Finska pansartåg

[Kapten_Gars]

En ny och mycket intressant artikel om de finska pansartågen under inbördeskriget 1918 går att hitta här
http://www.jaegerplatoon.net/TRAINS0.htm

[Andreas K]

Jag tycker faktiskt att de är vackra på sitt eget lilla vis. Det är imponerande maskiner om inte annat.

[Stefan Lundgren]

Det är verkligen intressant, pansartåg har funnits i alla nordiska länder förutom på Island, dom såg lite olika ut, för Sveriges del fanns det en artikel av Ulf Diehl i tidskriften Tåg, minns inte numret, men har artikeln liggande nånstans.

Stefan

[Hans]

Det är verkligen intressant, pansartåg har funnits i alla nordiska länder förutom på Island

Det kan kanske vara kopplat till deras mäktiga förflutna som ett stort järnvägsland

MVH

Hans

[Stefan Lundgren]

Det är verkligen intressant, pansartåg har funnits i alla nordiska länder förutom på Island

Det kan kanske vara kopplat till deras mäktiga förflutna som ett stort järnvägsland

MVH

Hans

Tack för rättelsen, fick för mig att Island inte har haft en järnväg.

Stefan

[diskutera]

Vad är meningen med pansartåg egentligen? Det enda jag kan komma på är att dom kan vara ganska praktiska att köras in städer som hotas av belägring. Annars torde dom vara hyffsat sårbara för sabotage ute på öppen räls.

[Sarvi]

Pansartåg används för att patrullera järnvägar och skydda kommunikationslinjerna. De kan också tjänstgöra som lättrörliga och snabba kanonbatterier. Under de första årtiondena under nittonhundratalet fanns inte mycket mobila pansarvärnsresurser som kunde slå ut ett pansartåg, men dom var förstås sårbara för rälssabotage. När vägnätet förbättrades och attackflyg och effektivt pansarvärn blev vanligt tappade pansartågen sin uppgift.

[Kapten_Gars]

Under sin storhetstid så fungerade pansartågen som ett slags kombination av bepansrat artilleri och bepansrad trupptransport som ibland användes som ett slags rälsburen "stridsvagn". Med 2-6 kanoner och upp till 20-30 kulsprutor med gott om ammunition och vatten (till kulsprutorna) så hade pansartåget en eldkraft som var oöverträffad under krigen i öst 1918-1922. Dessutom så åtföljdes varje tåg av alltifrån en pluton till ett kompani med infanteri och ibland tom en liten tropp kavalleri som färdades inne i tågets bepansrade vagnar.

I de proffesionella armeerna så färdades dessutom inte pansartåget ensamt utan åtföljdes alltid av ett understödståg som medförde tross, underhåll och förläggningsresurser.

Det fanns även tåg som utrustats speciellt för att ge tungt artilleriunderstöd då tåget försetts med en eller flera vagnar med tyngre pjäser, vanligen 100-150mm fartygspjäser som fungerade som improviserat järnvägsartilleri.

Både pansartåget och understödståget medförde alltid järnvägsräls mm för att kunna reparer förstöda bitar av järnvägsspåret, bristen på sprängämne gjorde att spårförsting sällan var särskilt permanent, det effektivaste sättet att hejda pansartåg var i allmänhet att förstöra broar då alla sidor led brist på de resurser som krävdes för att reparera elelr bygga nya järnvägsbroar. Samtidigt så fanns det det hos samtliga sidor en stor motvilja mot att förstöra värdefull infrastruktur vilket gjorde att det bara var i desperata lägen som man sprängde broar eller större mängder järnvägsspår, tex så förstörde de "Röda" broarna kring Petrograd 1919 då Iudenichs offensiv verkade vara omöjlig att hejda.

Mot slutet av det ryska inbördeskriget så utvecklade de "Vita" under Wrangels ledning ett "pansarkavalleri" där pansartåg ingick som en vital del, de två kvarvarande kavalleridivisioner försågs med extra kulsprutor monterade dels på hästdragan vagnar, dels på lätta Ford lastbilar, till detta lades brittiska MK. A Whippet stridsvagnar, pansarbilar, pansartåg och flygplan. Pansartågen försåg kavalleriet med ett lättrörligt och pansarskyddat artilleriunderstöd och skyddade dessutom de tåg som transporterade stridsvagnarna och flyget. Resultatet var en kvallerikår som förfogade över en eldkraft och ett pansarskydd som de "Röda" inte kunde möta med likvärdiga enheter och General Barbovichs kavallerikår tillfogade dem flera svåra nederlag även i krigets slutskede när nederlaget var ett faktum. Bla så var det "pansarkavalleriets" förtjänst att man lyckades evakuera hela den ryska armen ifrån Krim.

Mer information om pansartågen går att hitta i artiklarna och på hemsidorna nedan:

http://derela.republika.pl/armtrain.htm är en mycket bra sida om de polska pansartågen 1918-1939

http://www.tdg.nu/articles/historical%2 ... Trains.htm är en artikel om de sovjetiska pansartågen under perioden 1917-1945

Engelska wikipedia har en liten artikel om pansartåg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armoured_train

SOVIET ARMOURED TRAINS

1920~1921 by Steven Zaloga



A major inhibiting factor in the development of mechanised units in the Czarist Army was the wretched backwardness of Russian motor transport and road system (or near total lacks thereof!) Nevertheless, Russia developed a comprehensive railroad network that provided its army with a certain circumscribed mobility. Due to traditional Russian enthusiasm for artillery, large calibre guns were mated with rail cars and eventually some of these were provided with armour and used in the Russo-Japanese war of 1903. Several dozen armoured trains were built using Russian and foreign guns by 1917 when the Bolsheviks seized power.

Within a year, the Red Army had 23 armoured trains, and by October 1919 they had 103 armoured trains. Armoured trains played a critical role in the fighting between the Red Army and various White Army factions. Troops on both sides were ill-equipped, morale was often low or non-existent, and the sudden appearance of an armoured train on a battlefield could quickly provoke panic and prove to be a decisive factor in many local skirmishes.

Armoured trains during this period consisted of on incredibly motley selection of designs, ranging from crude armoured box cars with little more than thick timber armour, to elaborate, fully armoured artillery platform cars with howitzers or large calibre guns in turrets. Some of the trains were built in naval yards and often hod naval gun mountings transplanted direct from shipboard onto flat cars. Others were assembled at the large armament and roil centres like Leningrad and Khorkov. The White forces also employed armoured trains, and it was not unusual for a single armoured train to be captured and recaptured several times during the course of the long and bloody civil war that lasted through 1921.

The Russians made two broad distinctions in armoured train configuration. The so-called BEPO trains (bronyepoyezd) or Field Armoured Trains were fully armoured with their guns and MGs in turrets or casemate mounts. The BB trains (bronyobatoreyo) were armoured batteries. These were not strictly rail guns, but also platforms with large calibre guns, often naval mounts, with some traverse. On 6 October 1919,the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic issued its first instructions governing the use and organisation of Bolshevik armoured trains. Order Nr. 1561/313 recognised three main types of trains for use by the Red Army. These were Heavy Assault Armoured Train Type A, Light Armoured Train Type B and Light Armoured Train Type V. There was also a special class of coastal defence trains called Type M(morskoye) which did not fall under the purview of the instructions since they were essentially railroad guns not used in Army operations.

The Type A train consisted of 2 armoured artillery cars, each armed with two 76mm Model 02 guns in turreted mounts and 5-8 Maxim machine guns. Each carried about 1200 rounds of 76mm and 42000 rounds of MG. When at full war strength this train was termed a Heavy Assault Armoured Train Type Al, and when formed for transit, peacetime use or other reduced strength status it was called Type A2. Trains of this type had a crew of 162 at full strength and 86 men at reduced strength, and were supported by 23 rail cars (Type A2 with 12). The additional rail cars were used to provide supplies, carry repair material for tracks, offer living accommodations and serve as buffers. In combat, the Type Al train was usually accompanied by on Armoured Train Landing Detachment, which consisted of a rifle company of 265 men, supported by 2 MG's. And a cavalry platoon with 35 horses. The Type A2 had a reduced establishment of 234 men. The role of the infantry unit was to support shock attacks, defend the train at night, and help with track repair. The Type B Light Armoured Trains consisted of a single partially armoured locomotive and a single armoured artillery car equipped with two guns under 152mm and 4 MGs. These trains usually had 9 base cars for support and a crew of 43. The Type V Light Armoured Train was similar, with a single artillery car, but it carried only one gun under 152mm,one M and 7 base cars. There were 6 models of Type B trains, depending on their guns, and 5 models of Type V. These were labelled Type Bl, B2, etc, and their features are summarised on the accompanying chart. Type B and V were intended to provide support for Type A trains, or used independently to Support infantry or cavalry. Unlike the Type A, they were not self-sufficient in supply and had to rely on division for food and supply.

Bolshevik armoured trains took part in the fighting on nearly all the fronts against White forces, against American, British and French troops in the Murmansk region and For East, and against Polish, Latvian, Estonian, Ukrainian, Lithuanian and Finnish forces in the various conflicts of 1920-21. Following the Civil War the size of the Soviet Armoured Train Force was cut down. Many of the trains were needed in the economic rebuilding efforts, and many of the more crudely fashioned armoured rail cars were converted back to civilian use.

The experiences of the Civil War led the Soviets to consider the optimum use of armoured train forces, and in 1926 a major reorganisation was undertaken. A new set of regulations was published in June 1926 and tested in the summer wargames. These experiences led to revised tables of organisation issued in August 1926. Under the new June 1926 regulations, the armoured trains were redesignated and reformed. Light Field Train Type A now consisted of an armoured locomotive, 4 control platform cars, and 2 artillery cars each with 2 76mm M1902 guns and 8 Maxim MG's. On reduced strength they had 1 artillery car and 2 control cars. The base cars for this train numbered 29 in war and 12 in peacetime, with crews of 160/86. Since the Type A train was now demoted to Light Train status, the previous Type B & V were dropped. The new Type B Heavy Field Armoured Train was available in two configurations. Both had at least 1 artillery car with a 107mm gun, but could optionally be equipped with another artillery car with a 107m= gun and a turret mounted 76mm Model 02 or Model 14 Field gun, or a car with a 122mm howitzer.

As the Red Army became aware of the vulnerability of trains to air attack, changes were mode in the Type A Light Train configuration. Artillery cars were designed mounting both 76mm Model 14 antiaircraft guns and heavier calibre (12.7mm) MG's for air defence. The final new class of armoured trains was the Type ON. These were special purpose trains fitted with large calibre artillery pieces. Control of coastal defence trains fell mainly to the Navy, which was responsible for their development. The basic tactical unit of the Armoured Train Force was the Armoured Train Field Detachment. This consisted of 2 Type trains at reduced strength, 1 Type B Heavy Armoured Train, and a Druzhine section. Druzhine is the Russian term for small 5/P roil trolleys. A section usually consisted of 3 trolleys used for repair and liaison work, and 2 armed trolleys. These armed trolleys were usually simply old armoured cars, which had their rubber tires removed and new steel wheels fitted to allow them to run on tracks.

The most common type during the 1920's was the old Putilov-Garford a/car, though in the 1930's,BA-20's and BA-6's were adopted to this role. Each train had one such vehicle for scouting ahead. In 1926 there were about 30 Type A light trains, about 12 Type B heavy trains (with 20 possible at war establishment), 9 Type ON special trains. In 1926 the first of the new Territorial A/Train Regiments was raised at Karachev. This was configured like the detachments, but had a Type ON train added along with more elaborate support. Standardisation efforts also took place with armoured locomotives and tenders, the Type A trains usually using the PB, KB or KhB locomotives manufactured by the Podolsk, Kolomno and Kharkov Locomotive Works respectively, while the Type B and ON trains used the CH and KB-2 series locomotives. In 1932.there were a few small changes mode in the Armoured Train Force's organisation. They become Independent Armoured Train Battalions and consisted of 2 Type A trains and 1 Type B train. The regiments remained the some but the Druzhine section had only 1 M trolley, l searchlight armoured trolley and 2 armoured repair trolleys. At this time there were 2 armoured train regiments, 7 independent bns, and 11 separate armoured trains.

Armoured trains remained subordinate to the Chief of the Armoured Forces, but by the 1930's their importance began to decline. Attention was turned to their value in air defence of rail lines, security of transport lines, anti-partisan work and other secondary roles. The order of battle of the Soviet Armoured Train Force at its peak in the mid 1930's is given below, though it should be kept in mind that the exact identification of many of the independent bns listed here is based on supposition though their location is fairly certain.

[Robert Sköld]

Lite OT men kom att tänka på en tråd jag skapade för något år sedan om de svenska pansartågen "Kiruna" och "Boden", om någon är intresserad så står det en del; viewtopic.php?t=11556&highlight=kiruna

/Robert