Place of origin Finland Used by Finland Produced 1943 | In service 1943 - ? Wars World War II | |
Type Armored personnel carrier | ||
The BT-43 was a Finnish armored personnel carrier prototype, designed during the Second World War. It was developed from the Soviet-made BT-7 tank, which had been captured in large quantities during the Winter War and early Continuation War.
History
In May 1943, a request was made for an armored personnel carrier capable of carrying 20 men. It was decided to convert some BT series into BT-43 carriers. The prototype was not a great success and no further development took place. The BT-43 appeared clumsy and with a high profile, it didn't look a bit like a standard armored personnel carrier. The turret was removed, and a wooden platform was located on the modified hull. The result was more suited for the role of an armored supply carrier. It was not considered a front line type vehicle.