DUKW amphibious vehicle at General Patton Memorial Museum.
DUKW
Weighing 2.5 tons, these trucks were designed to be amphibious. They had propellers in the back that could drive them through the water, and they had their own flotation devises. But once up on the beach, they could shift gears and the power train would now propel the wheels, and they could drive down the road like a regular truck.
Rear of DUKW showing propeller which drove the vehicle while in the water.
The DUKW was a crucial vehicle for getting supplies off of the ships and onto the beaches in both the Pacific and European theaters. They were often transported on LSTs (Landing Ship Tanks), which could fit seventeen DUKWs on the tank deck.
Photo to the right shows the propeller which drove the DUKW while in the water. The aluminum ladder attached to the deck above the propeller is a post war civilian addition to this particular vehicle.
Photos were taken at the General Patton Memorial Museum by staff from WW2HQ.
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