Design Overview & Tactical Role
The BT-7 ('Bystrokhodny Tank' or 'Fast Tank') was the ultimate Soviet realization of American inventor J. Walter Christie's revolutionary convertible suspension. Boasting a massive 500 hp aircraft engine in a lightweight 14-ton hull, the BT-7 achieved an incredible power-to-weight ratio of 36 hp/ton and a road speed of 72 km/h (86 km/h on bare road-wheels with tracks removed in under 30 minutes). Its sloped hull geometry paved the direct developmental path to the legendary T-34.
Combat History & Battle Records
Under General Georgy Zhukov at the Battle of Khalkhin Gol in 1939, massed BT-7 brigades executed a masterclass in operational encirclement against the Imperial Japanese 6th Army, proving the doctrine of Deep Battle.
Related Armored Vehicles (WWI & Interwar)
Cold War
1948
Cold War
1961
Cold War
1964
Cold War
1973