DUKW

The DUKW, commonly called a Duck, is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck developed by General Motors for the United States during World War II. Designed to move cargo and personnel from ships directly onto beaches, it combined a conventional GMC CCKW 2.5-ton truck chassis with a watertight hull and a rear propulsion system for water.

The name DUKW derives from its designation: D for 1942, U for utility, K for all-wheel drive, and W for water. The vehicle could carry about 5,000 pounds (approximately 2.3 metric tons) of cargo and could operate on land with its 6x6 drive and in water via a stern-mounted propeller and a steering rudder. It used the same gasoline engine as the CCKW family.

Production and service began in 1942, with General Motors’ GMC division manufacturing thousands of units for U.S. and Allied forces. The DUKW saw widespread use in amphibious operations across both European and Pacific theaters, serving in logistics, supply, and casualty evacuation roles during beach landings and subsequent inland advances.

Postwar, many DUKWs were sold as surplus and adapted for civilian uses, including construction, firefighting, tourism, and various utility roles. Surviving examples are maintained in museums and private collections, and the vehicle remains a recognizable symbol of Allied amphibious warfare. Variants were mostly minor refinements rather than fundamentally different designs, with production focusing on reliability and ease of manufacture for wartime needs.