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	© Michal Derela, 2002-2011	Updated: 24. 01. 2011 - added photos and improved layout

Polish armoured train Nr.13 ("Generał Sosnkowski") - the gallery

The page contains German photos of the Polish World War II armoured train Nr.13 (former "Generał Sosnkowski"), destroyed by the German Stuka bombers on 10 September 1939 near Łochów^(Wikipedia) station. It apparently became a popular "tourist attraction" for the German soldiers, and one of most often photographed armoured trains ever - possibly even most photographed one, considering a number of photos, that keep being revealed last times from German collections...

The photos come from different sources, mostly taken by anonymous German soldiers. They are published in an educational and research purpose only. We are still looking for new photos, or existing ones in a better quality.

Left side view of the armoured train Nr.13 damaged and abandoned due to bombardment. Move direction was to the left. A 250-kg bomb threw a leading artillery wagon and a locomotive off of the track, leaving a huge crater, and the fast moving train drove several dozens meters more by inertia (the locomotive was typically driving rearwards in combat alert, so that a commander's post was forward). [3]  The train's composition was standard for the Polish trains - from the left: a flatcar, the first artillery wagon, the armoured locomotive, an assault wagon, the second artillery wagon and the second flatcar (not visible are two additional wagons of auxiliary section, attached to the train to the right).   Below: view from the other side.

Photos of the right side of the train. Move direction: to the right: In a foreground, a platform to protect the train agains mines, and used to carrry tools and rails to repair a track. Note camouflage of tree branches.

From the left: the second artillery wagon, the assault wagon, the locomotive, the first artillery wagon.

Closer view. On the center of the wagon's roof, there is an anti-aircraft MG turret. Note, that a side track is blocked by the train as well.

	Similar scene, as above. A standard Polish Army's vehicles three-tone camouflage of greyish sand and dark brown upon olive green, is evident.
	Close-up of the second artillery wagon. Note rear entrances to artillery turrets, apparently covering with sliding doors. The wagon has some German inscription painted. (courtesy of Arthur Przeczek)

← Later photograph, with a detour visible. Close-up of artillery wagon's doors →

	Close-up views of the Ti3-3 locomotive and the burnt-out assault wagon.

It took some time, before the Germans built a diversion on a jammed side track - seen on the right photo.

View towards train's end. Move direction: to the right. Note three rows of aerial masts upon the assault wagon, the locomotive camouflage and a commander's turret. [3]  Below: the first artillery wagon and the locomotive. Note four aerial masts upon a tender. On the right photo, most debris have been cleaned.

	The right side of the train, with the first artillery wagon. Move direction: to the right. A gun is a Polish 75 mm wz.02/26, so-called "the orthodox cannon" (modified Russian 76.2 mm; the same type guns were the train's armament). The gun was probably brought here by the Germans (on the way from battlefields to depots?).
	The first artillery wagon, view as above. Note a camouflage of the roof. (courtesy of Arthur Przeczek)
	"...I was here..." (courtesy of Grażyna Walter)
	The first artillery wagon. The soldiers are holding 75 mm artillery rounds. (Photo: Helmut Riemann, from an exhibition "To break bariers, to build bridges", Museum of History of Photography, Kraków 2004.)

	Views of the first artillery wagon, from the right side. Note an observation slot. Inscriptions on destroyed flatcar's boxes: "ŁUBKI" and "PODKŁADKI" means 'rail connectors' and 'washers' - they were used in track repairing (left photo courtesy of Arthur Przeczek).

Views of the first artillery wagon, from the right side. On the right photo, a diversion track is built.

Photos of the left side of the train: Visible are: a front flatcar and artillery wagon, next the locomotive with a tender, the assault wagon and the second artillery wagon. Move direction: to the left.

	Similar views.
	Below left: an inscription "ŚRUBY" on a flatcar's box means 'bolts' (courtesy of Artur Przeczek). As is apparent from a photo below right, the train remained in place at least until winter.

View along the right side of the train: from the front (←) and from the rear (→). Noteworthy are aerial's insulators.

	Derailed first artillery wagon, showing its chassis (likely of a Russian origin - bogeys of so-called "diamond" type). [3]
	The first artillery wagon, from the left side. A tender is visible to the right. An excavation is not a crater of the bomb, that derailed the train. Possibly this is another smaller crater, behind all tracks, hardly noticeable on air photos (in this case, there would be in fact two tracks between this crater and the train) [3]

	The first artillery wagon and the tender of the armoured locomotive Ti3-3, view from the left side. Move direction - to the left.
	The first artillery wagon and the armoured locomotive Ti3-3. Two-leaf doors were of the locomotive's compressor. (courtesy of Arthur Przeczek)

	← A similar scene with some openings closed. A locomotive from the rear ↗
	← View from the left, towards the train's end.  View of the assault wagon. ↘

	A left side view of the second artillery wagon, towards train's front (move direction: to the left).
	Similar view, as above. The second artillery wagon is well visible. Note provisional "stairs" to the assault wagon.

← The left side of the assault wagon from the rear. Note a 7.92 mm Maxim wz.08 machine gun in its cylindrical mounting. Rear artillery wagon. Note a half-shut turret observation hatch. →

	Similar scene.
	Similar scene.
	Longer view. Note trees attached to the flatcar, in a camouflage purpose.

The second artillery wagon, with the cannons removed (also on the photo below right).

The second artillery wagon. Left: note a depth of the crater. On the right photo, the crater has been filled and the track restored.

On 22 September 1939 the train was examined by A. Hitler (all photos below are of the train's right side).

The second artillery wagon [1] → / [4] ↓

	← The second artillery wagon [1] The locomotive and the first artillery wagon ↓

← The second artillery wagon and the assault wagon. The first artillery wagon ↙↓

	At a moment of an air raid, the armoured section had two wagons of an auxiliary section attached: a water tanker and some administration wagon(?) - seen on top of the photos above. Move direction - downwards. Notice a bomb effect and spare rails falling out of the forward flatcar. (left photo: courtesy of Adam Jońca).

Below and above: the attached wagons are well seen; move direction to the right. [4 / 1]

Poor quality, but interesting shot from the rear, with a crater well visible.

Right side of the train from the rear, with both auxiliary wagons visible, camouflaged with branches. (courtesy of Grażyna Walter)

An epilogue - both artillery wagons and locomotive of the Nr.13 train recovered by the Germans. Unfortunately, further fate of the train is not known.

Back to armoured train nr 13 ("General Sosnkowski") page.