DUKW
The DUKW (colloquially known as Duck) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification of the 2-ton capacity CCKW trucks used by the U.S. military in World War II. Designed by a partnership under military auspices of Sparkman & Stephens and General Motors Corporation (GMC), the DUKW was used for the transportation of goods and troops over land and water. Excelling at approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious warfare attacks, it was intended only to last long enough to meet the demands of combat. Surviving DUKWs have since found popularity as tourist craft in marine environments.
Type | Amphibious transport |
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Place of origin | United States |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | GMC |
Produced | 1942–1945 |
Number built | 21,147 |
Specifications | |
Weight | 6.5 short tons (5.9 t) empty |
Length | 31 ft (9.45 m) |
Width | 8 ft 27/8 in (2.50 m) |
Height | 7 ft 1.375 in (2.17 m) without ring mount |
Crew | 1 |
|
|
Armor | none |
Main
armament |
Ring mount for machine gun fitted to all DUKWs, 25% equipped with .50 Browning machine guns |
Engine | GMC 6-cylinder 269 cid 94 hp |
Power/weight | 14 hp/tonne |
Payload capacity | 2.5 short tons (2.3 t) or 12 troops |
Suspension | Leaf |
Operational
range |
400 mi (640 km) at 35 mph (56 km/h) on road, 50 nmi (93 km; 58 mi) on water |
Speed | 50 mph (80 km/h) on road, 5.5 kn (10.2 km/h; 6.3 mph) on water |