1:35 Romanian WWII Jerry Cans (Pattern 1) open

Romanian first pattern containers with an exposed neck

Refueling in the field went on in Romanian units just as it did in every other army of the day: the column halted, the containers were lifted down from the bed, fuel was poured into the tank through a funnel and the empty pieces were handed back. Such a scene is among the most rewarding of subjects, because in it every figure has a clear job and the viewer grasps the story without explanation.

The rendition with the cap flipped open is the key to such a scene. A closed container comes across as mere cargo, whereas an open one shows at once what is going on. A pairing with the closed variant of the same pattern also lets the scene be graded: pieces lined up at the vehicle, one open in a hand and one set aside.

How to put the scene together

• A figure holding a container needs a tilt that matches the position of the hands.
• A spill mark under the neck of the tank comes in handy, or the scene looks far too tidy.
• Empty pieces stand more loosely and askew, full ones tend to be lined up.
• Romanian vehicles mixed with German ones in a column, so feel free to vary the equipment.

The accessory will find a use with armored vehicles as well as with the plain trucks that made up much of the Romanian supply effort. On the southern sector of the front in particular it is worth not being sparing with dust: a light deposit lightens the lower part of a container and the handprints on the neck then stand out all the more.

An exposed neck calls for somewhat more careful preparation, because paint easily clogs the recess and the shape is lost. A thinner application in coats will therefore serve better than one heavy coat. At the end a darker dot into the depth of the opening is enough and the part will look as though something were still left in it.