German jerrycan colour

[David V]

What was the colour for German JCs.
I'm assuming that maybe in the desert they were sand but in Europe surely not OD ? Grey ?

Any picture refernce anywhere ?

Thanks

David

[Quest Master]

The German Armed Forces (Wehrmacht) used primarily three colors on all of their equipment: Ordnance Tan, Ordnance Blue and Ordnance Green. Red Oxide Primer was used prior to painting. All three colors were used by the Luftwaffe, Heers and SS - meaning Ordnance Blue does not necessarily mean that it was used by the Luftwaffe. Many Ordnance Tan painted items are generally associated with the North African campaign, but this is not true. Ordnance Tan was used until the end of the War, throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. If the can was mounted to a vehicle - it may have been painted the same color as the vehicle (camouflage...white...brown....whatever).

[David V]

Thanks Van so I could paint it sand colour and srap to my Jeep.

Were there any marking stencilled on ?

David

[rotxxyyzz]

Thanks Van so I could paint it sand colour and srap to my Jeep.

Were there any marking stencilled on ?

David

Desert-yellow is fine for ETO as well!

Jerries containing water where generally marked with a large white cross and a "W" sometimes but i do not know of any other markings ...

Thomas

[Quest Master]

Fuel cans are embossed "KRAFTSTOFF" and water cans are embossed "WASSER". There are usually no painted markings. Water cans are marked with a large white cross on the face, which wraps around the sides and attaches to the cross on the other side. I have never seen a water can marked with a "W". One of my water cans has a "Waffen Amt" in black ink (which is odd) and a red painted "24" which could be the weight classification.

Ordnance Tan would be a fine color to paint your can for your jeep.

[tipdog]

One of my water cans has a "Waffen Amt" in black ink (which is odd)

Why is that odd? It could mean that you have a can in almost unissued condition.

While more known on weapons, it seems that these stamps could appear on most anything procured for the Heer in WWII.

http://www.lugerforum.com/Waffen-NS.htm

[Quest Master]

It is odd because the exact definition for "Waffen Amt" is "Weapons Office". These stamps were used for Weapon's Acceptance. I've never seen a WaA stamp on anything other than a Weapon (firearms small or large, firearm accessories, ordnance, bayonets etc.). A liquid container, a water container at that, is a far cry from being a weapon. The only thing I can come up with is that this water can may have been issued with a vehicle, specifically a weapon bearing vehicle (maybe a piece of armor), and was stamped during acceptance. I believe the authenticity of the stamp because I bought it at a German market may years ago (for almost nothing). It is Ordnance Tan with a white cross on both sides. It is dated 1943. I don't know how to post pictures so if someone tells me how or will post them for me I'll snap some pics of it.

[rgl]

I have a black paint (ink?) waffenamt too on a near mint 1942 tan ABP Wasser. It has a black rectangle border. The stamp is real as I "archeologically" found it by scraping off a flaky top layer of green postwar paint. The W on mine is very faint/bleached and is on top of the can on the area covered by the triple handle. Looks like it was white like the cross (which is about 90% there still) If mine is so faint when the can is near new then I am not surprised it is gone on more worn cans.

I am not sure why it was stamped any more than I know why all the aluminum Afrika Korps 5 and 10 liter bottles I see have Luftwaffe Fl. numbers. I know they were part of the emergency kit on planes in the desert, but that must have been a minority.

[Quest Master]

The Waffen Amt on my can is on the side of the can above the stamped markings "WASSER".

As for the 5L water bottles - I never noticed. I have a "Trinkwasser 5L" bottle painted in Ordnance Tan. The MFG is "Ritter Aluminium". It is also stamped "F130710" on the bottom. Are you confusing FL or Fl with F1? Where is yours marked?

[rgl]

Hello, mine is also Ritter with standard paint and 5l mark and it is also marked if I remember "made in Germany" (in English!), a commercial trademark (I think it's a knight), and Fl some number. All this is very small. I will check, but I am sure it is Fl or FL and not F and number 1. I did not give it much thought since it is the same type of FL numbering I find on various Luftwaffe airplane parts and even on a Pak 43/41 AT gun I saw. I assume on the AT gun it is because many of the parts were the same as for Flak guns which would have been Luftwaffe.

Oh, and my jerry can is WaA'd right on the white cross by the number stamped at the bottom.

[Quest Master]

My 5L is marked the same with the commercial markings (actually quite common). Both of the "1"s used in the S/N of my can are from the same stamp. Both are "1"s.

Now that I think about it, my PAK 40 7,5cm anti-tank gun has a similar marking on the breach that you describe on the PAK 43/41. I'll have to look, never really gave it a thought until now.

[lucakiki]

It is Ordnance Tan with a white cross on both sides. It is dated 1943. I don't know how to post pictures so if someone tells me how or will post them for me I'll snap some pics of it.

I am sure you already know that a Wasser can is way scarcer than a gas jerrycan. Even more in the condition you described.
You can post pictures registering with www.surfacezero.com/g503, and uploading the pictures on there. Then you just copy the UBBCode of the picture and paste it on your post to the gee: easy and quick.

[Quest Master]

Here are the pictures of one of my German Water (Wasser) Cans with markings (note that the cross wraps around the sides, but not around the top - probably due to being a stencil):

[lucakiki]

Well, isn't www.surfacezero.com/g503 wonderful?
Your wasser kanister is actually in super condition, and you can be real proud of it. I don't have any in my small collection, since I traded away the only one I had, which was badly repaired with a welded patch on the bottom.

[Quest Master]

Luca - much thanks. Since we are on the topic of German Gas Can colors, here are a couple more:

German, Ordnance Tan (believed to be remarked for water - possibly post-war white paint):
Marked:
Kraftstoff 20L
Feuergefahrlich
1944
abn
115
Wehrmacht

Note the blue painted out stamped markings:


German Gas Can (believed to be a post war repaint)
Marked:
Kraftstoff 20L
Feuergefahrlich
SS
SANDRIK


British Gas Can (believed to be German wartime repainted Ordnance Tan, I personally found this can near the town of Espria in Italy)
Marked:
W (with broad arrow) D
1943
F&L