German WW2 Fuel Tank

[Jack109]

Good day

 

I am writing regarding the German Fuel Tanks of WW2, as I don't understand how they worked exactly.

 

I know it should be very easy, but they have a kind of Valve in the center and I am struggling to identify the use...

 

I am doing a Diorama and I want to know how I should but the barrel if vertically or horizontally, while the figurine is filling it up or draining the fuel...

 

 

Thank you so much for your help

 

 

 

[Bullbasket]

I think that you need to be a bit more specific in your question. Are you talking about fuel tanks on vehicles, or static fuel tanks?

 

John.

[Jack109]

Sorry for the misunderstanding I mean Fuel Barrels / fuel drums

 

The external general puposes ones. WW2 era german used by Wermacht and Luftwaffe.

 

Thanks!

[Ade H]

Jack, I have a bookmarked thread from MM which may well be of use to you. http://www.militarymodelling.com/forums/postings.asp?th=67842

 

Be sure to check the links posted by Alan McKenzie in his post on page 2: the first one, especially, has some photos of barrels being used. You should also find the main point of the discussion very useful for accuracy.

 

Incidentally: Wehrmacht means armed forces; Heer means army.

[Jack109]

Thank you for the link I had a good read at that and found very useful indications. I am not sure yet Why the fuel barrel had a middle valve?

 

perhaps to reach better when the fuel level was low? did they use also a top valve on the drums?

 

I have few airfix figurine with a watering can or with pipes and I need to understand how to place them effectively... the only way is to understand the use of the different equipment..

 

Wehrmacht means army ok, but in the article say that the barrels they were marked differently.

quote :The 200 L drums were zinc colored and, depending on who used them, had Wehrmacht, Heer, Kriegsmarine, or Luftwaffe embossed into the lids and bottoms

[Ade H]

Knowing WWII German beauraucracy, I expect that the stamping may have come about according to which command ordered them: possibly, OKW (Oberkommando der Wehrmacht) had some responsibility in that area. I'm not certain. Regarding the middle valve, it could possibly have been an inspection valve. Just off the top of my head, though, that thought. Barrels for alcohol typically have such a thing, though for slightly different reasons!

Addendum: I just had another look at those photos at Missing Lynx and I can see one soldier using some device on the middle valve, but I'm not sure what he's doing.

Edited September 4, 2017 by Ade H

[JackG]

Interesting topic ... only a guess  on the the valve halfway down, it  is just another access  point to obtain the contents.  Just depends on how the barrel is stored, upright or on it's side.

 

 

-------------------------------------------

 

I think this is the photo in question, which is easy to answer - the person is pumping out the contents while the second person has the attached hose filling the smaller jerrycans.

 

 

Modern photo of the rotary style  hand pump:

 

edit, just went back and took a closer look at the ML links, and there was a statement made some barrels had no opening on the top/bottom, only the one halfway down the side.  That's pretty straight forward then why photos show the barrels being accessed whilst on their side.

 

regards,

Jack

 

 

Edited September 4, 2017 by JackG