War Thunder: BT-42

The BT-42 was developed as part of a modernization programme for captured Soviet BT-7 tanks, seized by the Finnish Army during the Winter War. While the Red Army was fielding increasingly advanced tanks, the Finnish Army was forced to resort to its existing stock of vehicles as well any captured equipment. Therefore, to bolster the fighting capabilities of the dated BT-7 tanks in Finnish service, the modernization programme foresaw the installation of a new turret, housing a British 4.5-inch howitzer, provided to Finland during the Winter War.

Between 1942 – 1943, 18 BT-7 tanks were converted into BT-42s. Once the BT-42 entered service however, it quickly became apparent that the original intentions of the modernization would not materialize as planned. Namely, the BT-42s turned out to be quite effective versus light fortifications and thinly armored vehicles, but struggled to effectively engage more heavily fortified or armored opponents on the battlefield. In addition, the increased weight led to a higher strain on the vehicle’s suspension and engine while the recoil of the larger gun often caused the turret to jam.

Due to their low battle effectiveness, the impact the BT-42 had on the outcome of Finnish operations was rather minimal and by July 1944, nearly half were lost in combat. After Finnland withdrew from WWII, the remaining BT-42s were sent into storage and were eventually scrapped in 1951. One example survived and is currently on display at a museum in the Parola Tank Museum.