BT-5 Tank: one I made earlier

 The BT (Bystrokhodny ' fast' tank) range of tanks, based on the Christie tank, were arguably the most important tank design of the early thirties, well in advance of anything being produced elsewhere. The BT5 model, modelled here, introduced a 45 mm gun and was the first one to be mass produced (perhaps 5,000 made from 1932 to 1941). The design was upgraded to the BT 7, which was substantially similar.

It was fast, had a large gun (for the period) and used sloped armour. The BT was the predecessor of the famous T34, arguably the best and most important tank design of the early '40s.

They fought in the Spanish Civil War, Khalkin Gol, The Winter War, Poland, and World War II.

The 28 mm model was undercoated with Citadel Black then sprayed Russian Green with Flames of war paint. It was then washed with MIG oily dark shadeand drybrushed with Revel Olive Green followed by a light layer of Citadel grass green. Dark brown citadel coarse paint was used to dirty the tank.

 I obtained the resin kit from North Star Miniatures who presumably buy them in. I am sure I have seen this range before. The kit is pretty good with lots of decorative extras.

A real BT5 (from Wikipedia)

A surviving tank displayed at Kirovsk.

A few years ago a BT was salvaged from the River Neva (near St Petersburg). In January 1944, the Red Army launched a major battle, the Leningrad-Novograd offensive, in this area to push the Germans back and raise the siege. The crew appear to have escaped as, thankfully, no human remains were found.