Valentine tank

Tank, Infantry, Valentine, Mk I–XI
Valentine II at Patriot Park, Russia
TypeInfantry tank
Place of originUnited Kingdom
Service history
In service1940–1960
Used byBritish Army, Red Army, New Zealand Army
WarsWorld War II
1948 Arab–Israeli War
Cyprus crisis of 1963–64
Production history
DesignerVickers-Armstrongs
Designed1938
ManufacturerVickers-Armstrongs and others
Produced1940–1944
No. built8,275 (6,855 built in UK and 1,420 in Canada)
Specifications
Massabout 16 long tons (16 t)
Lengthhull: 17 ft 9 in (5.41 m)
Width8 ft 7.5 in (2.629 m)
Height7 ft 5.5 in (2.273 m)
CrewMk I, II, IV, VI–XI: 3 (Commander, gunner, driver)
Mk III, V: 4 (+ loader)

Armour0.31–2.56 in (8–65 mm)
Main
armament
Mk I–VII: QF 2-pounder (40 mm)
Mk VIII–X: QF 6-pounder (57 mm)
Mk XI: QF 75 mm
Mk IIICS QF 3-inch (76 mm)
Secondary
armament
Mk I–VII, X, XI: 7.92 mm BESA machine-gun with 3,150 rounds
EngineMk I: AEC A189 9.6 litre petrol
Mk II, III, VI: AEC A190 diesel
Mk IV, V, VII–XI: GMC 6004 diesel
131–210 hp (97–157 kW)
Power/weight12.4 hp (9.2 kW) / tonne
TransmissionMeadows Type 22 (5 speed and reverse)
Suspensionmodified three-wheel Horstmann suspension "Slow Motion"
Fuel capacity36 gallons internal
Operational
range
90 mi (140 km) on roads
Maximum speed 15 mph (24 km/h) on roads
Steering
system
clutch and brake

The Tank, Infantry, Mk III, Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during World War II. More than 8,000 Valentines were produced in eleven marks, plus specialised variants, accounting for about a quarter of wartime British tank production.[1] The variants included riveted and welded construction, petrol and diesel engines and increases in armament. It was supplied in large numbers to the USSR and built under licence in Canada. It was used by the British in the North African campaign. Developed by Vickers, it proved to be strong and reliable.[1][2]

  1. ^ a b Forty 2006, p. 98.
  2. ^ The Tank Museum (24 November 2015). "Tank Chats #11 Valentine | The Tank Museum". YouTube. Retrieved 6 December 2020.