Soviet Armored Trains

[cyberia]

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.

[cyberia]

I addition to armor trains, the Soviets also employed armor rail cars

The BA6ZhD armored car converted to rail use




And the rail converted BA20ZhD

Also converted was the BA-64V

Soviet armor rail cars were used as both patrol vehicles along railways and as sacrificial lead elements ahead of the troop and supply trains.

[Jim O]

Imagine one of those trains coming your way?

Of course I would imagine that they were sitting ducks for air attacks, given that they had nowhere to go but on the tracks. Do you know how successful the Luftwaffe was at destroying them?

[cyberia]

In the beginning, they were very successful. Which is why the Soviets started to add on triple A platforms to their trains every so many cars.

I'll look up and post some photo's of those tonight.

[cyberia]

As promised, a series of examples of anti-aircraft protection on Soviet armored trains.

Russian anti-aircraft positions on a fully armored self-propelled rail car, and on the tender located behind an engine

Vulnerable to air strike, eyes to the skies was the order of the day for AA crews on armored trains

Russian AA was eclectic, as shown here in a quad arrangement of Maxims...

...to a triple configuration of American lend lease 30 cal machine guns...

...to an assortment of larger caliber guns.

Regardless of the guns, with the Luftwaffe always a threat, the watch word for Soviet armor train AA crews was vigilance

[Jim O]

Great pics cyberia and thanks for posting them. I bet you were just waiting for my question there...

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Jim O

Great pics cyberia and thanks for posting them. I bet you were just waiting for my question there...

Waiting and ready.

Actually, I found a load of such photos, enough for two posts here.

Second one, coming up!

[cyberia]

For larger AA weapons, such as these M39 37mm cannons, flatbed cars were used as a platform.

When not combating aircraft the armor panels of these flatbeds were raised, to protect against ground fire

When guns were firing the panels would be lowered as seen in this photo.

This type of folding side box for Russian AA was known as the BP-34 type and came into use late in the war

Oddly enough, functional design for the BP-34 mimics another anti-aircraft weapon of the period.
The German Flakpanzer IV "Mobelwagen"

[Tom Houlihan]

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.

Wow! Leaves plenty of leeway for scratch builders, doesn't it????

[cyberia]

Originally Posted by Tom Houlihan

Wow! Leaves plenty of leeway for scratch builders, doesn't it????

Look at it this way, no way can they get one wrong!