368:
384:. Armored trains were responsible for destroying or damaging several dozens of armored vehicles, including tanks, shot down or damaged three airplanes, and inflicted numerous infantry casualties. Only two trains (no 11 and 55) were destroyed in direct combat by the German land forces, and only no 13 was destroyed by the German air force. Remaining trains were abandoned and destroyed by their own crews when they ran out of munitions and could no longer retreat. The successful role of the armored trains, considered obsolete by both Polish and German strategists, caused the revision of that judgment by both sides.
89:
19:
208:). Each train had its own supply train that contained living quarters, kitchen, workshop, a compartment for the wounded personnel, and supplies. Together, a train (combat and supply) had a crew of 8 officers, 59 warrant officers and 124 regular infantrymen. Around the mid-1930s, revisions to Poland's tactical and strategic doctrines meant that armored trains, previously considered a high-quality force, begun to be seen as increasingly obsolete on the battlefield.
170:
217:
192:). In 1924 the 3rd Regiment was disbanded, and the remaining armored train divisions were transformed into the Armored Trains Training Division in Jabłonna (Legionowo). The Training Division, in 1925 renamed to Educational Division, in 1927 was reorganized into the 1st Armored Train Division. In 1928 the 2nd Armored Train Division was formed in
244:
destroyers. The first train was destroyed after four days of fighting on 4 September, the second, less than a day after it entered service (it entered service on 3 September and was destroyed on the night of 3 to 4 September). The last train, "Smok
Kaszubski" (Kashubian Dragon) entered combat on 7
224:
The ten trains of the 1st and 2nd
Armored Trains Divisions were mobilized in late August to early September, and received numbers 11–5 (1st Division) and 51–5 (2nd Division). With the exceptions of trains 14 and 15 which finished forming on 3 September and were assigned to the reserves of the High
199:
In 1931 the modernization of armored trains was finished with similar armament installed on most units. The trains were classified as either "light" or "heavy". "Light" trains had two artillery and one infantry wagons, and World War I-era Austro-Hungarian or
Russian weapons (two to four 75mm guns,
200:
eight to sixteen heavy machine guns, and two anti-aircraft heavy machine guns). "Heavy" trains had a better engine (Ti3), 100mm guns in addition to the 75mm pieces and gun turrets for the heavy machine guns. The trains were also accompanied by several light tanks (
375:
During the Polish
September Campaign, Polish armored trains took part in roughly 90 clashes with the German units. They played a significant role in several encounters, most notably, no 53 made an important contribution to the Polish victory in the
362:
Third
Improvised Train of the Land Coastal Defense "Kashubian Dragon" (Trzeci improwizowany pociąg pancerny Obrony Wybrzeża "Smok Kaszubski") – kpt. mar. Jerzy Tadeusz Bleszynski, and later por. mar. Adrian F. Hubick. Destroyed on 12
162:(1919–21). Approximately 50 armored trains participated in that conflict on the Polish side; on average, about twenty were in active service at any given time. Sixteen armored trains supported the Polish insurgents during the
139:(Vilnius). Many of them were classified as improvised, and consisted of regular trains and wagons armored with metal gates, cement and sandbags; the soldiers called them "mobile trenches". Some equipment came from the
860:
708:
301:
252:, two improvised armored trains were formed (Nr. 1 and Nr. 2). Not much is known about their combat operations; the first train entered service on 22 September, and the second a day later.
769:
353:(Improvised) Armored Train no 2 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 2) – improvised for the defense of Warsaw – por. rez. br. panc. Stanisław Waskiewicz. Presumed destroyed at an unknown date.
350:(Improvised) Armored Train no 1 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 1) – improvised for the defense of Warsaw, por. rez. br. panc. Tadeusz Studziński. Presumed destroyed at an unknown date.
196:. Each division had 6 trains. In 1929, the Polish Engineering Force was reorganized, with the 1st and 2nd Train Engineer Regiments being transformed into Train Bridges Battalions.
236:
decided to field improvised trains to bolster its defenses. The first was ready before the war began, two others were finished during the hostilities. They used weapons from the
910:
703:
295:
855:
698:
285:
337:
356:
First
Improvised Train of the Land Coastal Defense (Pierwszy improwizowany pociąg pancerny Obrony Wybrzeża) – por. Zygmunt Budzyński. Destroyed on 4 September.
607:
Tadeusz
Krawczak, Jerzy Odziemkowski: Polskie pociągi pancerne w wojnie 1939. Wyd. I. Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza, 1987, seria: Biblioteka Pamięci Pokoleń.
590:
Tadeusz
Krawczak, Jerzy Odziemkowski: Polskie pociągi pancerne w wojnie 1939. Wyd. I. Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza, 1987, seria: Biblioteka Pamięci Pokoleń.
573:
Tadeusz
Krawczak, Jerzy Odziemkowski: Polskie pociągi pancerne w wojnie 1939. Wyd. I. Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza, 1987, seria: Biblioteka Pamięci Pokoleń.
359:
Second
Improvised Train of the Land Coastal Defense (Drugi improwizowany pociąg pancerny Obrony Wybrzeża) – por. A. Matuszak. Destroyed on 4 September.
229:
on 1 September. The 2nd Division also fielded a lightly armed training armored train, although it was not supposed to be used in the frontline combat.
180:
In 1921 the armored trains forces were reorganized into 6 divisions, each composed of two trains, attached to train engineers regiments (1st in
411:(Straż Ochrony Kolei) used four armored trains from 1945 to 1950. In 1947, a Train Artillery Division was formed, and disbanded in 1952.
151:
974:
822:
693:
275:
105:
237:
785:
728:
333:
995:
288:– kpt. Jerzy Zelechowski, from 9 September kpt. Henryk Galwelczyk, reserve of the High Command, later attached to
612:
595:
578:
539:
471:
437:
388:
330:– kpt. Jan Rybczyński, from 2 September kpt. Józef Kulesza, attached to Army Kraków. Destroyed on 7 September.
639:
395:, and were assigned to patrol the British railways in 1940. They saw no combat, and were disbanded by July 1943.
392:
65:
36:
period. Many of them were modernized over the next two decades, and took part in most military conflicts of the
41:
947:
882:
865:
713:
688:
311:
269:
88:
367:
902:
718:
321:
144:
955:
835:
77:
827:
723:
327:
241:
226:
57:
657:
408:
109:
69:
802:
683:
259:
163:
371:
Wreck of the Armored Train no 13, surveyed by the Germans, some time after its destruction.
249:
37:
534:, Biblioteka Pamięci Pokoleń (in Polish), Wyd. I. Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza, pp. 23–32,
466:, Biblioteka Pamięci Pokoleń (in Polish), Wyd. I. Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza, pp. 11–20,
432:, Biblioteka Pamięci Pokoleń (in Polish), Wyd. I. Warszawa: Książka i Wiedza, pp. 9–10,
112:
and other units) operated seven different armored trains (six improvised and one captured).
233:
155:
49:
45:
8:
480:
404:
53:
100:
The first use of armored trains by Polish forces dates to late in World War I and the
608:
591:
574:
535:
467:
433:
298:– kpt. Kazimierz Kubaszewski, reserve of the High Command. Destroyed on 28 September.
159:
101:
315:
302:
Armored Train no 51 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 51), formerly "Pierwszy Marszałek"
276:
Armored Train no 13 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 13), formerly “Generał Sosnkowski”
255:
The following armored trains fought with the Polish Army in the September Campaign:
140:
334:
Armored Train no 55 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 55), formerly "Bartosz Głowacki"
220:
Combat operations of Polish armored trains in the Polish September Campaign (1939)
18:
643:
377:
324:– kpt. Mieczysław Malinowski, attached to Army Łódź. Surrendered on 22 September.
744:
304:– kpt. Leon Cymborski, from 2 September kpt. Zdzisław Rokossowski, attached to
305:
263:
193:
989:
347:
Training Armored Train – kpt. Franciszek Pietrzak. Destroyed on 10 September.
272:– kpt. Kazimierz Majewski, attached to Army Poznań. Destroyed on 9 September.
27:
312:
Armored Train no 52 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 52), formerly "Piłsudczyk"
286:
Armored Train no 14 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 14), formerly "Paderewski"
270:
Armored Train no 12 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 12), formerly "Poznańczyk"
176:
wagon, used in Polish armored trains "Śmiały" and "Piłsudczyk" (before 1939)
169:
289:
61:
124:
665:
279:
116:
33:
328:
Armored Train no 54 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 54), formerly "Groźny"
322:
Armored Train no 53 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 53), formerly "Śmiały"
296:
Armored Train no 15 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 15), formerly "Śmierć"
260:
Armored Train no 11 (Pociąg Pancerny nr 11), formerly "Danuta"
636:
341:
185:
173:
216:
189:
181:
143:
3rd Armored Division, whose equipment was acquired by a unit of the
120:
205:
150:
Several armored trains fought supporting the Polish forces in the
381:
128:
132:
380:, and no 54 was used very successfully in the defense of
201:
136:
119:
received about 90 armored trains, mostly from workshops in
489:
Powstanie Wielkopolskie 1918–1919: spojrzenie po 90 latach
637:
Improwizowane pociagi pancerne Sluzby Ochrony Kolei (SOK)
624:
Zbigniew Lalak: Bron pancerna w PSZ 1939–1945. pp. 31–38
225:
Command, all other trains finished forming before the
158:(1918–19). The armored trains saw major action in the
529:
461:
427:
245:September, and was operational till 12 September.
987:
530:Krawczak, Tadeusz; Odziemkowski, Jerzy (1987),
462:Krawczak, Tadeusz; Odziemkowski, Jerzy (1987),
428:Krawczak, Tadeusz; Odziemkowski, Jerzy (1987),
491:(in Polish), Dom Wydawniczy Rebis, p. 313
336:– kpt. Andrzej Podgórski, first attached to
278:– kpt. Stanisław Młodzianowski, attached to
569:
567:
565:
563:
561:
559:
557:
555:
553:
551:
670:
525:
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509:
507:
505:
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501:
499:
457:
455:
453:
451:
449:
115:From 1918 through 1920 the newly created
68:as well as in the post-war period by the
627:
584:
548:
366:
262:– kpt. Bolesław Korobowicz, attached to
215:
168:
87:
17:
648:
618:
64:. Armored trains were also used by the
988:
975:Polish armoured train units in Britain
532:Polskie pociągi pancerne w wojnie 1939
496:
486:
464:Polskie pociągi pancerne w wojnie 1939
446:
430:Polskie pociągi pancerne w wojnie 1939
669:
421:
96:in 1919, during the Polish-Soviet War
314:– kpt. Mikolaj Gonczar, attached to
238:Riverine Flotilla of the Polish Navy
601:
211:
13:
738:Improvised armoured trains in 1939
14:
1007:
968:Polish armoured trains in Britain
658:Francuski, ciezki pociag pancerny
389:Polish armoured trains in Britain
938:Polish-Ukrainian war (1918-1919)
340:, from 3 September, attached to
152:Greater Poland uprising (1918–9)
393:Polish Armed Forces in the West
106:Polish Armed Forces in the East
66:Polish Armed Forces in the West
760:Third Silesian Uprising (1921)
677:Polish armoured trains in 1939
22:Armored train "Danuta" in 1939
1:
779:Polish-Soviet war (1919-1921)
414:
398:
344:. Destroyed on 19 September.
318:. Destroyed on 20 September.
308:. Destroyed on 22 September.
292:. Destroyed on 16 September.
282:. Destroyed on 10 September.
266:. Destroyed on 16 September.
248:On 20 September, during the
145:Polish Military Organization
83:
7:
10:
1012:
92:The crew of armored train
996:Armoured trains of Poland
967:
937:
778:
759:
737:
676:
58:Polish September Campaign
338:Grupa Operacyjna Wyszków
110:Polish I Corps in Russia
164:Third Silesian Uprising
104:period (1918–19), when
78:People's Army of Poland
42:Greater Poland Uprising
671:Polish Armoured Trains
487:Rezler, Marek (2008),
403:After the war, in the
372:
221:
177:
97:
70:Polish Railroad Guards
38:Second Polish Republic
23:
370:
242:ORP Orkan and Huragan
219:
172:
91:
21:
810:Generał Iwaszkiewicz
642:4 March 2016 at the
234:Land Coastal Defence
227:start of hostilities
186:Jabłonna (Legionowo)
156:Polish-Ukrainian War
50:Polish-Bolshevik War
46:Polish-Ukrainian War
813:Generał Konarzewski
391:were formed by the
240:and the unfinished
232:The command of the
74:Straż Ochrony Kolei
32:mostly date to the
870:Piłsudczyk-szeroki
861:Pierwszy Marszałek
823:Generał Sosnkowski
770:Zygmunt Powstaniec
709:Pierwszy Marszałek
694:Generał Sosnkowski
405:Republic of Poland
373:
222:
178:
98:
54:Silesian Uprisings
24:
983:
982:
921:Stefan Czarniecki
816:Generał Listowski
160:Polish-Soviet War
102:Russian Civil War
1003:
819:Generał Sikorski
786:Bartosz Głowacki
729:Bartosz Głowacki
667:
666:
660:
656:
652:
646:
635:
631:
625:
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616:
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588:
582:
571:
546:
544:
527:
494:
492:
484:
478:
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459:
444:
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212:1939–1945 (WWII)
141:Austro-Hungarian
1011:
1010:
1006:
1005:
1004:
1002:
1001:
1000:
986:
985:
984:
979:
963:
933:
876:Pionier-szeroki
774:
755:
733:
672:
664:
663:
654:
653:
649:
644:Wayback Machine
633:
632:
628:
623:
619:
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572:
549:
542:
528:
497:
485:
481:
474:
460:
447:
440:
426:
422:
417:
409:Railroad Guards
401:
378:Battle of Mokra
250:siege of Warsaw
214:
86:
12:
11:
5:
1009:
999:
998:
981:
980:
978:
977:
971:
969:
965:
964:
962:
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945:
941:
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932:
931:
930:Zawisza Czarny
928:
925:
922:
919:
916:
913:
908:
907:Śmiały-szeroki
905:
900:
897:
894:
891:
888:
885:
880:
877:
874:
871:
868:
863:
858:
853:
850:
847:
844:
841:
838:
833:
832:Groźny-szeroki
830:
825:
820:
817:
814:
811:
808:
807:Generał Dowbor
805:
800:
797:
794:
791:
788:
782:
780:
776:
775:
773:
772:
767:
763:
761:
757:
756:
754:
753:
750:
747:
745:Smok Kaszubski
741:
739:
735:
734:
732:
731:
726:
721:
716:
711:
706:
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696:
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686:
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600:
583:
547:
540:
495:
479:
472:
445:
438:
419:
418:
416:
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400:
397:
387:About a dozen
365:
364:
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357:
354:
351:
348:
345:
331:
325:
319:
309:
299:
293:
283:
273:
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213:
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85:
82:
28:Armored trains
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1008:
997:
994:
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991:
976:
973:
972:
970:
966:
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951:
949:
946:
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942:
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936:
929:
926:
923:
920:
918:Stefan Batory
917:
914:
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906:
904:
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668:
659:
651:
645:
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638:
630:
621:
614:
613:83-05-11723-5
610:
604:
598:. pp. 172–205
597:
596:83-05-11723-5
593:
587:
581:. pp. 172–207
580:
579:83-05-11723-5
576:
570:
568:
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562:
560:
558:
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541:83-05-11723-5
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510:
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502:
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483:
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473:83-05-11723-5
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450:
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439:83-05-11723-5
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431:
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71:
67:
63:
59:
55:
51:
47:
43:
40:, namely the
39:
35:
31:
29:
20:
16:
893:Rozwadowczyk
650:
629:
620:
603:
586:
531:
488:
482:
463:
429:
423:
402:
386:
374:
290:Army Pomorze
254:
247:
231:
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198:
179:
149:
114:
99:
93:
73:
62:World War II
26:
25:
15:
655:(in Polish)
634:(in Polish)
306:Army Kraków
280:Army Modlin
264:Army Poznań
194:Niepołomice
188:and 3rd in
117:Polish Army
34:World War I
948:Piłsudczyk
883:Poznańczyk
879:Podhalanin
866:Piłsudczyk
856:Paderewski
840:Hallerczyk
790:Boruciątko
714:Piłsudczyk
699:Paderewski
689:Poznańczyk
415:References
363:September.
342:Army Prusy
76:) and the
927:Zagończyk
799:Dąbrowski
399:1945–1952
316:Army Łódź
206:tankettes
184:, 2nd in
174:Artillery
125:Nowy Sącz
84:1918–1939
30:of Poland
990:Category
956:Gromobój
852:Mściciel
849:Lis-Kula
836:Gromobój
766:Korfanty
640:Archived
154:and the
131:(Lviv),
56:and the
960:Pionier
873:Pionier
843:Huragan
796:Chrobry
615:. p. 35
382:Silesia
94:Odsiecz
915:Śmigły
911:Śmierć
903:Śmiały
890:Ordona
887:Reduta
846:Kaniów
828:Groźny
803:Danuta
793:Boruta
724:Groźny
719:Śmiały
704:Śmierć
684:Danuta
611:
594:
577:
538:
470:
436:
202:FT-17s
190:Poznań
182:Kraków
133:Warsaw
121:Kraków
52:, the
48:, the
44:, the
944:Kozak
896:Saper
137:Wilno
952:PP 3
924:Wilk
899:Smok
752:nr 2
749:nr 1
609:ISBN
592:ISBN
575:ISBN
536:ISBN
468:ISBN
434:ISBN
135:and
129:Lwów
204:or
60:in
992::
550:^
498:^
448:^
407:,
166:.
147:.
127:,
123:,
80:.
545:.
493:.
477:.
443:.
108:(
72:(
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