One thing you can say about the US Army in WWII is that they seemed to have a lot of trucks. Trucks were used to move supplies, equipment and men as well as being adapted for a myriad of uses. There were several companies who made trucks for the US and Allies during the war, but the most frequently seen were those by GMC.

Prior to the war, there was a requirement for a 2.5 ton truck and in 1941, GMC won the competition to build the vehicle. The truck name indicates that it is a 1941 design, standard cab, powered front wheels and tandem rear axle. There was a version that didn't have the powered front wheels, the CCK, but it was limited to road operation. As time went on, the design was upgraded and changed. For instance, to allow it to be more easily stowed aboard ship, the metal cab was replaced with a version that had a canvas top. There were versions built that were wreckers, light dump trucks, mobile repair shops, fuel trucks, and compressed air trucks. So successful were these trucks that they could be found still being used decades later in both the US and other military services.

In this book, author David Doyle has located a preserved specimen of all the different varieties. The inside images concentrate on the standard steel cab truck, while other sections cover the soft top truck, wrecker, dump truck, fuel truck, compressed air truck and the mobile shop.  So many are so well preserved, that aside from a few opening photos and the full color profiles, all the images are from extant vehicles and in full color.

That makes this volume an excellent reference for the modeler and one that enthusiasts will want to add to their library. .

March 2010

My thanks to Squadron Products for the review copy. Get yours today at your favorite shop or on-line retailer.

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