Flimsy Can / Jerry Can mounts / use

[Ed Storey]

The 4-gallon petrol tins with the corner tabs were classed a non-returnable tin.

Royal Army Service Corps Training Pamphlet No. 8 - Part II Petrol Organization in the Line of Communication Area - 1943

Petrol tin factory operating company. The company consists of a headquarters and two operating sections, each section being divided into four sub-sections, three dealing respectively with the manufacture, filling, and inspection of non-returnable tins, the fourth with the maintenance of the technical equipment. The company has four Pioneer Corps sections and a fire-fighting section attached.

The function of this company is the manufacture and filling of non-returnable tins. It is designed to manufacture and fill 5,000 to 6,000 tins per shift per single line of machines and to operate two 8-hour shifts per day.

This unit would normally be located within easy reach of storage tanks and requires good communications, and facilities for acceptance of supply of materials and for easy delivery of the finished packages.

It is equipped with machinery for carrying out the following functions:-
(a) Cutting and pressing tinplate and terneplate into tins of 4-gallon capacity.
(b) Mechanical soldering of seams.
(e) Pressure testing of the containers.
(d) Spray painting and quick drying.
(e) Filling four gallons of petrol into each finished container.
(f) Automatically .. expanding in" the sealing caps.

[Lang]

According to Philippe Leger in his excellent book "Jerrycan" ISBN 9782840482444

The British gathered German cans from the early French campaign because they realised the superiority of that container.

They sent some to USA and the Americans played with the design - one must ask why? - and US production began in 1941.

British production did not commence until 1942 despite the widely known failings and unacceptable fuel losses from the square flimseys.

Lang

[Mike Cecil]

I've got a reference somewhere to a directive from late 41/early 42 that all German fuel cans, ie jerry cans, located/recovered were to be turned over to Ordnance and not retained by individual units. It was an 8th Army directive, I think, but I'd have to locate it to be sure.

Mike

[maple_leaf_eh]

Originally Posted by Lang

According to Philippe Leger in his excellent book "Jerrycan" ISBN 9782840482444

The British gathered German cans from the early French campaign because they realised the superiority of that container.

They sent some to USA and the Americans played with the design - one must ask why? - and US production began in 1941.

British production did not commence until 1942 despite the widely known failings and unacceptable fuel losses from the square flimseys.

Lang

Sometimes a production method is inferior to available technology, or to available plants. Maybe the stamping plant making little pieces was at full capacity, but the one making one big all-encompassing piece had capacity?

[Owen Evans]

More flimsies. Note the difference in colour around the cap.

Owen.

[DaveBuckle]

The Germans also measured weights, volumes, distance, even heat in multiples of ten and called them things like: kilo, milli, metre, litre, etc., called a metric system or such - that'll never catch on ...

[Lynn Eades]

There is a story about an engineer who smuggled jerry cans from Germany to Mongolia under a car, and took them to the USofA, where the idea was rejected. (the enemy item had to be inferior)
Quite a story. If I recall, Monty estimated a 25 percent loss of petrol stocks as standard, from flimsies.
The German can was fully welded. The American can had a rolled seam at the bottom, that leaked.

[Lauren Child]

lol, I recognise that finger in the pamphlet photo

Here are some pics I posted on facebook comparing flimsy with others.

Yep, the screw capped one is returnable, and much better made. I’d need to look the pamphlet out again to check, but I’m 99% sure it was specifically on fuel, so yes it’s for petrol.