BT-42
Encyclopedia
The BT-42 was a Finnish
assault gun
, constructed during the Continuation War
. It was constructed from captured Soviet
BT-7
light tank
s and British 4.5-inch howitzers
(114 mm-calibre light howitzer, model 1908) from 1918, which had been donated during the Winter War
. Only eighteen vehicles were constructed.
The Finns decided to redesign the BT-7 model 1937 tank. They constructed a new turret and armed it with British-made 114.3 mm howitzer
s that had been supplied by the British during the Winter War
(Q.F. 4,5 inch howitzer Mark II, also known as 114 Psv.H/18 in Finland). The Finns constructed 18 BT-42s and these were pressed into service in 1943.
The BT-42 saw action for the first time in 1943, at the Svir River
, where it was used to take out enemy pillboxes. The design worked reasonably well against soft targets but was completely unsuitable in the anti-tank role. To counter this, the Finns copied a German-designed HEAT round for the gun, and it was initially thought that it could defeat the sloping armour of the T-34
, however, this was not the case. The BT-42 quickly became very unpopular among its crews. Its mechanical weaknesses could mainly be attributed to the new turret, which apart from giving the tank a high profile also added significant weight to the vehicle, stressing the suspension and the engine.
The BT-42s were used again during the major Soviet offensive in 1944
. They were deployed in the defence of Vyborg
but were unable to stop the advancing Soviet forces
. The BT-42 would suffer heavily during the fighting. At one point, a Finnish BT-42 managed to hit a Soviet T-34 18 times, failing even to immobilize the enemy vehicle. The Finns lost 8 of the 18 vehicles engaged without having made any significant contribution to the fighting. It should however be noted that the Finnish armored units were still composed mostly of old Vickers 6-Ton
tanks, T-26
s and T-28
s, and that all of these suffered losses during these days (including 25 of the 87 T-26s and a third of all A-20
artillery tractors). German emergency supplies of PzKpfw IV
s, StuG III
s and captured T-34s made it possible for the Finns to replace its aging tanks for more efficient ones. The BT-42 was retired soon after the Vyborg battles and was replaced in the role by German-made StuG IIIs.
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
assault gun
Assault gun
An assault gun is a gun or howitzer mounted on a motor vehicle or armored chassis, designed for use in the direct fire role in support of infantry when attacking other infantry or fortified positions....
, constructed during the Continuation War
Continuation War
The Continuation War was the second of two wars fought between Finland and the Soviet Union during World War II.At the time of the war, the Finnish side used the name to make clear its perceived relationship to the preceding Winter War...
. It was constructed from captured Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
BT-7
BT-7
The BT-7 was the last of the BT tank series of Soviet cavalry tanks that were produced in large numbers between 1935 and 1940. They were lightly armoured, but reasonably well-armed for their time, and had much better mobility than other contemporary tank designs...
light tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
s and British 4.5-inch howitzers
QF 4.5 inch Howitzer
The Ordnance QF 4.5 inch Howitzer was the standard British Empire field howitzer of the First World War era. It replaced the BL 5 inch Howitzer and equipped some 25% of the field artillery. It entered service in 1910 and remained in service through the interwar period and was last used in...
(114 mm-calibre light howitzer, model 1908) from 1918, which had been donated during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
. Only eighteen vehicles were constructed.
History
As the Second World War progressed, the Soviets were fielding better and better tanks. The Finnish Army, on the other hand, had to make do with a large number of captured tanks, which were for the most part lightly armored and armed.The Finns decided to redesign the BT-7 model 1937 tank. They constructed a new turret and armed it with British-made 114.3 mm howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s that had been supplied by the British during the Winter War
Winter War
The Winter War was a military conflict between the Soviet Union and Finland. It began with a Soviet offensive on 30 November 1939 – three months after the start of World War II and the Soviet invasion of Poland – and ended on 13 March 1940 with the Moscow Peace Treaty...
(Q.F. 4,5 inch howitzer Mark II, also known as 114 Psv.H/18 in Finland). The Finns constructed 18 BT-42s and these were pressed into service in 1943.
The BT-42 saw action for the first time in 1943, at the Svir River
Svir River
Svir is a river in the north-east of Leningrad Oblast, Russia. It flows from Lake Onega west to Lake Ladoga, thus connecting the two largest lakes of Europe. It is the largest river flowing into Lake Ladoga....
, where it was used to take out enemy pillboxes. The design worked reasonably well against soft targets but was completely unsuitable in the anti-tank role. To counter this, the Finns copied a German-designed HEAT round for the gun, and it was initially thought that it could defeat the sloping armour of the T-34
T-34
The T-34 was a Soviet medium tank produced from 1940 to 1958. Although its armour and armament were surpassed by later tanks of the era, it has been often credited as the most effective, efficient and influential design of World War II...
, however, this was not the case. The BT-42 quickly became very unpopular among its crews. Its mechanical weaknesses could mainly be attributed to the new turret, which apart from giving the tank a high profile also added significant weight to the vehicle, stressing the suspension and the engine.
The BT-42s were used again during the major Soviet offensive in 1944
Fourth strategic offensive
The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive or Karelian offensive was a strategic operation by the Soviet Leningrad and Karelian Fronts against Finland on the Karelian Isthmus and East Karelia fronts of the Continuation War, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The Soviet forces captured East Karelia and...
. They were deployed in the defence of Vyborg
Vyborg
Vyborg is a town in Leningrad Oblast, Russia, situated on the Karelian Isthmus near the head of the Bay of Vyborg, to the northwest of St. Petersburg and south from Russia's border with Finland, where the Saimaa Canal enters the Gulf of Finland...
but were unable to stop the advancing Soviet forces
Fourth strategic offensive
The Vyborg–Petrozavodsk Offensive or Karelian offensive was a strategic operation by the Soviet Leningrad and Karelian Fronts against Finland on the Karelian Isthmus and East Karelia fronts of the Continuation War, on the Eastern Front of World War II. The Soviet forces captured East Karelia and...
. The BT-42 would suffer heavily during the fighting. At one point, a Finnish BT-42 managed to hit a Soviet T-34 18 times, failing even to immobilize the enemy vehicle. The Finns lost 8 of the 18 vehicles engaged without having made any significant contribution to the fighting. It should however be noted that the Finnish armored units were still composed mostly of old Vickers 6-Ton
Vickers 6-Ton
The Vickers 6-Ton Tank or Vickers Mark E was a British light tank designed as a private project at Vickers. It was not purchased by the British Army, but was picked up by a large number of foreign armed forces and was copied almost exactly by the Soviets as the T-26. It was also the direct...
tanks, T-26
T-26
The T-26 tank was a Soviet light infantry tank used during many conflicts of the 1930s as well as during World War II. It was a development of the British Vickers 6-Ton tank and is widely considered one of the most successful tank designs of the 1930s....
s and T-28
T-28
The Soviet T-28 was among the world's first medium tanks. The prototype was completed in 1931 and production began in late 1932. It was an infantry-support tank intended to break through fortified defences...
s, and that all of these suffered losses during these days (including 25 of the 87 T-26s and a third of all A-20
Komsomolets armored tractor
T-20 armored tractor Komsomolets was a prime mover vehicle used by the Soviet Union during the Winter War and World War II.-Description:The T-20 was designed in 1936 at the Ordzhonikidze Moscow Plant no.37. They were manufactured during 1937-1941 at Factory no...
artillery tractors). German emergency supplies of PzKpfw IV
Panzer IV
The Panzerkampfwagen IV , commonly known as the Panzer IV, was a medium tank developed in Nazi Germany in the late 1930s and used extensively during the Second World War. Its ordnance inventory designation was Sd.Kfz...
s, StuG III
Sturmgeschütz III
The Sturmgeschütz III assault gun was Germany's most produced armoured fighting vehicle during World War II. It was built on the chassis of the proven Panzer III tank...
s and captured T-34s made it possible for the Finns to replace its aging tanks for more efficient ones. The BT-42 was retired soon after the Vyborg battles and was replaced in the role by German-made StuG IIIs.