The "Duck"

[00:00:17]Hello everyone. I'm Johnny Johnson and today we're taking a look at the DUKW.

[00:00:22]But this DUKW is spelled with a W and fought in World War II and the Korean War.

[00:00:27]So let's take a look at it.

[00:00:31]The DUKW is a great name for this vehicle. It's a bit ungainly on land and in the water, but an impressive amphibious truck nonetheless.

[00:00:40]DUKW, or DUKW, represents the following.

[00:00:44]D is code for the 1942 production series. U is for utility. K indicates all-wheel drive.

[00:00:52]And W indicates tandem rear axles, both driven.

[00:00:57]Sometimes the US Navy and Marine Corps called them LVWs, or landing vehicle wheeled, but most everyone just calls them DUKWs.

[00:01:07]A remarkable 21,147 of these vehicles were built between 1942 and the end of 1945 by GMC.

[00:01:17]They would see surprisingly long service life around the world. France deployed DUKWs during the First Indochina War, with the French retiring their small fleet in 1982.

[00:01:29]Britain deployed DUKWs to Borneo in the 1960s and kept a handful of units used by the Royal Marines for training purposes up until 2012.

[00:01:39]DUKWs remain a well-loved vehicle in the civilian collectors world, but some conversions and dangerous use have resulted in deadly sinkings.

[00:01:50]The DUKW was specially designed as a support vehicle for units taking part in amphibious landings, essentially a supply truck and boat in one.

[00:01:59]The DUKW proved its worth early on in testing as during an Army demonstration, a United States Coast Guard patrol craft ran aground on a nearby sandbar.

[00:02:10]The experimental DUKW was the only vehicle that was up for the job during the incident where winds were up to 60 knots, but the DUKW performed well.

[00:02:22]The DUKW is built around the GMC 2 and 1/2 ton 6x6 truck, a highly successful truck also known as the Jimmy.

[00:02:30]The DUKW is powered by a GMC Model 270 straight-6 engine producing 91 horsepower. It has a five-speed transmission and a two-speed transfer case for the propeller.

[00:02:42]There is also a power take-off on the transmission for a winch and an air compressor.

[00:02:48]The DUKW could vary the tire pressure from inside the cab, novel for a World War II era vehicle.

[00:02:55]An empty weighs 13,000 lb and can travel 50 mph on the road or just over 6 mph in the water.

[00:03:03]Maximum speeds on the road are not recommended.

[00:03:07]The DUKW measures 31 ft long, 8 ft 3 in wide.

[00:03:12]It's 7 ft 2 in tall, not including its folding canvas top.

[00:03:18]The DUKW can carry 5,000 lb of payload or 24 troops. It can further tow light artillery pieces.

[00:03:26]DUKWs could be armed with a.50 caliber machine gun on a ring mount, which was typical for about one out of every four DUKWs.

[00:03:35]DUKWs were used in all theaters of war during World War II, in the Pacific, by the Soviets in the East, during D-Day, and in Africa.

[00:03:45]They were first used by an invasion force during the invasion of Sicily in July of 1943.

[00:03:51]They were further used in other small amphibious landings like the Battle of the Scheldt and Operation Plunder for crossing the Rhine.

[00:04:01]During the Korean War, hundreds of DUKWs were reactivated and deployed. They were used during the Battle of Pusan Perimeter and during the amphibious landings of Inchon to bring supplies to shore.

[00:04:14]DUKWs overall made an invaluable contribution to the war. They were highly successful at resupplying troops.

[00:04:20]They could dump cargo where it was needed inland and go back for more.

[00:04:24]They could further be loaded with injured men for their return trip.

[00:04:30]During the Normandy invasion, DUKWs transported roughly 40% of all supplies landed in the opening month.

[00:04:36]In the Pacific, they could navigate over coral reefs. Once on a beach, the DUKW could use its tire pressure system to deflate the tires for better traction, then reinflate them when needed. An external hose was also available.

[00:04:51]The largest downside of the DUKW was its low freeboard and narrow width relative to its length. If a DUKW was overloaded, it became dangerous. It could be swamped in rough water or high surf.

[00:05:03]And DUKWs did sink under these conditions.

[00:05:08]Bilge pumps were standard equipment and these could keep up with a few holes that could be made in the vehicle's thin sheet steel hull, which was not bulletproof.

[00:05:19]A few specialized DUKWs were created.

[00:05:21]This is the Swan featuring a 100-ft ladder with.303 machine guns at the top.

[00:05:27]It was designed to help troops scale high coastal cliffs on D-Day.

[00:05:31]But ultimately, difficulties on the beach meant they were not fully deployed.

[00:05:44]All All I'm Johnny. Thanks for watching this video on the duck.

[00:05:48]Feel free to fill any quacks in the information in the comment section. But most importantly, do take care. Have a nice rest of your day.