The General Motors Corporation DUKW was without a doubt the most successful amphibious military vehicle ever constructed. This is due in large part to the enormous amount of scientific and engineering talent that was devoted to the project. Included in the design team were America's Cup winner Rod Stephens, adventurer and environmentalist Dennis Puleston, and scientist and engineer Palmer C. Putnam. The DUKW was so successful and so widely used that Gen. Dwight Eisenhower described it as "one of the most valuable pieces of equipment produced by the United States during the war". This book chronicles the development and use of these vehicles from concept to combat in WWII and Korea. Through dozens of archival photos, many never before published, as well as detailed photographs of some of the finest existent examples of surviving vehicles, these iconic armored fighting vehicles are explored, and their history is explained.

A modification of the 2-ton "deuce," the DUKW amphibious truck was designed in 1942 by a team that included a British sailor, an American yacht builder and an MIT engineer. Powered by a GMC Straight-6, 270 cubic inch engine, the DUKW's six drive wheels allowed it to move up to 50 mph on the road and at roughly 6 mph in water. It was the first vehicle ever designed to allow tire pressure to be adjusted from inside the cab, allowing it to operate easily and efficiently on sand, rock, gravel and paved roads. The vehicle lacked armor, but one in every four produced came equipped with a machine gun ring mount. Overall, the DUKW weighed 6.5 short tons empty and could carry 2.5 short tons or twelve soldiers. The DUKW's career in combat was unique, being used to ferry supplies and men from ship to shore, and operating in flooded environments. It was used in landings in the Pacific and European Theaters, including at D-Day, and many were also used during the Korean War at Inchon. Incidentally, the term "DUKW" is not a military term, but rather an acronym coined by General Motors. "D" stood for the year it was designed, 1942. "U" stood for "Utility," "K" for front wheel drive, and "W" for two powered rear axles. Over 21,000 DUKWs were built during WWII. Some remain in use today as amphibious tour buses. Originally created in 1945, this War Department technical manual contains a full description of the DUKW and shows how to operate and maintain it. Originally restricted, this manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. Care has been taken to preserve the integrity of the text.

For more than half of the 20th Century, the 2-1/2-ton 6x6 truck was the backbone of US military tactical transport. The pace-setter for this type of vehicle was the GMC CCKW, which not only served as a transport, but also formed the basis for a myriad of specialized vehicles: air-transportable versions multiple engineering variants, mobile medical facilities, anti-aircraft weapons, and trucks that fulfilled a host of other tasks. The CCKW has been the subject of a number of books and articles over the years, but this volume is the first to draw on the archival records of General Motors to trace the truck to its roots in the 1939 ACKWX and then tell its story through its debut in 1941 and the varied services it rendered with US forces in all theaters in the ensuing decades. GMC's obvious role is covered, but so too are less-known stories, such as the contribution made by multiple Chevrolet facilities to CCKW production. The book describes the development, production, and US use of the CCKW, ACKW, AFKWX, and CCW in WWII and Korea.