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The following research on the DUKW kit by Italeri
has been compiled by me from various books and magazines, see
list at end of article. Any omissions or faults in the interpretation
are mine and mine alone.
I will start with the basic items missing from the kit and then
the second part will deal with known faults few as they are,
lastly the various differences between the 3 models. The first
2006 and then the unknown number of interim models before the
final model as made by Italeri.
Items missing from the kit as presented by Italeri, a circular
lifebelt 20mm is found to be the right proportion. The front
surf board for the windscreen, and the rear cargo bay surf board
and side extensions. ﾊThe metal map case and first aid tin on
the dash board. Two fire extinguishers one fitted on the bulkhead
behind the driverﾕs seat and one behind the passenger seat. Two
rifle clip holders again out board of the fire extinguishers
in the very corners. A bulkhead behind the passenger seat and
the height is up to the third of re enforcing bar on the said
seat and fitted to the outer inner edge of the side bulkhead.
The covers for the openings in the side bulkheads above the engine
floor intakes. The two machineguns supports stays and hoops fitted
to the rear of the driving area bulkhead and they are triangular
in shape with two spacer bars and two hoops fitted. The various
nationalities crew Lifebelts, the American Coast Guard type and
the two British styles, further research needed on these items.
The Machinegun hip ring and upper support stays and also the
five Cargo bay hoops. The wheel guards front and back and the
auto tyre inflations rods.
The few faults that need to be corrected, There are two sink
marks on each side of the driver and passenger internal bulkheads,
and one on the rear hull hatch. The anchor is the wrong shape
and needs to be scratch built, the hook on the winch is far too
small and needs scratch building. The hand pump it is too thin,
it needs to be replaced with a scratch built one.
Starting at the bow of the first 2006 model run the shape of
the bow is more rounded in profile. More research is needed to
determine the exact shape in relation to the kit. The bow surfboard
is made from plywood and has all four corners rounded of, no
internal or external re enforcing. It has two piano style hinges
not as per the kit. The surf board for the windscreen is again
plywood and has circular holes cut in it for the driver and the
passenger. The windscreen is a standard GMC fitted in the vertical
position and has two fixed rod stays bolted to the hull to support
it when folded forward. The bottom edge of the windscreen is
lower by 4.5 inches and is level with the coming forming the
outer engine cooling vents extensions. The windscreen side extensions
are made from canvas with a wooden frame and they have an elliptical
early plastic type windscreen inserted towards the front edge.
The bulkhead under the windscreen has a larger winch hatch with
no cover. Also there are no triangular projections from the corners.
An extra shovel is fitted under the hand pump on the port side
forward. The cargo area bulkheads are horizontal and they are
stepped on the outside but bevelled on the inside as per the
kit, some early ones had five vertical ribs in all on the lower
internal cargo walls under the cut outs for the canvas hoops
supports. The rear surf board to the cargo area is again made
from plywood and some have wooden re enforcing bars and other
are bare, but all have an oblong hole in it with no cover. Some
later models have a canvas cover on the outside of this splash
board. The side extensions are again made from plywood. The winch
hatch opening in the forward and stern bulkheads in the cargo
area is larger and again they have no covers. The spare wheel
is on the starboard side, the access hatch and fuel can holders
are on the port side. Various hoop tie downs are noted on the
lower outboard edge of the cargo area and several on the middle
of the lower hull on the bottom edge re enforcing bars. In the
early pattern I can see no oblong holes in the side re enforcing
bars along the side of the hull.
The second or interim pattern has the vertical GMC windscreen
and rod supports, the front surf board has the wooden re enforcing
bars only on the inside. The hole for the driver tom see out
of is now changed to oblong in the windscreen surf board. ﾊAt
the rear of the driverﾕs area a metal hoop has been fitted, some
have the machine gun supports and other not. The cargo sides
as per the kit, the rear surf board with the re enforcing bars
and with side extensions, the spare wheel, rear hatch and fuel
can holders as per the first pattern. Again various hoop tie
downs are noted along the outer edge to the hull in the cargo
area. I have observed that the holes in the re enforcing bars
on the side of the hull can be present and or missing.
Books used in the study are as follows list by name, author,
publisher, date published and ISBN no if known.
D Day,
Brig Peter Young, Bison books, 1981, ISBNO 0-86124-034-0
D Day Story June 6 1944, Sir Larry Lamb, The Daily Express, original printed
1954, reprinted 1984
D Day from the Normandy
Beaches to liberation in France, Dr Stephan
Badsey, Coombe Books, 1998, ISBNO 1-85501-390-8
D Day Operation Overlord, Tony Hall, Salamander books, 1993, ISBNO 0-86101-631-9
Spearheading D Day, American
Special Units in Normandy, J Gawne, Histoire
Collections, 1998, ISBNNO 2-908-182-793
The Jeep J, G Jeudy, M. Tararine, Haynes
publications, 1981, ISBNO 0- 85429-584-4
Cameraman at War, Ian Grant, Patrick Stephens Ltd, 1980, ISBNO 0-85059-489-8
DUKW in Action, T.J. Kutta, Squadron/Signal publications, no 35, ISBNO
0-89747-372-8.
Allied and Axis, Issue 2, Ampersand publishing.2002,
US Amtracs and Amphibians
at War, 1941 -45, S Zaloga, G Balin, Concord
publications, 2000, ISBNO 962-361-655-4
Amtracs US Amphibians Assault
vehicles, S Zaloga, Vanguard .1987, ISBNO
0-85045-748-3
The GMC and DUKW A Universal
Truck, EPA Edition, J Boniface, J Jeudy,
1978, ISBNO 0-7232-2414-5
Ground Power no 12. 1999
DUKW Trials, John Havers, ISO Publications,
1989, ISBNO 0-946784-45-0
DUKW,
Jeff woods, ISO Publications, 1978
I am indebted to Phil Stevens from Birmingham IPMS club for the
loan of the last book listed as this one book proved to be the
most valuable in tying all the details together. And above all
making sense of all the notes I had made from the other books.
It proves once more the benefit of belonging to a club, Cheers
Phil.
A final note on the books used in this research project, in some
cases there is ﾊonly a single photograph in the whole book, but
as they say one photograph is worth a thousand words and on more
than one occasion this has proved to be true. Each in its own
way adds to the total project and helps to clarify details.
As more information comes available I will be adding to these
notes. So if you have any information about alterations to the
DUKW series please feel free to either add them or contact me
with your information.
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