US Navy CCKW's

Bill_Wolf · Post by **Bill_Wolf** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:13 pm

As promised in another thread....

I was wrong about the CCKW Fire Truck at Portsmouth (NH, USA) Naval Shipyard. It was a custom built M5H6 IHC I did not scan that picture.

The shipyard did have a CCKW used as a Fire Fighting Mule carrying all sorts of specialized equipment. It is pictured below.

However the fuel depot located on Long Island in Casco Bay Maine did have a custom built CCKW fire truck. Being a WWII Fire Truck nut this is not the standard Model 335 or 530 as those did not retain the wood body like the truck below did. The "factory" fire trucks also had the pump mounted out on the front bumper which always replaced the winch.

This looks to me to be a 353 with a 352 wood body on it. The pump, placed transversely behind the cab, I believe is the same pump used on the model 1000 fire trailer. It was a self contained hale 500gpm powered by a Dodge 6 cylinder engine (ala WC series). It looks like all they did was add a water tank to the smaller bed and they had a honkin fire truck for the time.

If anybody knows where this truck is I am a buyer.

Bill

Nick Bombini · Post by **Nick Bombini** » Mon Oct 24, 2005 10:28 pm

That CCKW in the top photo looks like the USN ACRU amphibious repair truck that Chris T has. Man, that truck has HEAVY doors. If we are lucky, Chris might come on and tell us about the truck (well, I already know about it

but I'll let Chris tell you guys about it so I don't get the facts wrong.)

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Tue Oct 25, 2005 8:12 am

Cool fire truck and with a wood bed to boot. That would be a great truck to have.

Chris T. · Post by **Chris T.** » Sun Dec 04, 2005 12:44 am

Yes Nick, that "Fire Truck" was a US Navy Amphibious Craft Repair Unit. GMC built about 80+ trucks with 11.00x18 wheels and other odd parts for the Navy. Just the empty body weights 3,671 lbs (yes, I ran it to the scales)! All ACRU's I've seen in photos are open cabs, with and without winch. If you see a CCKW with DUKW wheels, check the speed data plate, ACRU's are special and are not the same as the DUKW or the Bolster trucks

. So far the only ACRU's known to me are my #68, #104 (Spare? never mounted) and #18 cab & chassis. Both my truck and the NOS body were only OD and the truck still had it's Navy markings.

weasel_nut if I could get a high res scan of your photo, I would be greatful.

Later,