Jerry Cans

From the point of fundamental engineering,the Jerry can came out on top,it was not designed with 90 degree corners as in a box petrol can,initially used by we,the British.

Therefore mechanical stresses were minimised at seams.In addition, corner seam sealing must have been a difficult task in the production of the box type tank.

You would never find a boiler drum design arranged as a box.Neither would you find a car fuel tank designed as a box with absolute 90 degree corners.

Machine consumption.A good comparison....the Churchill returned 4 gpm.I think the consumption for a Lancaster assuming max all up weight carried outward and load delivered for the homeward leg was reckoned to be 1 gpm. No doubt this statistic would be fine tuned as experience was gained by Flight Engineers.

The problem now is that some charged with the responsibility of fuel loading on aircraft have,in the past,become confused with gallons and litres.

Apologies for introducing the aviation dimension.Still, on forward operational airfields,RAF fighters/fighter..bombers had to depend on petrol flown in Jerry cans until better delivery schemes were established.

 

A Jerrycan, when full, was bloody heavy and was always carried in pairs, i.e. one in each hand.


20 litre Jerry Cans weigh 20 kg's when full.

 

The Red ball Route!
I saw an American Chevvy truck laden with Jerry cans of petrol coming up the hill at the rate of knots. The black fellow bent over the wheel, his eyes showing up.... Going like the clappers ...He never made the bend. The truck shot off the bend in the road down into a dip and burst into flames...We could do nothing to help.

The Red Ball Route.

I wonder if there are still Red ball signs hidden away in hedgerow's even today?

 

Andy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Goldstein
A Jerrycan, when full, was bloody heavy and was always carried in pairs, i.e. one in each hand.

20 litre Jerry Cans weigh 20 kg's when full.

Thanks for that ..... I knew they were weighty and I also remember that we did it at the double, if not it would have taken bloody hours !!!

Ron

 

I was told the Jerrican played havoc with the clerical system that recorded quantities of fuel because they held litres and not gallons - honest.

Jim

 

The Red ball Route!
I saw an American Chevvy truck laden with Jerry cans of petrol coming up the hill at the rate of knots. The black fellow bent over the wheel, his eyes showing up.... Going like the clappers ...He never made the bend. The truck shot off the bend in the road down into a dip and burst into flames...We could do nothing to help.

The Red Ball Route.

I wonder if there are still Red ball signs hidden away in hedgerow's even today?

I've read that the Red Ball drivers had a lot of their guys killed when they fell asleep at the wheel after driving multiple days without rest. Accidents were especially prevalent at night when driving with reduced or no lights in convoys. I wish I could find statistics on their causalities.

Ike said that some of his most valuable equipment was the 2 1/2 truck, the C-47 and the bulldozer.

Dave

 

Dave
I've read that the Red Ball drivers had a lot of their guys killed when they fell asleep at the wheel after driving multiple days without rest. Accidents were especially prevalent at night when driving with reduced or no lights in convoys. I wish I could find statistics on their causalities.

I know we were originally talking about Jerry Cans but your mention of accidents caused by lack of sleep reminded me instantly of an oft-told tale of mine concerning that very subject.

The campaign in Sicily lasted only a month and at the closing stages when we were moving up towards Messina I had my first serious flirtation with death. As I have already mentioned, I was part of a crew of three wireless ops, and for my sins I had been made the official driver.
In theory the driving was supposed to be split three ways but in practice the other two lads were happy to drive during daylight but disappeared into the back of the truck when night fell.
On this particular occasion I was driving without lights along a mountain road between Patti and Messina, with the sea on my left. I had been without sleep for several days and the strain of following a tiny light on the differential of the truck in front finally mesmerised me to such an extent that I literally fell asleep on the road.
The first thing I knew was this G-d Almighty crash and I automatically stamped on the foot brake and applied the hand brake. I then attempted to take stock of the situation and found the following:
1. I had run off the road towards the sea but had been halted by a telegraph pole.
2. The impact had been such that I had literally run UP the pole and my bonnet was pointing skyward.
3. It was impossible to tell at that stage what was going to happen if and when I released the hand brake.
4. Peter and Danny, my crew-mates at the back had woken and were demanding to know what the hell was going on.
Fortunately the fates smiled on me that night and when we had unloaded the back of the truck of its occupants and moveable gear I was able to release the brake, the truck slid down the pole, while Peter and Dave hung on to the tail to ensure that it did not slip seaward. We waited until the REME (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers) sergeant caught up with us and then with only light repairs were able to drive on.

Ron

 

Andy

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Goldstein
A Jerrycan, when full, was bloody heavy and was always carried in pairs, i.e. one in each hand.



Thanks for that ..... I knew they were weighty and I also remember that we did it at the double, if not it would have taken bloody hours !!!

Ron

Been there and done that resupplying a hill top site in Kosovo, almost broke my back. I also used the black plastic fresh water ones for PT when I was a PTI.

 

20 litre Jerry Cans weigh 20 kg's when full.


Actually they are lighter - can is 4.76kgs

Petrol density varies depending on temperature - better off in the North Africa than North West Europe - density is about 740 to 750 gms per litre and lighter still if leaded petrol.

So a full jerry can comes out pretty light at around 18.6 kgs!

 

Drew
What;s that in real money....we had a plane come down into a disused airfield near Winnipeg once as the Fuel guys got mixed up with gallons and litres ,,,,,but then - they were from Quebec

ZA - being the w/op in a Churchill meant I had to stand most of the way - and on bailing out one day the second 88 round went through my spot in the turret ....so just call me lucky ...
Cheers

 

20 litre Jerry Cans weigh 20 kg's when full.

That may be true of water but fuel is lighter, it may not be significantly different but it makes a difference when loading pack fuel on a wagon.

SG of diesel 0.82 so 20L of diesel is 16.4 kg
SG of petrol (depends on type) averages around 0.74 so 20L of petrol is 14.8 kg

 

Well they felt like they weighed 20kg's when I was unloading 300 odd cans from a DAF in a -30 degree blizzard on some remote hillside

 

As I recall - it took around 45 jerry cans of fuel to fill both tanks of the Churchill Tank -and it took four men - two on the truck - two on the tanks - and the truck driver "supervising- Tank Commander at order group ....even then we had to changeover as the two on the truck had to lift and carry each one !

As the Churchill only did four gallons to the mile - ( yes that's right - 4 GPM ) - it had to be refilled every day - we had muscles in our eyebrows even- then the guns had to be cleaned - and the clutch- brakes - steering brakes etc adjusted and engine cleaned- tracks checked - bogies greased - THEN go and fight
I don't know where the time went

Cheers

Tom,

Was this the typical method for re-fueling? Did you not have tanker trucks as well?

 

Drew
ZA - being the w/op in a Churchill meant I had to stand most of the way - and on bailing out one day the second 88 round went through my spot in the turret ....so just call me lucky ...
Cheers

See? You're complaining again! You should be thankful for that body building exercise Army provided you free of charge (joke not to be taken litterally, of course, I won't ask about the others who did not jump out in time.)

That may be true of water but fuel is lighter, it may not be significantly different but it makes a difference when loading pack fuel on a wagon.

SG of diesel 0.82 so 20L of diesel is 16.4 kg
SG of petrol (depends on type) averages around 0.74 so 20L of petrol is 14.8 kg

Yes, but add to that the actual weight of the empty can. Total weight = weight of contained + weight of container! Now what the weight of an empty jerrycan is I don't know, but remember the thing is made of sheet steel, not air.

 

I wasn't going to introduce specific gravities into the discussion ....honestly.

But one point about the S.G of pure water being 1.0.anything lower in SG than this will float on water.

However with the simplicity of the metric system,a litre of water weighs 1 kg and it becomes very simple for logistics that 1000 litres of water weighs 1 metric ton,ie a tonne and its volume (at normal temperature and pressure) is one metric cubed.

When I used to consider loading on a heavily loaded car (using the imperial system.) I always reckoned a gallon of petrol to weigh 10 lbs (as pure water).Not entirely correct but sufficient to eer on the safe side.Now I cannot afford to fill up.

As regards the loading on the human body,the same approach to assuming the approximate weight of jerry cans and the like cannot be regarded as anything but commonsense.

Handling seawater,somewhat different,being heavier than pure water and having a S.G of 1.025. Very important in the consideration into carrying ship's ballast.

Increase the salt in water and its SG, as that in the Dead Sea will support the human body and it will float.

Jerry cans and the like would have the capacity and tare weight stencilled on the casing.

 

See? You're complaining again! You should be thankful for that body building exercise Army provided you free of charge (joke not to be taken litterally, of course, I won't ask about the others who did not jump out in time.)



Yes, but add to that the actual weight of the empty can. Total weight = weight of contained + weight of container! Now what the weight of an empty jerrycan is I don't know, but remember the thing is made of sheet steel, not air.

Having humped a jerrican of water (heavier than diesel or petrol) up a scottish mountain, I agree with the earlier poster who said they were bloody heavy!

Chris

 

Canuck -
Fuel Tankers ? - 1944 - British Army - close to the front line - you have to be joking- we were just glad they weren't flimsies where you you WORE most of the fuel-

ZA - perfectly true that it was great way to build the body - and as you say - for free-
didn't last though as my muscles have long gone and I am only 87 !

Cheers

 

Canuck -

thinking about it - we did have water tankers with half a dozen spigots on the rear pipe- as i recall that one day we pulled out of a battle to refuel etc - and new driver came haring up to us - dust miles high- which Jerry promptly threw some nebelwerfers - but no where near us - but the new driver didn't understand this and went haring off
with four spigots open thus laying the dust - which he should have operated on his way up to us - then the fuel truck arrived - we pointed the Tank downhill - and the Co-driver loosed the hand brake - we got another Tank the next day ...it was one hell of a day !

Cheers

 

Yes, but add to that the actual weight of the empty can. Total weight = weight of contained + weight of container! Now what the weight of an empty jerrycan is I don't know, but remember the thing is made of sheet steel, not air.

Google gives an answer of 4.3Kg for an empty 20l can.
You could guestimate this, if the steel is 0.9mm thick, but I'm too thick.
So Drew is pretty close.

 

Canuck -
Fuel Tankers ? - 1944 - British Army - close to the front line - you have to be joking- we were just glad they weren't flimsies where you you WORE most of the fuel-

ZA - perfectly true that it was great way to build the body - and as you say - for free-
didn't last though as my muscles have long gone and I am only 87 !

Cheers

Thanks for that Tom but I'm still not getting it. A truckload of Jerry cans seems to be at the same risk as a tanker but much less efficient. Was it the ability to store fuel in small lots that made the Jerry can the preferred choice?