"One of the more successful Austro-Hungarian ventures into the realm of Armored Trains was their Panzerzug II concept of which 10 were fielded heading into 1916."
Power & Performance Those special qualities that separate one land system design from another. Performance specifications presented assume optimal operating conditions for the Panzerzug II (PzZug II) Armored Train.
1 x Coal-fired steam engine driving primary locomotive car. Installed Power
31 mph 50 kph Road Speed
Structure The physical qualities of the Panzerzug II (PzZug II) Armored Train.
20 (MANNED) Crew
738.2 ft 225 meters O/A Length
9.8 ft 3 meters O/A Width
14.4 ft 4.4 meters O/A Height
Armament & Ammunition Available supported armament, ammunition, and special-mission equipment featured in the design of the Panzerzug II (PzZug II) Armored Train.
1 x 70mm main gun in turret at forward gun car.
2 x 7.92mm machine guns in forward gun car.
4 x 7.92mm machine guns in aft gun car.
AMMUNITION: Not Available.
Variants Notable series variants as part of the Panzerzug II (PzZug II) family line.
Panzerzug II (PzZug II) - Base Series Designation; model of 1915.
The armored train concept was not a new one by the time of World War 1 (1914-1918) for the American Union Army made use of such systems in the Civil War against the Confederates to help protect vital railways and key bridges from destruction. However, by the time of The Great War, the concept had evolved considerably through initially crude developments and, later, more standardized approaches. Armored trains were just that, trains clad in armor protection and fielding artillery-level firepower while defensed by machine guns. Some systems incorporated special infantry cars for foot soldier support. In this way, the mobile firing platforms could be brought to bear in a nearby engagement while the foot element went ahead to tackle enemy infantry as found or scout out positional ambush positions. Still other doctrines incorporated cavalry forces which could be unleashed alongside the infantry all while under the protective fire of the armored train.
Despite its slow modernization during the Industrial Revolution, it was the Russians that led the charge in unique and standardized armored trains. Other world powers followed suit however, including Austro-Hungary, the German Empire and the British. The Austro-Hungarians developed their Panzerzug I (PzZug I) as a solution in 1914. Its construction was undertaken by Hungarian railways producer Magyar Allamvasutag (MAV) who used one of its own locomotives for the drive. Its manufacture occurred from 1914 into 1915 and included a specially-designed gun car, the locomotive and several infantry cars.
However, it was not until the succeeding model - the Panzerzug II (PzZug II) that a viable form was achieved. Construction moved swiftly amidst the bogged down nature of the war now reduced to trench networks. By 1916, MAV had completed ten units for operational service and these went on to fight across the Russian Front as well as those in Italy and Romania.
PzZug II was of note for the Austro-Hungarian Army for it laid the ground work for subsequent designs that followed by supplying the general approach to their armored train designs. While the train system could be of any length depending on the mission, it was typical to see it in a three-car arrangement with a gun car at front, the locomotive at center and an infantry machine gun car at rear. The forward gun car showcased a turreted 70mm gun to content with enemy artillery concentrations and fortifications. A high cupola with vision slits capped the armored superstructure aft of the turret emplacement. Defensive-minded machine guns managed the sides of the cars. A simple four-wheeled design was used across all gun cars in the line. The locomotive was of a conventional arrangement for the period with its front-mounted smoke funnel. The wheel house as aft and fully protected in plate armoring with vision slits for situational awareness and access doors that could be closed when under fire. The locomotive proved a six-wheeled unit. At the end was the infantry car fielding portholes along its sides for machine guns. This car was principally used to protect the train from infantry attack through machine gun suppression.
In practice, such developments were used to support infantry forces as far as the train's artillery systems could reach. They additionally proved useful in defense of key areas including bridges and forward bases and could be uses in patrolling and reconnaissance actions where rail lines provided the access. Not inherently fast, these trains were still mobile firing platforms akin to a tank or warship - and a single armored train could very well change the direction of a fight in seconds. Many commanders of the period certainly held armored trains in high regard for their ferociousness in-the-field and imposing design appearance.
Operators Global customers who have evaluated and/or operated the Panzerzug II (PzZug II). Nations are displayed by flag, each linked to their respective national land systems listing.
Total Production: 0 Units Contractor(s): Magyar Allamvasutag (MAV) - Hungary
[ Austria-Hungary ]
1 / 1
Image copyright www.MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.
Going Further... The Panzerzug II (PzZug II) Armored Train appears in the following collections:
The "Military Factory" name and MilitaryFactory.com logo are registered ® U.S. trademarks protected by all applicable domestic and international intellectual property laws. All written content, illustrations, and photography are unique to this website (unless where indicated) and not for reuse/reproduction in any form. Material presented throughout this website is for historical and entertainment value only and should not to be construed as usable for hardware restoration, maintenance, or general operation. We do not sell any of the items showcased on this site. Please direct all other inquiries to militaryfactory AT gmail.com. No A.I. was used in the generation of this content.
