someone enlighten me what the use of an armored train is?
isnt that a hell lot of resources spent on a train which is pretty likely to derail - especially when under fire? guns, aircraft or if you hit the rail? seems risky to me. i can imagine it withstands small arms fire - but lets take partisans for example need to place 1 demo charge somewhere and that train is gone. regular trains for logistics are of course important - but i dont see what an armored train is going to change.
They were used as highlly mobile, heavily armoured strong points that could speed into an area and start smashing shit apart. The poles used them to great effect in 1939, where, though extremely vulnerable to Stukas, they were a bane of the german panzer divisions along with the Polish cavalry, especially at the battle of Mokra. The germans also used lots of them, including captured polish and russian ones, in France and Russia against partisans, including single piece types with full engine, and a tank turret mounted on top. They preformed extremely well too.
