NationMaster - Encyclopedia: DUKW

The DUKW (popularly pronounced DUCK) is a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck that was originally designed inside General Motors Corporation during World War II for transporting goods and troops over land and water and for use approaching and crossing beaches in amphibious attacks. DUKW on a road during World War II. From http://www. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Military vehicles are commonly armoured to withstand the impact of shrapnel, bullets or shells, protecting the soldiers inside from enemy fire. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1119x883, 156 KB) Description: DUKW amphibious truck. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1119x883, 156 KB) Description: DUKW amphibious truck. ... Image File history File linksMetadata DUKW_BOSTON.jpgâ€Ž DUKW converted into a tour bus for the famous Boston Duck Tour. ... Image File history File linksMetadata DUKW_BOSTON.jpgâ€Ž DUKW converted into a tour bus for the famous Boston Duck Tour. ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area - City 232. ... An amphibious vehicle is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water - just like an amphibian. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... It has been suggested that Landing operation be merged into this article or section. ...

Description

The DUKW was designed by Rod Stephens Jr. of Sparkman & Stephens Inc. yacht designers, Dennis Puleston, a British deep water sailor, and Frank W. Speir, an ROTC Lieutenant out of MIT. Developed by the National Defense Research Committee and the Office of Scientific Research and Development, it was initially rejected by the armed services. When a United States Coast Guard patrol craft ran aground on a sandbar near Provincetown, Massachusetts, an experimental DUKW happened to be in the area for a demonstration. Winds up to 60 knots (110 km/h), rain, and heavy surf prevented conventional craft from rescuing the seven stranded Coast Guardsmen, but the DUKW had no trouble, and the military opposition melted. The DUKW would later prove its seaworthiness by crossing the English Channel. Sparkman & Stephens is firm of yacht designers based in New York, USA. They achieved great success in the middle of the twentieth century, particularly for their racing yachts. ... The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) is a training program of the United States armed forces present on college campuses to recruit and educate commissioned officers. ... MapÃºa Institute of Technology (MIT, MapÃºaTech or simply MapÃºa) is a private, non-sectarian, Filipino tertiary institute located in Intramuros, Manila. ... In June of 1940, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC) to coordinate, supervise, and conduct scientific research on the problems underlying the development, production, and use of mechanisms and devices of warfare. ... In June of 1941, the Office of Scientific Research and Development (OSRD) superseded the committee structure [of the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC)]. The OSRD projects gave the United States and Allied troops more powerful and more accurate bombs, more reliable detonators, lighter and more accurate weapons, safer and more... USCG HH-65 Dolphin USCG HH-60J JayHawk The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is at all times a branch of the United States armed forces a maritime law enforcement agency, and a federal regulatory body. ... Nickname: Location in Barnstable County in Massachusetts Coordinates: , Country State County Barnstable County Settled 1700 Incorporated 1727 Government - Type Open town meeting - Town Manager Sharon Lynn Area - Town 17. ... Satellite view of the English Channel The English Channel (French: , the sleeve) is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that separates the island of Great Britain from northern France and joins the North Sea to the Atlantic. ...

The DUKW prototype was built around the cab over engine (COE) six-wheel-drive military truck GMC ACKWX (a COE version of the GMC CCKW), with the addition of a watertight hull and a propeller. The final production design was based on the CCKW. The vehicle was built by the GMC division of General Motors (called Yellow Truck and Coach at the beginning of the war). It was powered by a GMC Straight-6 engine of 270 in³ (4.416 L). The DUKW weighed 7.5 tons and operated at 6.4 mph (10 km/h) on water and 50-55 mph (80 km/h) on land. It was 31 feet (9.3 m) long, 8.25 feet (2.4 m) wide, and 8.8 feet (2.6 m) high with the folding-canvas top up. More than 21,000 were manufactured. It was not an armored vehicle, being plated with sheet steel between 1/16" and 1/8" thick to minimize weight. A high capacity bilge pump system kept the DUKW afloat if the thin hull was breached by holes up to a couple inches in diameter. A cab-over garbage truck A cab-over dump truck Cab-over is a body style of a truck that has a vertical front or flat face, with the cab of the truck siting on top of the engine. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... GMC as a marque really only owned two engine designs, this straight-6 and a V8. ... A bilge pump is a pump to remove bilge water. ...

The DUKW was the first vehicle to allow the driver to vary the tire pressure from inside the cab, an accomplishment of Speir's device. The tires could be fully inflated for hard surfaces such as roads and less inflated for softer surfaces—especially beach sand. This added to the DUKW's great versatility as an amphibious vehicle. This feature is now standard on many military vehicles.

Nomenclature

The designation as a DUKW is not a military pun - the name comes from the terminology used for military vehicles in World War II; the D indicates a vehicle designed in 1942, the U meant "utility (amphibious)", the K indicated all-wheel drive and the W indicated two powered rear axles. Although technically a misnomer, DUKWs are often referred to as duck boats. Another popular nickname was old magoo or simply magoo. Though the origin of this term remains unknown, it probably refers to the odd shape of the vehicle. For other uses, see Pun (disambiguation). ... Year 1942 (MCMXLII) was a common year starting on Thursday (the link will display the full 1942 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Four wheel drive or 4x4, is a type of four wheeled vehicle drivetrain configuration that enables all four wheels to receive power from the engine simultaneously in order to provide maximum traction. ...

Service history

The DUKW was used in landings in the Pacific, in North Africa, and on the D-Day beaches of Normandy. With the enemy holding all available ports, DUKWs carried 18 million tons of supplies ashore in the 90 days following the landing. For other uses, see Pacific War (disambiguation). ... Northern Africa (UN subregion) geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Africa. ... Land on Normandy In military parlance, D-Day is a term often used to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. ... Flag of Normandy Normandy (in French: Normandie, and in Norman: Normaundie) is a geographical region in northern France. ...

Post-War use

In the latter '40s and throughout the '50s, while Speir, now Project Engineer for the Army's Amphibious Warfare Program, worked on 'bigger and better' Amphibious vehicles such as the 'Super Duck,' the 'Drake' and the mammoth BARC (Barge, Amphibious, Resupply, Cargo), a good many DUKWs were surplussed and put to good use as amphibious rescue vehicles by fire departments and even, coming full circle, by various Coast Guard stations. ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1282, 571 KB) A DUKW on a 75 minute tourist trip around London. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (1800x1282, 571 KB) A DUKW on a 75 minute tourist trip around London. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... // Sociological concept In social sciences, superstructure is the set of socio-psychological feedback loops that maintain a coherent and meaningful structure in a given society, or part thereof. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links Metadata No higher resolution available. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1067 KB) Summary A DUKW on a tour of London, in the Thames just before landing at Vauxhall. ... ImageMetadata File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1067 KB) Summary A DUKW on a tour of London, in the Thames just before landing at Vauxhall. ... Several places exist with the name Thames, and the word is also used as part of several brand and company names Most famous is the River Thames in England, on which the city of London stands Other Thames Rivers There is a Thames River in Canada There is a Thames... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Katrina_ready. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Katrina_ready. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Location of Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin Lower Dells Intersection between Downtown & The Strip Wisconsin Dells is a city located in south-central Wisconsin, in the United States. ... A US Army photo of a LARC-LX at sea. ...

Several were used by abalone fisherman of San Luis Obispo County California to take their catch right off the boats and directly to market, neatly combining the two steps of off-loading onto smaller craft, and then transferring to trucks once they reached the beach. Official language(s) English Capital Sacramento Largest city Los Angeles Largest metro area Greater Los Angeles Area Ranked 3rd - Total 158,302 sq mi (410,000 kmÂ²) - Width 250 miles (400 km) - Length 770 miles (1,240 km) - % water 4. ...

Britain's Royal Marines still keep a small number of these vehicles for training purposes in Scotland. The Royal Marines (RM), are the Royal Navys elite fighting forces. ...

In the 1950's the USSR copied the DUKW and the Zavod Imeni Likhacheva factory started producing the ZiL-485 know also as BAW (russian. большой автомобиль водоплавающий). Production was stopped in 1962. Zavod Imeni Likhacheva More commonly called ZIL (or ZiL, Russian: Ð—Ð°Ð²Ð¾Ð´ Ð¸Ð¼ÐµÐ½Ð¸ Ð›Ð¸Ñ…Ð°Ñ‡Ñ‘Ð²Ð° (Ð—Ð¸Ð›) â€” Likhachev Factory) is a major Russian truck and heavy equipment manufacturer, which also produced armored cars for most Soviet leaders, as well as buses, armored fighting vehicles, and aerosans. ... Year 1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Whenever a natural disaster or an emergency situation occurs, DUKWs are well equipped for the land and water rescue efforts. One particular duck built in 1945 was loaned to a fire department during the Great Flood of 1993 and in 2005, the vehicle spent 10 days rescuing survivors from Hurricane Katrina. The DUKW maneuvered through flood waters, transporting victims from their rooftops to helicopter pads setup throughout New Orleans. The Great Flood of 1993 was a major flood that occurred in the American Midwest, along the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, and their tributaries, from April to October of 1993. ... This article is about the Atlantic hurricane of 2005. ... For other uses, see Helicopter (disambiguation). ... New Orleans is the largest city in the state of Louisiana, United States of America. ...

Although DUKWs were used predominantly for the military, many were used by civilians organizations such as police departments, fire stations and rescue units.

Tourist attraction

Many DUKWs are still in use, as well as modern, purpose-built, amphibious tour buses, primarily as tourist transport in harbor and river cities, such as Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Memphis, Boston, Miami, London, and Singapore. One well-established tour operator in the United States is Ride the Ducks. â€œTouristâ€ redirects here. ... City nickname: The Steel City Location in the state of Pennsylvania Founded 1758 Mayor Tom Murphy (Dem) Area - Total - Water 151. ... Flag Seal Nickname: Monument City, Charm City, Mob Town, B-more Motto: Get In On It (formerly The City That Reads and The Greatest City in America; BELIEVE is not the official motto but rather a specific campaign) Location Location of Baltimore in Maryland Coordinates , Government Country State County United... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... For other uses, see Memphis (disambiguation). ... Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area - City 232. ... This article is about the city in Florida. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into DUKW#Post-War use. ...

Duck tours, whether using actual DUKWs or modern amphibious tour buses, are generally light-hearted, with drivers frequently wearing outlandish hats or costumes, and onboard PA systems frequently outfitted with humorous sound effects.

The Boston Red Sox celebrated their 2004 World Series victory with a parade of 17 DUKWs carrying members of the team over land and across the Charles River. The Seafair Pirates in Seattle use a DUKW modified to look like a Spanish Galleon as their primary means of amphibious transport. Major league affiliations American League (1901â€“present) East Division (1969â€“present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 1, 4, 8, 9, 27, 42 Name Boston Red Sox (1908â€“present) Boston Americans (1901-1907) Other nicknames The BoSox, The Olde Towne Team, The Sox Ballpark Fenway Park (1912â€“present) Huntington Avenue Baseball Grounds... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ... The Charles River from the Boston side, facing Cambridge and the main campus of Harvard University. ... The Seattle Seafair Pirates are a voluntary group of people that was started in 1949 by the members of the Washington State Press Club. ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area - Total - Land - Water - % water 369. ... A Spanish galleon. ...

Almost all have been repainted, and given modern diesel engines and enclosed tops, making them more resemble conventional buses. Most require a bus-type Public Service Vehicle license and a passenger-use boat license. To licence or grant licence is to give permission. ...

Trivia

A DUKW is central to the 2000 AD story Disaster 1990, in which the lead character, London hardman Bill Savage liberates one from a war museum to survive a futuristic flooded Britain. Cover of the first issue of 2000 AD, 26 February 1977. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Invasion! (2000 AD). ...

See also

An amphibious vehicle is a vehicle or craft, that is a means of transport, viable on land as well as on water - just like an amphibian. ... Remains of Mulberry B at Arromanches A Mulberry Harbour was a type of temporary harbour developed in World War II to offload cargo on a beach during the Allied invasion of Normandy. ... Tourist trolley in Monrovia, California. ... A Terrapin can be seen on the left during the Battle of the Scheldt in the Netherlands, 1944. ...

External links

Categories: Amphibious vehicles | Soft-skinned vehicles | Landing craft | World War II military vehicles Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... An armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a military vehicle, equipped with protection against hostile attacks and often mounted weapons. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The M2 Light Tank was an American pre-World War II light tank. ... The Light Tank M3 was an American light tank of World War II in use with British and Commonwealth forces prior to the entry of the USA into the European theatre. ... The Light Tank (Airborne) M22 was an American design of airmobile light tank used during the Second World War by the British forces, who gave it the name Locust. ... The Light Tank M24 was an American light tank used during World War II and in postwar conflicts including the Korean War. ... The Marmon-Herrington CTLS was a US light tank produced for the export market at the start of the Second World War. ... The M2 Medium Tank was a US tank that was produced in small numbers at the start of the Second World War by the Rock Island Arsenal. ... The Medium Tank M3 was an American tank used during World War II. In Britain the tank was called General Lee named after General Robert E. Lee, and its modified version built to British specification, with a new turret, was called General Grant named after General Ulysses S. Grant. ... The M4 Sherman was the primary tank produced by the United States for its own use and the use of its Allies during World War II. Production of the M4 Medium tank exceeded 50,000 units, and its chassis served as the basis for thousands of other armored vehicles such... The Heavy Tank M26 Pershing was an American tank used during World War II and the Korean War. ... A U.S. M109A6 Paladin self-propelled howitzer Self-propelled artillery (also called mobile artillery or locomotive artillery) vehicles are a way of giving mobility to artillery. ... The Howitzer Motor Carriage M7 was an American self-propelled artillery vehicle produced during World War II. It was given the official nickname Priest in British service, due to the pulpit like machine gun ring and following on from the Bishop self propelled gun. ... The 75 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage M8 was a self-propelled howitzer vehicle of the United States developed during the Second World War. ... The M12 Gun Motor Carriage was a US self propelled gun developed during the Second World War. ... The 155 mm Gun Motor Carriage M40 was a US self-propelled artillery vehicle built on a widened and lengthened Medium Tank M4A3 chassis but with Continental engine and with HVSS that was introduced at the end of the Second World War. ... The 75-mm Gun Motor Carriage M3 was a United States TD (Tank Destroyer) and self-propelled artillery piece of the Second World War. ... The Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armoured vehicle used by the United States and its allies during World War II and the Cold War. ... The T34 Calliope was a tank-mounted rocket launcher used by the United States Army during World War II. The launcher was mounted atop the M4 Sherman tank and fired a barrage of 4. ... A self-propelled anti-tank gun, or tank destroyer, is a type of armoured fighting vehicle. ... The 37-mm Gun Motor Carriage M6 was a United States wheeled TD (Tank Destroyer) of the Second World War. ... The M10 Gun Motor Carriage known as Wolverine in British service was a US tank destroyer of World War II. // Usage American doctrine planned for tank destroyers to engage enemy tanks while tanks were used principally to support infantry. ... The 76mm Gun Motor Carriage M18 was an American tank destroyer of World War II. It was often given the nickname Hellcat and is recorded as being the fastest tracked armored fighting vehicle during the war, and for a while after that. ... M36 during the Battle of the Bulge in January, 1945 The Gun Motor Carriage M36 was an American tank destroyer in World War II. It was often referred to as the Jackson or Slugger. ... M3 Half-track A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels on the front for steering, and caterpillar tracks on the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. ... The M2 Half Track Car was an armoured vehicle used by the United States during World War II. // History The half-track design had been evaluated by the US Ordance department using Citreon-Kegresse vehicles. ... The Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armoured vehicle used by the United States and its allies during World War II and the Cold War. ... The M2 Half Track Car was an armoured vehicle used by the United States during World War II. // History The half-track design had been evaluated by the US Ordance department using Citreon-Kegresse vehicles. ... The Landing Vehicle Tracked (LVT) was an amphibious vehicle used by the United States Navy, Marine Corps and Army during World War II. It was widely known as amphtrack, amtrak, amtrac etc. ... A Rolls Royce armoured car 1920 pattern Railway shop workers built this vehicle for use by the Danish resistance movement near the end of World War II. For tracked, armored military vehicles, see Armored fighting vehicle. ... The M8 Greyhound was a 6x6 armored car produced by the Ford Motor Company during the Second World War. ... The M3 Scout Car was one of the most important, although less heard of, vehicles in U.S. service during World War II. It was used in a similar fashion to the Jeep. ... The M20 Armored Utility Car, also known as the M20 Scout Car, was an M8 with the turret removed. ... The T17 Staghound was a heavy American 4x4 armoured car, produced during the Second World War. ... The T18 Boarhound was an American heavy armoured car produced in small numbers for the British Army during the Second World War. ... The M38 Wolfhound was a 6x6 US armoured car produced in 1944 by the Chevrolet division of General Motors. ... The M6 Heavy Tank was an American heavy tank designed during World War II. The tank was produced in small numbers and never saw combat. ... The T28 (later called 105 mm Gun Motor Carriage T95) was a prototype heavily armoured tank destroyer, designed for the US Military during the Second World War. ... The T14 Heavy Tank was a joint project between the United States and the United Kingdom. ... The Heavy Tank T29 was an American tank project started in March 1944 to counter the new German tanks. ... The Heavy Tank T30 was an American tank project developed to counter new German tanks. ... The Medium Tank T20 was part of a series of medium tanks designed by the United States during the Second World War, to be the successor to the Medium Tank M4, and culminated in the M27. ... The T7 Combat Car was a prototype small armored car produced by Holabird Quartermaster Depot for the US Army in 1930. ... The Universal Carrier, usually known as a Bren Gun Carrier (even when it was not carrying a Bren), was a small, tracked British-designed military vehicle, used widely by Allied forces during World War II. Universal Carriers were usually used for transporting personnel and equipment, mostly support weapons, or as... The T27 was a prototype armored car developed for the US Army in 1944 by the Studebaker Corporation. ... The Carrier, Personnel Half-track M3 was an armoured vehicle used by the United States and its allies during World War II and the Cold War. ... The T-19 Main Battle Tank is a Soviet tank built in 1931. ... The 240 mm Howitzer Motor Carriage T92 was self-propelled howitzer developed by the United States Of America during World War Two. ... The T55E1 Motor Carriage was a prototype vehicle developed by the Allied Machinery Manufacturing Company in 1943 for the US Army. ... This page details tank production by the United States of America during World War II. Light tanks Stuart series The USA began 1940 with the M1 and M2 Combat Cars (later designated M1 Light Tank). ...

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