EASTERN EXPRESS'S 1/35 SOVIET COMMAND TANK BT-7, MODEL 1935 Kit. No. 35110
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History
Next to the T-26 light infantry accompanying tank, the BT fast tank was the most prolific AFV in the Red Army during the 1930's. The initials BT form an acronym for Bistrokhodny Tank, or fast tank. It was known among Soviet tankmen as the Betka (Beetle) or as the Tri-Tankista (Three Tanker) as the result of its three man crew.
As distinct from most of the other Soviet vehicles at that time, which were based on the British Vickers models, the BT tank was derived from an American design by J.W. Christie. This design was also later taken up by the British to develop their famous Cruiser tank range, the most famous member being the Crusader. The basic Christie vehicle was purchased by Soviet officials in America during 1930 and one vehicle was shipped back to Russia during that year and delivered to the Kharkhov Locomotive Works. After extensive tests of the Christie vehicle, on 23rd May 1931, the Revolutionary Military Council of the USSR authorised the tank for Red Army use and requested its mass production. The drawings for the BT tank prototype were delivered to the Komintern Factory in Kharkhov during August of 1931.
On the 3rd of September, 1931 the first two prototypes, designated BT-1, left the factory gates and were delivered to the Red Army for trials. This first vehicle was provided with machine-gun armament only, and the Red Army test commission which investigated the tank requested that the production modle be armed with an artillery weapon. In the meantime, the BT-2 model, still with the machine-gun armament, was developed in limited quantities. After the production of a small number of vehicles, however, the BT-2 tank received a 37mm Model 1930 tank gun, mounted in the original machine-gun turret. During 1932, the Red Army requested that the BT tank be armed with a more powerful weapon, in the form of the 45mm gun. After various prototypes had been tested, the BT-S model was accepted. This mounted a 45mm gun in a turret almost identical to that fitted to the T-26 light tank. A coaxial 7.62mm DT machine-gun was also installed. Commander's vehicles, which received the suffix "U" or "TU" were provided with two-way radio equipment, which was mounted in the turret overhang, thereby displacing some of the 45mm ammunition. As in the cas of the T-26 commander's model, the turret was fitted with the characteristic frame aerial.
The BT tank was intended for large, independent long-range armoured and mechanised units (called DD groups). These were to act in the rear of enemy positions and take out nerve centers such as headquarters, supply bases, airfields, etc. Under such circumstances, high speed was a great advantage. One of the basic attributes of the Christie design was the ability of the tank to run on either tracks or the road wheels. Track drive was used when moving cross country or along poor roads, whilst wheel drive was used for long strategic road drives. The time taken to change from one mode to the other was put between 10 and 15 minutes. This ability to run on wheels, however, was never actually exploited much by the Red Army in military operations. When the tank was operated in the wheeled mode, the tracks were attached along the track guards, and engine power was transmitted to the rear pair of wheels. The two front road wheels could be turned to provide steering. In contrast to most other tanks, where two steering levers were employed, the BT was controlled by a steering wheel.
As a result of large-scale exercises carried out by the Red Army during the early 1930s, it was realised that the long-range DD groups required some form of accompanying artillery to provide artillery fire-support during the attacks. For this reason, special artillery support tanks, which received the suffix "A" were developed. The first of these, the BT5A, was introduced in 1935. It mounted the short-barrelled 76.2mm gun in a turret very similar to that used as the main one on the T-28 medium tank. As a result of combat experience, the Red Army requested that the BT be redesigned with welded armour and that the armor be sloped to increase its immunity. Thus there emerged the BT-7 model, a vast improvement over the previous models. Ammuniton stowage comprised 188 45mm rounds and 2,142 7.62mm rounds.
As in the case of the BT-5, a commander's model was developed, designated BT-7U or BT-7TU. The first series of this vehicle still retained the original cylindrical turret of the T-26 tank. However, in 1938, following experience against the Japanese in Manchuria, the new turret..which had been designed for the T-26 light tank...was also fitted to the BT-7. A commander's version of this model was also produced. To provide artillery fire-support the BT-7A version was developed. This had the same turret as the BT-5A. Other alterations to the BT-7 were the use of a more powerful diesel engine and an improved transmission system. During 1938, the new V-2 diesel engine had been developed specifically for tank use, and this was installed in all subsequent BT-7 tanks. To distinguish it from previous models, the vehicle was designated BT-7M. It has, however, also been referred to as the BT-8. This new engine developed 500hp at 1,800rpm, and being a diesel power-plant allowed the DD groups a much greater range of operation than had been possible previously. It also reduced the fire risk, since diesel fuel is not so volatile as petrol.
Several specialised and experimental vehicles were developed from the BT tank. During 1936, the experimental BT-IS (investigator tank) was developed. This had heavily sloped armour that shrouded the tracks. This vehicle contributed greatly to the eventual development of the T-34 tank. During 1937, several BT tanks were equipped with schnorkels, enabling them to deep-ford water obstacles. Such vehicles were designated BT-5PH. As the BT-5 and BT-7 models gained numerical significance in the Red Army the older BT-models were used to develop special-purpose vehicles such as the BT bridgelayer, smoke tank, and chemical tank.
WHAT'S IN THE BOX:
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The kit comes in a lid and tray type box. The kit is one, in a series of eight, of BT-7 variants that Eastern Express is marketing. These are kit no. 35108 - an early 1935 version; Kit no. 35109 - a late 1935 version; Kit no. 35111 - an early 1937 version; Kit no. 35114 - with a 76mm short barreled KT-28 gun; Kit no. 35113 which is a diesel powered 1939 version; Kit no. 35116 (not released as yet) which will be a Finnish SPG BT-42 version. Kit no. 35118 a CBT-7 command vehicle on the BT-7 base. Finally, the subject of this kit: a BT-7-I(V) command version. So, if a modeler has the money to spare he can do a whole stable of BT-7s. Talk about getting MILEAGE out of a basic kit mold!!
The kit contains five trees of parts, packaged in three cloudy cello bags. Parts are molded in a medium gray colored plastic. Moldings are pretty detailed, for a kit coming from Moscow, Russia. However, there is quite a bit of flash apparent...especially on the trees that hold the road wheels, around those road wheels.
Tree "A" holds the bottom, top, and double walls of the sides of the vehicle. Which must be built into a box. The inside of the inner side walls have prominent sink marks opposite the girders molded on the outer suface of them. The driver's hatches and turret hatches can be posed in the open position, but whether the side walls...with their sinks...will be viewable after assembly, and leaving these hatches open, will remain to be seen. If leaving these hatches open, the modeler may want to putty these sinks. Also, the inner side of the floor of the tank has letter "A" and Eastern Express Group Russia 2001 molded into it in raised letter. The modeler may want to sand this off before assembly also.(six pieces on this tree)
There are two identical letter "B" trees of parts. These contain the road wheels, idler wheels, drive wheels, link and length type track pieces, shock absorbers, shovel, stowage boxes, headlights, exhaust parts etc. Light flash is evident around several of the road wheels. (65 parts per tree, for a grand total of 130)
Tree lettering now jumps to letter "D" tree. This tree holds the vehicle's nose, air intake screen, fenders, rear chassis plates, driver's hatches, suspension parts, horn etc. (28 parts on this tree)
Tree lettering, again, takes a leap to letter "L" tree. This tree holds the turret sides, top, two different mantles, turret hatches, turret front, ventilator lid, turret lift rings, and the banister type antenna. I must say that this tree looked very familiar, as it is the same turret as what was in the BA-3 Soviet armored car kit that I have (also from Eastern Express). However, the banister antenna is new.
The final parts are on a tiny tree and packaged in a zip lock cello bag. These are the parts for the twin spot-light arrangement that mounts on top of the main weapon. (three parts here)
The decal sheet gives us some wavy red lines, that I gather go around the turret? A white line, for the same purpose, and a red dotted line with a white number 12 interrupting it at a couple of points. There are various circles, both solid and outline type, some red stars, the number X-16 in white, and what looks to be a turret roof white cross for aerial identification by friendly forces.
Little or no help is given on the instruction sheet as to how to use these. What combination? What outfits are they?? This is probably the weakest point of the kit.
The instructions are printed in Russian and English. It is one large sheet, folded in the center forming four pages. There are 13 assembly steps shown. Page one gives a far too short history of the vehicle, followed by explanations of the international assembly symbols used throughout the instructions.
The box art will be of no help as far as markings go. It shows a vehicle with a solid red stripe, at the top of the turret, with a dotted white stripe below that. This marking is nowhere to be found on the decal sheet provided! The box painting also shows the BT-7 painted in a two color wave pattern, which was discontinued very early on, with later war vehicles painted a solid dark green.
Conclusion
I recommend this kit to modelers of Soviet WWII armor. Outside of no help with the decal markings, the flash, some sink marks, it is a decent kit. I would recommend getting some MV brand clear lenses for the headlights and the searchlights. The solid plastic ones in the kit just don't cut it for me.
I got this kit at the local shop and will probably pick up one more version. I don't think I need all 8 that Eastern Express sells.
