Tankopedia
InterwarLightLight TankSoviet Union

BT-7

In service 1935 - 1945

Christie-suspension cavalry tank, ancestor of the T-34.

Built byKharkov Locomotive Factory

BT-7
BT-7 in the Togliatti Technical Museum — ShinePhantom, via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0

Development history

Derived from Walter Christie's designs, the BT series traded armour for extraordinary speed and could run on road wheels with the tracks removed. It fought well against Japanese forces at Khalkhin Gol but burned readily against German anti-tank guns in 1941. Its suspension and engine lineage led directly to the A-20, A-32 and T-34.

Variants

One canonical record, 3 recorded variants.

  1. BT-7 model 1935

    1935

    Cylindrical turret, riveted-welded hull.

  2. BT-7 model 1937

    1937

    Conical welded turret, strengthened transmission.

  3. BT-7M (BT-7A)

    1939

    V-2 diesel engine; BT-7A artillery version with a 76 mm howitzer.

Notable actions

  • Khalkhin Gol 1939
  • Winter War 1939-1940
  • Operation Barbarossa 1941