BT7 Cavalry Tank

The BT-7, the final iteration of the Soviet BT series cavalry tanks, was mass-produced from 1935 to 1940. Though lightly armored, it was well-armed for its time and boasted superior mobility. Known affectionately as 'Betka' or 'Betushka', it was succeeded by the renowned T-34 medium tank in 1940. At the start of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the BT-7 was the Soviet army's primary cavalry tank. High losses, over 2,000 in the first year on the Eastern Front, and poor maintenance led to many being abandoned. Despite this, it remained in use throughout the war, albeit in dwindling numbers after 1941. By November 1942, 32 BT-7s were captured by Romanian forces. The BT-7 series continued to see action in the Far East against Japanese forces, notably in the Battles of Khalkhin Gol in 1939 and the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation in 1945.