Tank train No. 15 of the 1st Panzer Division was built in the USSR in Bryansk at the end of the 30s. The combat equipment consisted of a PR-35 armored steam locomotive, two PL-37 lightly armored platforms and an SPU-BP anti-aircraft platform. The PR-35 was made with steam locomotive armor of the Ov type (with a 4-axle tender), the thickness of the armor plates was 8-10 mm. Armament consisted of a twin 7.62 mm Maxim machine gun mounted in the air defense turret (on the tender). The armored locomotive was equipped with a 71TK-1 radio station with a handrail antenna, had a total weight of about 130 tons and a crew of 17 people. The chassis of a 50-ton car on “Diamond” bogies served as the basis for the PL-37 tank platform. The 20 mm hull armor provided protection from 7.62 mm armor-piercing bullets at all distances and from 37 mm armor-piercing shells at 1200 m. Two turrets had sloping sides. They were armed with 76 mm model 1902/30 cannons with an elevation angle of up to 37 degrees. Each of the armored platforms was also armed with six ball-bearing Maxim machine guns (one in the turrets to the right of the gun and two on opposite sides of the platform). The armored railway platform was equipped with steam heating (from the locomotive's steam engine), battery-powered lighting and internal communication systems. The weight was around 70 tons and the crew consisted of 24 people.
The SPU-PB anti-aircraft system was made on the basis of a two-axle 20-ton railway platform, in the center of which an octagonal tank turret with a movable roof was mounted, and in this turret there was a quadruple of Maxim machine guns
Armored Platoon No. 15 was deployed right at the start of World War II. On September 13, 1939, as part of the 1st Panzer Platoon Division, he was placed under the command of the 15th Rifle Corps of the Southwest Front and from September 17th he actively participated in the Polish company. On October 16, 1939 he was returned to Kiev. From January 1940 he took part in the Soviet-Finnish war and in June-July of the same year in the annexation of Bessarabia. With the beginning of the German attack on the USSR on June 24, 1941, he took part in battles as part of the troops of the 5th Army of the Southwestern Front, covering retreating units and taking part in fire attacks. In the battles with the enemy in August as part of the 5th Front Army, the armored train suffered significant damage while defending the Chepovichi station, but after repairs in Chernigov returned to the front and continued hostilities.
At the beginning of September it particularly distinguished itself in the battles near Chernigov, but on September 10, 1941, when the withdrawal of troops took place, it was again badly damaged by German aircraft and was sent to Kharkov and later to Voronezh for major repairs. After repairs, it was transferred to the 21st Division, and part of the crew members were also transferred to another (32nd) Division. As part of the 21st Division, this armored train, now number 695 after several modernizations, took part in combat operations on various Soviet-German fronts until the end of the war. Many fighters and commanders of this tank platoon were awarded medals and orders of the USSR during the battles.
Plastic model kit
Scale 1:72
unbuilt / unpainted
Paint and glue not included
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