Cape Cod & the DUKW
One of the greatest innovations in amphibious landings was the DUKW. D stands for 1942, U stands for Utility body type, K stands for All Wheel Drive, and W stands for dual rear axles. It was a revolutionary 2.5-ton 6×6 amphibious truck designed by General Motors. It was used in WWII to transport troops and supplies from ships to landing beaches. Over 5,000 of the amphibious trucks were deployed on D-Day.
In 1942, prototypes of the DUKW underwent scientific evaluation by the Amphibious Command Center. Provincetown was chosen because its sand and topography resembled the coast of Normandy.
The DUKW was not originally approved, but when the prototype was able to rescue a Coast Guard crew of the U.S.C.G. boat stranded on a sandbar in 60-mile-per-hour winds, the opposition faded. The Engineers improved the bilge pumps and added a dive plane to the front to stop the DUKW from submarining into waves. In 1943, 32 DUKWs were arriving a day at Camp Edwards.
This DUCKW is owned by the Cape Cod Military Museum
Today, you might see surplus military DUKWs and replicas of the “duck boats” used in tourist places like Boston.
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