The GMC CCKW, nicknamed the Jimmy, was a multi-purpose 4x4 truck that was used by the United States during World War II.
Description[]
It had a gasoline powered GMC 270 engine capable of propelling the vehicle at speeds of up to 72.4 km/h. The CCKW needed a crew of two and it had a 5 speed forward, 1 speed reverse transmission. The maximum number of people that the CCKW can carry is twelve.
The CCKW's length varied from 6.4 meters to 5.7 meters depending whether it had a winch or if it had a short wheelbase or a long wheelbase.[1] The weight of the GMC was about 2,267.9 kg and the height was 2.2 meters. The GMC had a fairly high ground clearance so it could navigate rough terrain and it also had a 151.4 liter supply of fuel. The GMC could even have a Browning M2HB mounted for protection.
Variants[]
There was a variety of different types of the GMC CCKW 353. These variants include a surgical van, a bomb service vehicle, a chemical service vehicle, a dump truck, and a fire engine.[2]
The water tanker could carry 700 gallons of water and the fuel tanker could carry 750 gallons of fuel. There was also a flatbed version and a water purification version. Some of these variants has their own subvariants and minor modifications made to them over the course of the war. An example of this is the change from the original steel bed to a wooden one and the canvas roof which was applied later on in the war.
History[]
The GMC 353 was initially developed in 1941 and quickly thrust into production following trials. Afterwards, it quickly became the US army's standard truck and saw service all around the European Theater be it in the Soviet Union or in France. 353's also served in great numbers in the Pacific, supplying US marines fighting there. Due to the different number of variants the GMC could carry manythings including supplies, troops, fuel, etc. Most notably, many of these supplies are what fueled Patton's third army to move across Europe and into Germany. Although, CCKWs were not only used in the Red Ball Express. In total around 800,000 353s were produced by the end of the war.[3]
References[]
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