- Introduction & Background
In 1939, the dark clouds of World War II began to spread across the world. At that time, the US military did not officially participate in the war, but the development of army equipment was proceeding in an orderly manner. Logistics is a vital part of military operations. The U.S. Army plans to develop a 6×6 military truck with a load capacity of 2.5 tons. The developed vehicle can withstand a variety of harsh road conditions and weather. Big names gathered in the bidding field. In addition to General Dynamics, there were also many automobile manufacturers such as IWC, Studebaker, Dodge, Chrysler, Diamond, and Leopard.
In the end, General Motors won the bid by designing a brand-new military truck based on the ACKWX truck designed for the French army in 1939. Because the solution provided by General Motors met the size requirements proposed by the U.S. Army and could adapt to the mass production needs of the United States at that time. After various tests by the military, this model was named CCKW-352/353.
CCKW is equipped with a 4.4-liter GM 270 single overhead camshaft inline 6-cylinder gasoline engine produced by General Dynamics, with a maximum power of 91 horsepower and a torque of up to 293N.m at 1400 rpm. The matching gearbox is a Warner T93 5-speed gearbox, the highest gear is overdrive, and together with the two-speed transfer case, a total of 10 gears can be output. In 1944, the open-top cab was launched. A rain-proof canvas was designed on the top to reduce manufacturing costs. A self-defense machine gun could also be installed above the cab.
In 1941, Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and the United States officially joined the anti-fascist front. Thousands of 2.5-ton trucks travel across the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans on transport ships to distant battlefields. Their main purpose is to transport soldiers and tow artillery. In addition to CCKW, trucks have also been converted into rescue vehicles, oil tankers, water tankers, dump trucks, medical vehicles, anti-aircraft vehicles and many other models. These trucks were well received by U.S. soldiers due to their good handling, reliable performance, easy maintenance, and high degree of modularity. GMC CCKW trucks were in service with the U.S. military until 1956 after the Korean War.
