All aboard the Krajina Express!
The Krajina Express was an improvised armored train used by the Krajina Serb army during the Croatian War of Independence and the Bosnian War.
The train sported 25mm of armour supplemented by sandbags and rubber matting. The train also came with an impressive armament including:
1× 76 mm AT M1A2 gun
3× 20 mm anti-aircraft cannons
1× twin 57 mm rocket launcher
2× 120 mm mortars
2× 12.7 mm machine guns
2× 7.92 mm machine guns
2× 7.62 mm machine guns
For those wondering, yes, the 76mm gun was actually a whole WWII era American Hellcat. Likewise the 20mm autocannons were WWII vintage German weapons!
The train was activated in 1991 and initially took on escort duty to secure Serb railways and logistics/supply lines.
As the train’s armour and armament evolved and improved, the Krajina Express started providing fire support close to the frontline, its crew members fighting as dismounted infantry when needed.
The train took part in many of the offensive and defensive operations of the Krajina Serb Army between 1991 and 1995. As the tide of war turned against the so-called Krajina Republic and defeat seemed inevitable, the Krajina Express crew derailed their train into a ravine.
Parts of the train wreck were later recovered and turned into a memorial.
-RBM.