Armored trains

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2 cm Flakvierling 38 panzerzug eastern front

Armored train

armored train in Russia

Armoured train panzerzug eastern front

Armoured train panzerzug with tanks

Beute Panzerzug Simferopol Crimea 1941

Captured soviet armored locomotive

Captured soviet armoured steam locomotive

Captured soviet armoured train

Captured soviet armoured train 2

Derailed Panzerzug number 1 Holland May 1940

Destroyed armored train

Destroyed russian armored train

Destroyed russian armored train 2

Destroyed russian armored train 3

Destroyed russian armored train 5

Destroyed russian armored train 6

Destroyed russian armored train, Eastern Front 1941-1942

Destroyed russian armored train, Eastern Front 1941/42

Ex soviet armoured train Panzerzug Ostfront

German armored train

German armored train 2

German armored train in yard at Ohringen Germany 1945

German armored train Panzerzug

German armored train Panzerzug 2

German armored train Panzerzug winter camo

German armoured train

German armoured train Panzerzug BP42 eastern front

German armoured train Panzerzug in Dorogobusch Russia

German armoured train Panzerzug in Russia

German armoured train panzerzug typ BP42 1943

German armoured train with Somua S35 tank eastern front

German armoured train with French-built Somua S35 tank eastern front

German railway car with 2cm Flakvierling

Panzerzug 11 december 1942

Panzerzug 24 ID Domanow Russia

Panzerzug 61 BP42 German armored train

Panzerzug armored train in Russia

Panzerzug BP42 Blucher eastern front 1944

Panzerzug BP42 Kommandowagen

Panzerzug BP42 with Panzer 38(t) eastern front

Panzerzug camouflage

Panzerzug camouflage photo

Panzerzug Flakstand (AA) eastern front 1942

Panzerzug german armored train number 21 camo

Panzerzug german armored train number 21 camo 2

Panzerzug german armored train winter camouflage

Panzerzug german armored train winter camouflage 2

Panzerzug german armored train with panzer 38t winter camouflage

Panzerzug in Russia

Panzerzug number 30 eastern front 1941

Panzerzug Panzer Zug Eisenbahn

Panzerzug typ BP42, artillerie und flakwagen 2cm Vierlings Fla,k eastern front 1943

Panzerzug with Totenkopf

Panzerzug with Vierlingsflak

Railcar with flak MG Frankfurt Main Bahnhof 1940

Russian armored train

Russian armored train 2

russian armored train destroyed

Russian armored trains

Russian armored wagon

Schienenwolf (Schwellenpflug) - railroad plough

Schienenwolf (Schwellenpflug) Ostpreussen 1944 - 1945

schwere Spahzug 1945

Soviet armored train

German and captured armored trains in World War II. At the beginning of the 1930s it was known that the end of armoured trains was coming. It was caused by development of artillery, especially of improvement of its accuracy, and dynamic development of aviation. An airplane became “a killer” of an armoured train not only because the train which could not maneuver was a big and thereby easy target but also because airplane was able to destroy tracks and railway junctions so that to paralyze rail traffic for a long time. The armoured train completely lost his battle with planes and its tasks were taken over by armoured cars and a self-propelled guns. Despite those changes which were happening at the moment of outbreak of World War II armoured trains were in arsenals of many armies including German one. Germans being aware of the lack of armoured trains limited their tasks to actions clearly defensive such as defense against other trains, supervising railway tracks, anti-partisan operations, defense of railway stations and transports, limited artillery support of armies and reconnaissance. Most of German armoured trains were improvised and to a great extent captured Czechoslovakian, Polish or Soviet trains were used.