The Jerry Can was designed in Germany in the 1930s for military use to hold 20 litres of fuel and subsequently copied by the allies during World War II. In 1937 Germans developed what was known as a Wehrmacht-Einheitskanister which meant “Armed Forces Unit Canister” and its purpose was keeping the tanks fuelled and ready at a moment’s notice.
The Allied Forces had their own fuel canisters, but they were no match for the German equivalent. They were poorly designed and were made from thin mild steel that was welded together and easily punctured, which often lead to fuel leaks. Instead, the Germans created a masterpiece and, if you can believe it, we are still using their original design to this day.
Firstly, the German jerry can was built from two pieces of stamped steel interlocked with each other, eliminating leaks altogether and driving down production costs at the same time. Are you familiar with the distinctive ribbed design that jerry cans are famous for? They were all part of the stamping process, which allowed for the contraction and expansion of the interior liquid based on fluctuating temperatures.
Secondly, the jerry can was manufactured to hold up to 24 litres of fuel and featured rounded handles for convenient carry and transfer from soldier to soldier, which also enabled soldiers to carry up to two at a time.
Different colours were introduced in order to be able to diversify the content of the jerry can. Let’s say that it was hard for Americans to resist adopting this jerry can design for their own purposes and they decided to build their own version. It was called “jerry” from the American US Forces slang term “Jerry” for Germans. The jerry cans were born.
The new design retained the German handles, size, and shape. Very quickly, the American jerry cans became widely used by the US Army and Marine Corps units and served a crucial role in the outcome of WWII. President Roosevelt stated, “Without these cans, it would have been impossible for our armies to cut across France…”.
Today, jerry can is defined as a metal or plastic container. They’ve made their way around the world and are used in pretty much every country where individuals require extra fuel and water for different reasons.