Führersonderzug

The ''Führersonderzug'' (from German: "Führer's special train") was Adolf Hitler's personal train. It was named ''Führersonderzug "Amerika"'' in 1940, and in January 1943, was renamed the ''Führersonderzug "Brandenburg"''. The train served as Hitler's headquarters until the Balkans Campaign. Afterwards, the train was not used as Führer Headquarters (''Führerhauptquartier)'', however Hitler continued to travel on it throughout the war between Berlin, Berchtesgaden, the '' Wolfsschanze'' and his other military headquarters.

Usage

Before the first permanent ''Führer'' Headquarters '' Felsennest'' was used in May 1940, the ''Führersonderzug'' served as a mobile headquarters. Hitler and his entourage used this train to visit various fronts and theaters of war. For safety, a front train and rear train were used to prevent any possible attack.

The train was originally named ''Führersonderzug "Amerika"'', purportedly because Hitler wanted to pay homage to the European conquest of the Americas. After Germany declared war on the United States, on December 11, 1941, the train was renamed to the ''Führersonderzug "Brandenburg"''.

In late April 1945, Hitler ordered his aide and adjutant Julius Schaub to travel to Austria to destroy the ''Führersonderzug''.

Components

The exact of the train are not known; documentation for each journey was destroyed after the trip to prevent it being used to plan an attack.Felton Some details were revealed by the departure information ''"Bln 2009"'', when the train departed the ''Anhalter Bahnhof'' in Berlin on 23 June 1941, arriving at Wolfsschanze on 24 June 1941;

The individual 10-16 components (locomotives and railway cars) in order were:Raiber, Richard, ''Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No. 19'', p. 2.

* Two locomotives ('' Deutsches Reichsbahn'' K5E ''Kriegslokomotive'')
* a special ''Flakwagen'' armoured anti-aircraft train flatbed car with two anti-aircraft guns, most often a pair of quadruple 20mm ''Flakvierling'' batteries, one at each end of the car. It also had the quarters for the officers and men from the Luftwaffe ''9 Regiment General Göring'' that manned the guns''.'' Goering's trainset flak cars used anti-aircraft cannons.
* a baggage car
* the ''Führerwagen'', used by Hitler
* a ''Befehlswagen'' (command car), including a conference room and a communications centre
* a ''Begleitkommandowagen'', for the accompanying twenty-two-man security force ('' SS-Begleit-Kommando'' and '' Reichssicherheitsdienst'' detachment)
* a dining car
* two cars for guests
* a ''Badewagen'' (bathing car)
* another dining car
* two sleeping cars for personnel
* a ''Pressewagen'' ( press car) for press chief, Otto Dietrich, and staff
* another baggage car
* another ''Flakwagen''

Otto Dietrich indicates that the ''Flakwagen'' never had to be used when Hitler was travelling. The "Pressewagen" was to receive and release press reports, not for journalists.

Other ''Sonderzüge''

There were other special trains (''Sonderzüge'' in German) used by prominent German officials;Raiber, Richard, ''Guide to Hitler's Headquarters, After The Battle, No.19'', pp. 48–51.''Der Kommandant Führerhauptquartier''
from ''Das Bundesarchiv'' (German, www.bundesarchiv.de)
* ''Ministerzug'' (Ministers' Train), used by Joachim von Ribbentrop and Heinrich Himmler
* ''Sonderzug "Afrika"'' (also called "''Braunschweig''"), used by the chief of the Armed Forces High Command (''Oberkommando der Wehrmacht, OKW)'')
* ''Sonderzug "Asien"'' (also called "''Pommern''"), used by Hermann Göring
* ''Sonderzug "Atlantik"'' (also called "''Auerhahn''", "capercaillie"), used by the supreme commander of the Navy (''Kriegsmarine'')
* ''Sonderzug "Atlas"'' (also called "''Franken''"), a command train used by the Armed Forces Operations Staff (''Wehrmachtführungsstabes'')
* ''Sonderzug "Enzian"'' ("gentian"), a command train used by the chief of the Intelligence branch of the ''Luftwaffe'' (''Nachrichtenwesens der Luftwaffe'')
* ''Sonderzug "Ostpreußen"'' (also called "''Sonderzug 4''"), used by the Army General Staff (''Oberkommando des Heeres, OKH)'')
* ''Sonderzug "Robinson 1"'', used by the chief of the Command Staff of the ''Luftwaffe''
* ''Sonderzug "Robinson 2"'', used by the chief of the General Staff of the ''Luftwaffe''
* ''Sonderzug "Steiermark"'' (also called "''Heinrich''" and "''Transport 44''"), used by Heinrich Himmler
* ''Sonderzug "Westfalen"'', used by Joachim von Ribbentrop
* ''Sonderzug "Württemberg"'', used by the Army General Staff (''Gen. St.d. H. – Generalstabs des Heeres'')

See also

* 1937 tour of Germany by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor – The Duke and Duchess toured Germany on the ''Führersonderzug''

Notes

References

External links

Lagardère Studios: "Hitler's Steel Beast"

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fuhrersonderzug
Führer Headquarters
Rail transport of heads of state