Model 666, Truck, Prime Mover, 6 Ton, 6×6
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
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Erected by US Army Transportation Museum.
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. Marker 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.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Railroad Maintenance Cars (here, next to this marker); 0-6-0T Side-Tank Switcher (a few steps from this marker); Railway Snowplow - Spreader - Ditcher Car (a few steps from this marker); Railway Training Caboose (a few steps from this marker); Berlin Duty Train - Guard Car (within shouting distance of this marker); M915A4, Truck, Tractor, 14 Ton, 6×4 (Up-Armored) (within shouting distance of this marker); M1070, Truck, Tractor, 8×8 (HET) (within shouting distance of this marker); M60A3, Main Battle Tank, 105mm "Patton" (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Newport News.
Additional commentary.
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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 431 times since then and 127 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 27, 2021, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
