| Full Name | G-501 Truck, 21⁄2-ton, 6 x 6, amphibian, GMC Model DUKW-353 |
| Class | Light Vehicle |
| Movement | 6 |
| Armor Value | 0 |
| Vs Infantry (RNG / FPR) | 0/0 |
| Vs Vehicle (RNG / FPR) | 0/0 |
| Traits | |
| Period | 1942-1945 |
| Theaters of Service |
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This is the six-wheel-drive amphibious modification of the 2½-ton General Motors Corporation (GMC) CCKW trucks. CCKW trucks were a highly successful series of off-road capable, 2 1⁄2-ton, 6x6 trucks, built in large numbers to a standardized design. About 572,500 of all CCKW variants were produced between 1939 and 1945, and they saw heavy service with the US armed services in all theaters. GMC's reference for this amphibious variant was ""DUKW,"" which came from the company's model nomenclature: ""D"" for designed in 1942; ""U"" for utility vehicle; ""K"" for all-wheel drive; and ""W"" for dual-tandem rear axles. GMC and subsidiaries produced 21,147 units between 1942 and 1945, and they served with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, in the Pacific and European theaters, the latter including the invasions of Sicily (1943) and Normandy (1944) and the push into Germany from the Normandy beachead. Some Allied countries acquired this vehicle via the Lend-Lease Program: Britain (2,000); Australia (535); and the Soviet Union (586). The vehicle transported goods and troops over land and water, and excelled at approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious warfare attacks. The type had a maximum speed of 50 mph.