Difference between revisions of "BT-5"

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{{Specs-Card|code=ussr_bt_5}}
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{{About
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| about = Soviet light tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = the gift version
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| link = RBT-5
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=ussr_bt_5
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
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<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
[[File:GarageImage_BT-5.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
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The '''BT-5 (Быстроходный танк-5)''' is the fifth variant of the BT light tank family. It is designed as a convertible tank, a feature invented by J. Walter Christie to reduce wear on the 1930s' unreliable tank tracks. The main advantage of this design is that the tank crew can quickly remove the tracks and connect a chain drive to the rearmost road wheel on each side, allowing the tank to travel at extremely high speeds on roads. The BT-5 variant, which featured a larger cylindrical turret housing a 45 mm 20-K tank gun and a coaxial 7.62 DT light machine gun, proved useful in the early stages of World War II. However, Soviet designers quickly discovered that the convertible option was of little practical use in a country with few paved roads; it took up space and added unnecessary complexity and weight. Later variants did not include the feature.
{{break}}
 
The '''BT-5 mod. 1933''' is a Soviet reserve Rank I light tank with a battle rating of 1.0. It was introduced in [[Update_1.45_"Steel_Generals"|Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]]. It is a very fast tank with a heavy-hitting 45 mm gun, but at the cost of lighter armour.
 
 
 
This tank is quite unique. It has virtually no armour, weights only 11,5 tons and has a massive 400 HP engine (442 HP fully upgraded), giving it up to 38 HP/Ton ratio. This paired with excellent Christie suspension allows it to drive like a race car among tanks. Gun is an adequate 45mm 20-K cannon with decent penetration and quick reload.
 
  
The BT-5, as with most light tanks in-game, are fast, but at the cost of having little armor. This makes the BT-5 an ideal flanker. The primary (safe) tactic would be to shoot and scoot, never stay in the same place for long. The less safe route would be to run rings around the enemy and take shots while circling them. Overall, the rule with the BT-5 is: shoot the enemy first; if they try to shoot, don't get hit.
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Introduced in [[Update 1.45 "Steel Generals"]], the BT-5 is versatile in terms of playstyle due to its great mobility and reasonable firepower. Given its impressive top speed, this tank is best used to capture objectives early in the game. It is recommended to travel on the road to fully utilize its speed and arrive at the objectives before the enemies. Another good strategy is to move to the border of the battlefield and engage enemies from the side. Its speed allows it to reach unexpected areas early in a battle, surprising the enemies. However, players must be careful not to expose themselves during battles as the tank is lightly armoured, thus any penetrating shots will almost certainly result in destruction.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
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{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 +
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
 +
The BT-5 has a poor survivability: its armour is almost non-existent on all sides, making it vulnerable to autocannons ([[Pz.II (Disambiguation)|Pz.II]], [[Flakpanzer I]], etc.) and heavy machine guns like [[M2HB (12.7 mm)|.50 cal HMGs]] found on American vehicles.
 +
Moreover, the crew is tightly packed, making it easy to knock out the BT-5 with a single shot by taking out all three crewmen at once.
  
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 
 
'''Armour type:'''
 
'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 
* Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
|-
! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof  
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! Armour !! Front !! Sides !! Rear !! Roof
 
|-
 
|-
 
| Hull || 13 mm (62°) ''Front glacis''<br> 20 mm (18°) ''Driver port'' <br> 30 mm (62°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 40 mm (13°) ''Plate joint''|| 15 mm (1°) || 13 mm (0-59°)|| 10 mm
 
| Hull || 13 mm (62°) ''Front glacis''<br> 20 mm (18°) ''Driver port'' <br> 30 mm (62°) ''Lower glacis'' <br> 40 mm (13°) ''Plate joint''|| 15 mm (1°) || 13 mm (0-59°)|| 10 mm
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|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
'''Notes'''<br/>
+
'''Notes'''
 +
 
 
* Tracks and suspension wheel are both 15 mm thick.
 
* Tracks and suspension wheel are both 15 mm thick.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
|-
+
 
!colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
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{{tankMobility|abMinHp=396|rbMinHp=323}}
|-
+
 
! Weight (tons)
+
=== Modifications and economy ===
!colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
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{{Specs-Economy}}
!colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 
|-
 
|rowspan="2" | 11.6 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 59 (AB)
 
|-
 
|53 (RB/SB)
 
|-
 
!colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 
|-
 
!colspan="1" | Mode
 
!Stock
 
!Upgraded
 
|-
 
|''Arcade''
 
|396
 
|487
 
|-
 
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 
|323
 
|365
 
|-
 
!colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 
|-
 
!colspan="1" | Mode
 
!Stock
 
!Upgraded
 
|-
 
|''Arcade''
 
|34.14
 
|41.98
 
|-
 
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 
|27.84
 
|31.46
 
|-
 
|}
 
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
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<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 
{{main|20-K (45 mm)}}
 
{{main|20-K (45 mm)}}
  
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
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The BT-5 has a decent cannon for a light tank. Stock round has a maximum penetration of 70 mm. Combined with the 29 g TNT, it is almost certain that the BT-5 will frontally knock out every tank it will see. Even at more than 500 m away from the target, it still has 40-50 mm of penetration which is still enough to go through a lot of tanks' frontal armour. The 3-4 second reload allows the player to quickly fire more shells if the first shot didn't kill. The tank has 8 degrees of gun depression which is enough for most terrain.
|-
+
 
! colspan="6" | [[20-K (45 mm)|45 mm 20-K]]
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
|-
 
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 
|-
 
| colspan="3" | 86 || -8°/+25° || ±180° || N/A
 
|-
 
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 
|-
 
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
|-
 
| ''Arcade'' || 9.50 || 13.20 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
 
 
|-
 
|-
| ''Realistic'' || 9.50 || 11.20 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
+
! colspan="5" | [[20-K (45 mm)|45 mm 20-K]] || colspan="5" | Turret rotation speed (°/s) || colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
+
! Mode !! Capacity !! Vertical !! Horizontal !! Stabilizer
 +
! Stock !! Upgraded !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 +
! Stock !! Full !! Expert !! Aced
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
+
! ''Arcade''
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
+
| rowspan="2" | 86 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+25° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.23 || 21.08 || 25.60 || 28.31 || 30.12 || rowspan="2" | 3.77 || rowspan="2" | 3.34 || rowspan="2" | 3.07 || rowspan="2" | 2.90
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 
 
|-
 
|-
| 3.80 || _.__ || _.__ || _.__
+
! ''Realistic''
 +
| 9.52 || 11.20 || 13.60 || 15.04 || 16.00
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
===== Ammunition =====
+
==== Ammunition ====
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
+
{{:20-K (45 mm)/Ammunition|BR-240, BR-240SP}}
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
+
 
|-
+
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
+
[[File:Ammoracks_{{PAGENAME}}.png|right|thumb|x250px|[[Ammo racks]] of the {{PAGENAME}}]]
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 
|-
 
! 10m
 
! 100m
 
! 500m
 
! 1000m
 
! 1500m
 
! 2000m
 
|-
 
| BR-240 || APHEBC || 62 || 59 || 45 || 35 || 29 || 26
 
|-
 
| BR-240SP || AP || 73 || 68 || 51 || 35 || 25 || 17
 
|-
 
|}
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 
|-
 
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 
''in m:''
 
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 
''in mm:''
 
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 
 
|-
 
|-
! 0%
+
! Full<br>ammo
! 50%
+
! 1st<br>rack empty
! 100%
+
! 2nd<br>rack empty
 +
! 3rd<br>rack empty
 +
! 4th<br>rack empty
 +
! 5th<br>rack empty
 +
! 6th<br>rack empty
 +
! Visual<br>discrepancy
 
|-
 
|-
| BR-240 || APHEBC || 760 || 1.4 || 1.2 || 15 || 32.3 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
+
| '''86''' || 72 ''(+14)''|| 57 ''(+29)'' || 43 ''(+43)'' || 29 ''(+57)'' || 15 ''(+71)''|| 1 ''(+85)''|| No
|-
 
| BR-240SP || AP || 757 || 1.4 || N/A || N/A || N/A || -1° || 47° || 60° || 65°
 
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
 
[[File:Ammoracks_BT-5.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the BT-5]]
 
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 
|-
 
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th<br />  rack empty
 
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 
|-
 
|| '''86''' || 72 ''(+14)''|| 57 ''(+29)'' || 43 ''(+43)'' || 29 ''(+57)'' || 15 ''(+71)''|| 1 ''(+85)''|| style="text-align:center" | No
 
|-
 
|}
 
 
Turret empty: 29 ''(+57)''
 
Turret empty: 29 ''(+57)''
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|2}}
 +
<!-- ''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.'' -->
 
{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}
 
{{main|DT (7.62 mm)}}
  
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
+
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
|-
 
! colspan="7" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
 
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="7" | ''Coaxial mount''
+
! colspan="5" | [[DT (7.62 mm)|7.62 mm DT]]
 
|-
 
|-
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
+
! Mount !! Capacity (Belt) !! Fire rate !! Vertical !! Horizontal
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 
 
|-
 
|-
| colspan="4" | 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
+
| Coaxial || 1,890 (63) || 600 || N/A || N/A
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
== Usage in the battles ==
+
== Usage in battles ==
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
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<!-- ''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but instead give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).'' -->
Best tactics is probably however to not charge right into the combat, but wait a while to see how the battle develops - observe where and how many enemy tanks go, maybe fire a few shots from the distance. Use the BT's great mobility to get to the best positions. And then use its awesome speed to charge at lonely opponents, which at close range have no chance of keeping their guns from tracking the BT. Keep in mind that charging into more than 1 opponent is usually a quick end, as it is very hard to not get hit from either of them at the same time. There is no armour on BT-5 to stop anything other than machine gun fire. Finally, try to avoid AA vehicles, as they will have no problem targeting and shredding the BT with rapid fire, even from the distance.
+
The BT-5 is really flexible when it comes to usage, as it has great mobility and firepower, which is pretty much all you need for a good tank. Given its great 53 km/h top speed, it is good to use the BT-5 as a point-capturing tank at the start of the match. It is better to travel on-road to fully utilise its speed to get to the point before the enemies do. Another good tactic is to manoeuvre to the flank of the frontline/point and attack from the side. Its speed makes it possible to go the furthest in the shortest time, surprising the enemies.
 +
 
 +
Once captured, the player can either quickly set an ambush behind nearby cover waiting for the enemy to recapture it, or just drive around the battlefield and help teammates. Its 70 mm penetration and 29 g TNT APHEBC shell will one-shot pretty much anything around its BR. If not, the 3 second reload allows it to finish them off easily. A sudden, close encounter is a hard test to the player's skills because the BT-5 isn't very good at turning as its tracks are quite long and narrow. Its turret traverse of around 11 deg/sec is certainly not the best. Thus those two factors can sometimes cause the death of the BT-5 so the player must respond fast and accurate.
 +
 
 +
'''Enemies worth noting:'''
 +
 
 +
* [[Pz.II (Family)|Pz.IIs]] - Although not as fast as the BT-5, the Pz.IIs still have an average speed of around 40 km/h. Also, they are equipped with a deadly 20 mm autocannon that will punch holes on the BT-5 with ease, and their rate of fire can quickly kill multiple crew. The BT-5 has thin armour protecting only 3 crew, making it extremely vulnerable to those autocannons.
 +
 
 +
* [[Sd.Kfz.234 (Family)|Sd.Kfz.234 series]] - These wheeled vehicles all have scary on-road speeds of more than 60 km/h, so in any map, with roads connecting to the points they can always get there first and set up an ambush. However, these vehicles are wheeled meaning they cannot turn in place, they are rather sluggish when trying to turn, and they have either slow turret traverse or no turret at all, so the player can use this to their advantage. Wiggle/circle around them to avoid their guns and force them to turn, then aim carefully and immobilise them. Note that the DT machine gun on the BT-5 only has 10 mm penetration at most, making it almost impossible to go through their armour and kill any crew, so don't think of destroying these wheeled vehicles with the MG.
 +
 
 +
* [[M8 Greyhound]], [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuarts]] - These vehicles are equally fast, and the M8 can outrun the BT-5 if it's travelling on road, allowing them to get to the point before the BT-5 does. Therefore, if America is on the other side the player might want to change their tactics and not rush the point since low tier battles are always filled with fast tanks. The M8 has a roof-mounted .50 cal MG which easily tears the BT-5's armour apart and kills the crew inside. Also, most of them have a vertical stabiliser that works at low speed, so avoid firing on the move with them.
 +
 
 +
* [[B1 bis]] - A heavily armoured tank for its BR, but do not panic when you see it. Don't fire at a distance unless you are directly aiming at its side armour. The best option is to try and get as close to it as possible (point-blank range is ideal) and shoot straight at its side. However sometimes due to a variety of reasons the player might be unable to flank it and has to face it frontally. If that is the case, shoot the rather vertical driver's compartment and there's a great chance of penetration, killing the driver and the commander (which is also the gunner for the turret). Or, shoot between the two guns on the turret to kill the commander/gunner. Or, shoot at the near-vertical part of the curved gun mantlet of the big hull-mounted gun.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
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<!-- ''Summarise and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Try not to use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - use substitutions with softer forms such as "inadequate" and "effective".'' -->
 +
 
 
'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
* Good gun penetration  
+
 
* Good rate of fire
+
* Deadly firepower at its BR: high penetration of up to 70 mm, and shells have explosive filler which can frontally knock out most tanks like [[Pz.II (Disambiguation)|Pz.IIs]], [[Chi-Ha (Family)|Chi-Has]] or [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuarts]] with a single shot
* One of the fastest tanks in the game, great acceleration and overall mobility
+
* Fast tank, great acceleration and overall mobility
* Can run circles around other light tanks
+
* 3-4 second reload time is quick enough to destroy opponents it could not take out with a single shot, like [[Pz.IV C]] and [[LVT (Family)|LVT(A)]] series
* Front armour, although very thin, sometimes bounces shells thanks to the high sloping
+
* Adequate gun depression of 8 degrees allows it to adapt to hilly terrain well
 +
* Small and low profile allows it to easily hide behind cover or bushes
 +
 
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
* Pretty much non-existent armour.
+
 
* Very vulnerable to quick-firing auto-cannons like Pz.II's or AA vehicle's.
+
* Poor survivability
* One shot in the front will knock out the crew.
+
* Turret and hull traverse is rather slow, meaning it may not be able to keep track of fast targets- this is also a disadvantage in a close-quarters duel, as other light tanks like [[M3 Stuart (Family)|M3 Stuart]] can turn way faster
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
+
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
===Development===
 
===Development===
The '''BT''', or ''Bystrokhodny tank (Fast tank)'', was a strange combination of national engineering. The BT's origin lays with an American automotive designer named Walter Christie, who developed a suspension system that can be converted between tracked and wheeled travel. His first attempt was the M1919 tank and submitted in February 1921, but was withdrawn for improvements in Spring 1921. It was rebuilt as the M1921 and tested until May 1923. While his design had garnered interest, the deficiency of the cramped crew compartment and unreliable had the design rejected in July 1924. Christie improved the suspension again and patented the design in April 1928. The new suspension used large road wheels with smaller idler and drive sprocket, with a chain to drive the vehicle track-less when needed. The suspension wheels were supported by large springs in the hull to provide a relatively smooth ride compared to the usual suspension design of the day. This design, today known as the Christie Suspension, was put onto the M1928 tank and presented on October 1928, with a public demonstration by driving the tank from Maryland to Pennsylvania on an average 28 mph speed. The attention grabbed overseas interest, one was the Polish Army, but another country interested in the design was the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, using their ties with Amtorg Corporation in New York, offered to buy the M1928 design and its license production rights. The deal was done on 30 April 1930 with two M1928 tanks for $60,000 and the production rights for $100,000.<ref name="Zaloga American">Zaloga 2016, ''American Origin''</ref>  
+
The '''BT''', or ''Bystrokhodny tank'' ("Fast tank"), was a strange combination of national engineering. Its origin lies with the American automotive designer Walter Christie, who developed a suspension system that can be converted between tracked and wheeled travel. His first attempt was the M1919 tank submitted to the US army in February 1921, but was withdrawn for improvements in Spring 1921. It was rebuilt as the M1921 and tested until May 1923. While his design had garnered interest, the deficiency of the cramped crew compartment and unreliable had the design rejected in July 1924. Christie improved the suspension again and patented the design in April 1928. The new suspension used large road wheels with a smaller idler and drive sprocket, with a chain to drive the vehicle track-less when needed. The suspension wheels were supported by large springs in the hull to provide a relatively smooth ride compared to the usual suspension design of the day. This design, today is known as the Christie Suspension, was put onto the M1928 tank and presented on October 1928, with a public demonstration by driving the tank from Maryland to Pennsylvania on an average 28 mph speed. The attention grabbed overseas interest, one was the Polish Army, but another country interested in the design was the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, using its ties with Amtorg Corporation in New York, offered to buy the M1928 design and its license production rights. The deal was done on 30 April 1930 with two M1928 tanks for $60,000 and the production rights for $100,000.<ref name="Zaloga American">Zaloga 2016, ''American Origin''</ref>
  
The tanks that arrived at the Soviet Union were designated the M1940 convertible tank. Polish interest in the vehicle vanished upon learning of the transaction with the Soviet Union. However, while Soviet Union was aware of Polish interest in the vehicle, they did not hear of the cancellation and made estimations that Poland could have up to 100 Christie tanks with 300 Vickers tank by 1931, prompting a hasty production schedule of their own tank designs. Though with flaws, the M1940 was accepted for production in 23 May 1931 as the BT-2. Manufacturing difficulties led to delay in the production tables of the BT-2. Another issue was the choice of armament,with the Red Army jumping from the 37 mm PS-2 gun derived from the French Hotchkiss gun, the [[KwK 36 (37 mm)|37 mm Pak 36]] developed by Germany, then the [[20-K (45 mm)|45 mm]]. The changes in armament, each larger than the other, created fitting issues with the BT-2 turret design. Despite 620 units produced by 1944, the BT-2 was deemed near useless except for practice.<ref name="Zaloga American"/> An improvement was needed for the service of the Red Army.
+
The tanks that arrived at the Soviet Union were designated the M1940 convertible tank. Polish interest in the vehicle vanished upon learning of the transaction with the Soviet Union. However, while the Soviet Union was aware of Polish interest in the vehicle, they did not hear of the cancellation and made estimations that Poland could have up to 100 Christie tanks with 300 Vickers tanks by 1931, prompting a hasty production schedule of their own tank designs. Though with flaws, the M1940 was accepted for production on 23 May 1931 as the BT-2. Manufacturing difficulties led to a delay in the production tables of the BT-2. Another issue was the choice of armament, with the Red Army jumping from the 37 mm PS-2 gun derived from the French Hotchkiss gun, the [[KwK36 (37 mm)|37 mm Pak36]] developed by Germany, then the [[20-K (45 mm)|45 mm]]. The changes in armament, each larger than the other, created fitting issues with the BT-2 turret design. Despite 620 units produced by 1944, the BT-2 was deemed near useless except for practice.<ref name="Zaloga American" /> An improvement was needed for the service of the Red Army.
  
The BT-2 design was improved at the KB-T2K tank bureau, with BT-3 being a measurement conversion from imperial to metric, and the BT-4 changing the rivet construction with welds. In 1932, the plan was to upgrade the BT-2 and equip it with the 45 mm. The next iteration, the '''BT-5''', was completed in 21 October 1932 without a turret, though with the complete model made in 01 January 1933. The most notable change between the BT-2 design and the BT-5 was the enlarged turret for the 45 mm gun with a coaxial machine gun. Most BT-5 were equipped with the M-5 Liberty gasoline engine, but some equipped with the BD-2 diesel engine were designated the ''BT-5diz''.<ref name="Zaloga BT5">Zaloga 2016, ''The BT-5 Tank''</ref>  
+
The BT-2 design was improved at the KB-T2K tank bureau, with BT-3 being a measurement conversion from imperial to metric, and the BT-4 changing the rivet construction with welds. In 1932, the plan was to upgrade the BT-2 and equip it with 45 mm. The next iteration, the '''BT-5''', was completed on 21 October 1932 without a turret, though with the complete model made on 01 January 1933. The most notable change between the BT-2 design and the BT-5 was the enlarged turret for the 45 mm gun with a coaxial machine gun. Most BT-5 were equipped with the M-5 Liberty gasoline engine, but some were equipped with a BD-2 diesel engine designated the ''BT-5diz''.<ref name="Zaloga BT5">Zaloga 2016, ''The BT-5 Tank''</ref>
  
A total of 1,946 BT-5 were produced during its production life between 1933 and 1934.<ref name="Zaloga BT5"/><ref name="Zaloga BT-7">Zaloga 2016, ''The BT-7 Tank''</ref> Aside from the tank model, many different variants were produced on the BT-5 design. Such as the ''BT-5PKh'' designed for deep-wading<ref name="Zaloga Amphibious">Zaloga 2016, ''The PT-1 Amphibious Tank''</ref>, the ''[[RBT-5]]'' that equipped two 250 kg 305 mm Tverskiy “Tank Torpedoes” on the turret, a BT-5 with two [[BM-8-24|Katyusha]] launch rails,<ref name="Zaloga Artillery">Zaloga 2016, ''BT Artillery Tanks''</ref> the ''KhBT-5'' with a KS-34 flamethrower,<ref name="Zaloga Flame">Zaloga 2016, ''Flamethrower Tanks''</ref> and the ''SBT-5'' bridge-layer engineer vehicle. <ref name="Zaloga Engineer">Zaloga 2016, ''Engineer Support Tanks''</ref> All were built with varying levels of success and practicality, only the SBT-5 were made in noticeable numbers, of which was five units.<ref name="Zaloga Engineer"/>
+
A total of 1,946 BT-5 were produced during its production life between 1933 and 1934.<ref name="Zaloga BT5" /><ref name="Zaloga BT-7">Zaloga 2016, ''The BT-7 Tank''</ref> Aside from the tank model, many different variants were produced on the BT-5 design. Such as the ''BT-5PKh'' designed for deep-wading<ref name="Zaloga Amphibious">Zaloga 2016, ''The PT-1 Amphibious Tank''</ref>, the ''[[RBT-5]]'' that equipped two 250 kg 305 mm Tverskiy "Tank Torpedoes" on the turret, a BT-5 with two [[BM-8-24|Katyusha]] launch rails,<ref name="Zaloga Artillery">Zaloga 2016, ''BT Artillery Tanks''</ref> the ''KhBT-5'' with a KS-34 flamethrower,<ref name="Zaloga Flame">Zaloga 2016, ''Flamethrower Tanks''</ref> and the ''SBT-5'' bridge-layer engineer vehicle. <ref name="Zaloga Engineer">Zaloga 2016, ''Engineer Support Tanks''</ref> All were built with varying levels of success and practicality, only the SBT-5 were made in noticeable numbers, of which was five units.<ref name="Zaloga Engineer" />
  
 
===Combat usage===
 
===Combat usage===
The BT-5 were first used to equip the 5th Kalinovskiy Mechanized Corps. 325 BT-5 were equipped with the 71-TK Shakal radio transceiver, designated the ''BT-5RT''.<ref name="Zaloga BT5"/> Tanks without radio had to communicate via signal flags, hand signals, or by flare.<ref name="Zaloga BT-7"/>
+
The BT-5 was first used to equip the 5th Kalinovskiy Mechanized Corps. 325 BT-5 were equipped with the 71-TK Shakal radio transceiver, designated the ''BT-5RT''.<ref name="Zaloga BT5" /> Tanks without radio had to communicate via signal flags, hand signals, or by flare.<ref name="Zaloga BT-7" />
  
The BT tank’s first combat usage was during the Spanish Civil War in 1937 in foreign hands, with 50 BT-5 sold to the Spanish Republic, delivered on 10 August 1937. The Spanish troops using them regarded the BTs as the best tanks in Spain. Soviet advisors from the 5th Kalinovskiy Mech. Corps were also supplemented among the Spanish troops during the war. However, the lack of tactics in the Spanish Republicans led to heavy losses among the BT units. Some BTs were even captured by the Spanish Nationalists and used against their owners. <ref name="Zaloga Combat">Zaloga 2016, ''Combat Use''</ref>  
+
The BT tank's first combat usage was during the Spanish Civil War in 1937 in foreign hands, with 50 BT-5 sold to the Spanish Republic, delivered on 10 August 1937. The Spanish troops using them regarded the BTs as the best tanks in Spain. Soviet advisors from the 5th Kalinovskiy Mech. Corps were also supplemented among the Spanish troops during the war. However, the lack of tactics in the Spanish Republicans led to heavy losses among the BT units. Some BTs were even captured by the Spanish Nationalists and used against their owners. <ref name="Zaloga Combat">Zaloga 2016, ''Combat Use''</ref>
  
The Soviet’s first usage with the BT tanks was in the border conflicts with Japan at Khalkin Gol. At this point, the [[BT-7]] was starting to succeed the BT-5 in Red Army service, but the BT-5 still served in the 11th Tank Brigade in three battalions. Though the BT were successful in stopping Japanese advances and driving them back, the BT tanks suffered casualties under the 37 mm anti-tank guns and 70 mm field guns in Japanese service. While experience with the BTs were still satisfactory, the fighting revealed flaws in the design. The BT armour was becoming too thin to resist standard anti-tank weaponry, radio sets were too easily damaged, rubber on the wheels would melt off in prolonged march in hot weather,<ref name="Zaloga Combat"/> and the tank’s petrol were catching fire due to combat damages, leading to a change in Soviet power design from petrol engines to diesel.<ref name="Zaloga T34">Zaloga 1994, ''Design and Development''</ref>  
+
The Soviet's first usage with the BT tanks was in the border conflicts with Japan at Khalkin Gol. At this point, the [[BT-7]] was starting to succeed the BT-5 in Red Army service, but the BT-5 still served in the 11th Tank Brigade in three battalions. Though the BT were successful in stopping Japanese advances and driving them back, the BT tanks suffered casualties under the 37 mm anti-tank guns and 70 mm field guns in Japanese service. While experience with the BTs was still satisfactory, the fighting revealed flaws in the design. The BT armour was becoming too thin to resist standard anti-tank weaponry, radio sets were too easily damaged, rubber on the wheels would melt off in prolonged march in hot weather,<ref name="Zaloga Combat" /> and the tank's petrol were catching fire due to combat damages, leading to a change in Soviet power design from petrol engines to diesel.<ref name="Zaloga T34">Zaloga 1994, ''Design and Development''</ref>
  
The BT-5 also saw use during the Soviet’s invasion of Poland in 1939, with only 147 BT-2 and BT-5 in four tank regiments but these did not see much combat. A number were also used in the Winter War against Finland in 1940. In April 1941, months before the German’s Operation Barbarossa, the Soviets still had 1,658 BT-5 of all variants in inventory, but wear and tear had begun taking their toll on their reliability. Mechanical problems became rampant and when the Germans invaded Russia on 22 June 1941, many BT tanks were lost from breakdowns. Those that were able to encounter the German Panzer divisions were clearly outmatched by the [[Pz.III F|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV]]. They were only a match against light tanks like the [[Pz.38(t) F|Panzer 38(t)]], but the German’s more experienced tank formations were able to win even when outnumbered.<ref name="Zaloga Combat"/>
+
The BT-5 also saw use during the Soviet's invasion of Poland in 1939, with only 147 BT-2 and BT-5 in four tank regiments but these did not see much combat. A number were also used in the Winter War against Finland in 1940. In April 1941, months before the German's Operation Barbarossa, the Soviets still had 1,658 BT-5 of all variants in inventory, but wear and tear had begun taking their toll on their reliability. Mechanical problems became rampant and when the Germans invaded Russia on 22 June 1941, many BT tanks were lost from breakdowns. Those that were able to encounter the German Panzer divisions were clearly outmatched by the [[Pz.III F|Panzer III]] and [[Pz.IV F1|Panzer IV]]. They were only a match against light tanks like the [[Pz.38(t) F|Panzer 38(t)]], but the German's more experienced tank formations were able to win even when outnumbered.<ref name="Zaloga Combat" />
  
The drastically reduced BT tank numbers meant they were almost a rarity past 1941. In the Summer 1942 fronts, there were only 65 BT tanks fighting the Germans. By June 1945, only 299 BT tanks were still available in all parts of the European theater. The BT’s last major campaign was in Manchuria during the Soviet’s offensive against Japan. Though majorly BT-7s, 190 BT-5s were present by September 1945. In 1946, all BT tanks were retired from Soviet service.<ref name="Zaloga Combat"/>
+
The drastically reduced BT tank numbers meant they were almost a rarity past 1941. In the Summer 1942 fronts, there were only 65 BT tanks fighting the Germans. By June 1945, only 299 BT tanks were still available in all parts of the European theatre. The BT's last major campaign was in Manchuria during the Soviet's offensive against Japan. Though majorly BT-7s, 190 BT-5s were present by September 1945. In 1946, all BT tanks were retired from Soviet service.<ref name="Zaloga Combat" />
  
 
===Legacy===
 
===Legacy===
Perhaps the most important impact the BT light tanks series was that it was the predecessor of the [[T-34 (1940)|T-34]] medium tank<ref name="Zaloga BT-7"/>, which would go on as the most produced tank of World War II. During work on improving the BT design that would become the [[BT-7]], a separate design project at Kharkov headed by a designer named Mikhail Koshkin in October 1937 focused on a ''BT-20'',<ref name="Zaloga BT-7"/> which had a wider hull and a BD-2 diesel engine. Inside the design bureau, however, the design was renamed the ''A-20'', which was further improved into the ''A-32'' which had improved armour and a bigger 76.2 mm gun. Finally in December 1939, Stalin approved the A-32 design, which was accepted under the name ''T-34''<ref name="Zaloga T34"/>
+
Perhaps the most important impact of the BT light tanks series was that it was the predecessor of the [[T-34 (1940)|T-34]] medium tank<ref name="Zaloga BT-7" />, which would go on as the most-produced tank of World War II. During work on improving the BT design that would become the [[BT-7]], a separate design project at Kharkov headed by a designer named Mikhail Koshkin in October 1937 focused on a ''BT-20'',<ref name="Zaloga BT-7" /> which had a wider hull and a BD-2 diesel engine. Inside the design bureau, however, the design was renamed the ''A-20'', which was further improved into the ''A-32'' which had improved armour and a bigger 76.2 mm gun. Finally, in December 1939, Stalin approved the A-32 design, which was accepted under the name ''T-34''<ref name="Zaloga T34" />
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{{break}}
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{{Navigation-Start|{{Annotation|Archive of the in-game description|An archive of the historical description of the vehicle that was presented in-game prior to Update 1.55 'Royal Armour'}}}}
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{{Navigation-First-Simple-Line}}
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The BT-5 light tank was built as a result of a project to upgrade the BT-2. The first vehicles were released in March, 1933. The new tank's main distinction was that it had a new turret with enhanced weaponry installed on it. A pair of 45 mm 20K cannon and a 7.62 mm DT machine gun were installed on the turret. Other less significant changes were also made that enhanced the tank's build quality. 230 BT-5 tanks with enhanced turrets were produced.
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{{Navigation-End}}
  
 
== Media ==
 
== Media ==
[http://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?q=#bt5 '''Skins''' and '''camouflages''' for the BT-5 mod. 1933 from live.warthunder]
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<!-- ''Excellent additions to the article would be video guides, screenshots from the game, and photos.'' -->
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;Skins
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* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=ussr_bt_5 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
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;Videos
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{{Youtube-gallery|Iip1i1u1KVE|'''The Technical Details of the BT-5''' - ''SirKittalot''|p9_XD0TgdiA|'''TOP 5 Reserve Tanks''' discusses the {{PAGENAME}} at 4:26 - ''War Thunder Official Channel''}}
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== See also ==
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<!-- ''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
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''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
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* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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== External links ==
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<!-- ''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* ''other literature.'' -->
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* [[wt:en/news/3452/current/|[Vehicle Profile] A very Soviet Reserve: BT-5 Light Tank]]
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* [[wikipedia:BT_tank|[Wikipedia] BT tank]]
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* [https://tanks-encyclopedia.com/ww2/soviet/soviet_BT-5.php <nowiki>[Tanks Encyclopedia]</nowiki> BT-5]
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=== References ===
  
==References==
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;Citations
 
<references />
 
<references />
  
== Read also ==
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;Bibliography
[https://warthunder.com/en/news/3452/current/ Official War Thunder forum article: [Vehicle Profile<nowiki>]</nowiki> A very Soviet Reserve: BT-5 Light Tank]
 
  
== Sources ==
+
* Zaloga, Steven. ''BT Fast Tank: The Red Army's Cavalry Tank 1931-45'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2016
* Zaloga, Steven. ''BT Fast Tank: The Red Army’s Cavalry Tank 1931-45'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2016
 
 
* Zaloga, Steven. ''T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941-45'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1994
 
* Zaloga, Steven. ''T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941-45'' Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1994
  
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{{TankManufacturer Morozov}}
 
{{USSR light tanks}}
 
{{USSR light tanks}}

Latest revision as of 16:07, 19 November 2023

Rank VI USSR | Premium | Golden Eagles
Su-25K Pack
This page is about the Soviet light tank BT-5. For the gift version, see RBT-5.
BT-5
ussr_bt_5.png
GarageImage BT-5.jpg
ArtImage BT-5.png
BT-5
AB RB SB
1.0 1.0 1.0
Class:
Research:Free
Purchase:Free
Show in game

Description

The BT-5 (Быстроходный танк-5) is the fifth variant of the BT light tank family. It is designed as a convertible tank, a feature invented by J. Walter Christie to reduce wear on the 1930s' unreliable tank tracks. The main advantage of this design is that the tank crew can quickly remove the tracks and connect a chain drive to the rearmost road wheel on each side, allowing the tank to travel at extremely high speeds on roads. The BT-5 variant, which featured a larger cylindrical turret housing a 45 mm 20-K tank gun and a coaxial 7.62 DT light machine gun, proved useful in the early stages of World War II. However, Soviet designers quickly discovered that the convertible option was of little practical use in a country with few paved roads; it took up space and added unnecessary complexity and weight. Later variants did not include the feature.

Introduced in Update 1.45 "Steel Generals", the BT-5 is versatile in terms of playstyle due to its great mobility and reasonable firepower. Given its impressive top speed, this tank is best used to capture objectives early in the game. It is recommended to travel on the road to fully utilize its speed and arrive at the objectives before the enemies. Another good strategy is to move to the border of the battlefield and engage enemies from the side. Its speed allows it to reach unexpected areas early in a battle, surprising the enemies. However, players must be careful not to expose themselves during battles as the tank is lightly armoured, thus any penetrating shots will almost certainly result in destruction.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armourfront / side / back
Hull13 / 15 / 13
Turret20 / 15 / 15
Crew3 people
Visibility77 %

The BT-5 has a poor survivability: its armour is almost non-existent on all sides, making it vulnerable to autocannons (Pz.II, Flakpanzer I, etc.) and heavy machine guns like .50 cal HMGs found on American vehicles. Moreover, the crew is tightly packed, making it easy to knock out the BT-5 with a single shot by taking out all three crewmen at once.

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 13 mm (62°) Front glacis
20 mm (18°) Driver port
30 mm (62°) Lower glacis
40 mm (13°) Plate joint
15 mm (1°) 13 mm (0-59°) 10 mm
Turret 20 mm (11-43°) Gun mantlet
15 mm Turret front
15 mm 15 mm 10 mm

Notes

  • Tracks and suspension wheel are both 15 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB57 / 12 km/h
RB and SB51 / 10 km/h
Number of gears4 forward
1 back
Weight11.6 t
Engine power
AB763 hp
RB and SB400 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB65.8 hp/t
RB and SB34.5 hp/t
Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 57 12 11.6 396 763 34.14 65.78
Realistic 51 10 323 400 27.84 34.48

Modifications and economy

Repair cost
ABfree
RBfree
SBfree
Total cost of modifications3 730 Rp icon.png
174 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost190 Ge icon.png
Crew trainingfree
Experts1 000 Sl icon.png
Aces10 Ge icon.png
Research Aces80 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
10 / 10 / 10 % Sl icon.png
100 / 100 / 100 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
380 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
720 Rp icon.png
Cost:
35 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Mods tank reinforcement ussr.png
Crew Replenishment
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
45mm_AP_1942_ammo_pack
Research:
330 Rp icon.png
Cost:
15 Sl icon.png
35 Ge icon.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
380 Rp icon.png
Cost:
17 Sl icon.png
40 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
540 Rp icon.png
Cost:
25 Sl icon.png
60 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
720 Rp icon.png
Cost:
35 Sl icon.png
75 Ge icon.png

Armaments

Main armament

Ammunition86 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
3.8 → 2.9 s
Vertical guidance-8° / 25°
Main article: 20-K (45 mm)

The BT-5 has a decent cannon for a light tank. Stock round has a maximum penetration of 70 mm. Combined with the 29 g TNT, it is almost certain that the BT-5 will frontally knock out every tank it will see. Even at more than 500 m away from the target, it still has 40-50 mm of penetration which is still enough to go through a lot of tanks' frontal armour. The 3-4 second reload allows the player to quickly fire more shells if the first shot didn't kill. The tank has 8 degrees of gun depression which is enough for most terrain.

45 mm 20-K Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 86 -8°/+25° ±180° N/A 15.23 21.08 25.60 28.31 30.12 3.77 3.34 3.07 2.90
Realistic 9.52 11.20 13.60 15.04 16.00

Ammunition

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
BR-240 APHEBC 70 67 58 47 39 32
BR-240SP APBC 73 70 60 50 41 34
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
(m/s)
Projectile
mass (kg)
Fuse delay
(m)
Fuse sensitivity
(mm)
Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g)
Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
BR-240 APHEBC 760 1.43 1.2 9 29.26 48° 63° 71°
BR-240SP APBC 757 1.43 - - - 47° 60° 65°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the BT-5
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
86 72 (+14) 57 (+29) 43 (+43) 29 (+57) 15 (+71) 1 (+85) No

Turret empty: 29 (+57)

Machine guns

Ammunition1 890 rounds
Belt capacity63 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
10.4 → 8.0 s
Fire rate600 shots/min
Main article: DT (7.62 mm)
7.62 mm DT
Mount Capacity (Belt) Fire rate Vertical Horizontal
Coaxial 1,890 (63) 600 N/A N/A

Usage in battles

The BT-5 is really flexible when it comes to usage, as it has great mobility and firepower, which is pretty much all you need for a good tank. Given its great 53 km/h top speed, it is good to use the BT-5 as a point-capturing tank at the start of the match. It is better to travel on-road to fully utilise its speed to get to the point before the enemies do. Another good tactic is to manoeuvre to the flank of the frontline/point and attack from the side. Its speed makes it possible to go the furthest in the shortest time, surprising the enemies.

Once captured, the player can either quickly set an ambush behind nearby cover waiting for the enemy to recapture it, or just drive around the battlefield and help teammates. Its 70 mm penetration and 29 g TNT APHEBC shell will one-shot pretty much anything around its BR. If not, the 3 second reload allows it to finish them off easily. A sudden, close encounter is a hard test to the player's skills because the BT-5 isn't very good at turning as its tracks are quite long and narrow. Its turret traverse of around 11 deg/sec is certainly not the best. Thus those two factors can sometimes cause the death of the BT-5 so the player must respond fast and accurate.

Enemies worth noting:

  • Pz.IIs - Although not as fast as the BT-5, the Pz.IIs still have an average speed of around 40 km/h. Also, they are equipped with a deadly 20 mm autocannon that will punch holes on the BT-5 with ease, and their rate of fire can quickly kill multiple crew. The BT-5 has thin armour protecting only 3 crew, making it extremely vulnerable to those autocannons.
  • Sd.Kfz.234 series - These wheeled vehicles all have scary on-road speeds of more than 60 km/h, so in any map, with roads connecting to the points they can always get there first and set up an ambush. However, these vehicles are wheeled meaning they cannot turn in place, they are rather sluggish when trying to turn, and they have either slow turret traverse or no turret at all, so the player can use this to their advantage. Wiggle/circle around them to avoid their guns and force them to turn, then aim carefully and immobilise them. Note that the DT machine gun on the BT-5 only has 10 mm penetration at most, making it almost impossible to go through their armour and kill any crew, so don't think of destroying these wheeled vehicles with the MG.
  • M8 Greyhound, M3 Stuarts - These vehicles are equally fast, and the M8 can outrun the BT-5 if it's travelling on road, allowing them to get to the point before the BT-5 does. Therefore, if America is on the other side the player might want to change their tactics and not rush the point since low tier battles are always filled with fast tanks. The M8 has a roof-mounted .50 cal MG which easily tears the BT-5's armour apart and kills the crew inside. Also, most of them have a vertical stabiliser that works at low speed, so avoid firing on the move with them.
  • B1 bis - A heavily armoured tank for its BR, but do not panic when you see it. Don't fire at a distance unless you are directly aiming at its side armour. The best option is to try and get as close to it as possible (point-blank range is ideal) and shoot straight at its side. However sometimes due to a variety of reasons the player might be unable to flank it and has to face it frontally. If that is the case, shoot the rather vertical driver's compartment and there's a great chance of penetration, killing the driver and the commander (which is also the gunner for the turret). Or, shoot between the two guns on the turret to kill the commander/gunner. Or, shoot at the near-vertical part of the curved gun mantlet of the big hull-mounted gun.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Deadly firepower at its BR: high penetration of up to 70 mm, and shells have explosive filler which can frontally knock out most tanks like Pz.IIs, Chi-Has or M3 Stuarts with a single shot
  • Fast tank, great acceleration and overall mobility
  • 3-4 second reload time is quick enough to destroy opponents it could not take out with a single shot, like Pz.IV C and LVT(A) series
  • Adequate gun depression of 8 degrees allows it to adapt to hilly terrain well
  • Small and low profile allows it to easily hide behind cover or bushes

Cons:

  • Poor survivability
  • Turret and hull traverse is rather slow, meaning it may not be able to keep track of fast targets- this is also a disadvantage in a close-quarters duel, as other light tanks like M3 Stuart can turn way faster

History

Development

The BT, or Bystrokhodny tank ("Fast tank"), was a strange combination of national engineering. Its origin lies with the American automotive designer Walter Christie, who developed a suspension system that can be converted between tracked and wheeled travel. His first attempt was the M1919 tank submitted to the US army in February 1921, but was withdrawn for improvements in Spring 1921. It was rebuilt as the M1921 and tested until May 1923. While his design had garnered interest, the deficiency of the cramped crew compartment and unreliable had the design rejected in July 1924. Christie improved the suspension again and patented the design in April 1928. The new suspension used large road wheels with a smaller idler and drive sprocket, with a chain to drive the vehicle track-less when needed. The suspension wheels were supported by large springs in the hull to provide a relatively smooth ride compared to the usual suspension design of the day. This design, today is known as the Christie Suspension, was put onto the M1928 tank and presented on October 1928, with a public demonstration by driving the tank from Maryland to Pennsylvania on an average 28 mph speed. The attention grabbed overseas interest, one was the Polish Army, but another country interested in the design was the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union, using its ties with Amtorg Corporation in New York, offered to buy the M1928 design and its license production rights. The deal was done on 30 April 1930 with two M1928 tanks for $60,000 and the production rights for $100,000.[1]

The tanks that arrived at the Soviet Union were designated the M1940 convertible tank. Polish interest in the vehicle vanished upon learning of the transaction with the Soviet Union. However, while the Soviet Union was aware of Polish interest in the vehicle, they did not hear of the cancellation and made estimations that Poland could have up to 100 Christie tanks with 300 Vickers tanks by 1931, prompting a hasty production schedule of their own tank designs. Though with flaws, the M1940 was accepted for production on 23 May 1931 as the BT-2. Manufacturing difficulties led to a delay in the production tables of the BT-2. Another issue was the choice of armament, with the Red Army jumping from the 37 mm PS-2 gun derived from the French Hotchkiss gun, the 37 mm Pak36 developed by Germany, then the 45 mm. The changes in armament, each larger than the other, created fitting issues with the BT-2 turret design. Despite 620 units produced by 1944, the BT-2 was deemed near useless except for practice.[1] An improvement was needed for the service of the Red Army.

The BT-2 design was improved at the KB-T2K tank bureau, with BT-3 being a measurement conversion from imperial to metric, and the BT-4 changing the rivet construction with welds. In 1932, the plan was to upgrade the BT-2 and equip it with 45 mm. The next iteration, the BT-5, was completed on 21 October 1932 without a turret, though with the complete model made on 01 January 1933. The most notable change between the BT-2 design and the BT-5 was the enlarged turret for the 45 mm gun with a coaxial machine gun. Most BT-5 were equipped with the M-5 Liberty gasoline engine, but some were equipped with a BD-2 diesel engine designated the BT-5diz.[2]

A total of 1,946 BT-5 were produced during its production life between 1933 and 1934.[2][3] Aside from the tank model, many different variants were produced on the BT-5 design. Such as the BT-5PKh designed for deep-wading[4], the RBT-5 that equipped two 250 kg 305 mm Tverskiy "Tank Torpedoes" on the turret, a BT-5 with two Katyusha launch rails,[5] the KhBT-5 with a KS-34 flamethrower,[6] and the SBT-5 bridge-layer engineer vehicle. [7] All were built with varying levels of success and practicality, only the SBT-5 were made in noticeable numbers, of which was five units.[7]

Combat usage

The BT-5 was first used to equip the 5th Kalinovskiy Mechanized Corps. 325 BT-5 were equipped with the 71-TK Shakal radio transceiver, designated the BT-5RT.[2] Tanks without radio had to communicate via signal flags, hand signals, or by flare.[3]

The BT tank's first combat usage was during the Spanish Civil War in 1937 in foreign hands, with 50 BT-5 sold to the Spanish Republic, delivered on 10 August 1937. The Spanish troops using them regarded the BTs as the best tanks in Spain. Soviet advisors from the 5th Kalinovskiy Mech. Corps were also supplemented among the Spanish troops during the war. However, the lack of tactics in the Spanish Republicans led to heavy losses among the BT units. Some BTs were even captured by the Spanish Nationalists and used against their owners. [8]

The Soviet's first usage with the BT tanks was in the border conflicts with Japan at Khalkin Gol. At this point, the BT-7 was starting to succeed the BT-5 in Red Army service, but the BT-5 still served in the 11th Tank Brigade in three battalions. Though the BT were successful in stopping Japanese advances and driving them back, the BT tanks suffered casualties under the 37 mm anti-tank guns and 70 mm field guns in Japanese service. While experience with the BTs was still satisfactory, the fighting revealed flaws in the design. The BT armour was becoming too thin to resist standard anti-tank weaponry, radio sets were too easily damaged, rubber on the wheels would melt off in prolonged march in hot weather,[8] and the tank's petrol were catching fire due to combat damages, leading to a change in Soviet power design from petrol engines to diesel.[9]

The BT-5 also saw use during the Soviet's invasion of Poland in 1939, with only 147 BT-2 and BT-5 in four tank regiments but these did not see much combat. A number were also used in the Winter War against Finland in 1940. In April 1941, months before the German's Operation Barbarossa, the Soviets still had 1,658 BT-5 of all variants in inventory, but wear and tear had begun taking their toll on their reliability. Mechanical problems became rampant and when the Germans invaded Russia on 22 June 1941, many BT tanks were lost from breakdowns. Those that were able to encounter the German Panzer divisions were clearly outmatched by the Panzer III and Panzer IV. They were only a match against light tanks like the Panzer 38(t), but the German's more experienced tank formations were able to win even when outnumbered.[8]

The drastically reduced BT tank numbers meant they were almost a rarity past 1941. In the Summer 1942 fronts, there were only 65 BT tanks fighting the Germans. By June 1945, only 299 BT tanks were still available in all parts of the European theatre. The BT's last major campaign was in Manchuria during the Soviet's offensive against Japan. Though majorly BT-7s, 190 BT-5s were present by September 1945. In 1946, all BT tanks were retired from Soviet service.[8]

Legacy

Perhaps the most important impact of the BT light tanks series was that it was the predecessor of the T-34 medium tank[3], which would go on as the most-produced tank of World War II. During work on improving the BT design that would become the BT-7, a separate design project at Kharkov headed by a designer named Mikhail Koshkin in October 1937 focused on a BT-20,[3] which had a wider hull and a BD-2 diesel engine. Inside the design bureau, however, the design was renamed the A-20, which was further improved into the A-32 which had improved armour and a bigger 76.2 mm gun. Finally, in December 1939, Stalin approved the A-32 design, which was accepted under the name T-34[9]


Archive of the in-game description

The BT-5 light tank was built as a result of a project to upgrade the BT-2. The first vehicles were released in March, 1933. The new tank's main distinction was that it had a new turret with enhanced weaponry installed on it. A pair of 45 mm 20K cannon and a 7.62 mm DT machine gun were installed on the turret. Other less significant changes were also made that enhanced the tank's build quality. 230 BT-5 tanks with enhanced turrets were produced.


Media

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See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

References

Citations
  1. 1.0 1.1 Zaloga 2016, American Origin
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Zaloga 2016, The BT-5 Tank
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Zaloga 2016, The BT-7 Tank
  4. Zaloga 2016, The PT-1 Amphibious Tank
  5. Zaloga 2016, BT Artillery Tanks
  6. Zaloga 2016, Flamethrower Tanks
  7. 7.0 7.1 Zaloga 2016, Engineer Support Tanks
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Zaloga 2016, Combat Use
  9. 9.0 9.1 Zaloga 1994, Design and Development
Bibliography
  • Zaloga, Steven. BT Fast Tank: The Red Army's Cavalry Tank 1931-45 Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 2016
  • Zaloga, Steven. T-34/76 Medium Tank 1941-45 Great Britain: Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1994


Kharkov Design Bureau for Mechanical Engineering named after A. A. Morozov
Light Tanks 
BT-5  BT-5 · RBT-5
BT-7  BT-7 · BT-7M · BT-7A (F-32)
Medium Tanks 
T-34-76  T-34 (Prototype) · T-34 (1940) · T-34 (1941) · T-34 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-34 (1942) · T-34E STZ · T-34E
T-34-57  T-34-57 · T-34-57 (1943)
T-34-85  T-34-85 (D-5T) · T-34-85 · T-34-85E
T-34-100  T-34-100
T-44  T-44 · T-44-100 · T-44-122
Main Battle Tanks 
T-54  T-54 (1947) · T-54 (1949) · T-54 (1951)
T-64  T-64A (1971) · T-64B
Export/Captured 
T-34  ▀T 34 747 (r) · ▄T-34 · ▄T-34-85 · ␗T-34 (1943) · ␗Т-34-85 (S-53)
T-54  ▄T-54
See Also  Uralmashzavod · Uralvagonzavod

USSR light tanks
T-26  T-26 · T-26 (1st Gv.T.Br.) · T-26-4 · T-26E
BT  BT-5 · RBT-5 · BT-7 · BT-7 TD · BT-7M · BT-7A (F-32)
T-50  T-126 · T-50
T-70  T-70 · T-80
PT-76  PT-76B · PT-76-57 · Object 906
BMP  BMP-1 · BMP-2 · BMP-2M · BMP-3
BMD  BMD-4
2S25  2S25 · 2S25M
Wheeled  BA-11 · BTR-80A
Other  T-60 · Object 685 · 2S38
China  ▂Type 62