GMC CCKW-353 Truck, 2½ ton, 6×6, Cargo

GMC CCKW-353 Truck, 2½ ton, 6×6, Cargo w/Winch.

The 2½ ton 6×6 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 2½ ton 6×6 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 2½ 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

  • GMC CCKW-353 (hard cab), 1:35 Italeri 271
  • GMC CCKW-353 (soft cab), 1:72 Atlantic 618
  • GMC CCKW-353 (US-Army), 1:72 CDC 3140
  • GMC CCKW-353 (French Army), 1:72 CDC 3142
  • GMC CCKW-353 (British Army ), 1:72 CDC 3143
  • GMC CCKW-353 (soft cab w/Winch), 1:72 Hasegawa MT20
  • Studebaker CCKW-353 (hard cab), 1:72 Cooperativa R72010
  • GMC CCKW-353, 1:76 Airfix Soft Plastic
  • GMC CCKW-353 (soft cab; troops), 1:76 Hinchliffe 20/176C
  • GMC CCKW-353 (hard cab; troops), 1:76 Hinchliffe 20/1768
  • GMC CCKW-353, 1:87 ROCO 115
  • GMC CCKW-353 (hard cab; mitragliatrice contraerei Quad .50), 1:87 ROCO 627
  • GMC CCKW-353, 15 mm Forged in Battle A-70
  • GMC CCKW-353 (hard cab), 1:285 GHQ US7
  • GMC CCKW-353 (soft cab), 1:285 GHQ US37

Technical Specifications

  • GMC CCKW-353 Truck, 2½ ton, 6×6, 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: .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, 6×6, 500 GPM, Overseas Type
  • Stock Rack Truck
  • Light Wrecker
  • Mobile Workshop Truck
  • CCKW-353-12CC Water Tank (700 gallons)

Bibliography

The GMC 2½ ton truck is a must-have for collectors, diorama builders, and wargamers 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.

US Army Miniatures of World War Two