Model 666, Truck, Prime Mover, 6 Ton, 6Χ6
The Corbitt Model 50SD6, 6 ton truck was selected by the US Army to be its standard design in 1941. White Motor Co. was brought in to assist in production and referred to their design as the Model 666 (six tons, six wheels, six wheel drive). Though the two designs looked identical, there were some minor differences in the winch load limits, cooling reservoirs, axle load limits, and transmission gears. The trucks were designed and authorized to run on both military and civilian tread tires.
The initial task of the 6 ton truck was to be the prime mover for artillery units. For this purpose, the winch was located in the middle of the truck and pintle hooks were located on both front and rear, allowing the truck to pull from both directions. With its large truck bed, the 6 ton was used to transport cargo and personnel, and found itself in engineer and rail units. The 6 ton truck eventually became a family of vehicles which required the addition of several companies to help build the various models being used by the Army.
This vehicle is a late war production truck, denoted by the wood bed instead of steel and lack of an enclosed cab. These changes were made to save metal and to also save on shipping space. The 6 ton class of trucks was only produced during World War II and was replaced by the M39 class of 5 ton trucks starting in the early 1950s.
Erected by US
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Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1941.
Location. 37° 10.015′ N, 76° 34.47′ W. Marker is in Newport News, Virginia. It is in Fort Eustis. It can be reached from Washington Boulevard just south of Madison Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 300 Washington Blvd, Fort Eustis VA 23604, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Virginias Peninsula, in Hampton Roads, in Coastal Virginia, and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Tidewater, and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At
Additional commentary.
1. Marker location
This marker is on the grounds of Fort Eustis. Permission was requested before photographing.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 1,299 times since then and 126 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
