Chronicle of the Special Combat Units Command 1918–1922

The Special Combat Units Command (V. Z. B. Ú.) was established by a decree of the Ministry of National Defence on Friday, 29 October 1919. From that day on, the glorious history of our armoured forces began to be written in Milovice. The diligent work of the V. Z. B. Ú. officers, led by Captain Karel Eichmann, enabled the unit's transformation first into a battalion and subsequently into armoured vehicle regiments. In February 1929, the deputy commander of the Armoured Vehicle Battalion, Colonel Josef Hranáč, was tasked with writing the chronicle. He undertook the task immediately, processing all the documentary material available in the archives of the armoured trains and the Armoured Vehicle Battalion from 1919, as well as information obtained from the individuals involved. However, neither he nor his deputies ever completed the chronicle. After the occupation, the unfinished work fell into private hands, and thanks to the owner's kindness, members of the Difrologický Klub were later able to copy and photograph it. As a result, it has been partially preserved. For the centenary of the unit's formation, the chronicle was prepared for publication, supplemented with extensive appendices, including biographies of the commanders and over one hundred period photographs.