BT-5
In service 1933 - 1942
The BT that got a real gun, fought in Spain, and outran everything at Khalkhin Gol.
Built byKharkov Locomotive Factory
Development history
The BT-5 married the Christie chassis to the 45 mm 20-K gun in a new cylindrical two-man turret, making it genuinely dangerous to 1930s armour. Soviet BT-5s fought for the Republic in Spain, took part in the Khalkhin Gol battles against Japan where their speed was decisive in encirclement, and were still in service in 1941. Their weakness was petrol fires and thin armour - lessons that fed directly into the diesel, sloped-armour T-34.
Variants
One canonical record, 3 recorded variants.
BT-5 model 1933
1933Cylindrical turret with 45 mm 20-K
BT-5 commander's tank
1934Frame aerial and radio set
BT-5A artillery tank
193576 mm howitzer in enlarged turret
Notable actions
- Spanish Civil War
- Battles of Khalkhin Gol
- Winter War
- Operation Barbarossa