Trucks such as this 2.5-ton vehicle played vital logistical roles—mostly famous in the Red Ball Express, when over 5,000 vehicles maintained supply lines to the front-line forces after the D-Day landing. Most drivers in the convoy were African American, reflecting a segregated military in which black troops were often relegated to non-combat, but essential, roles.
Rebuilt and donated by Mark P. Norman, 2009.555.001
Statistics
Type: 2.5 Ton 6 x 6 Truck
Production
Date Introduced: 1941
Manufacturer: General Motors Corporation, Yellow/GMC Truck and Coach Division, Pontior, Michigan
Number Produced: 562,750
Specifications
Max Speed: 45 mph
Engine: GMC 270 6-Cylinder In-Line
Weight: 11,050 lbs net, 16,400 lbs gross
Armament: 30 caliber or 50 caliber Browning machine gun
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