Why Did German Wartime Canisters Have Three Handles?

[timmardon]

It is called a 'Jerry can' to this day!! Gerry was a nick name for Germans

[BentRebar]

You missed the main reason the Jerry Can has three handles. It can be very easily passed from one person to another when loading, unloading, or in a "fire brigade" line.

[deanwalsh]

The germans are thinkers and great designers.

[davidinsvaz]

it is also a air tube to stop a vacuum forming during pouring. That was the improvement over all previous allied designs.

[ohdoggy]

There is a cavity in the tank that sits higher than the lid, this is to trap air so that the canister will float if they were to ever end up in water while still full

[jameshayden]

They were Brilliant in designing their Ammo Cans with the Handles as well.

[StarkIller-dfgw]

Still the best Jerry cans you can get. The design hasn't been bettered as you cant beat perfection! 👌

[Andreas.Pfisterer]

Sometimes, genius doesn’t show itself in grand inventions, but in small, well-thought-out details – like the German 20-liter jerrycan. Three handles – not a design gimmick, but pure function: one for solo carrying, two for carrying with a buddy, or even multiple cans in one hand. Robust, stackable, perfectly balanced.

Engineered in 1937 by German minds, copied around the world. Why? Because it simply works.

That’s German genius: sober, practical, efficient. No glitter, no drama – just engineering that serves its purpose. And often, better than anything else.

[paulmartinez]

Let's just give it to them.Their geniuses and their engineers!

[NetshadeX]

Still the best looking military uniforms ever. That helmet is some Darth Vader level s**t

[rogerdewhurst]

Yes. The Jerry Can. Lots of them in the UK after WW2. We had several

[Demrezel]

Those canisters are amazing, every detail has a functional purpose not only the handle.

[jondoes]

And I use fuel cans like this for my race car. Not only are they ideal for transporting fuel, but they are a metal non translucent container to prevent the degradation of the race fuel. .

[AHman]

Those German cans are perfection. There's a company even making them today called wavian or something like that. They're expensive but high quality.

[censusgary]

When I was a kid in the 1970s, big square cans like those were still called “Jerry cans, ” although most (in America) were not made in Germany. Yes, it was a good design. They were stackable, reusable, easy to tie to the outside of jeeps and trucks, usable as substitute building blocks, and an efficient use of materials. They’ve been replaced by plastic containers now, but Jerry cans were better in several ways.

[imdeplorable]

I have 3 Jerry cans by Midwest Can. Made by Wavian in Latvia. Harbor Freight $65.
The seam is recessed, making it less likely to rust and split.
Coated on the inside, so it won't rust (ethanol absorbs water).
The Chinese version has a protruding seam and bare metal (rust) on the inside.

[JR-bjuf]

The handle design also aided in the placement and stacking of can adding strength and rigidity.

[enorym]

German engineering, astounding ingenuity, Over a decade of conceptual continuity

[diogenesofgermany]

One of the major point is that they were designed to be stackable! Three-handle design not just for carrying, but also to help stabilize them when stacking. You could safely stack 3-4 high in vehicles without them shifting too much.

[RonnyKressner]

Unsere Kanister waren so gut das sie immernoch so aussehen 😂.
Gute Dinge muss man nicht ändern nur weil sie alt sind...MG 42 oder Kochgeschirr usw. Das einzige was ich nicht verstehe warum wir keine Stielhandgranaten mehr haben.
Haben damit früher geübt und damit ging es genauer und vorallem weiter als mit jeder Eierhandgranate.