BT-7 Model 1935 | 1:45 Scale.

Difficulty Rating: 3/5

Model Features:

• Functional rolling tracks.
• 360-degree rotating turret.
• 1:45 Minifig Compatible Scale

Package Features:

• 372 Construction Elements.
• Paperback printed instruction manual.
• 4 One-sided UV-printed Tiles
• 1 Exclusive UV-printed Ammunition Crate.

Kits are prepared and packaged upon purchase. Please allow 5-7 days for processing.

History:

The BT-7 was the last production model of the Soviet BT series of “fast tanks” derived from the American-designed Christie M1931. The BT-7 was designated as a Cavalry Tank; thus the design mainly focused on its speed, achieving a maximum of 86 kph, and armament, fitting a 45 mm 20K Anti-tank gun inside a Model 1933 T-26 Turret. However, this came at the cost of any significant armor protection, with 20 mm of armor protection at its front, and only 15mm on the sides and rear.

The BT-7 first saw action during the Russo-Japanese war at Lake Hasan in 1938, though their presence would be more impactful during the battle of Kalkhin Gol in 1939, where large numbers of BT-7 tanks would play a role in the defeat of the Japanese 6th Army. The BT-7 also saw service during the combined Germans and Soviet invasion of Poland, as well as during the Winter War in Finland. Though successful in Poland, the Winter War in Finland was a major operational failure for Soviet Forces, which resulted in the Finnish capture of large amounts of Soviet Military equipment, including T-26 and BT-7 tanks. By Operation Barbarossa in 1940-1941, the BT-7, though fairing better than the slower T-26, was starting to show its age. Approximately 2000 BT-7 tanks were lost in combat or mechanical breakdown during the first 12 months of Operation Barbarossa, attributed to a lack of spare replacement parts and German tactical superiority. Though beginning to be replaced by its successor, the T-34, in larger numbers by 1941, the BT-7 continued to serve with the Soviet Union until the end of the Second World War.