BT-7

Bystrokhodnyy Tank 7
Manufacturer	Morozov
Production	1935-1940
Number Built	5753
Specification
Country of Origin	Soviet Union
Weight	13.9 tons
Dimensions	Length : 5.66m Width : 2.29m Height : 2.42m
Main Armament	1 x 45 mm anti-tank gun M1932/38 (20-K)
Secondary Armament	2 x 7.62 mm DT machine gun
Armour	Hull: 6–40 mm Turret: 10–15 mm
Engine	Mikulin M-17T (V-12) gasoline (450 hp, 340 kW)
Speed	Road: 72–86 km/h (45–53 mph) Off-road: 50 km/h (31 mph)
User	Continuation High School

The BT-7 (БТ-7) i.e. Bystrokhodnyy tank 7 (Быстроходный танк 7) whats means "fast tank 7" was a Soviet light tank, being the last variant of the BT tank series, produced on a large scale between 1935 and 1940. The BT-7 has as its successor the famous T-34 medium tank.

History

Development

The success of the BT light tanks in Soviet service prompted additional upgrades and other developmental projects done on the design to increase its service life. The development led to the final and most produced model of the BT light tank series, the BT-7. The tank differed from the older BT-5 tank with a welded hull, redesigned hull front, and a new engine in the Model 1935 version. The Model 1937 version of the BT-7 added a redesigned turret that featured sloping armour.

The tank initially had a canted-ellipse shaped turret mounting the main gun and coaxial machine guns with the focus of allowing the tank to mount different tanks without changing the whole design, which led to the development of two main kinds of BT-7s, the normal variant with a 45 mm 20K gun for anti-armour and an artillery variant called the BT-7A which mounted a 76.2 mm KT-26 howitzer for anti-infantry. The tank was redesigned before it entered production by using the BT-5 turret instead with the main gun and coaxial machine gun still attached, though the concept of swapping to different guns was still in development for the tank. A radio was also installed on the turret as well. The tank had a three-man crew, the commander/gunner and loader in the turret, and the driver in the front. Production started in 1935 but was redesigned in 1937 with a new conical turret that allowed more ammunition to be stored and a machine gun on the rear of the turret. The BT-7 mod. 1937 also had improvements on the drive wheels, gearbox, and tracks by 1938. The BT-7 went on to be produced from 1935 to 1940 for a total unit production of between 2,700 to 5,300 tanks.

Operational History

The BT-7 served alongside its older counterpart BT-5 tanks. The BT light tanks were meant to be cavalry tanks, and at the time of their introduction, they were considered some of the finest tanks against other countries' tanks. They had great mobility of all available tanks, and its 45 mm gun could perform very well in combat. The only drawbacks of the design were its light armour and its gasoline engine, which caused the design to be rather flammable to improvised incendiary weapons. The BT-7's most notable combat service came against the Japanese at Khalkhin Gol. The tactics of Soviet Marshal Georgi Konstantinovich Zhukov and the performance of his BT-5 and BT-7 tanks led to a decisive victory. It was during this battle that the BT tanks' tendency to catch fire was found, but its performance was positive against the inferior Japanese armoured forces.

Real live photo of BT-7

The BT-7 next combat use was during the opening stages of Operation Barbarossa when Nazi Germany invades the Soviet Union. The superior German tanks Panzer III and Panzer IV was able to easily take out these lightly armoured tanks. Reports note that about 2,000 BT-7 tanks were lost in the first 12 months alone against the German forces, with hundreds broken down from low maintenance and were abandoned. Despite their inferiority, the Soviets continued to produce and field them among armour and mechanized units to boost their operational capacity, though most were kept away from the front lines due to their inadequacy. The BT-7 would finally see its service again in the Soviet invasion of Japanese-controlled Manchuria. The Soviets fielded the BT-7 and other tanks in its inventory against the inferior Japanese forces in Manchuria, where it proved very effective against the more lightly armoured Japanese tanks employed. The BT series were all retired after the end of World War II due to their obsolete design as an inter-war period tank design.

In Girls und Panzer

Phase Erika

Continuation High School fielded one BT-7 during a practice match against Kuromorimine Girls' Academy. The BTs were part of the fleet assigned by Touko to harass enemy tanks while the rest carried out a pincer attack. The BT-7 was able to shoot down a Jagdpanzer IV in the process. However, Touko's plan soon fails and she orders a retreat, with the BTs being pursued by Miho, Erika and Koume, eventually luring the latter into Lili's T-28, while the BTs regroup. With the subsequent destruction of the T-28 and BT-5, the assembled BTs would attempt to attack Kuromorimine's forces, with the BT-7 being destroyed by a Panther.

Gekkan Senshado Magazine

Continuation High School fielded two BT-7s during the tournament first round match against Blue Division High School. The role of Continuation's BT-7s is unknown, but what is known is that upon identifying the Blue Division tanks moving along the path, Mika created a double pincer movement, positioning the BT-7s in the south. After that, the BT-7 attacked the rear of the Blue Division's tank line.

Continuation High School again fielded their BT-7s, during the tournament quarter-finals match against Kuromorimine Girls Academy. Continuation High School again fielded their BT-7s, during the tournament quarter-finals match against Kuromorimine Girls Academy. During the match, the BT-7 received covering fire provided by other Continuation tanks to allow the BT-7, along with the BT-5 to perform a pincer movement and run into the enemy formation, using their smaller and larger mobility to engage in close combat with larger tanks and thus disrupt Kuromorimine's attacks. They managed to shoot down a Panzer III and a Panther. However, they were unable to stop Maho's Tiger or Erika's Tiger II and so the BT-5, along with all other tanks, were decimated.

Trivia

• The BT-7 is one of three BT family tanks shown in the series. The other two are the BT-42 and the BT-5.
• BT tanks been based on its acronym name nicknamed as Betka, or by diminutive Betushka.