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DUKW Research Project

Starting at the bow of the first 2006 model run the shape of the bow is more rounded in profile. More research is needed to determine the exact shape in relation to the kit. The bow surfboard is made from plywood and has all four corners rounded of, no internal or external re enforcing. It has two piano style hinges not as per the kit. The surf board for the windscreen is again plywood and has circular holes cut in it for the driver and the passenger.

The windscreen is a standard GMC fitted in the vertical position and has two fixed rod stays bolted to the hull to support it when folded forward. The bottom edge of the windscreen is lower by 4.5 inches and is level with the coming forming the outer engine cooling vents extensions. The windscreen side extensions are made from canvas with a wooden frame and they have an elliptical early plastic type windscreen inserted towards the front edge.

The bulkhead under the windscreen has a larger winch hatch with no cover. Also there are no triangular projections from the corners.

An extra shovel is fitted under the hand pump on the port side forward.

The cargo area bulkheads are horizontal and they are stepped on the outside but bevelled on the inside as per the kit, some early ones had five vertical ribs in all on the lower internal cargo walls under the cut outs for the canvas hoops supports.

The rear surf board to the cargo area is again made from plywood and some have wooden re enforcing bars and other are bare, but all have an oblong hole in it with no cover. Some later models have a canvas cover on the outside of this splash board. The side extensions are again made from plywood.

The winch hatch opening in the forward and stern bulkheads in the cargo area is larger and again they have no covers.

The spare wheel is on the starboard side, the access hatch and fuel can holders are on the port side.

Various hoop tie downs are noted on the lower outboard edge of the cargo area and several on the middle of the lower hull on the bottom edge re enforcing bars.

In the early pattern I can see no oblong holes in the side re enforcing bars along the side of the hull.

The second or interim pattern has the vertical GMC windscreen and rod supports, the front surf board has the wooden re enforcing bars only on the inside. The hole for the driver tom see out of is now changed to oblong in the windscreen surf board. At the rear of the driver’s area a metal hoop has been fitted, some have the machine gun supports and other not. The cargo sides as per the kit, the rear surf board with the re enforcing bars and with side extensions, the spare wheel, rear hatch and fuel can holders as per the first pattern.

Again various hoop tie downs are noted along the outer edge to the hull in the cargo area. I have observed that the holes in the re enforcing bars on the side of the hull can be present and or missing.

Books used in the study are as follows list by name, author, publisher, date published and ISBN no if known.

• D Day, Brig Peter Young, Bison books, 1981, ISBNO 0-86124-034-0

• D Day Story June 6 1944, Sir Larry Lamb, The Daily Express, original printed 1954, reprinted 1984

• D Day from the Normandy Beaches to liberation in France, Dr Stephan Badsey, Coombe Books, 1998, ISBNO 1-85501-390-8

• D Day Operation Overlord, Tony Hall, Salamander books, 1993, ISBNO 0-86101-631-9

• Spearheading D Day, American Special Units in Normandy, J Gawne, Histoire Collections, 1998, ISBNNO 2-908-182-793

• Hampshire and D Day edited by Martin Doughty, Hampshire Books, 1994, ISBNO 1-85741-047-5

• D Day The Invasion in photographs , Tony Hall, Salamander books, 1994, ISBNO 0-86101-754-4

• The Jeep J, G Jeudy, M. Tararine, Haynes publications, 1981, ISBNO 0- 85429-584-4

• Cameraman at War, Ian Grant, Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1980, ISBNO 0-85059-489-8

• DUKW in Action, T.J. Kutta, Squadron/Signal publications, no 35, ISBNO 0-89747-372-8.

• Allied and Axis, Issue 2, Ampersand publishing.2002,

• 'US Amtracs and Amphibians at War, 1941 -45, S Zaloga, G Balin, Concord publications, 2000, ISBNO 962-361-655-4

• Amtracs US Amphibians Assault vehicles, S Zaloga, Vanguard .1987, ISBNO 0-85045-748-3

• The GMC and DUKW A Universal Truck, EPA Edition, J Boniface, J Jeudy, 1978, ISBNO 0-7232-2414-5

• Ground Power no 12. 1999

• DUKW Trials, John Havers, ISO Publications, 1989, ISBNO 0-946784-45-0

• DUKW, Jeff woods, ISO Publications, 1978

I am indebted to Phil Stevens from Birmingham IPMS club for the loan of the last book listed as this one book proved to be the most valuable in tying all the details together. And above all making sense of all the notes I had made from the other books. It proves once more the benefit of belonging to a club, Cheers Phil.

A final note on the books used in this research project, in some cases there is only a single photograph in the whole book, but as they say one photograph is worth a thousand words and on more than one occasion this has proved to be true. Each in its own way adds to the total project and helps to clarify details.

As more information comes available I will be adding to these notes. So if you have any information about alterations to the DUKW series please feel free to either add them or contact me with your information.

Ian Sadler