DUKW: History of the DUCKs
From Portland to Atlanta, Liverpool to Queenstown, Vancouver to Singapore, one of the increasingly popular tour rides are “Ride the DUCKS.” A unique tour experience unlike any other, the tours use rebuilt and restructured World War II era DUKWs (popularly known since the war as DUCKS). DUKWs were amphibious vehicles that could travel on both land and water and all the Duck tours to do the same, taking tourists over land and sea to see the sights in an entirely new way.
Development of the DUKW
The DUKW, better known as the DUCK was first developed in 1942 during the height of World War II. Other amphibious landing vehicles were in use at this time, however they were for the most part ineffective. The National Defense Research Committee was in search of something that would prove a truly worthy amphibious vehicle, something that could handle just as well on land as it could on water and vice versa.
DUKWs were based upon the GMC CCKW-353, which had been in production for 18 months prior to the first development of the DUKW. The plan was to modify these designs already in creation. Several designs were prototypes which were accepted by the military in the middle of 1942. GMC began manufacturing the new designs immediately. By the end of the war there were more than 21,000 DUKWs in operation.
Although the DUKW was not the first amphibious vehicle ever created, it was the most successful in history up to its day. There was truly nothing else like it during World War II, in fact there has not been anything like it since.
The DUKW serves as both boat and truck. It was also the first vehicle ever to allow the driver to change tire pressure from inside the vehicle. This gave them great ability to adjust tire pressure to adapt to different terrain (for example travelling across sandy beaches and then being able to transfer to more solid ground).
Why is It Called a DUKW?
It is fortunately coincidence that this well-known and well-respected World War II amphibious vehicle had a name which was so easily given such an appropriate nickname as DUCK. One must wonder what might have happened had its name been that of its parent vehicle, the CCKW.
Unlike many military names, DUKW is not an acronym but rather a code telling the type of vehicle. D stands for 1942, the year it was created. U stands for utility vehicle. K tells us that the vehicle has all wheel drive and the W indicates two powered real axles.
DUKWS in World War II
As soon as DUKWs were coming off the line training in the new vehicles began. The earliest training took place in California. Control of the DUCKS was given to the United States Army Corps of Engineers and the Engineer Amphibian Command was created. Other units soon followed.
DUCK units were first put into operation in the Pacific Theater. General Douglas A. MacArthur saw great potential use for the DUKWs and requested they be sent to the Pacific in early 1943. The first successful training exercise in the Pacific came in March of 1943 with the successful landing at Noumea, New Caledonia.
The DUKWs were uniquely equipped to ship troops, weapons, ammunitions and equipment and quickly began to be put to good use. In the invasion of Salerno, Italy in the fall of 1943 for example 150 DUKWs along with 90 other landing vehicles were used to ship 190,000 troops, 30,000 vehicles and 12,000 tons of supplies across the invasion beaches.
Perhaps the DUKWs most famous use came in 1944 during the Invasion of Normandy. After D-Day hundreds of DUKWs were used to ship equipment, vehicles and troops across the English Channel into Normandy. One of these DUKWs even ferried King George VI of England across the Channel. This vehicle became popularly known as “The Royal Duck.”
DUKWs in the Korean War
Although it is most famous for its use in World War II, the DUKW was also utilized during the Korean Conflict between 1950 and 1954. After the war most of the DUKWs were no longer in service, however when the conflict in Korea broke out the DUKWs were immediately reactivated and put into service.
The DUKWs were extremely important in Korea and were one of the most commonly used supply vehicles used during the war. They were instrumental in moving equipment to shore at both Pusan and Inchon.
Ride the DUCKs (DUKWs)
The Korean War would be the last major conflict to utilize the DUKWs. As time moved on new technology was developed and eventually the DUKW became obsolete for military purposes. This famous vehicle was now destined to remain on the sidelines forever.
However another use had already been found for these fantastic vehicles. A Milwaukee man, Melvin H. Flath, traveled to California for an army surplus auction shortly after the end of World War II. He owned a trucking business, and went to California in hopes of purchasing a surplus Army truck.
What we found for sale however were not just any surplus trucks but rather DUKWs (DUCKs). At first disappointed Flath soon became excited by the idea he bought himself a DUCK.
It was Melvin Flath who first came up with using the DUCKs for tourism. He purchased some bus seats for his new DUCK and created Dells DUCK Tours, the first DUCK tour in the world to use the DUKW for tourism.
Since then the idea has grown and spread. Today DUCK tours of various types and varieties can be found in most major cities in the United States as well as many cities abroad in countries such as Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, even Singapore. Although DUKWs may no longer be put to military use, the legend of the DUCK lives on in cities around the world.
