Armored train Hurban

Armored train Hurban
A replica of armored train Hurban now located near Zvolen Castle in Zvolen, Slovakia.
Type	Armoured train
Place of origin	Slovakia
Service history
In service	October 23–24, 1944-Retired thereafter.
Used by	Slovakia
Wars	Slovak National Uprising, World War II
Production history
Produced	September 25, 1944
Specifications
Crew	71
Main armament	8cm vz.17 field gun located in a cannon carriage 4 37 mm guns located in tank turrets in tank carriages 11 heavy machine guns of 7.92 caliber

The Armored train Hurban was an armored train used during World War II, during the Slovak National Uprising.^[1] The Hurban was constructed on September 25, 1944 in the Railway Manufactory in Zvolen, Slovakia, and was the last armored train used in the Slovak National Uprising. A replica is now on display as a monument in a park next to the castle in Zvolen. An original preserved machine gun carriage is on display in The Museum of the Slovak National Uprising in Banská Bystrica.^[2]

Combat history

The commander of the train was Captain J. Kukliš, and his assistant was Lt. J. Belko, together commanding a crew of 71 men. Hurban operated in the Brezno – Červená Skala area against the 18th division SS Horst Wessel and from October 23 – 24 1944 was the main factor in the fight for the upper flow of the Hron river. Despite suffering a damaged engine, it repulsed all German attacks. It was pulled to Harmanec, where it was abandoned in a railway tunnel, the crew fighting on as a partisan detachment.

See also

• Armored train Štefánik

References

1. "Armoured train "Hurban" - Zvolen - TracesOfWar.com". En.tracesofwar.com. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
2. "Muzeum SNP.sk - Expozície - Skanzen ťažkej bojovej techniky". www.muzeumsnp.sk. Retrieved 2013-08-09.