The appearance of railways in the XIX century made a real revolution in military affairs. The ability of rapid transfer of troops, ammunition, and equipment quickly changed the face of the war, making it more dynamic. Quite quickly, the military came to the idea that the rails are also convenient for maneuvering with fire weapons. The first armed trains were used by the Austrians during the suppression of the Hungarian uprising of 1848-1849. But trains protected from enemy fire first appeared on another continent — in America. During the American Civil War, various 'armored trains' (including those with bulletproof armor made of hewn logs) were used by both sides of the conflict.
The new weapons, following the railway track, quickly spread around the world and were used during the Franco-Prussian, Anglo-Egyptian, First, and Second Anglo-Boer Wars. During the latter, the future British Prime Minister Winston Churchill participated in the reconnaissance on an armored train as a war correspondent. His trip ended tragically: the Boers blocked the railway with stones, along which the train could depart to its own, and fired at the train. Churchill was captured, and this incident itself showed that already at the dawn of its existence, the main drawback of armored trains — limited mobility — was obvious.
Nevertheless, land battleships have gone through both world wars and a large number of smaller conflicts. In different countries, both improvised and serial armored trains and motorized armored cars were built and used. Despite the above-mentioned lack of mobility, until the middle of the XX century, well-protected railway trains performed a wide range of combat tasks, including fire support, fighting partisans, air defense, escorting echelons with troops, ensuring control over railways.
Being an easy target for modern weapons systems, armored trains gradually disappeared from the battlefields. In the early 90s, the armored train was used by Croatian Serbs, and in the late 90s-early 2000s, several trains were used by Russian troops in Chechnya.
If the background of the photos interferes with reading the reference information for the photos, you can hover the mouse cursor over the text — this will darken the signature background.
A 32-pounder naval gun on a platform protected by planed logs. It was used by the Southerners during the American Civil War. The photo was probably taken during the siege of Petersberg between June 1864 and March 1865
An armored train of British troops in Egypt during the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882
An early Austro-Hungarian armored train of the World War I period
Another Austro-Hungarian armored train of the World War I period
Russian armored train 'Hunhuz', 1915
An Austro-Hungarian Type B armored train from the period of the First World War in Galicia. Trains of this type were built since 1915
Armored train 'Orlik' of the Czechoslovak corps in the Irkutsk region, the Russian Civil War, winter of 1919-1920
Russian motorized armored car 'Zaamurets' as part of an armored train of the Czechoslovak corps. In 1916-1917, the armored car took part in the First World War as part of the Russian Army. After the October revolution, it was used by gangs of anarchists and Bolsheviks. He fell into the hands of the Czechoslovaks in June 1918 in Simbirsk
British miniature armored train of the Second World War period on the narrow–gauge Dumchurch-Romney Sands railway in Kent. The train was armed with 13.9 mm Boyce anti-tank rifles, Lewis machine guns and was intended for patrolling the coast
One of 12 armored trains with Polish crews formed during the Second World War in the UK. Trains patrolled the coast from Cornwall to northern Scotland. In 1942, they were transferred to the British Home Guard militia
German infantry attacks, landing from an armored train of the BP42 or BP44 series. 1942 or later
German motorized armored car PzTrWg 16 (PT 16), built in 1942. In early May 1945, it was captured intact by the Red Army. After the war, it was transferred to the Polish army and was used as part of a Polish armored train. At present, it is located in the Railway Museum in Warsaw
Soviet armored train of the Great Patriotic War period with the turrets of the T-34 medium tank as weapons
German armored train No. 61 of the BP42 series during the Second World War, 1942 or later
Finnish armored train, made up of armored platforms of the Russian armored train 'General Annenkov' during the First World War (recaptured by the Finns from the Bolsheviks in 1918) and the Soviet armored train of the NKVD troops BP-52, which fell into the hands of the Finns at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War
Crew of the 40-mm Swedish anti-aircraft gun Bofors of the same Finnish armored train. After rearmament at the end of 1942, this armored train was used mainly as a means of air defense of railway facilities and trains
The Soviet armored train 'For the Motherland', which was raided by German aircraft near Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk) in July 1942. It is clearly visible that the armored platform is equipped with three towers of different types – two-tank towers (from the KV-2 and from the T-34, but armed with a 45-mm gun) and one special construction with a 76-mm gun
Armored train of the BP-43 series of the period of the Great Patriotic War in the exposition of the museum 'Military Glory of the Urals' in Verkhnyaya Pyshma (Sverdlovsk region) drive2.ru
The armored train of the Serbian Krajina Army Krajina Express, which took part in the fighting in Croatia and Bosnia in 1991-1995. As the main weapon, the American self-propelled gun of the Second World War M18 Hellcat is used
Modern armored train of the Russian railway troops
The appearance of railways in the XIX century made a real revolution in military affairs. The ability of rapid transfer of troops, ammunition, and equipment quickly changed the face of the war, making it more dynamic. Quite quickly, the military came to the idea that the rails are also convenient for maneuvering with fire weapons. The first armed trains were used by the Austrians during the suppression of the Hungarian uprising of 1848-1849. But trains protected from enemy fire first appeared on another continent — in America. During the American Civil War, various 'armored trains' (including those with bulletproof armor made of hewn logs) were used by both sides of the conflict.
The new weapons, following the railway track, quickly spread around the world and were used during the Franco-Prussian, Anglo-Egyptian, First, and Second Anglo-Boer Wars. During the latter, the future British Prime Minister Winston Churchill participated in the reconnaissance on an armored train as a war correspondent. His trip ended tragically: the Boers blocked the railway with stones, along which the train could depart to its own, and fired at the train. Churchill was captured, and this incident itself showed that already at the dawn of its existence, the main drawback of armored trains — limited mobility — was obvious.
Nevertheless, land battleships have gone through both world wars and a large number of smaller conflicts. In different countries, both improvised and serial armored trains and motorized armored cars were built and used. Despite the above-mentioned lack of mobility, until the middle of the XX century, well-protected railway trains performed a wide range of combat tasks, including fire support, fighting partisans, air defense, escorting echelons with troops, ensuring control over railways.
Being an easy target for modern weapons systems, armored trains gradually disappeared from the battlefields. In the early 90s, the armored train was used by Croatian Serbs, and in the late 90s-early 2000s, several trains were used by Russian troops in Chechnya.
If the background of the photos interferes with reading the reference information for the photos, you can hover the mouse cursor over the text — this will darken the signature background.
A 32-pounder naval gun on a platform protected by planed logs. It was used by the Southerners during the American Civil War. The photo was probably taken during the siege of Petersberg between June 1864 and March 1865
An armored train of British troops in Egypt during the Anglo-Egyptian War of 1882
An early Austro-Hungarian armored train of the World War I period
Another Austro-Hungarian armored train of the World War I period
Russian armored train 'Hunhuz', 1915
An Austro-Hungarian Type B armored train from the period of the First World War in Galicia. Trains of this type were built since 1915
Armored train 'Orlik' of the Czechoslovak corps in the Irkutsk region, the Russian Civil War, winter of 1919-1920
Russian motorized armored car 'Zaamurets' as part of an armored train of the Czechoslovak corps. In 1916-1917, the armored car took part in the First World War as part of the Russian Army. After the October revolution, it was used by gangs of anarchists and Bolsheviks. He fell into the hands of the Czechoslovaks in June 1918 in Simbirsk
British miniature armored train of the Second World War period on the narrow–gauge Dumchurch-Romney Sands railway in Kent. The train was armed with 13.9 mm Boyce anti-tank rifles, Lewis machine guns and was intended for patrolling the coast
One of 12 armored trains with Polish crews formed during the Second World War in the UK. Trains patrolled the coast from Cornwall to northern Scotland. In 1942, they were transferred to the British Home Guard militia
German infantry attacks, landing from an armored train of the BP42 or BP44 series. 1942 or later
German motorized armored car PzTrWg 16 (PT 16), built in 1942. In early May 1945, it was captured intact by the Red Army. After the war, it was transferred to the Polish army and was used as part of a Polish armored train. At present, it is located in the Railway Museum in Warsaw
Soviet armored train of the Great Patriotic War period with the turrets of the T-34 medium tank as weapons
German armored train No. 61 of the BP42 series during the Second World War, 1942 or later
Finnish armored train, made up of armored platforms of the Russian armored train 'General Annenkov' during the First World War (recaptured by the Finns from the Bolsheviks in 1918) and the Soviet armored train of the NKVD troops BP-52, which fell into the hands of the Finns at the beginning of the Great Patriotic War
Crew of the 40-mm Swedish anti-aircraft gun Bofors of the same Finnish armored train. After rearmament at the end of 1942, this armored train was used mainly as a means of air defense of railway facilities and trains
The Soviet armored train 'For the Motherland', which was raided by German aircraft near Voroshilovgrad (Lugansk) in July 1942. It is clearly visible that the armored platform is equipped with three towers of different types – two-tank towers (from the KV-2 and from the T-34, but armed with a 45-mm gun) and one special construction with a 76-mm gun
Armored train of the BP-43 series of the period of the Great Patriotic War in the exposition of the museum 'Military Glory of the Urals' in Verkhnyaya Pyshma (Sverdlovsk region) drive2.ru
The armored train of the Serbian Krajina Army Krajina Express, which took part in the fighting in Croatia and Bosnia in 1991-1995. As the main weapon, the American self-propelled gun of the Second World War M18 Hellcat is used
Modern armored train of the Russian railway troops
