Few words about the terms used. When "White Army" in mentioned without specifying the nationality it is Finnish White Army and likewise meaning of "Red Guards" is Finnish Red Guards. Also in this text the Reds and The Whites also mean Finnish Reds and Finnish Whites. To be exact the Reds often had Russian or few fighting among them, but otherwise you can assume that "the Reds" in this text means Finnish Reds. The term used about Russian Reds in this text is Bolsheviks. Place names used in the text are the ones, which were used during this War. Finnish Civil War is still somewhat delicate subject. I know that all my fellow countrymen don't even agree calling this war "Civil War", but that is what it technically was. I also think it's the most impartial term possible in English about this war, which also why I use it. The source materials about this war are far from good and as nobody has written a book about Finnish armoured trains the information had to be gathered from variety of sources (which are listed in the last page). Okay, now its time for me stop and let you to read about the actual subject before I bore you stiff.

PICTURE: Map showing railways of Finland in 1918. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (130 KB).

First time armoured trains were used in Finland was during Finnish Civil War (January - May of 1918). Building of Finnish railway network had been started with Helsinki - Hämeenlinna railway in year 1862 and by year 1918 the most important parts of Finnish railway network were already finished. Mainly the Finnish railroad network included three important north-south railway lines and two east-west railway lines. Viipuri - St. Peterburg railway connected the Finnish railway network to other parts of Russian railway network. The other end of Finnish railway network was Oulu - Tornio railway ending to Swedish border completed year 1903. However as Finnish railway network was built to standard (60-inch/152.4-cm) Russian railway-gauge unlike Swedish railways the trains could not cross the Swedish border. The railway-gauge was not the only way in which the Russian influence was visible in Finnish network. Railway network of Finnish Grand Dutch had not been build merely for commercial motives - the railway network offered Russian military effective tool for troop transports to Finland during possible invasion or internal disturbances. Railway line Helsinki - St. Peterburg was finished in year 1870, but the Finnish railway connection ending to Finnish station in St. Peterburg wasn't yet connected to railways coming from another parts of the Empire. This changed year 1913, when the railroad bridge crossing Neva-river was finished, from that on Russian troop transport trains were able to get into Finnish Grand Duchy without hassle of disembarking from one train and re-embarking their troops to another in St. Peterburg/Petrograd. Another Finnish railway line build for needs of Russian military was inland east-west railway-line Vaasa - Haapamäki - Pieksämäki - Elisenvaara finished in 1917. The way Russian military saw it Helsinki - St. Peterburg/Petrograd railway was too close to the coast and another railway-line located more inland was required for train transports to be safe from attacks, which the enemy might done from the sea. Rather ironically during Finnish Civil War Vaasa - Haapamäki - Pieksämäki - Elisenvaara railway largely benefited White Army, which ousted Russian military from Finland.

Once Finnish Civil War begun in end of January 1918 the frontlines formed to line Ahlainen - Vilppula - Mäntyharju - Antrea - Rautu. This divided Finland to two parts: Middle and northern Finland controlled by White Army and Southern Finland under control of the Red Guards. While area controlled by White Army had more area and population the area controlled by Red Guards had largest cities (with large harbours), the main parts of railway network, majority of railroad stock and most of industry. These advantages should have given Finnish Reds a very favourable situation, but because large part of railroad personnel refusing to work for them and lack of discipline among their troops they failed to use railroads effectively. Maybe the most visible example to show lack of discipline and it results came with the tendency of Red Guards units sent to the frontline to keep the trains they had been transported to front with for their accommodation. Because this misuse tied large amounts of rolling stock the Reds actually faced shortage of available trains before end of the war. The railroads offered main route of transporting troops and supplies for the Armies of both sides. The three main north-south railway lines (Pohjanmaa railway, Savo railway and Karelian railway) all went through the frontlines, so they were natural routes of attack on which the armoured trains were used during the war. The Helsinki - Petrograd railway line going along the southern coast was vital offered vital route of supply for Red Guards, while the inland Vaasa - Elisenmäki east-west railway line finished just in 1917 was equally important for transports of the White Army. However the railroad lines also contained Achilles' heel for each side as the both sides could threat railway connections of each other. Haapamäki railway crossroads vitally important to White Army was very close to Vilppula frontline and only route for Red Guard to get supplies by land from the Russian Bolsheviks was the east-west coastal railway going through Viipuri.

Railways, locomotives and rolling stock in beginning of the war:

(Data source: Punakaartin sota, part 1, page 119).

Due to season (winter) and shortages of equipment both sides were very much tied to the existing railroad and road networks. As a result the battles were mainly fought along the railroads and roads. Finnish Civil War was fought between end of January to mid-May, which means it started at winter and ended at spring. Neither side had tents, so in middle of winter troops of both sides had to rely existing buildings to get shelter for night. Because of this the battles were fought to capture or keep some village or town even more often than usual. During winter the existing roads were covered in snow, but this wasn't much a problem as both sides used horse-towed sledges as their transport and supplies vehicles. Only very small number of motor vehicles existed in Finland during the war and in snow covered roads their usefulness was very limited. Both sides had some cavalry units, while among Reds the riding horses often served also as status symbols of their leaders. White side had also few small units of bicycle troops, but one can only question if they actually really used their bikes in snow-covered roads. While the situation would have been pretty much ideal for large units of ski-infantry, which would have been less dependent of roads and would have had better mobility, such units were quite rare on both sides. While the Finns had ski-infantry during Swedish era the Russian military never developed specialised ski units and as the result even beside the traditions the whole idea seem to have been largely forgotten until reintroduced in 1920's.

In Finnish Civil War Red Guards and Russians were the ones mostly using armoured trains. During the war they had about 10 armoured trains in their use, while most of the war White Army had only one somewhat proper armoured train. The reasons for this were relatively simple. As Red Guards had the railway connection to their Bolshevik ally, they could ask Russian armour trains from Bolsheviks as their support and they did. The industry in area controlled by the Reds included also the only two railway machine works - Fredriksberg Engineering Works (Fredriksbergin konepaja) in Helsinki and Viipuri Engineering Works (Viipurin konepaja) in Viipuri. These two Engineering Works allowed them to build armoured trains of they own. And they most certainly put this capacity to use. However the two Engineering Works were not similar - the capacity of Fredriksberg Works was much larger than what the Viipuri works. During the Civil War the Reds were able to armour 6 - 7 steam locomotives and 12 - 13 flatcars ("O-wagons") in Fredriksberg plus 2 steam locomotives and 2 flatcars ("O-wagons") in Viipuri. Knowing the situation it is easy to see why Fredriksberg Engineering Works located in Vallila of Helsinki was so very important for the Reds - without it number of their armoured trains would have been much smaller. However the Engineering Works had also their internal problems with this. Large part of employees in Fredriksberg Works supported Reds (about third of emplyees in there were Reds), but the engineers belonging to executive branch of the Engineering Works did not. The Reds absolutely needed some of the engineers to work for them as the usual workers lacked the skills and experience required for planning armoured trains. In Fredriksberg Works the Reds solved this problem by forcing vital members of executive personnel to work for them, while in Viipuri they succeeded finding engineer, who was willing to help them constructing armoured trains.

In hierarchy of Finnish Reds "Rautatieneuvosto" (Railway council) was the organisation, which ordered manufacturing of armoured trains. The first order it placed to Fredriksberg Engineering Works was for armouring of 4 - 6 locomotives and "suitable amount of wagons" in 1st of February 1918. It successfully completed the first four trains early March and once the crews had been gathered for them the armoured trains left towards the frontlines. 7th of March "Rautatieneuvosto" placed second order for 3 additional armoured trains for Fredriksberg Works, but only one of these three trains were completed and sent to battle before German Ostsee Division captured Helsinki in 12th - 13th of April. Just two days before arrival of the Germans to Helsinki the Reds sent one of the two remaining uncompleted armoured trains to Viipuri for to be finished in Viipuri Works. The Finnish Reds seem to have named the armoured trains they manufactured in Fredriksberg by giving them numbers. Finnish books and articles know these armoured trains number 1 - 5, but likely they were all named with numbers.

PICTURE: One of the old buildings of Frediksberg (later Pasila) Engineering Works. The buildings of this Engineering Works basically cover a whole city block in Vallila of Helsinki. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (53 KB).

The armouring methods used in the both Engineering Works seem to have been the same. The artillery wagons were built from 4-axle "O-wagons" (flatcars), which had 20-ton capacity. Steel or iron plates were riveted at sides and both ends of these flatcars and their attachment was reinforced with angle irons. Portholes for small arms and machineguns were added to both sides and ends of the wagon. The source artillery pieces the Reds used as main weaponry of their armoured trains seem to have been Russian military arsenal in Helsinki, which the Red Guards and their Bolshevik supporters had taken over.

Armoured trains armed with Fredriksberg Works were armed with following naval/coastal guns:

• 37-mm Maxim automatic gun
• 47-mm Hotchkiss naval/coastal gun
• 57-mm Hotchkiss and Nordfelt naval/coastal gun
• 75-mm Canet naval/coastal gun

The column mounts of these guns were simply bolted to floor or the platform of the railway wagon and they were fired over the armour plating. Typically two guns were installed to same artillery wagon, but some wagons had only one gun. Even if these artillery wagons were open topped, they gave their crews reasonably good protection against rifle-calibre fire while they had enough firepower to give the armoured train firepower superiority. However attacking past high hills with enemy infantry in them could have been a bad idea - the open top didn't give protection against bullets fired above. Locomotives, which the Finnish Reds armoured for their armoured trains were armoured very much the same way. They selected suitable locomotive and covered its sides with armour plating. However the quality and thickness of steel/iron plates used to armour both wagons and locomotives build by the Reds varied considerably. Typically the thickness of armour plates used in armoured trains that the Finnish Reds build seem to have varied around 10 - 15 millimetres. No certainty exists about source of these plates either, but Russian naval arsenal could well be the main source, as it seems to have supplied also the artillery pieces used in them.

PICTURE: Example of typical artillery wagon made in Fredriksberg Works at 1918. The colour these were painted is actually now known, but green (as used by Russian Army) seems like a good guess. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (37 KB).

PICTURE: Another example of typical artillery wagon build by Fredriksberg Works at 1918. The colour these were painted is actually now known, but green (as used by Russian Army) seems like a good guess. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (36 KB).

Structure of the typical Fredriksberg-build Red armoured trains seems to have been:

1. Flatcar

2. Armoured artillery wagon (1 - 2 guns + machineguns)

3. Armoured locomotive

4. Armoured artillery wagon (1 - 2 guns + machineguns)

5. Flatcar

If needed additional closed wagons could be attached between locomotive and artillery wagons for transporting additional infantry, supplies or equipment. Early on all the trains didn't necessarily have the flatcars in their both ends, but when breaking rails became common way of limiting mobility of armoured trains these flatcars proved more then worth the trouble. During the war the flatcars added in both ends of the train saved trains from derailing more seriously in several occasions.

Besides proper armoured trains both sides equipped and used also improvised armoured trains improvised with chest or shoulder high parapets made from bales of paper, bags of sand, railway sleepers, combination of brick & planks etc. Basically the parapets seem to have been made from materials, which happened to be locally available. In Karelian railway the Reds adopted structure of sides for improvised armoured trains build from two layers of planks and layer of brick between. This structure they got from improvised armoured train of Latvian Riflemen, which shortly took part of fighting there. More detailed information about improvised armoured trains is listed in the other parts listing battles along each railway. However also the first armoured train, which the Reds build in Fredriksberg Works belonged to this category early on. Known as "armoured train of riflemen" it contained:

1. Flatcar with artillery piece.

2. Locomotive (no armour).

3. Ammunition wagon (boxcar).

4. Boxcar with walls "armoured" with planks and portholes build in them.

Later the "plank-armoured" boxcar was united to same train with the lower artillery wagon, which contained one artillery piece, this combined train also had armoured locomotive. It seems that at least in some point this train was also used joined to Russian-build "Putilovian" artillery wagon as a one combined armoured train.

Thanks to their railway connection to Petrograd the Reds also received armoured trains to their support from Russian Bolshevik government. Mid-1917 Russia had only 7 armoured trains and the Bolsheviks started their revolution all the armoured trains were away in the fronts, so early on they had none. Even if the amount of armoured trains in use of Russian Bolsheviks was very limited in beginning of year 1918, they were fast increasing number of their armoured trains. This explains, how they were able to sent several armoured trains to Finland to support Red Guards even if they were fighting a Civil War of their own at the same time. Information about the armoured trains they sent to Finland is bit sketchy, but fairly decent amount is known about the two trains that White Army succeeded capturing. These contained:

- "Kerenski"

- "Partisaani" (Partisan)

Both "Kerenski" and "Partisaani" were heavy armoured train model 1915. Very little is known for certain about them before they arrived to Finland but according what is known one these two trains probably was originally "Gen. Annienkov" build in Kiev year 1915, but nobody seems to know for sure which of these two. "General Annienkov" had been designed by Staff-Captain Pilsudski and had been used by 2nd Zaamurska Railway Brigade lead by Major-General Kolobov. It seems that the Finnish Reds named one of these two trains "Kerenski" because of Russian soldier claiming that it was the same train, which previous Russian Prime Minister Kerenski leading temporary government had used. After escaping Kerenski got armoured train to his disposal from Russian White Army in south-east front of Russia and later the Bolsheviks had succeeded capturing the train in Bologoje at November of 1917. Bolsheviks named the train they captured from Kerenski as "Raskolnikov", presumably after Fedor Raskolnikov, who was one of their leaders in Baltic Fleet and major player in starting of Bolshevik revolution. The Bolsheviks took "Raskolnikov" to Moscow and from there to Petrograd, from where it seems to have arrived in Finland. Bolsheviks might have captured the heavy armoured train model 1915 the Finns knew as "Partisaani" in battle of Zlobin at November 1917, but otherwise nothing is known of its origin. Its known that the Bolsheviks sent armoured train from Petrograd to Finland 4^th of February 1918 and the timing fits to Russian armoured train appearing Vilppula front at that time, but otherwise even the exact time they arrived to Finland is uncertain.

PICTURE: Russian armoured train Kerenski derailed in Säiniö in Karelian Isthmus. Photo source Suomen vapaussota kuvissa (published 1934). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (93 KB).

Both of these trains seem likely had similar structure:

1. Flatcar

2. Artillery wagon (76 K/02 field gun, Maxim machineguns)

3. Locomotive

4. Artillery wagon (76 K/02 field gun, Maxim machineguns)

5. Flatcar

PICTURE: Drawing showing likely structure of Russian heavy armoured train m/1915. Both "Kerenski" and "Partisaani" were this type. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (60 KB).

As usual with armoured trains this structure allowed the trains to advance and fight effectively both forward and backward, but the maximum firepower could only be against targets located in either side of the train. Both artillery wagons had rotating turrets for their main weapons. Artillery wagons seem to have had 8 loopholes for machineguns (3 in both sides and 1 located each side of the rotating gun turret), but didn't necessary machinegun for each loophole. From these 8 loopholes 6 allowed only shooting targets located side of the train, but the 2 loopholes next to gun turret allowed also shooting along the rail. Also 76 K/02 field gun was set in turret, which had traverse limited to less than 180 degrees. These trains seem to have been more heavily armoured then the ones Finnish Reds build in Pasila. Their armour plating seems to have been about 20 millimetres (0.79 inch) thick. However this wasn't their most important difference when compared to armoured trains build in Finland - the biggest difference armouring-wise was they had roofs made from armour plating, while Finnish made trains had open tops. As mentioned during Finnish Civil War Finnish White Army captured both of these trains - "Kerenski" in Säiniö (Karelian Isthmus) and "Partisaani" in Toijala (about 20-km south of Lempäälä).

Besides these two trains White Army captured also Russian "Putilovian" (Putilovilainen) artillery wagon, which had arrived to Antrea railway ( Karelian railway) in late March. However its quite likely that this artillery wagon arrived to Finland already in beginning of February as part of Russian armoured train, which left with Russian volunteers from Petrograd to Finland 4th of February. As name suggests it seems to have been manufactured in Putilov Factory, where the Russians seem to have manufactured number of basically similar artillery wagons typically armed with anti-aircraft guns. This armoured artillery wagon had two 76 ItK/14 Putilov antiaircraft-guns and several machineguns. Finnish Reds armoured locomotive in Viipuri for this artillery wagon, but seem to have used it also possibly used it joined to their own armoured trains. Originally the Reds had intended this wagon to Raisuli - Rautu railway, but they decided to send it to Antrea instead, there it bombarded White Army positions in Hannila village and supported attack of the Reds to Hill 56. This wagon was captured by White Army in Kavantsaari of Antrea railway (in Karelian Isthmus).

PICTURE: Putilovian artillery wagon after White Army had captured it. Photo from Suomen Vapaussota kuvissa 2 (edition published 1934). CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (63 KB).

The only somewhat proper armoured trains that the White Army had was Antrea armoured train ("Antrean panssarijuna") also known as "Saviour of Karelia" ("Karjalan pelastaja"), which operated in Karelia railway (Karelian Isthmus). This armoured train contained only one improvised artillery wagon and armoured locomotive pushing it. While the "G1" (later called "Sk1") series locomotive used in it was properly armoured with layers of thin steel plates and cardboard, the artillery wagon it was pushing was just typical 2-boogie flatcar equipped with its sides and ends equipped with walls about shoulder high. Structure of these walls was rather simple - two layers of planks and layer of bricks between them. These walls in artillery wagon had loopholes through which its crew could use their rifles and pistols. Only heavy weapon in the train was 76 VK/04 mountain gun on naval mount, which had been captured from Russian military when the Whites 27^th of January disarmed Russian naval unit of Vuoksi, for whose three gunboats they belonged. Russian soldiers had succeeded hiding breechblocks of the mountain guns, but Machine- and Repair Shop of Yrjö Horsma in Sortavala succeeded manufacturing new ones for them. This caused delay of several days, but once the new breechblocks were completed one by one the guns were rushed to use. Second of the guns to receive its new breechblock was used for this armoured train. The old G1 locomotive had been earlier used to assist with railway switch was armoured and equipped in Sortavala and Enso. Besides armour this locomotive received also changes to its smokestack, which had added extra tubing leading the out coming smoke low in front of the locomotive. This feature was added for making spotting movements of the train from distance more difficult. Persons who got this armoured train build were brothers Svensson and one of them (K.E. Svensson) served also as its commanding officer early on. "Saviour of Karelia" proved highly successful both in battle in the way it helped boosting moral of White Army troops in Antrea front.

PICTURE: Drawing showing structure of Antrea armoured train aka Savior of Karelia. (14 KB).

The only armoured train of the Whites and its crew survived the war, but all armoured trains of the Reds were not as lucky. Armoured trains had proved to be most effective of heavy weapons used by the Red Guards, which seems likely have reflected to attitudes that the Whites had towards their crews. Most if not all of their crews suffered losses during the war and once they ended up prisoners of war their future didn't look too bright even then. During the war White Army intelligence gathered special lists of Red Guards personnel, which were considered especially dangerous, leadership of Red Guards or responsible for crimes. Getting in such a list didn't exactly improve chances of surviving prisoner of war camps after the war - and one of these lists contained known commanders, technical personnel and crewmembers of Red armoured trains.

PICTURE: "Partisaani" after capture. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (99 KB).

Where did the armoured trains of the Reds end up:

PICTURE: Map showing where Finnish Reds lost their armoured trains. CLICK THUMBNAIL TO SEE LARGER PIC (128 KB).

Three of the Fredriksberg-build armoured trains the Whites captured in Tampere 5^th - 6^th of April. The Reds had exploded one of these three trains, but the Whites succeeded taking the other two to their own use. German troops captured another two Fredriksberg-made trains in Herrala and Okeroinen west from city of Lahti 1^st of May. Likely one of these two trains was Armoured Train number 4, but which one and if the other train was possibly number 5 or number 6 is now known. One of the Fredriksberg-made trains was also captured by the Whites in Kouvola and given by them to the Germans who used it shortly to sent contact to Colonel Brandenstein in Lahti. In addition to these trains one Fredriksberg-build train (the one sent unfinished to Viipuri?) was presumably interned by the Bolsheviks in Valkeasaari after General Kaljunen's had some Red Guard troops had driven it through southern parts of Karelian Isthmus already captured by White Army to Russian border.

Somebody might want to know what happened to the armoured trains after Finnish Civil War. Well, that information will become available in part two this same website. Shortly said best of the remaining parts were recycled to form two armoured trains, which first the Germans used for couple of months in 1918 and which were then transferred to Finnish Army. These best parts contained artillery wagons from "Kerenski" and "Partisaani", Fredriksberg-build locomotives and some artillery wagons also from Fredriksberg-made artillery wagons, from which the artillery weapons had been removed and roofs added. Later these were modified and refined to two armoured trains, which Finnish Army used still during World War 2.