Armored trains in WWII. Further development of a new type of weapon

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The life of domestic armored trains began in tsarist Russia and ended in the USSR. It was short, but very intense. Armored trains managed to take part in the First World War, then they were actively used by the warring parties during the civil war. But still, armored trains were used most massively during the Second World War.

Much less is known about the actions of armored trains on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War than about the actions of tanks and artillery. However, despite the fact that in the middle of the 20th century the era of armored trains was drawing to a close, they had many glorious feats to their credit.

Unfortunately, rather modest attention is paid to the actions of armored trains during the Great Patriotic War in the domestic literature compared to other types of weapons. Articles by A.N. Manzhosov told about the participation of armored trains in the battles for the Motherland, G. A. Kumanev wrote about the exploits of railway workers in 1941-1945, in 1992 the collective work “Armored trains in the Great Patriotic War” was published. A monograph and articles by M.V. Kolomiets are also devoted to technical descriptions of armored trains.

Armored locomotives

On one refueling with fuel and water, the armored train could cover up to 120 km with a maximum speed of 45 km/h. Coal or oil was used as fuel. Moreover, each armored train had two locomotives. An ordinary steam locomotive was used for long journeys, and an armored one was used during hostilities.
Combat trains appeared not much later than the railways themselves and steam-powered trains. Already during the American Civil War (1861-65), guns were mounted on railway platforms. This allowed the northerners to quickly, by the standards of that time, deliver guns directly to the positions of the enemy, who by no means expected such a surprise from the rail track.
Real armored trains appeared by the beginning of the 20th century. and were actively used in the Anglo-Boer War, which, as you know, became a technological rehearsal for the coming world wars. Even then, this new type of military equipment demonstrated its vulnerability. In 1899, an armored train, on which, in particular, the young war correspondent Winston Churchill rode, fell into a Boer ambush and was captured.
Armored trains participated in almost all major conflicts of the first half of the 20th century, but they were most in demand during the Russian Civil War (1918−1922). In this conflict, where high-speed maneuver often gave a decisive advantage, about two hundred armored trains were used from all sides.
Gradually losing their importance as a means of combating an enemy armed with heavy equipment, armored trains still retained their effectiveness in operations against lightly armed militants. In this capacity, they have survived to this day, and in a modernized version they took part in both Chechen wars as a means of patrolling the railways.

Meanwhile, the interest of the general reader in armored trains is quite high. Near the armored locomotives and armored platforms of armored trains put up for honorary parking, there are always a lot of people who are interested in the same questions. What was the general structure of an armored train during the Great Patriotic War? What feats did the crews of armored trains accomplish? How many armored trains were lost in battles and for what reasons? Brief answers to these questions are contained in this article.

How is an armored train

The material part of domestic armored trains usually consisted of an armored locomotive, two to four armored platforms, air defense sites and four (rarely two) control platforms.

Soviet armored rubber D-2. It was used both autonomously and as part of armored trains.

Usually, armored trains were driven by steam locomotives of the O series of various modifications. They were the main freight locomotives of the 1920s and could drive a train weighing up to 700 tons - quite enough for an armored train. The reservation of the locomotive was on different armored trains from 10 to 20 mm. The armored locomotive was usually located in the middle of the armored train behind the armored platform.

The armored platform was a reinforced four-axle or two-axle railway platform. The platform had a steel hull and had one or two artillery turrets. The artillery armament of these towers was very different. Armored trains were armed with 76-mm guns of the 1902 model, 76-mm guns of the 1926/27 model, 107-mm guns, etc.

Armored platforms, depending on the caliber of the guns installed on them, were divided into light and heavy.

By the beginning of World War II, the Red Army had several types of light armored platforms. The newest at the time of the outbreak of the war were considered armored platforms of the PL-37 model with an armor thickness of 20 mm and artillery armament from two 76-mm guns of the 1902/30 model. and machine guns. The ammunition load of this armored platform was 560 rounds and 28,500 rounds for machine guns. The PL-37 was improved in comparison with the PL-35 and armored platforms of earlier years of construction. The PL-37 armored platforms were also more convenient for the crew of the armored train. They had steam heating, internal lighting and communications, had laying under the floor for various property.

"Ilya Muromets" and "Kozma Minin" fully justified the hopes placed on them. During the war, they suppressed 42 artillery and mortar batteries, shot down 14 aircraft, destroyed 14 pillboxes, 94 machine-gun points, an echelon and an ammunition depot, as well as one enemy armored train. The geography of the participation of these armored trains in battles included not only the territory of the Soviet Union, but also Western Europe.

If necessary, all PL-37 armored platforms could be transferred to railways with a gauge of 1435 mm, that is, ready for action in Western Europe.

Heavy armored platforms were armed with 107-mm guns and five Maxim machine guns, as well as quite powerful armor compared to light armored platforms. But by the beginning of World War II, these armored platforms were already considered obsolete.

It should be noted that in addition to the armored platforms and the armored locomotive itself, the armored trains had at their disposal the so-called base. "Baza" served for economic and official purposes and consisted of 6-20 freight and class cars. On the way, the "base" was attached to the warhead of the armored train, and during the conduct of hostilities it was located in the rear, on the nearest railway line. Usually the "base" had a headquarters car, an ammunition car, a car for storing supplies of material and technical equipment, a workshop car, a kitchen car, a club car, etc.

In addition to the armored locomotive, the armored train included armored platforms and "base" cars.

Tank turret fire

By June 22, 1941, among the armored trains of the Red Army, the BP-35 type was considered the most massive. However, he had a number of drawbacks, one of which was the small thickness of the armor. Taking into account the experience of the battles of the first months of the war, a new type of armored train, OB-3, was developed, which was armed with four artillery platforms and an air defense platform. The most common and perfect type of armored trains in the second half of the Great Patriotic War was the armored train of the 1943 model, developed in 1942 - BP-43.

As a rule, BP-43 consisted of a PR-43 armored locomotive located in the middle of the train, four PL-43 artillery armored platforms with turrets from T-34 tanks (two armored platforms on both sides of the armored locomotive), two armored platforms with anti-aircraft weapons PVO-4, which were located at both ends of the armored train, as well as control platforms.

Armored trains of the BP-43 type had a number of advantages compared to their predecessors, the main of which was more powerful weapons. The guns in the turrets from the T-34 tanks had a high muzzle velocity and in 1941-1942 they could confidently fight any type of German tanks, including at long range combat. In addition, they had a circular sector of fire, which dramatically increased their combat capabilities, and had better sights than other guns mounted on armored trains. Anti-aircraft weapons were also more powerful. The air defense platforms of the PVO-4 were usually armed with two 37-mm automatic guns and armored undercarriage, which favorably distinguished them from the air defense platforms of earlier-produced armored trains.

It should be noted that in reality armored trains of even one type series differed significantly from each other in appearance and armor.

Combat missions of armored trains

By the beginning of World War II, the Soviet Union had 78 armored trains, 53 of which were in service with the Red Army, and 23 were part of the NKVD troops. Armored trains were used by Soviet troops throughout the Great Patriotic War, but they were used most intensively in the period 1941-1943. Their main task was to provide fire support to infantry units operating in the railroad lane. In addition, armored trains were used to defeat enemy troops in the area of important railway stations and conduct counter-battery combat.
Sometimes, as a reinforcement and consolidation of the success achieved, some armored trains were given special landing units and landing companies. Organizationally, they were assigned to the armored train and were subordinate to the commander of the armored train.
Anti-aircraft armored trains armed with armored platforms with 25-mm and 37-mm rapid-fire anti-aircraft guns and 12.7-mm DShK anti-aircraft machine guns made a great contribution to the protection of railway stations from enemy air strikes. Organizationally, they were part of the air defense forces.
The leadership of the USSR positively assessed the activities and role of armored trains in the first months of World War II, especially when the losses in tanks and artillery of the Red Army were great. For example, this is evidenced by the directive of the People's Commissariat of Defense of the USSR No. 022ss issued on October 29, 1941 under the heading "top secret". It ordered the creation of 32 divisions of armored trains, each of which, in turn, included two armored trains. Fulfilling this directive, Soviet home front workers built by the end of 1942 not 65, but 85 armored trains!
The armored trains did not deceive the hopes placed on them. According to published data, during the Great Patriotic War, 370 tanks, 344 guns and mortars, 840 machine guns, 712 cars, 160 motorcycles and two enemy armored trains were destroyed and knocked out by armored trains! In addition, the combat account of armored trains also includes 115 downed enemy aircraft.
For participation in hostilities in the Great Patriotic War, two armored trains of the Red Army and three armored trains of the NKVD troops were awarded the Order of the Red Banner, ten separate divisions of armored trains received honorary titles.

Landing battle

Armored trains not only participated in the fire support of the Red Army units, but also carried out the transportation of valuable cargo. Sometimes they combined both during the performance of a combat mission. For example, in August 1941, the German landing in Ukraine managed to capture the Zhuliany station. Taking advantage of surprise, the German paratroopers not only occupied the station building, but also took possession of several wagons, which contained equipment for the needs of the Red Army aviation. To protect themselves, the Germans at the entrance to the station dismantled the rails and blew up a small bridge. However, this did not stop the crew of the Liter A armored train. This armored train consisted of an armored locomotive (a typical armored steam locomotive of the Ov series) and three armored platforms armed with 4 guns and 24 machine guns. Armored train commander A.S. Slow-moving at night sent a team of repairmen and a group of fighters to restore the railway track. After the railway and the bridge were restored, the armored train at full speed at 4 o'clock in the morning broke into the station and opened heavy fire on the stunned enemy. As a result of the actions of the armored train, the station was liberated from the German landing. Taking advantage of this, the crew of the armored train hitched up wagons with valuable cargo and took them to Kyiv to the location of the Red Army.

Armored train of the NKVD enters the battle

In addition to the armored trains of the Red Army during the Great Patriotic War, armored trains, which were at the disposal of the internal troops of the NKVD, also fought with the enemy. These armored trains usually fought not as part of divisions, but independently. As an example, we can cite the actions of the armored train of the internal troops of the NKVD No. 46 on the Transcaucasian front.

Only from August 30 to September 6, 1942, this armored train made nine fire raids and fired 337 shells. As a result of the fire of the armored train, the Germans suffered significant damage. A tank, an armored car were hit, an easel machine gun and three observation posts were destroyed. With the help of armored train fire, Soviet troops were able to occupy the Teplovodny junction, forcing the Germans to retreat. During this period, the armored train was subjected to mortar and artillery fire six times, but the Germans could not achieve direct hits.

The German Wehrmacht also used armored trains on the Eastern Front. Sometimes they entered into duels with Soviet armored trains. In the photo - Soviet soldiers inspect the defeated Nazi armored train in the liberated Gomel (November 1943).

On September 10, armored train No. 46 supported the advance of the 10th Guards Rifle Corps on the Pervomaisky farm with its fire. During the day, the armored train made five fire raids, during which an armored car, three mortar batteries and enemy headquarters were destroyed. In addition, six tanks and two armored vehicles were also hit by armored train fire. Thanks to the support of the armored train, the Soviet infantrymen managed to take the Pervomaisky farm and the Terek station by the end of the day.

In total, in the period from August 24 to November 29, 1942, armored train No. 46 on the Transcaucasian front made 47 fire raids. As a result of his actions, 17 tanks, 26 vehicles, six armored vehicles, four mortar and two artillery batteries, one gun, six motorcycles and a large number of enemy infantry were destroyed. In addition, the fire of the armored train suppressed the fire of six mortar and two artillery batteries, as well as two separate guns and 18 machine guns. For military operations in the North Caucasus, the armored train was awarded the Order of the Red Banner.

Hunt for the "Green Ghost"

For eight months, the Zheleznyakov armored train operated as part of the Sevastopol defensive region, and it went on missions under the conditions of complete German air superiority and the presence of a powerful enemy artillery group, methodically destroying the railway tracks. Despite these circumstances, the armored train regularly made swift attacks, during which it fired at the enemy for several minutes, and then suddenly disappeared into the tunnels of Sevastopol.

"Ilya Muromets" and "Kozma Minin" were made in Gorky in February 1942. The design took into account the experience of fighting armored trains in 1941. Each armored train consisted of an Ov armored locomotive protected by 20-45 mm armor, two artillery armored platforms and two air defense armored platforms, as well as a “base”.

In total, Zhelyaznyakov managed to make 140 combat sorties. With his unexpected appearance on the battlefield, he caused a lot of trouble for the German troops, constantly keeping them in suspense. The Germans set up a real hunt for Zheleznyakov: they regularly sent aircraft, specially allocated artillery units for its destruction, but for more than six months the armored train managed to deceive the enemy. The Germans dubbed him the "Green Ghost". Unfortunately, on June 26, 1942, the legendary armored train was nevertheless destroyed: under air strikes, it was buried in a tunnel, the vaults of which could not withstand another powerful air raid.

Heroic Division

During the Great Patriotic War, armored trains usually operated as part of divisions (ODBP). The division organizationally included two armored trains and workshop cars. In addition, for reconnaissance, armored train divisions included armored tires and armored vehicles (usually BA-20).

In the battles of the Great Patriotic War, a bright mark was left by the 31st separate special Gorky division of armored trains, which included two powerful armored trains of the same type, Ilya Muromets and Kozma Minin. These armored trains should be told in more detail, because they themselves, and their actions on the battlefields, and their rewards were really special. Without exaggeration, these were one of the most advanced and powerful armored trains in the world!

Everlasting memory

No war is without casualties. They suffered losses, including armored trains. For a long time this topic remained closed. According to archival information published by M.V. Kolomiets, in the period from June 1941 to May 1945, the losses of the Red Army amounted to 65 armored trains. These official figures do not include the loss of armored trains of the NKVD troops.
The saddest year was 1942: during this period, 42 armored trains were lost, exactly twice as many as in 1941 (!). Often, armored trains perished, simultaneously reflecting enemy attacks from heaven and earth.
The large losses of armored trains in 1941-1942 can be explained by a number of reasons. Firstly, armored trains were active in this most difficult period for the Red Army in the face of superiority of the enemy in the air and in tanks. Secondly, armored trains were often assigned the role of a kind of “suicide bomber”: they remained alone to cover the withdrawal of Soviet units in order to delay the enemy for several hours.
With the increase in the number of armored vehicles in the units of the Red Army, the participation of armored trains in hostilities began to decline, which had a positive effect on the statistics of losses. In 1943, only two armored trains were lost, and in 1944-1945, armored trains had no losses.
An analysis of the hostilities indicates that the main reasons for the vulnerability of armored trains were attachment to the railway, the difficulties of camouflage during combat operations, as well as the weakness of anti-aircraft weapons on most armored trains.
The tendency to increase the caliber and power of guns in the period 1941-1945 made the armor of armored trains insufficient to reliably protect the mechanisms and crew from enemy artillery fire. The growing role of aviation in combat operations against enemy ground forces, the improvement in the quality of aircraft sights and the power of aircraft weapons made armored trains very vulnerable to air attacks.
The experience of the Great Patriotic War showed that, despite the successes achieved and the mass use in 1941-1945, the time of armored trains was already coming to an end. Which, of course, in no way diminishes the significance of the feats accomplished by the railroad workers in order to defeat the enemy.

The artillery armored platform of the Kozma Minin and Ilya Muromets armored trains was armed with two F-34 cannons in the turrets from the T-34 tank and six DT machine guns. Compared to other armored trains, the armored platforms of the Kozma Minin and Ilya Muromets armored trains also had more powerful armor - 45 mm on the sides. It is noteworthy that the armor was located at an angle, which dramatically increased its resistance.

The word “special” in its name was given to the 31st ODBP for the fact that for the first time among all Soviet armored trains, Kozma Minin and Ilya Muromets received armored platforms with the latest and secret weapons at that time - M-8−24 rocket launchers , better known as "Katyusha".

The geography of participation in the battles of the 31st division included not only the territory of the Soviet Union, but also Western Europe. For example, in the battles for the liberation of the suburbs of Warsaw - Prague - the division made 73 artillery and mortar raids. As a result of the fire of armored trains, 12 artillery and mortar batteries, six separate guns and 12 machine guns were suppressed and destroyed, not counting a large number of enemy infantry. The division ended the Great Patriotic War in Frankfurt an der Oder.

"Ilya Muromets" against "Adolf Hitler"

It should be noted that not only the Red Army, but also the Wehrmacht had armored trains. Therefore, the armored trains of the warring parties, although rarely, still had to meet each other on the battlefield. As a result, there were duels between armored trains. In the spring of 1944, the Red Army liberated the territory of the Volyn region of Ukraine with stubborn battles. Heavy fighting flared up for the city of Kovel, which the Soviet troops could not capture immediately. The 31st Separate Special Gorky Division of Armored Trains under the command of Major V.M. was sent to help the advancing Soviet infantrymen. Morozov.

One morning, scouts spotted a German artillery battery. She fired for three minutes and then stopped firing. The terrain and the crowns of tall trees prevented us from finding out its exact location. The infantrymen contacted aerial reconnaissance, but received a reply that no battery had been found. The next morning at 9 o'clock an unknown battery again opened fire for three minutes. And again, the Soviet soldiers failed to detect it. This went on for several days, until the Germans were let down by their inherent pedantry. The scouts, who were sitting at a previously prepared observation post in the crown of a tree, noticed clouds of smoke at exactly 9 o'clock. It dawned on them - this was an enemy armored train. The headquarters of the 31st division developed a plan to destroy the enemy armored train. The main task was to be performed by the Ilya Muromets armored train: to find a suitable place for an ambush, destroy the railway track with artillery fire from its cannons and thereby cut off the escape routes for the enemy, and then destroy the German armored train.

On June 4, 1944, at exactly 9 o'clock in the morning, a duel of armored trains took place. The fight was short lived. Shots fired from both sides almost simultaneously. Gunners "Ilya Muromets" showed great skill. The German armored train was covered with the very first shots. However, he managed to turn the muzzle of the guns in the direction of the Ilya Muromets and fire back. But the shells fell past the Soviet armored train. Volley "Katyusha" from the armored "Ilya Muromets" completed the defeat of the enemy armored train. Soon it was all over for him. It is symbolic that the destroyed German armored train was named "Adolf Hitler".

In 1929-1930. In Germany, "line protection trains" appeared, which were intended to protect the railway tracks. The armored train consisted of a lightly armored locomotive of the 57 or 93 series (Prussian serial steam locomotives G-10 and T-14) and several cars, the double walls of which were filled with cement mortar. By 1937, there were about 22 such trains in Germany. In addition to building new trains of its own design, the Wehrmacht made extensive use of captured Czech and, especially Polish armored vehicles, locomotives to form new armored trains.

In the middle of 1940, captured Polish armored trains received numbers 21 and 22 for service with the Wehrmacht. Armored train No. 21 was armed with three 75-mm guns, and No. 22 with two 100-mm guns, which were located on rotating turrets.

In May 1941, armored trains No. 26-31 were created, designed for a wide Soviet gauge. They had wagons and platforms sheathed with ordinary steel. To strengthen them, platforms with captured French Somu S-35 tanks were included in the armored trains. In armored trains No. 30 and No. 31, one platform each, in No. 26, 27 and 29, two each, and No. 28 received three. Sheets of light armor were welded onto the platforms, which covered only the undercarriage of the tanks. The locomotives that were to drive the armored trains were the 57 (G-10) series steam locomotives, except for one WR-550D diesel locomotive, which pulled the armored train No. 28. All locomotives had only an armored cab. The crew of an armored train usually corresponded to a company. By the beginning of the offensive to the East, the personnel of the armored trains was about 2 thousand people.

In 1942, Soviet armored locomotives and armored cars (armed with 2 and 4 76.2-mm guns) were included in the German armored trains. Captured gun turrets of Soviet tanks and armored vehicles were used for modernization. Also, 45-mm caliber guns and mortars were included in the artillery arsenal. The most successful models of armored trains received their own names: "Blucher", "Berlin", "Max", "Stettin", etc. In the middle of 1942, German variants of armored platforms began to appear (Kommandowagen, Panzerlok BR-57, Geschuetzwagen, etc.). On average, up to 10 armored trains were on combat duty, designed to fight partisans and patrol the railway. By 1943, the modernized armored trains had up to 4 76.2 mm and 4 100 mm guns. The thickness of the armor was 15 - 33 mm and covered the entire side and chassis of the cars and the locomotive. Such armored trains received the serial number BP-42 and BP-44. On samples of the BP-44 series, designed to fight tanks, two additional 75-mm guns from Pz.Kpfw IV tanks were installed (in the head and tail of the armored train).

At the same time, a new tank mounting platform was developed for old armored trains, which made it possible to quickly unload equipment (most often Pz.Kpfw 38 (t)) and use it together with infantry or for reconnaissance. Platforms with armored vehicles were also created (two Panar 38 (f) (P-2004) per armored train), which dramatically increased the combat potential of armored trains. By the end of 1944, all available armored trains had at least one artillery platform with Soviet 76.2-mm or Polish 100-mm guns (sometimes 10.5 cm howitzers of the 18-M model were installed), as well as one armored car from the BP-42 series .

From 1943 to 1944 at the disposal of the Wehrmacht there were about 70 armored trains of various configurations, most of which were located on the eastern front (about 30 heavy and 10 reconnaissance). The standard front-line heavy armored train looked like this: one command car (headquarters, radio operators, orderlies); one infantry wagon (2 machine guns), two reinforced infantry wagons (up to 6 machine guns and two 80-mm mortars); one sapper car (up to 3 machine guns and a flamethrower); one tactical artillery wagon (2 machine guns); four cannon cars (on the 1st turret from Pz.Kpfw-III Ausf.N or Pz.Kpfw-IV tanks, 80-mm and 120-mm mortars were also used); two anti-aircraft wagons (20 mm quad mount and twin 37 mm anti-aircraft gun). At the end of the train, armored tires and platforms with tanks (Pz.Kpfw 38 (t) and Panar 38 (f) armored cars) were attached. In 1945, the last new model was created, the modernized Berlin armored train, which was armed with turrets from Panther tanks. It should be noted that along with the "regular" armored trains, the troops actively used the so-called. "protected trains". They were made in field conditions, widely using captured machines and mechanisms. Separate "protected trains" were eventually transferred to the "regular" category.

TTX of an armored train: booking - 13-30 mm; armored locomotive - series 57; an artillery wagon armed with a 100 mm 14/19 (r) field howitzer, which also provided space for a field kitchen and a sanitary unit; a command and staff car, in which the infantry landing was also placed; artillery and anti-aircraft car armed with a 76.2 mm FK-295/I gun and a quadruple 20 mm anti-aircraft gun; armored platforms with tanks Pz.Kpfw.38 (t) at the ends of the armored train. The armored train included two Panar 38 (f) (P-204) armored vehicles, which had both wheel and rail travel; replacement of ordinary wheels with railway wheels sample took ten minutes. The armament of the armored car consisted of one 25 mm cannon and one machine gun.

The armored train was created on the basis of the BP-42. It consisted of a platform with a low armored casemate, on the roof of which was mounted a Pz.Kpfw-IV tank turret with a long-barreled 75 mm cannon, sometimes a Soviet T-34 tank turret. At first, only 105 mm 18-M field howitzers were used to arm artillery wagons in the same turrets as on armored trains of the BP-42 type. In the future - 120-mm mortars.

Armored armed self-propelled trolleys and motorized wagons were also in service with the German army. They were able to act both independently and as part of armored trains. The railcars were equipped with a Steyr air-cooled engine with a power of 76 hp, which provided a maximum speed of 70 km / h. They were armed with four machine guns, and the crew consisted of 6 people. A number of armored tires were armed with 7.62 cm FK-295 / I (r) guns or a gun from the Pz.Kpfw-IV Ausf. H (in this case, a rotating tower was mounted on the platform). The railcar protection consisted of 14.5 mm armor, and the mass reached 8 tons. A light (rear or reconnaissance) armored train could consist of 10-12 such railcars.

In 1927, the standard composition of an armored train was determined in Poland: an armored locomotive, two armored platforms, an assault car and two control platforms. The combat unit was formed in the following order: an armored locomotive in the middle, an assault car with a radio station next to it, artillery cars on the sides and two loaded control platforms along the edges. In some cases, the warhead could be divided, while the locomotive was with the part that is closer to the enemy, the rest remain in place and support the first.

Armored trains became the answer of the Russian Empire to the development of tank building during the WWII, however, they were built not only in the Republic of Ingushetia. And laid the foundation for Armored construction, of course, the United States, during the Civil War. In the USSR, armored trains were in service until the mid-70s, and again revived in the Chechen campaign.

Artillery armored platform 1880..

Armored wagon for South Africa 1919.

For the first time, guns were placed on railway platforms during the Civil War in the United States (1861-1865), in 1861 in the army of the Northern States by the commander of the 19th Illinois Volunteer Regiment, Colonel I. V. Turchaninov (John Basil Turchin).

Artillery was quickly delivered to the Southern troops encamped along the railroad line and made a sudden havoc in their camp. This successful experience was then repeatedly used.

In 1864, 13-inch mortars were already installed on the platforms, which fired shells weighing approximately 100 kg during the siege of Pittsburgh with a firing range of up to 4.5 km.

In Europe, a similar use of railway platforms took place in 1871 during the siege of Paris by the Prussian army during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-1871: it was possible to fire at the fortifications of the city from different sides.

British troops in Egypt 1880s

1899. South Africa.

By the beginning of the First World War, several armored trains of the simplest design were in service with the armies of most European states. After the outbreak of the First World War, the creation of new armored trains was started in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, France, and Italy. On the fronts, separate mobile units were also used - armored railcars.

Armored train "Hunhuz". 1915

In the photo below - a typical armored train of the Caucasian Army, 1915. According to the project, it consisted of two armored platforms and a semi-armored locomotive. Armament - two mountain guns 76.2 mm model 1904 and 8 machine guns, a team - 4 officers and 70 shooters, armor thickness 12-16 mm. A total of four trains of this type were built.

In Russia, the "boom of armored trains" fell on the Civil War. This was due to its specifics, such as the virtual absence of clear front lines, a large number of irregular troops and a sharp struggle for railways as the main means for the rapid transfer of troops, ammunition, and bread.

Armored train units were part of almost all the warring parties. In addition to the Red Army, they were also part of the White Guard Volunteer Army (later in the Armed Forces of the South of Russia (VSYuR)) of General Denikin, the Czechoslovak Corps (b / n "Orlik"), the army of the UNR (b / n "Glory to Ukraine", "Sechevik ") and etc.

The widespread combat use of armored trains during the Civil War clearly showed their main weakness. The armored train was a large, bulky target, vulnerable to artillery (and later air) strikes. In addition, it was dangerously dependent on the railway line. To immobilize him, it was enough to destroy the canvas in front and behind.

Therefore, to restore the destroyed tracks, armored trains included platforms with track materials: rails, sleepers, fasteners. The rate of restoration of the path by the soldiers of the armored trains was quite high: an average of 40 m / h of the track and about 1 m / h of the bridge on small rivers. Therefore, the destruction of the tracks only for a short time delayed the movement of armored trains.

Part of the armored trains went to the Red Army from the Russian Imperial Army, while mass production of new ones was launched. In addition, until 1919, the mass production of "surrogate" armored trains, assembled from improvised materials from ordinary passenger cars, in the absence of any drawings, continued; such an "armored train" could be assembled literally in a day.

By the end of the Civil War, the Central Council of Armored Units (Tsentrobron) of the Red Army had 122 full-fledged armored trains under its jurisdiction.
By 1928, the number of armored trains was reduced to 34.

Nevertheless, the Red Army in the interwar period did not abandon plans for the further technical development of armored trains. During the Great Patriotic War, armored trains and railway artillery (which did not belong to armored trains) remained in service. A number of new armored trains were built, and air defense railway batteries were deployed.

Armored train units played a certain role in the Great Patriotic War, primarily in the protection of railway communications of the operational rear

In addition to the Red Army, the operational troops of the NKVD also had armored trains. They had 25 armored locomotives, 32 artillery armored platforms, 36 motorized armored cars and 7 armored vehicles.

Soviet BEPO No. 695 type BP-35 (PR-35 + 2 x PL-37) together with BA-20zhd and BA-10zhd

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, the BP-35 was the most massive domestic armored train. It included two PL-37 artillery sites (shortly before that, the obsolete PL-35s were replaced with them) and one SPU-BP anti-aircraft gun with quadruple Maxims. In general, it was a good armored train. However, the experience of a real war soon showed all its advantages and disadvantages. Cannons and machine guns were quite good striking force, but air defense and armor were insufficient.

The catastrophic start of the war, huge losses in military equipment and weapons, the impossibility of their rapid replenishment due to the evacuation of enterprises forced the army command and industry leadership to look for a way out of such an easy situation.

Broken armored train "For the Motherland"

Already in June-July 1941, in the expanses of the Soviet Union, at locomotive building and repair plants, workshops, work began on the construction of improvised armored trains. Everything that comes to hand is used: any iron sheets, wagons, locomotives, weapons almost from museums. The closer the enemy, the higher the pace of construction.

In the second half of 1941 alone, four (!) New types of armored trains, artillery and anti-aircraft, were created at once. All of them were produced in various quantities, and the anti-aircraft armored train of the 41st model became the "record holder" in this regard - more than a hundred of them were made.

Armored train:

Captured Soviet armored car in the service of the Wehrmacht.

Armored train "Zheleznyakov"

Making "Armored train":

Each armored train consisted of a warhead and a base. The warhead was intended for direct combat operations and included an armored locomotive, two armored platforms and 2-4 control platforms, which were attached to the armored train in front and behind, served to transport materials for the repair of the railway track (rails, sleepers, etc.) and for protection against minefields.

The base of the armored train provided him with a fairly high autonomy of action and consisted of a car for the commanding staff, an office car, a club car, a kitchen car, and several cars to accommodate the personnel of the armored train.

The successful use of armored trains in the first months of the war contributed to the deployment of their construction in the car depots of a number of cities.

At the same time, the design and armament of armored trains was largely an improvisation and depended on the availability of armored steel, weapons and technological capabilities of the depot.

Starting from the end of 41, the serial production of a typical armored train began:

OB-3 They were produced during the war according to a simplified scheme of the VR-35 type, however, the booking was improved. About a hundred of them were made, they played their role in WWII and were dismantled by the end of 1946

And the real crown of the domestic construction of armored trains went to the troops only in 1943, when the possibilities of industry already made it possible to focus on more promising equipment, such as tanks. The armored train BP-43 became to some extent a "hybrid" of the classic armored train and tank.

Armored train "Salavat Yulaev" type BP-43

Starting from 1943, the production of armored platforms was put on stream:

The luckiest armored train:

The armored train was built in 1942 in Murom. It was protected by armor 45 millimeters thick and did not receive a single hole during the entire war. The armored train went from Murom to Frankfurt an der Oder. During the war, he destroyed 7 aircraft, 14 guns and mortar batteries, 36 enemy firing points, 875 soldiers and officers. For military merit, the 31st Separate Special Gorky Division of Armored Trains, which included the Ilya Muromets and Kozma Minin armored trains, was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 1971, the Ilya Muromets armored steam locomotive was put into eternal parking in Murom.

Polish armored trains:

And armored tires:

German:

In the 30s, the German military command considered the development of aviation and tanks a priority, and the design of new armored trains turned out to be unnecessary. Only on the eve of the outbreak of World War II in July-August 1939 did a shift occur, and it was decided to create seven new armored trains. However, there was not enough time to create real armored trains. Then a compromise was found: to use "line protection trains" and Czechoslovak captured armored trains.

However, the effectiveness of these armored trains was very low - the unfortunate location of 75-mm guns (which were installed not in towers, but in casemates) significantly limited their firing sectors. But, despite the shortcomings, these armored trains were operated until 1944, except for the armored train No. 5, which was dismantled in 1940 (which was repeatedly modernized and repaired).

From 1943 to 1944, the Wehrmacht had at its disposal about 70 armored trains of various configurations, the main part was on the eastern front (about 30 heavy and 10 reconnaissance armored trains), the rest were on combat duty in the Balkans, France, Italy and Norway. With the subsequent retreat of the German army from the territory of the USSR, armored trains began to be actively used as a means of mobile defense.

Often, several armored trains held separate sections of the front, moreover, at the most critical moment.

Repeatedly, they successfully managed to hold the defense, resisting not only infantry, but also tank units (February 1943, the defense of the Debaltsevo-Shterovka line).

In the north, heavy armored trains operated against the troops of the USSR, and in the south, reconnaissance and trolley trains operated against the partisans. But further holding the front by using armored trains as "fire brigades" was no longer possible.

Just like the Wehrmacht, the aforementioned department could no longer compensate for losses and carry out repairs.
In early February 1945, the last operational group (under the command of Colonel von Turkheim) was formed from the remaining active heavy armored trains, the main task of which was to hold the Berlin direction.

The group included 4 armored trains and the last new model, the modernized Berlin, which was armed with turrets from Panther tanks.

After WWII:

Until 1953, armored trains served in Western Ukraine to patrol railway lines due to frequent attacks by UPA units on railway facilities. By the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR of February 4, 1958, the further development of railway artillery systems was stopped. By the end of the fifties, not a single armored train remained in service with the USSR.
In the late 1970s, due to tense relations between the USSR and the PRC, 4 (according to other sources, 5) BP-1 armored trains were created at the Kharkov Heavy Engineering Plant, after the improvement of Soviet-Chinese relations, these armored trains were transferred to the reserve. They stayed there until the beginning of 1990.

Armored trains in Chechnya:

The older generation of Russians remembers well the words from the once popular song: "We are peaceful people, but our armored train is standing on a siding." In it, the armored personnel is not just a combat unit, but a symbol of the military power of the state. Is it any wonder that even today this word does not lose popularity, and even one very famous printing house is named after it. The railway armored train is an era in history, and the memory of it is indelible. Where did these wheeled fortresses come from?

The first experiences of using armored trains

The idea to use a train as a mobile artillery battery appeared in France in 1826, when the news spread around the world about the creation of the first railway in England. But no one took it seriously, and the first armored train went into battle only in 1848, when the Austrian army had to defend its capital from the Hungarians.

However, this experience, although successful, did not continue, and the idea was fully implemented already overseas during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Its initiator was the American general of Russian origin Ivan Vasilyevich Turchaninov, better known by his American name John Basil Turchin.

Having installed guns on the railway platforms and thoroughly armored (covered) them with sandbags, he unexpectedly attacked the positions of the army of northerners hostile to him located near the railway tracks. The effect was so stunning that the use of artillery platforms became a permanent practice, and later, when the armored train was adopted by many, they became an integral part of it.

Further development of a new type of weapon

In Europe, the idea to sheathe railway cars with armor plates, and to place artillery and machine-gun crews inside, came to the mind of the French engineer Mougin. But the problem was that the narrow gauge railways of those years were unsuitable for the movement of heavy trains along them, and their use was possible only if there was a specially built gauge, which made it difficult to implement the project.

In its usual form for us, the armored train, which by that time had already been almost half a century old, was used in the Anglo-Boer War of 1899-1902. The Boers widely used the tactics of guerrilla warfare, suddenly attacking trains with ammunition and food, and thereby disrupting the supply of enemy units. Under these conditions, armored fortresses on wheels turned out to be a very effective means of protecting the communications of the English army. Since then, the railway armored train, whose weapons have been constantly improved, has become an indispensable participant in all wars and major military conflicts.

Supreme Decree

In the years preceding, almost all European armies had armored trains in their arsenal, and with the outbreak of hostilities, their widespread intensive production began. In 1913, Emperor Nicholas I ordered the start of the production of mobile armored trains on the basis of technical developments carried out by Russian engineers K. B. Krom and M. V. Kolobov. Two years later, at the height of the war, five such trains entered service with the railway units formed by that time, and soon two more were added to them.

Armored trains of the Civil War

It is well known that the railway armored train has become one of the symbols of the Civil War. This is not accidental, since it was during this period that it acquired particular importance in view of the acute struggle for control over the supply routes of the front. Armored and bristling with guns, the trains were in service with almost all the warring parties. But such an intensive use soon made their main shortcomings obvious.

Due to their bulkiness, armored trains were a convenient target for enemy artillery, and with the development of military equipment, for aviation. In addition, their mobility was entirely dependent on the state of the railway tracks, so that to completely stop the train, it was enough to destroy them in front and behind the train.

In this regard, each railway armored train, the use of which inevitably provoked the enemy to take such measures, was equipped with a platform with spare rails, sleepers and the necessary fasteners, and the team included railway workers. Curious data have been preserved: the repair teams almost manually managed to restore up to forty meters of track within an hour. Such labor productivity made it possible to resume the movement of the train with minimal delays.

Armored trains in service with the Red Army

In the Red Army, armored trains were as widely used as their opponents. At the beginning of hostilities, these were mainly trains left after the First World War, but since they were not enough for the needs of the front, the production of so-called “surrogate” models was started, which were ordinary passenger or freight trains with armor plates hung on them and equipped with tools. The creation of such an armored train did not require additional drawings and took very little time. Only in 1919 was it possible to arrange the production of real combat trains. By the end of the Civil War, the Red Army already had one hundred and twenty units.

At the end of the war, many of them were re-equipped for civilian purposes, which led to a significant reduction in the rolling stock of railway troops. However, in the thirties, work continued on their release, but already taking into account the changed requirements. In particular, separate armored platforms and armored cars, as well as armored tires, became widespread. During the Great Patriotic War, they were often equipped with anti-aircraft guns and machine guns and were intended to protect trains from enemy air attacks.

Components of an armored train

What did the classic railway armored train consist of? The photos presented in the article demonstrate quite powerful designs. First of all, such a train was supplied with a locomotive, the function of which was performed by an armored steam locomotive, and later a diesel locomotive. In addition, the presence of several armored wagons or platforms with weapons placed on them was mandatory. These could be artillery systems reinforced with machine gun crews, and later rocket launchers. Very often, the railway armored train included landing platforms, on which manpower was placed to transfer it to the area of military operations.

Despite their name, armored trains were not always protected solely by armor. Sometimes armored wagons were used, that is, securing them with tightly packed sandbags and sheet iron. Protective parapets for gun and landing platforms were made in a similar way. During the Second World War, German armored trains also included platforms with tanks, whose task was to support the landing.

Features of armored trains in the forties

At the same time, a specially designed type of armored trains appeared, specially designed to protect important strategic objects (bridges, factories, weapons depots, etc.) located at a distance from the front line, but within the reach of enemy aircraft. Their feature was in the design, optimized to repel air attacks. They consisted of an armored locomotive and armored platforms with various anti-aircraft weapons. Armored cars in them, as a rule, were absent.

In the early forties, the Soviet army had a division of armored trains and a battalion armed with armored railcars. With the outbreak of the war, their number increased significantly, and it included railway anti-aircraft batteries, also placed on trains. Their task, as in previous years, was mainly to protect communications and ensure the uninterrupted movement of echelons. It is known that in those years more than two hundred armored trains operated on the railways.

in the post-war period

In the post-war years, the importance of armored trains decreased due to the rapid development of armored vehicles. Until 1953, they were used mainly in Ukraine, in the course of hostilities against the UPA, which often carried out attacks on various railway facilities. However, in 1958, the Council of Ministers of the USSR issued a decree to stop the further development of this type of troops, and by the end of the fifties, armored trains were completely withdrawn from service.

Only in the seventies, due to the aggravation of relations with China, it was considered expedient to supply the Trans-Baikal and Far Eastern military districts with five armored trains that continuously ran along the state border. They were subsequently used to resolve conflicts in Baku (1990) and Nagorno-Karabakh (1987-1988), after which they were sent to a permanent base.

Rocket base on rails

The modern railway armored train bears little resemblance to its predecessors, who earned fame in the years of past wars. Nowadays, this is a train equipped with combat missile systems capable of hitting any intended targets with atomic warheads and in the shortest possible time changing their place of deployment.

Despite the fact that this is a fundamentally new technical design, it still retains its familiar name - an armored train. The train, which is essentially a missile base, due to its mobility presents a significant difficulty for its detection even with the help of satellites.

An armored train was called an armored train, which was intended for combat operations in the railroad strip. Such trains were widely used in the wars of the first half of the 20th century. In the USSR, they were in service until the 70s, in order to “resurrect” again in the Chechen company.

Artillery armored platform 1880..

Armored wagon for South Africa 1919.

Artillery was quickly delivered to the Southern troops encamped along the railroad line and made a sudden havoc in their camp. This successful experience was then repeatedly used.

In 1864, 13-inch mortars were already installed on the platforms, which fired shells weighing approximately 100 kg during the siege of Pittsburgh with a firing range of up to 4.5 km.

British troops in Egypt 1880s

1899. South Africa.

typical armored train of the Caucasian Army, 1915. According to the project, it consisted of two armored platforms and a semi-armored locomotive. Armament - two 76.2 mm mountain guns of the 1904 model and 8 machine guns, a team of 4 officers and 70 shooters, armor thickness 12-16 mm. A total of four trains of this type were built.

By the end of the Civil War, the Central Council of Armored Units (Tsentrobron) of the Red Army had 122 full-fledged armored trains under its jurisdiction.

By 1928, the number of armored trains was reduced to 34.

Armored train units played a certain role in the Great Patriotic War, primarily in the protection of railway communications of the operational rear

Soviet BEPO No. 695 type BP-35 (PR-35 + 2 x PL-37) together with BA-20zhd and BA-10zhd

Broken armored train "For the Motherland"

Armored train:

Captured Soviet armored car in the service of the Wehrmacht.

Manufacturing "Armored train":

The successful use of armored trains in the first months of the war contributed to the deployment of their construction in the car depots of a number of cities.

At the same time, the design and armament of armored trains was largely an improvisation and depended on the availability of armored steel, weapons and technological capabilities of the depot.

Starting from the end of 41, the serial production of a typical armored train began:

Armored train "Salavat Yulaev" type BP-43

Starting from 1943, the production of armored platforms was put on stream:

The luckiest armored train:

The armored train was built in 1942 in Murom. It was protected by armor 45 millimeters thick and did not receive a single hole during the entire war. The armored train went from Murom to Frankfurt an der Oder. During the war, he destroyed 7 aircraft, 14 guns and mortar batteries, 36 enemy firing points, 875 soldiers and officers. For military merit, the 31st separate special Gorky division of armored trains, which included the Ilya Muromets and Kozma Minin armored trains, was awarded the Order of Alexander Nevsky. In 1971, the Ilya Muromets armored steam locomotive was put into eternal parking in Murom.

Polish armored trains:

And armored tires:

German:

However, the effectiveness of these armored trains was very low - the unfortunate location of the 75-mm guns (which were installed not in towers, but in casemates) significantly limited their range of fire. But, despite the shortcomings, these armored trains were operated until 1944, except for the armored train No. 5, which was dismantled in 1940 (which was repeatedly modernized and repaired).

Often, several armored trains held separate sections of the front, moreover, at the most critical moment.

Repeatedly, they successfully managed to hold the defense, resisting not only infantry, but also tank units (February 1943, the defense of the Debaltsevo-Shterovka line).

Just like the Wehrmacht, the aforementioned department could no longer compensate for losses and carry out repairs.

In early February 1945, the last operational group (under the command of Colonel von Turkheim) was formed from the remaining active heavy armored trains, the main task of which was to hold the Berlin direction.

The group included 4 armored trains and the last new model, the modernized Berlin, which was armed with turrets from Panther tanks.

After WWII:

In the late 1970s, due to tense relations between the USSR and the PRC, 4 (according to other sources, 5) BP-1 armored trains were created at the Kharkov Heavy Engineering Plant, after the improvement of Soviet-Chinese relations, these armored trains were transferred to the reserve. They stayed there until the beginning of 1990.

Armored trains in Chechnya: