Deuce And A Half Register

Deuce And A Half Global Register
- U.S. 2½ Ton 6x6 Trucks of World War 2 -

Lend Lease Trucks

As the 'arsenal of democracy' the USA supplied hundreds of thousands of trucks to the armies of England, Russia, France and Nationalist China.

After the war, most of the trucks stayed in the respective military services and others were sold off to civilian transport outfits from war surplus. They were used in occupation and reconstruction work all over the world.

Still more surplus (brand new -still in the T.U.P. crates) trucks and jeeps were sold or donated far and wide 'in the US national interest'; for example, Australia received many Studebakers and jeeps (during the early 1950's).

In the military services, some were called on for a second tour of duty in various Cold War theatres, such as China, Korea, The Philippines, Cuba, Vietnam... and independence wars of former colonys and protectorates in the Middle East, Africa, and South America. Many were seen appearing in sideline conflicts up to the late 1970's... and even after that they were still in service all around the world in civilian organisations. For example, in 1985 the French Reserves auctioned off the last 5000 of their GMC CCKW and AFKWX fleet... and in rural Australia, Studebaker US-6 models were still serving as "Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade" trucks right up to 1996! In Australia they are still used a bit in specialised civilian work; nowadays the high cost of fuel for these trucks is a deterent, but so is the price of a new Asian or German replacement!

1. British ACKWX-353 trucks delivered under Lend Lease deal from June 1940 to October 1942.	2. US Officer shows French Officer new truck delivered under Lend Lease (Algeria early 1943.)
3. Hundreds of Lend Lease Studebakers parked in Iran awaiting movement to Russia.	4. Iranian women look curiously at the line of trucks going the back way to Stalin's Russia.
5. International Harvester 2½ ton 6x6 truck supplied to Allies on Lend Lease agreement.	6. Photographed in a Polish Museum after the war, this is a M13 rocket launcher on a Studebaker 6x6 chassis. Nicknamed 'Stalin's Organs'.
7. Re-opening of the Stilwell Rd (had been closed 3 years) as Chinese troops cross the Nam Tabet River (over US built bridge) in Burma, on a Studebaker US6-U5. Chinese Blockade ended February 4th 1945.	8. A U.S. Army soldier and a Chinese soldier place the flag of their ally on the front of their jeep just before the first truck convoy in almost three years crossed the China border en route from Ledo, India, to Kunming, China, over the Stilwell road. (February 1945)
9. French 'anti-aircraft' troops on parade after VE Day (2nd Armoured Division.) Trucks are Lend Lease CCKW-353 chassis.	10. After VE Day a large amount of equipment was overhauled in depots for use in the war against Japan. (Camp Washington, eastern France. Sgt. Don White 512th Ordnance Heavy Maintenance Company 1945, supervises POW labourers.)

The larger version of this pages pics have been misplaced by the server, unfortunately. Picture credits
1,2,3,5,6,7 US Army photos in 'GMC, The Universal Truck'. Warne.
4,8 US Archives.
9,10 US Army photos in 'GMC, The Universal Truck'. Warne.