Today in WW II: 9 Jul 1940 Battle of Calabria [Battle of Punta Stilo, the toe of Italy] fought between the Italian Royal Navy and the British/Australian Royal Navies, 30 miles [48km] east of Punta Stilo.  More ↓
9 Jul 1943 US-British invasion of Sicily begins [night of 9-10 Jul].
9 Jul 1944 British and Canadian forces capture Caen from the Germans, a critical post-D-Day objective in Normandy, France.
9 Jul 1944 US forces reach the northern end of Saipan, finding thousands of Japanese civilian men, women, and children who commit suicide by leaping off the cliffs rather than be captured.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

M55 Truck, Cargo, 5 Ton, 6x6, Extra Long Wheel Base (XLWB)

The M55 Truck, Cargo, Extra Long Wheel Base (XLWB), 5 ton, 6x6 is part of the G-744 (or M-39) series of 5 ton 6x6 trucks. More information about the history, model numbers, and configurations of the M39-series of trucks is on the linked page.

The M55 Truck, Cargo, 5 Ton, 6x6, Extra Long Wheel Base (XLWB) was produced with and without winch. The length was just under 386 inches (w/winch) with 242 inches from the center of the front axle to the center of the rearmost axle. There were -A1 and -A2 variants with different engines and slightly different dimensions.

M55 Truck, Cargo, 5 Ton, 6x6, Extra Long Wheel Base (XLWB) from TM 43-0001-31, June 1985, Page 4-165
M55 Truck, Cargo, 5 Ton, 6x6, Extra Long Wheel Base (XLWB) from TM 43-0001-31, June 1985, Page 4-165.