World War 2 In Review: Schienenwolf: German Railway Plough

German railroad plow in action, Belarus, March 1944.

A railroad plow (Schienenwolf - rail wolf, Schwellepflug - sleeper plough, or: Schwellenreißer - sleeper ripper) was a rail vehicle which supported an immensely strong, hook-shaped plow. It was used for destruction of sleepers (railroad ties) in warfare, as part of a scorched-earth policy, so that the track becomes unusable for the enemy.

In use, the plow was lowered to rip up the middle of the track as it was hauled along by a locomotive. This action broke the wooden ties which forced the steel rails out of alignment, making the line impassable by later rail vehicles. Bridges and signaling equipment also suffered serious damage.

A similar device, which ripped the rail off the ties, had been used by railway troops of the Imperial Russian Army in World War I, during their retreat from Galicia and Poland. Railroad ploughs were in use by the Czechoslovak Army during the German occupation in 1938, and by German Wehrmacht armed forces retreating northward through Italy and westward from the Eastern Front in World War II.

The German author Arno Schmidt (1914–1979) in his post-war novel Leviathan uses the image of a railroad plough as a symbol of evil.

Surviving Vehicles

Belgrade Military Museum has a plough is on its permanent outer exhibition.

Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina has a plough displayed in front of the museum.

Victory Park on the Poklonnaya Hill, Moscow, Russia has a replica of a German railroad plough on display.

A captured German World War II example was kept at the Longmoor Military Railway. This might have since been transferred to the care of the UK's National Army Museum. When the Museum of Army Transport closed, a large proportion of the vehicles were transferred to the National Army Museum, including the railway wrecker. This vehicle, a Pline C24, was made in Germany in 1943. It was used in Italy and indeed captured there by the British Army. Since the move of the vehicles, some have been transferred to other institutions who have much larger storage facilities for these types of vehicles. The railway wrecker was transferred to the Ministry of Defence Railway Service in Marchwood and it is unlikely to be on public display.

Original caption: “This German device for wrecking railroads was captured by the Eighth Army at Termoli, Italy. This machine with its giant claw is for hooking behind trains and ripping up ties. 1943.”

Front view of the “Track Ripper,” Termoli, Italy, 1943.

Interior of the “Track Ripper,” Termoli, Italy, 1943.

Rear view of the “Track Ripper,” Termoli, Italy, 1943.

German railroad plow in action, Belarus, March 1944.

German railroad plow in Italy, March 21, 1944.

Schienenwolf destroying rail tracks during German retreat, 1944.

German railroad plow.

German railroad plow in action, Belarus, March 1944.

German railroad plow.

German railroad plow destruction.

Railroad plow from the Belgrade Military Museum.

Railroad plow from the Belgrade Military Museum. The hook can be raised for transportation or lowered for track destruction.

A railroad plow on display at the Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo.

A captured German World War II example was kept at the Longmoor Military Railway. This may have since been transferred to the care of the UK's National Army Museum.

World War 2 In Review

Schienenwolf: German Railway Plough

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