Do all German 20L Cans Have Date Codes

Manufacturers, production numbers, configurations, etc.
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ndnile
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Do all German 20L Cans Have Date Codes

Post by ndnile » Wed May 09, 2018 6:10 pm

I just picked up 3 German 20L diesel cans. One has a 1943 date code, but I didn’t find a date code on the other two. Does that mean they’re post war?
Doug
Sacramento Area
1943 Willys MB
1943 GPW-125334 (Sold)
1962 M170
1959 Willys Wagon


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gerrykan
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Re: Do all German 20L Cans Have Date Codes

Post by gerrykan » Wed May 09, 2018 6:53 pm

We will either need photographs, or more information on the markings impressed, attached, or painted on the cans.
Roy

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Re: Do all German 20L Cans Have Date Codes

Post by ndnile » Thu May 10, 2018 7:27 pm

One of the cans I now know is a British can. It has the WD stamp on it and is dated 1943. I didn't realize how closely the British copied the German cans.

The other two are like this.
Gerry_can_nodate_top.JPG
Gerry_can_nodate_top.JPG (90.82 KiB) Viewed 1209 times
Gerry_can_nodate_side.JPG
Gerry_can_nodate_side.JPG (115.1 KiB) Viewed 1209 times
This post viewtopic.php?t=59685 makes me think they are manufactured by the Swiss, and that the Swiss sold cans to the Germans during the war. It also sounds like they were also made post-war for the Swiss themselves. I don't see a date code anywhere on them, but it looks like they were perhaps serial numbered. Is there any way to know if they are war-time or post-war?

Thanks, Doug
Doug
Sacramento Area
1943 Willys MB
1943 GPW-125334 (Sold)
1962 M170
1959 Willys Wagon

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David
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Re: Do all German 20L Cans Have Date Codes

Post by David » Thu May 10, 2018 11:17 pm

These could be post-war civilian too, this model is still in production and sold at gas stations and car parts stores.

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Chuck Lutz
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Re: Do all German 20L Cans Have Date Codes

Post by Chuck Lutz » Fri May 11, 2018 1:36 pm

I believe "TREIBSTOFF" is a post WWII marking and just "FEUERGEFAHRLICH" is the correct German WWII gas can marking.

Generally speaking, German cans just used "1941" or other four digit year markings, no "code" to them. VEP production may not be marked, but that is so contrary to how the Germans approached everything. If they didn't want you to know about when/who made something they put a code on it like pistols/rifles from WWII. That way they could identify that info, but not so easily the Allies.

There are some unmarked cans in the US and Australia that are the USMC early cans before the CONCO versions appeared.

Doug: I think your can is a Swiss or German can from the NATO era.
Chuck Lutz

GPW 17963 4/24/42 Chester, PA. USA 20113473 (USA est./Tom W.)
Bantam T3-C 1947

ndnile
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Re: Do all German 20L Cans Have Date Codes

Post by ndnile » Fri May 11, 2018 4:12 pm

Thanks to Chuck and David. I’m learning.
Doug
Sacramento Area
1943 Willys MB
1943 GPW-125334 (Sold)
1962 M170
1959 Willys Wagon

Hammerhead
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Re: Do all German 20L Cans Have Date Codes

Post by Hammerhead » Mon May 14, 2018 4:12 pm

The WWII German Sandrik SS cans don't have date codes.
1943 White M-3 Halftrack, 1944 CCKW 353, 1945 MB, 1944 Bantam T3,
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