| BT Series |
| BT-7 Fast Tank Crew: 3 Armament: 1 45mm gun, 1 DT mg Armor: 22mm maximum, 10mm minimum Weight: 14,000 kg Performance: 33mph road speed(46mph on wheels), 270miles range History: In service with Red Army 1935-1945 The Soviet BT series of tanks was built around the Christie suspension system. This gave the tank a very high top speed, especially when it traveled on its wheels with the track removed. The ability to travel on its wheels for long distance trips gave the BT the ability to quickly strategically redeploy under its own power. The transformation from tracks to wheels was said to have taken as little as 15 minutes. Early tanks were are armed only with machine guns, but eventually the BT was upgraded to a 37, then 45mm gun. The final model of the BT tank was the BT-7. This was greatly improved over other models, having a new diesel engine and better transmission. The greatest draw back of the BT was its light armor, which was kept so to keep up its speed. When the war started Soviet tank crews quickly learned that speed could never fully supplement protection. Many BT�s were lost early in the war, yet they served throughout the conflict, and did contribute significantly to the development of the T-34. |
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