CCKW History: Standard GI Issue 43-45.

[jhscpa]

Equipment Specifications: Red Ball Express
GMC Truck, 2-1/2-ton, 6 x 6, Cargo, CCKW M35 / M44 2-1/2 ton cargo truck "deuce and a half" - Standard GI Issue 43-45.

During World War II, dependable motorized transport, the Jeep, the "deuce and a half" truck, and the armored personnel carrier -- fully tracked, half-tracked, or pneumatic tire vehicles -- increased infantry mobility twentyfold and enabled it to keep pace with the rapid armor advance. Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower observed that "[The] equipment...among the most vital to our success in Africa and Europe were the bulldozer, the jeep, the 2 1/2 ton truck, and the C-47 airplane. Curiously enough, none of these is designed for combat."
After the breakout of Normandy in July 1944, an acute shortage of supplies on both fronts governed all operations. Some 28 divisions were advancing across France and Belgium, each ordinarily requiring 700-750 tons a day. Patton's 3rd Army was soon grinding to a halt from lack of fuel and ordnance. The key to pursuit was a continuous supply of fuel and ordnance, thus leading to the Red Ball Express. At the peak of its operation, it was running 5,938 vehicles carrying 12,342 tons of supplies to forward depots daily. The Army raided units that had trucks and formed provisional truck units for the Red Ball.
Soldiers whose duties were not critical to the war effort were asked - or tasked - to become drivers. The majority of these were young African-Americans. Without the Red Ball, the advance across France could not have been made. Maj. Gen H. Essame, a British infantry brigade commander, said "Few who saw them will ever forget the enthusiasm of the Negro drivers, hell-bent whatever the risk, to get Gen. Patton his supplies." When the Red Ball Express ended 16 November 1944, truckers had delivered 412,193 tons of gas, oil, lubricants, ammunition, food and other essentials. By then, 210,209 African Americans were serving in Europe and 93,292 of them were in the Quartermaster Corps. General George S. Patton concluded: "The 2 1/2-ton truck is our most valuable weapon."
Production of the GMC Truck, 2-1/2-ton, 6 x 6, Cargo, CCKW "Jimmy" or "Deuce and a half," began in 1941 by General Motors Corporation and ended in 1945, with 562,750 manufactured. This GMC truck was the most commonly used tactical vehicle in World War II. The GMCs were originally fitted with a sheet metal type cab. This was replaced after July 1943 by a tarpaulin or canvas cab, not only for the economic use of steel, but saving volume when transported by boat.
The rear area was fitted with wooden side racks which folded down for carrying personnel. The bed could also hold reservoirs for 750 gallons of water and fuel, provide shelter for radio communication or field medical procedures, transport elements of a Treadway bridge for engineers, or bombs for the Army Air Corps. This version of the GMC CCKW was withdrawn from service in the US Army in 1956.


http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... nd/m35.htm

[armydriver]

Thanks for this posting. Excellent info.

[42cckw]

very good history thanks I had a very good friend who was like a father to me , he was with the 102nd ozark division eto 1943-1945. He had a truck drivers badge and I would take him for rides in my gmc and listen to him tell me of his service during ww11, he was a very proud veteran who loved his country. I asked him about the 6x6 or deuce and a half, jimmy thing, and he told me he never once heard trucks called by that, it was either a gmc or 2 1/2 ton truck. I think those are a post war 1950 or latter terms. most of the vietnam vets I know will use the deuce and a half term but not ww11 vets. I took Ray for many rides in my gmc and he was always in my cab during the memorial day parade, he received two bronze star medals during the war , sadly Ray passed away last oct 05 and I miss him dearly, maybe in time I will share with you some of the many experience's he told me of his ww11 service for which I thanked him many many times

JIM 42CCKW

[armydriver]

I will look forward to the stories, and remember the new Vet stories section in the site to post them. When I went into the Army in 1960 we called the 2 1/2 ton trucks duece and a half. When I was a kid growing up on a farm in Louisiana, we had an old CCKW that we called a Jimmy, to distinguish it from the old Diamond T we also had. I know we never called it a CCKW , but then for a coon ass saying CCKW is too complicated.