1. The DUKW
Modifications of already-amazing vehicles can create even more amazing results. This is proven true by the DUKW, a six-wheel-drive amphibious modification vehicle of the CCKW trucks that were already heavily-used on land. They could still transport goods and troops as efficiently as the trucks, yet could be mobile over both land and water, making this one stellar military vehicle. DUKWs proved excellent at crossing beaches in record time and were vital to amphibious warfare. They played a significant role in the D-Day invasion of Normandy, as well as countless other operations, and were used by all Allied forces throughout the war.
Developed by the United States Army during World War II, the DUKW commonly known as the ‘ducks’ was equipped with a hull pump that could move 260 gallons of water a minute as well as a hand pump that could move 50 gallons a minute. Initially, the United States produced 20,000 DUKWs during World War II, 2000 of which were provided to the British through lend-lease. These vehicles were first used in Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily in 1943.