I have a batch of POW cans left over from a couple Asuka Sherman kits. Working on Sherman IIb, Italy, late 44.(And have a Ic in the pipeline) Would these still have been in use then? Or would they have been supplanted by "Jerry " cans? What was the POW's time frame?

Gee!...and I thought he meant two female prisoners of war!

🤭

I wouldn't rule out POW's still in use alongside jerrycans in Italy.
Enough were made and sent over to the Med to stick around longer than they should have been. Resourceful British crews could also turn them into a field cooker. Cut the top off, fill it with sand and pour in some petrol. Stand well back and light!
Would make for an interesting addition to the stowage. A Churchill driver I once spoke to said it worked really well if you didn't mind the aftertaste of petrol.
I have some photos of British Shermans in Italy, so when I get a little time tomorrow I'll have a look and see what I can find.

These are not 4 gal. "Flimsies". They are 2 Gal. ,pressed steel. From what I
glean their design dates to WW1.

The 2 Gallon POW cans were certainly still in use in NW Europe in 44-45. A quick hunt through my files shows them strapped to the back of Humber armoured cars in Greece in 1945 and also Humbers belonging to the Defence Company of the 8th Army HQ in September 1944.

I'm also pretty sure I've seen examples still in use during the Korean War.

Unlike the 4 gallon Flimsies, the 2 gallon cans were well designed and well made. They were popular and widely produced for the civilian market pre and post WWII.

John

Ditto!

Bear in mind the "O" in POW stands for oil, so even if the petrol was now in jerrycans, there was stil a need for the smaller cans of engine oil and lube oil. And clean ones would still be useful as water cans. Might want to look at adding markings for the sake of the crew...

"even if the petrol was now in jerrycans,...... I was kinda wondering about that, if the smaller ones would be kept for stuff they didnt need 5 gals of. I read "water " cans were white or had a white cross. (no Klan jokes) Did they use them for anti freeze for water cooled engines? What markings? And for the sake of discussion, would there have been any Italian civilian ones? The oil companies were global octopi even back then. Would seem logical they were selling in Italy. And difference in markings?

Here's an 1935 Italian ad for Shell. Could it be a 2 Gallon can (I guess so ) ?



H.P.

It's not unlikely that the occasional civvie 2 gallon can was 'liberated' so it can always make a nice contrast on your model. Yes, water cans were sometimes painted white and again, that offers some variation on a model.

Oil and lubricants tended to be supplied in 1 gallon cans from what I can remember (same height as the 2 gallon cans but half the length (they were square when viewed from above rather than rectangular).

Ultracast does the 1 gallon cans in 1/35 - https://www.ultracast.ca/product-p/ult135013.htm

John

More likely eight liters - I don't think they use gallons, etc. much in Europe.

I agree we use liters instead but 2 Gallons = 9.09 liters so it's not too far off the mark

I guess it depends on the can manufacturer nationality...

H.P.

And, of course, it depends on which "gallon" you are referring to. The Commonwealth/Imperial gallon is approx 5 litres, whereas the Yank gallon is approx only 4. An Imperial quart being 40 oz versus the Yank quart being only 32. So the standard 20 litre Jerrycan is 5 US gallons but only about 4.5 Imperial gallons.

Which, of course, means one must always order your beer in Imperial 20 oz pints, not the wee, tiny Yank 16 oz ones!

Paul