Reichsverkhrsdirektion Minsk Reichsbahn cuff title with RZM tag

Reichsverkhrsdirektion Minsk Reichsbahn cuff title, extremely rare.

With the Act for the New Regulation of the Conditions of the Reichsbank and the Deutsche Reichsbahn (Gesetz zur Neuregelung der Verhältnisse der Reichsbank und der Deutschen Reichsbahn) of 10 February 1937 the Deutsche Reichsbahn Gesellschaft was placed under Reich sovereignty and was given the name Deutsche Reichsbahn.

The Reichsbahn had an important logistic role in supporting the rapid movement of the troops of the Wehrmacht, for example:

March 1938: the annexation of Austria (Anschluss) and
October 1938: the annexation of the Sudetenland after the Munich Agreement
March 1939: the German occupation of Czechoslovakia
September/October 1939: the invasion of Poland
April 1940: Operation Weserübung (the invasions of Denmark and Norway)
May/June 1940: the Battle of France
1941: Operation Barbarossa and the Balkan Campaign.
In all the occupied lands the Reichsbahn endeavored to incorporate the captured railways (rolling stock and infrastructure) into their system. Even towards the end of the war the Reichsbahn continued to move military formations. For example, in the last great offensive, the Battle of the Bulge (from 16 December 1944), tank formations were transported from Hungary to the Ardennes.

The railways managed by the “Eastern Railway Division” (Generaldirektion der Ostbahn) were initially run from that part of the Polish State Railways within the so-called General Government-assigned part of the Polnischen Staatsbahnen (PKP), but from November 1939 by the Ostbahn (Generalgouvernement).

In the campaigns against Poland, Denmark, France, Yugoslavia, Greece etc. the newly acquired standard gauge networks could be used without difficulty. By contrast, after the start of the invasion of Russia on 22 June 1941, the problem arose of transferring troops and materiel to Soviet broad gauge lines or converting them to German standard gauge. Confounding German plans, the Red Army and Soviet railways managed to withdraw or destroy the majority of its rolling stock during its retreat. As a result, German standard gauge rolling stock had to be used for an additional logistic role within Russia; this required the laying of standard gauge track. The price was high: Reichsbahn railway staff and the railway troops of the Wehrmacht had to convert a total of 16,148 kilometres (10,034 mi) of Soviet trackage to German standard gauge track between 22 June and 8 October 1941.

During the war, locomotives in the war zones were sometimes given camouflage livery. In addition, locomotives were painted with the Hoheitsadler symbol (the eagle, Germany’s traditional symbol of national sovereignty) holding a swastika. On goods wagons the name “Deutsche Reichsbahn” was replaced by the letters “DR”. Postal coaches continued to bear the name “Deutsche Reichspost”.

The logistics of the Reichsbahn were crucial to the conduct of Germany’s military offensives. The preparations for the invasion of Russia saw the greatest troop deployment by rail in history.