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SMK - 1939

The SMK tank (from the constructor Sergej Mironovich Kirov) was the only one from the "Leningrad Monster" series that came in to combat. The model was a variation (and possibly development) of T 35 from 1933 with same type of hull but in a more armour protected fashion. Though it had a good fire power its mobility was that of a snail and thus easy to hit for the anti-tank gunners. Stalin himself had expressed his opinion in the mid 1930s that heavy tanks was something to go for. The swamps at the Finnish front did agree and swollowed lots of them during the war.

BT 8 - 1939-41

The BT tanks were mass produced (ca 7.000) from 1932 to 1941 in basically 4 models who all got thicker armour. They were able to go on railroad tracks as well as on roads or in the terrain. With their thin armour they were fast (BT= Bystrochodnij Tank= fast tank) and meant to be active in large numbers on the battle field and transported there by railroad on their own. A chassis imported from the USA in 1931 was the protoytpe. The last BTs were in action in the winter of 1942-43 in the Leningrad/Karelia front. Production BT 8: 1939 a few, 1940: 706, 1941 a few.

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The US Chassis referred to in the article was the famous suspension system developed by Walter Christie, and turned down by the U.S Army. If I recall correctly, the Russians bought two chassis from Christie. His suspension system has been in use on every Soviet and Russian tank since the BTs. Needless to say, the Soviets ignored his patent, and never paid him the royalties he was due, which, considering the number of tanks they built that used it, would have been a pretty penny [or ruble, if you prefer].