Armored trains have been in military use since the 19th century with numerous nations employing them in one or degree or another. But it was the Soviet Union that made the greatest use of armored trains in the Second World War. Partly because the Soviet Union was a great expanse stitched together with seemingly miles or rail, and partly to counter swift moving German panzer columns.
A Soviet armored train, bristling with guns, rolls through a frozen landscape
Soviet armored trains had no set design. They were fashioned in various locations to meet whatever needs arose and with whatever materials were on hand. They employed a variety of turrets, varying degrees of armor plate thickness and even sand bags.
With no set production design, Soviet armored trains were a mix of firepower and materials
Yet as eclectic as the designs may have been they were as whole extremely functional. Soviet armor trains served as artillery platforms, anti-aircraft units, troop transports, anti-tank support as well as hospital and supply trains.
Well protected, armored trains of the Soviet Union performed a variety of duties
As this thread progresses, we'll look at the vast variety of Soviet armored trains and their uses.