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Up Combat Photos (2) Combat Photos (3) Combat Photos (4)

Combat Scenes

   (German armored rail car with tank cannon turret - a French officer who has written on armored trains in the past described this vehicle as a 'turreted self propelled rail car (Schienenpanzerspahwagen) built by the Steyr Company for use in the Balkans. '

   In his response to album owner, Kim Fields, this officer further stated "Part of a set of only 4 that were built, none have survived. Apparently this photo is one of only a few photographs that exist of this machine.

   In 1943 Germany introduced light armored scout cars to the Balkans to secure the railroad lines against partisan attacks. As a result of their deployment, cars with greater firepower were requested, these were fielded in the fall of 1944.

   The concept was to permit an armored train consisting of 12 cars with varying armament (four cars with Panzer III N turret mounting a 75mm L/24 cannon, two cars carrying a quadruple 20mm anti-aircraft gun, and six cars armed with machine guns carrying infantry, command, communication, and medical sections. Since each car by powered by a 76h.p. Steyr motor, disabled units could be assisted by other operating cars, an improvement over other armored trains generally powered by a single steam engine.

   Due to material shortages, only eight trains were operational, these contained only eight scout cars (two cars with Pz III turrets, two command cars with fixed antenna, and four infantry cars). Six other cars were also included: two flak cars carrying the quad 20mm guns on a flat car, two panzertragerwagens (tank carriers) with a Panzer 38t tank, and two flat cars carrying track maintenance equipment, which was used to detonate mines on the rail bed. Each train could be operated as two sections of four scout cars each, depending upon the mission."

Clearly the Barger Album continues to stand out as a remarkable find.)