US 2 1/2-ton, 6x6 Trucks in WW II

World War II was the first war in which massive numbers of trucks completely changed the equations of mobility for warfare. The production capability of the U.S. automotive industry poured out hundreds of thousands of jeep, trucks and armored vehicles. This made it possible for the U.S. and its allies to overwhelm the Axis with men and supplies, moving forward at a rate never before possible.

A U.S. Ninth Army GMC CCKW truck, just after crossing the Rhine River, March 1945.

Today in WW II: 17 Sep 1939 Soviet troops invade Poland from the east. More ↓

17 Sep 1944 Thousands of Allied planes begin airborne assault on Holland, Operation Market Garden.
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American 2 1/2-ton, 6x6 Trucks in World War II

Particularly in Europe, where the land warfare was most suitable for mobility, the ability to maneuver and supply by truck was a decisive advantage to the Allied armies in World War II. Although the German Army had pioneered mobile warfare in the late 1930s, they never became motorized to the extent of the Allies.

Closed cab CCKW on a street in Detroit, MI, April 1943. Truck registration number is USA 4134998.

Although many vehicles were in use in World War II, it was the 2 1/2 ton 6x6 (the "deuce and a half" or just "deuce") that bore most of the load. There were three main trucks in this category:

These trucks had many differences in details, but had the same function, general dimensions, and external appearance. More information on each truck is provided below on this page. Photographs are available in the Military Vehicle Charts at the linked pages for the individual trucks in the list just above.

Reo US-6 2 1/2 ton 6x6 (G-630)

Continued on WW II 2 1/2-ton, 6x6 Trucks Page 2.

Find additional photos and hi-res versions of World War II 2 1/2-ton cargo trucks at the Olive-Drab Military Mashup:

GMC CCKW 2 1/2-ton 6x6 variant for Water Truck, from TM 9-2800, 1 September 1943. Full nomenclature: Truck, Tank, Water, 700 Gal., 2 1/2-ton, 6x6.

Convoy of CCKW 2 1/2-ton 6x6 trucks make their way through flooded streets of a Belgian town, circa fall 1944.

100th Infantry Battalion CPL Toratsugu Ryusaki and SGT Masao Uehara, American citizens of Japanese ancestry, working on the motor of a GMC CCKW 2 1/2-ton 6x6 truck, 1943.

M-5H-6 International Harvester 2 1/2-ton 6x6 Cargo Truck (G-651) with 12 foot bed, Holabird Quartermaster Depot, circa 1941.

Lumber stacked near the lagoon, Kwajalein, Marshall Islands, 2 April 1944. A WC-54 3/4-ton 4x4 Ambulance is on the road, along with a 2 1/2-ton 6x6 cargo truck, probably CCKW. A crawler crane is working at far left.

GMC CCKW 2 1/2-ton 6x6 Cargo Truck loaded with crates sits on a Detroit, MI, street, April 1943.

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