BT Series

The BT (Bystrokhodny Tank) series, commonly known as the Fast Tanks, was a series of Soviet light wheeled-tracked tanks used by the mechanized and later armored forces of the USSR during the 1930s and 1940s. Alongside the T-26 tank, the BT series formed the core of the Soviet tank fleet prior to and during the early stages of the Great Patriotic War. They saw action in conflicts against Japan (including the Battle of Lake Khasan and the Battles of Khalkhin Gol), the Spanish Civil War, the Soviet-Finnish War, the Polish Campaign, the Great Patriotic War, and the Soviet-Japanese War. The BT-7 tanks with their distinctive conical turrets were given the nickname “Mickey Mouse” by the German army due to the circular shape of their open hatches, which resembled the ears of the popular cartoon character. Another nickname for the BT tanks was the “fast-moving samovar” because of their high speed.