:
Chattanooga Stamping Company
National Enamel & Stamping Company
Pittsburg Steel Barrel Company
Wheeling Corrugating Company.
Other makers soon were involved.
During 1943, 1944 & 1945, 22,443,000 US pattern cans were produced. Over two and half million of these were actually made in Great Britian at a US Army owned plant operated by Magnatex Ltd. Even this vast productrion was not enough and the US Army was forced to use British made can which were direct copies of the German originals, due to shortages in 1944.
Water/food can production totaled some 6,644,000.
The US cans are lighter in weight. 10 lbs empty/44 full. Compared to a Brit/German can at 11.5/44lbs.
Cheers, Ade.
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