in a distinct matte black. In 1910, the aluminum handle was replaced with one of galvanised iron, as aluminum often got hot in the soldiers' hands. The 1908 model was in production until 1940. In 1931, the Reichswehr made the bottom smaller, holding only 3/4 liter. With only very minor changes, this model remained in service with the German military (both East and West) as well as with the German disaster relief services (THW), which were painted grey. They were mainly used in conjunction with a folding Esbit stove, which, when folded, could store Esbit pellets and occupy a very small area. The German mess kit was usually held together with a leather strap, which was used to fasten the mess kit to the soldier's bread bag in combat order or assault pack of the webbing equipment in marching order. The Japanese Army enlisted men's mess kit, or han gō differed from other armies' mess kits in several respects. No attempt was made to conform the han gō to the Japanese one-liter M-94 oval water bottle, which was larger than that issued to the armies of some other nations. The han gou consisted of a brown kidney-shaped, oval-bottomed, heavy-gauge aluminum rice cooker pot with lid, containing a soup pot, lid, and tray stored inside the pot. All of the lids also doubled as serving trays for side dishes of pickled vegetables or other items. With its thick-gauge aluminum construction and individual serving trays, the han gou was ideal for cooking rice, fish, stews, and vegetables (frequently obtained from local sources). A simplified model, the Ro, was introduced later in the war, which lacked the soup pot insert. A few hours before darkness, Japanese soldiers would supplement their rice and other rations by catching fish, collecting peppers and legumes, then cooking them over open fires or cans of jellied alcohol. The han gō also facilitated food service to men feeding individually or in small groups (while on operations, the Japanese Army did not generally use large field kitchens and messes capable of feeding company-size or larger units). In addition to its usefulness as a cooking vessel, the han gō was useful for storing and reheating rice. It was later adopted by many members of the Chinese Army which had captured Japanese equipment, and later, by the Viet Minh. Finnish The Finnish Defence Forces mess kit (kenttäkeittoastia or kenttäpakki) is almost identical