County of range: St. Charles County
Location of range: Veterans Memorial parkway & Pic Parkway, Wentzville
Phone: 636-887-GUNS (4867)
This truck, called a 6-By in the Marine Corps, and called a Duce-and-a-half in the Army. Eiher way it has many variations, the main frame was used for tanker trucks, stake bed trucks, troop carriers, etc.
Made famous during WWII and the Red Ball Express.
"The 5-ton 6x6 truck, officially "Truck, 5-ton, 6x6", was a class of heavy-duty trucks used by the US Armed Forces. The basic cargo version was designed to transport a 5-ton (4,500 kg) load over all roads and cross-country terrain in all weather. Through three evolutionary series (M39, M809, and M939) there have been component improvements, but all trucks were mechanically very similar. They were the standard heavy-duty truck of the US military for 40 years, until replaced by the Medium Tactical Vehicle (MTV) beginning in 1991.
"A 20 June 1945 report by the Army Ground Forces Equipment Review Board recommended that all 4-ton to 6-ton tactical trucks should be replaced by a single standard 5-ton (4,536 kg) 6x6 truck series. In 1949 specifications were set and truck manufactures began working on prototypes. Chrysler, GMC, and Mack's designs were advanced, International Harvester's was a conservative conventional, similar in size and layout to the earlier 6-ton (G512) series.
"The International Harvester design was chosen and rushed into production in January 1951, it would be standardized as the M39 series. Kaiser (renamed Kaiser-Jeep in 1963) also became a major manufacturer, with Diamond T and Mack building smaller numbers. In 1963 Kaiser-Jeep began building the final order, production was completed in 1965.
"In the 1960s more trucks were required, and the Army wanted to replace the multifuel engines with a standard diesel. AM General (successor of Kaiser-Jeep) developed an updated and redesigned version of the M39 series. Standardized as the M809 series, the primary difference was the engine. The hood, frame, and fenders were lengthened to make room for the larger engine, and it had a redesigned grille. All had an air cleaner on the left front fender, a quick visual way to tell them from the earlier M39 series. Jeep/AM General built all M809s between 1969 and 1982.
"The M939 series was a Product Improvement Package of the M809, with updated engine, transmission, and brakes. A new, larger cab and tilt-forward hood were a major visual change from earlier trucks. Early M939s were rebuilds of M809 vehicles, suffix –A2 are new production by Bowen-McLaughlin-York/BMY with later model Cummins engine." ~ Wikipedia