GMC CCKW-353 Truck, 2.5-ton, 6x6, Cargo

The 2.5-ton 6x6 light-heavy truck was known as the Workhorse of the Army. Over 800,000 vehicles were produced, most of them by the GMC Truck & Coach Division of General Motors Corp (562,750 units). The original GMC 2.5-ton 6x6 was the ACKW(X)-353 six-wheel drive commercial truck (1939-1941) which was also ordered by the French government.

Mass production of the military type started in 1941, and it quickly became the most widely used tactical transport vehicle of the US armed forces of World War 2. International Harvester produced a very similar vehicle for the US Navy and Marines, and more than half of the 197,000 units produce by Studebaker went to the Soviet Army. The 2.5-ton truck was available with a hard or soft cab, with or without winch. The soft cab version eventually became the military standard, and many of the existing hard cabs were later converted.

Available Scale Model Kits

1:35 Italeri 271 (hard cab)
1:72 Atlantic 618 (soft cab)
1:72 CDC 3140, 3142 (F), 3143 (UK)
1:72 Hasegawa MT20 (soft cab w/Winch)
1:72 Cooperativa R72010 (hard cab)
1:76 Airfix Soft Plastic
1:76 Hinchliffe 20/176C (soft cab; troops)
1:76 Hinchliffe 20/1768 (hard cab; troops)
1:87 ROCO 627 (hard cab; Quad .50 AA)
1:285 GHQ US7 (cab) & US37 (soft)

Technical Specifications

GMC CCKW-353 Truck, 2.5-ton, 6x6, Cargo (with or without Winch)
Engine: GMC 270, 6-cylinder, I-I-W-F, 4417 cc, 77.5 KW @ 3000 rpm
Transmission: 5F1R, 2 gear ratios
Maximum Speed: 72 km/h on roads
Length: 6511 mm, 6768 mm w/Winch
Width: 2236 mm
Height: 2795 mm
Wheelbase: 4167 mm, Bogie Centers 1118 mm
Weight: 4695 kg
Payload: 2449 kg, 4536 kg on roads
Armament: 0.50 cal. AA Machine Gun (optional)
Crew: Commander, Driver, and 10-12 Troops
Production: 1941–1945

Museum Exhibits

US-Army GMC CCKW-353 (soft cab with winch), Technik-Museum Speyer, Germany

Historical Employment

US Army (World War 2, Korean War)
French Army (World War 2, Indochina Conflict)
British Army (World War 2)
Bundeswehr & NATO
Soviet Army
Red Chinese Army
Taiwanese Army
Phillipine Army

Possible Conversions

US Air Force Bomb Service Truck
Fire Truck, Pumper, Class 530, 6x6, 500 GPM, Overseas Type
Stock Rack Truck
Light Wrecker
Mobile Workshop Truck
CCKW-353-12CC Water Tank (700 gallons)

Bibliography

Funcken, L. & F.: L’Uniforme et les Armes des Soldats de la Guerre 1939–1945, p. 133

The GMC 2.5-ton truck is a must-have for collectors, diorama builders, and simulations gamers interested in recreating the World War Two period. The CCKW-353 served in all theaters of war, and it formed the basis of many specialist vehicles, including water and gasoline tankers, dump trucks, workshop and maintenance vehicles. The CCKW-353 is still in service today in Taiwan, and the Phillipines.

Frequently Asked Questions

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US Army Miniatures of World War Two