GMC DUKW or "Duck"- Lake Isabella, California
Posted by: 
calgriz
N 35° 36.472 W 118° 29.063
11S E 365551 N 3941471
The General Motor's DUKW or "Duck" was one of the vital iconic amphibious vehicle vehicles of WW2.
Waymark Code: WMKDWV
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 03/27/2014
Views: 7
GMC DUKW
Certainly the world’s most iconic amphibious vehicle, the DUKW or Duck was one of the vital vehicles of WW2.
Almost written of as laughable during its earliest demonstrations by senior US Army officers, the smug smiles were soon wiped off their faces when the prototype DUKW answered a distress call in very rough seas right in front of them and safely landed the crew of a coastguard cutter on the beach. Suddenly the top brass realised the potential of the DUKW and a contract for production was signed.
Undoubtedly D Day and the days after were heavily influenced by the DUKW which allowed men, materials and supplies to be landed ashore before a port was taken, in pretty unpleasant seas.
Built around the Banjo axle GMC 6x6 chassis, the DUKW has the same GMC 270 cubic inch engine and transmission. It has a very low seaboard but can handle some surprisingly rough seas.
Even 60 years on, DUKW’s continue to operate in civilian life, most notably for River Tours in major cities such as London, Boston, Dublin and Santa Barbara CA, where tourists marvel at the chance to be driven and ferried around the city in the same vehicle. Several DUKW’s have been successfully owned by groups of like minded enthusiasts. There is a huge following for the DUKW with an annual amphibious rally in a different European country – in 1994 the “amis des amphibes” swam the English Channel en route to the Normandy anniversary.
With every D Day anniversary, the DUKW enthusiasts are omnipresent and 2009 will be no exception, playing an important part in the beach head commemorative events.
Swimming in the sea shouldn’t be taken lightly as there is a lot more to it than just driving into the water, engaging the propeller and away you go. Safety is paramount and some concessions to modern equipment make a lot of sense. Many DUKWS have more reliable diesel engines and supplementary bilge pumps plus the obligatory safety equipment.
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