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Application of the manufacturer codes on the Wehrmacht Kanister*.

*Based typewritten note, dated May 11, 1944 and signed by Ernst Merkens, the Director of the Schwelmer Eisenwerk Müller (Schwelmer Eisenwerk Albano-Müller Archives).

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To hide the war productions, the O.K.H - Oberkommando des Heeres - introduces a manufacturer code of three letters in each industry working for the Army.

The secret note, Az. 65 a Nr. 3437/41 (8/VIII) of January 15, 1941 signed by the department "Technisches Amt" of the "Reichsminister der Luftfahrt und Oberbefehlshaber der Luftwaffe", directs the implementation of this code.

The manufacturers :

- Dr. Ing. Boehme u. Co. - Lüdenscheid Werk Minden - dwc code,

- F. & R. Fischer A.-G. - Blech u. Mettallwarenfabrick - Göppingen - ebn code,

- Lippert & Arnold Metallwarenfabrik - Grünhain Sachsen - code evu,

- and unknow - das code,

run immediately upon publication and stamp their Wehrmacht Kanister of these three letters. Not considering this can as a weapon, the other manufacturers don't hurry up to introduce this code. Its popularity in the troops makes it an ideal advertising medium.

Also, F. & R. Fischer A.-G. and Lippert & Arnold Metallwarenfabrik stamp again their emblems that same year. The absence of unidentified manufacturer Kanister codified das, for the years 1942 and 1943, probably also indicates the abandonment of it for the benefit of a logo. Only dwc, sensitized by his manufacturing of firearms for the Landser continued the production under these three letters.

July 3, 1942, a new note Az. 63 h 9231, from "Beschaffungsstelle für Flughafenbau des Reichsluftfahrtministeriums - Abrufwesen 1o B 7" renews its establishment stating that the Wehrmacht Kanister is fully concerned. This second notification is no longer applied. Only the Schwelmer Eisenwerk Müller u. Co. and the Metallwerk Max Brose u. Co. delete on their logo the name of the city where is located their factory, respectively Schwelm and Coburg, in 1943.

Allied bombing in 1944 push the manufacturers to search anonymity and the three letters codes become effective on the majority of the Wehrmacht Kanister at this time.

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