Created following the dismantling of Czechoslovakia, the Slovak Republic under Monsignor Tiso briefly joined in the attack on Poland in September and October 1939. During the campaign the Slovaks put back into service Bernolak,2 a former Austro-Hungarian armoured train.3 It appears that a second train was improvised at Zvolen for the same campaign. The latter unit was composed of locomotive No 310.422 and wagons numbered U-7,76290 and 7,17369. To date no photo of either armoured train has come to light.
On 23 June 1941, the Slovak Republic declared war on the Soviet Union, and in the occupied zone which comprised the northern part of the Ukraine and the southern part of Byelorussia, Slovak troops quickly came into conflict with communist partisans. The German armoured train PZ 25 was the main means of securing the zone of operations. Major Martin Strapak, commander of the 1st Battalion of the 102nd Slovak Infantry Regiment, was so impressed by the performance of the German train that he set about improvising a Slovak armoured train4 for the ‘Orol’ (Eagle) Security Division in the Spring of 1942. To protect his train, he used armour plate and turrets recovered from destroyed and abandoned Soviet tanks, plus a complete BT-5 cruiser tank.
The train immediately went into service on the line between Pinsk and Gomel, and its first major action took place in August 1942 in conjunction with PZ 25. Orol was regularly targeted by partisan attacks, and they succeeded in derailing it several times, in particular following the withdrawal of PZ 25 which was sent to France. The Winter of 1942/43 was a period of relative calm, but on 22 March Orol was seriously damaged in a derailment. Finally, on 27 May 1943, 3km (2 miles) to the north of Slavečna, it was irreparably damaged by the partisans.
This view showing the rear of the tank demonstrates the weak protection of Orol in its initial form. The BT-5 was armoured to a maximum of 13mm at the front, but the sides and rear were much thinner. The partisans succeeded in blowing up the train at least three times.
(Photo: Pavel Mičianik)
Orol in September 1942, in its initial configuration, with a Class BR 57 locomotive, and a lead wagon with a complete BT-5 Soviet tank protected by vertical armour plates at the leading end of the wagon only. This type of platform was also armed with 81mm mortars and a 37mm anti-tank gun.
(Photo: Pavel Mičianik)
In the Autumn of 1942, the train was rebuilt with improved armour protection, seen here in the workshops.
(Photo: Martin Lacko)
Orol in its second configuration: the wagons had internal timber walls with the space between the inside and outside faces filled with stone ballast. The turret is from a T-28 or T-35 Soviet tank. Occasionally, individual wagons were detached from the complete train and coupled in supply trains.
(Photo: Pavel Mičianik)
The photos right and below show the armoured wagon completed and bearing the emblem of the Slovak Republic.
SOURCES:
Mičianik, Pavel, ‘Improvizovaný pancierový vlak zaist’ovacej divízie “Orol”’, Vojenská história 4, 12 (2008), pp 10–19.
1. In post-war literature also known as the Slovak State (Slovenský štát).
2. After the name of the Army Group.
3. Crew: forty-six officers and men; armament: seven 7.92mm Schwarzlose Model 7/24 heavy machine guns, two 7.92mm ZB vz.26 LMGs, and one 37mm KPÚV vz.37 anti-tank gun.
4. In Slovak: Improvizovaný Pancierový Vlak (IPV).
