The penny pocket can opener was a well-known and useful piece of GI gear during the Second World War.
Far down on the list of important inventions essential to victory in the Second World War is a modest gadget built of stamped metal called the GI Pocket Can Opener—commonly known as the P-38 can opener.
The P-38, developed in 1942, is a small can opener issued with the canned field rations of the United States Armed Forces from the Second World War to the 1980s. Originally designed for and distributed in the K-ration, it was later included in the C-ration. As of 2020, it is still in production and sold worldwide.
First Use in Combat: In 1942 the P-38 was supplied to air force crews in emergency parachute or “bailout” rations.
The end run of the GI Pocket Can Opener came in the early 1980s when thus US Army declared C-Rations obsolete and began to manufacture the Meal, Ready to Eat (MRE), Vietnam War-era P-38 can opener. U.S. one cent coin is shown for size comparison.
The can opener is pocket-sized, approximately 1.5 inches (38 mm) long, and consists of a short metal blade that serves as a handle, with a small, hinged metal tooth that folds out to pierce the can lid.
To the left is a photo of a can opener from the late 1970’s with”Made in Canada” stamped on the opener. The “Individual Meal Pack” (IMP) appeared in the Canadian Forces in the 1980s, replacing canned rations known as the Individual Ration Pack (IRP).