1:35 Vyhořelé kanystry - GB WWII

The British container and its road to the jerrycan

British units went into the field with a four-gallon tin that was nicknamed the flimsy for its thin sheet metal. It usually lasted one journey, it leaked and in the desert a considerable part of the contents was lost from it. Only the experience from Africa led to the adoption of a sturdy pressed container with three handles, following the pattern captured from the enemy. Both forms occurred side by side at wrecks and on material dumps, so a scene with charred containers can also convey how long a unit has already been in the field.

The package holds ten jerrycans supplied in a blister.

Depth in small relief

A pressed container has pronounced embossing on the side that gave it rigidity, and it is precisely that which decides the final impression. After the base color, apply a very thin dark wash and let it run into the grooves; wipe the surplus off with a cloth drawn over your finger with a stroke from top to bottom, so that a vertical hint of running stays on the flat areas. Then pull out the edges of the embossing with a dry brush in a lighter shade. The contrast between the dark bottom of the groove and the light edge creates a depth that the casting alone cannot give at such a small scale.

Do not throw the blister away at once, not until you have counted the pieces and checked whether any of them has a damaged handle.

Do not unify the pieces in color. The containers came from different deliveries and after months in the field they differed in shade and in the degree of wear, so a small variation between the individual jerrycans will only benefit the scene and rule out the impression of a batch painted in one go.