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".[1] The train served as a 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.[2]
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.[3] After Germany declared war on the United States, on December 11, 1941 the train was renamed to the Führersonderzug "Brandenburg".[1][3][4]
In late April 1945, Hitler ordered his aide and adjutant Julius Schaub to travel to Austria to destroy the Führersonderzug.[5]
Components
The exact elements of the train are not known; documentation for each journey was destroyed after the trip to prevent it being used to plan an attack.[6] 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;
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
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.[8]
Other Sonderzüge
There were other special trains (Sonderzüge in German) used by prominent German officials;[9][10]
^ abLe Train D'Hitler: La Bête D'Acier (Hitler's Steel Beast) (television production) (in French). RMC Découverte. 2016. Event occurs at 4:30, 42:30.
^Seidler, Franz W.; Zeigert, Dieter (2004) [2000]. Hitler's Secret Headquarters. The Fuhrer's Wartime Bases. Greenhill Books. p. 190. ISBN1-85367-622-5.
