Armoured trains in Denmark in 1940

[Paulus II]

Hi all,

I am looking for information on the armoured trains that the Wehrmacht used in Weserübung Süd.
I know that Panzerzüge 22, 23 and 24 were part of Höh. Kdo. XXXI but after this little gem of ultimately detailed knowledge I go blank.

I'm mostly interested in the routes they took and if they were involved in any combat but anything else is also welcome.
Any pictures will also be most welcome.

Thanks in advance!

Paul

[Leo Niehorster]

The Eisenbahn-Panzerzüge 23, 24, and 25 were under Höhere Kommando XXXI in April 1940. (Pz-Zug 22 wasn't raised until July 1940.) These three were former Austro-Hungarian armored trains, taken over by the Czechs after WWI, and then again by the Germans after the occupation of Czechia. Owing to weak locomotives, armor, and artillery equipment, the trains were conceived merely for security tasks. As you know, the Danes offered little resistance, and hence the trains were not in action.

I only have the process of the 24. Pz-Zug:
06.03.40 Raised in Rehagen-Klausdorf
05.04.40 Moved to Bremen (remained there until 08.04.)
08.04.40 Bremen -- Niebüll
09.04.40 Niebüll -- crossed Danish border -- Trondern –- Esbjerg -– Ringköbing
10.04.40 Ringköbing –- Holstebro
Was stationed at Holstebro until 27.05.40, making several day trips within Denmark during that period.

If you have further interest in German armored trains, suggest you beg, borrow, steal, or, if all else fails, sell your soul for the definitive work on German armored trains (428 pages):
  Wolfgang Sawodny
  "Die Panzerzüge des Deutschen Reiches 1904–1945"
  EK-Verlag, Freiburg, 1996.
  ISBN: 3-88255-678-1
I took the above info from this book. Besides very informative text and descriptions, it also has photographs and even small silhouettes of the armored trains.
Schiffer has published some (all?) stuff by Sawodny into English. I haven't seen any of these, so cannot say anything about them.

Of course, if your French is up to it, there is the long out-of-print iconic work by
  Paul Malmassari
  "Les trains blindés, 1826-1989"
  Heimdal, Bayeux, 1994.
  ISBN: 2902171609
which I can also heartily endorse.

Cheers
Leo

[Paulus II]

Thank you very much Leo!

And indeed the numbers are 23, 24 and 25, sometimes I type quicker than I count .

Though trains certainly aren't my main area of interest I do find such small, relatively little known units of the 1939-41 period most intriguing and I'll try to find someone who'll buy my soul for the Sawodny book as all I have on the subject are the english Schiffer titles and in those there is nothing of the info you just posted.
I'd heard of the Malmassari book but forgotten all about it and will look out for it again.

Cheers,

Paul

[Stefan Overgaard]

http://www.avlg.dk/PadborgPansertog.htm have some pictures of what is presumably Pz.Züg.23 in Padborg (near the border) and Kolding (eastern Jutland).

Other small tidbits I've found with a quick search on danish sites.
At 11:00 April 9th a PZ arrived at Esbjerg Station, having crossed the border at Tønder.

At another site someone talks about the book "Tyske krigslokomotiver på danske spor, DSB litra N og T" ("German battle trains on Danish tracks"), where it is written that there were 2 PZ in Denmark on april 9th. PZ23 was sendt towards Little Belt Bridge to secure this, while the other, PZ24, towards the Oddesund Bridge, north of Holstebro. The third, PZ25, should have been ferried across the Baltic and arrive at Gedser to secure the Storstrøms Bridge, but this was abandoned.

[Paulus II]

Excellent Stefan, exactly what I'm looking for!

[tigre]

Hello Paul ; although with some delay here goes something................

On March 1940 the Armored Trains (Panzerzüge) Nº 23 - 25 were raised in Rehagen-Klausdorf from the Eisb.Pi.-Ersatz-Btl. 4. Those trains were to take part in the occupation of Denmark. The Armored Trains marched on April 08 1940 from Bremen; the Pz 23 with the advanced detachment of March group C towards Flensburg and Pz 24 with the advanced detachment of March group D towards Niebüll - Süderlügum. With the beginning of the Weserübung Süd the Pz 23 followed along the east coast of Jutland up to Fredericia where it assured the bridge to Fünen.

The Pz 24 advanced along the west coast of Jutland by Tondern to Esbjerg. Later moved to Holstebro where it assured the bridge over the Lim-Fjord. Both trains withdrew towards Germany at the end of May - beginning of Jun 1940.

The Pz 25 was part of Group "Buck" with the 198 ID and it would be ferried from Warnemünde to Gedser in order to proceed later to Vordingborg assuring the bridge from Falster to Seeland. However it was not embarked after all, it seems in order to avoid the Danish suspicion and the Pz 25 never went with the 198 ID.


Pz 24 advancing along the west coast of Jutland.

Source: Operativ-taktische Panzerzug-Einsätze in Dänemark und Norwegen. Einsätze in Dänemark.
http://www.hans-urban.org/html/panzerzuge-11.html (off line)

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Paulus II]

Thank you very much Raúl!
A delay well worth waiting for

[tigre]

You're welcome Paul . All the best. Raúl M .

[hucks216]

The Wolfgang Sadowny book on German Armoured Trains 1904-1945 mentioned above is due for release in English in April/May...

http://www.worldwartwobooks.com/product ... -1904-1945
http://www.amazon.co.uk/German-Armored- ... 631&sr=1-1

[Paulus II]

Thanks for the headsup hucks216! I'll be looking out for it.