Valentine tank

Tank, Infantry, Valentine, Mk I–XI
Valentine II at Patriot Park, Russia
Type	Infantry tank
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1940–1960
Used by	British Army, Red Army, New Zealand Army
Wars	World War II 1948 Arab–Israeli War Cyprus crisis of 1963–64
Production history
Designer	Vickers-Armstrongs
Designed	1938
Manufacturer	Vickers-Armstrongs and others
Produced	1940–1944
No. built	8,275 (6,855 built in UK and 1,420 in Canada)
Specifications
Mass	about 16 long tons (16 t)
Length	hull: 17 ft 9 in (5.41 m)
Width	8 ft 7.5 in (2.629 m)
Height	7 ft 5.5 in (2.273 m)
Crew	Mk I, II, IV, VI–XI: 3 (Commander, gunner, driver) Mk III, V: 4 (+ loader)
Armour	0.31–2.56 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
Engine	Mk 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/weight	12.4 hp (9.2 kW) / tonne
Transmission	Meadows Type 22 (5 speed and reverse)
Suspension	modified three-wheel Horstmann suspension "Slow Motion"
Fuel capacity	36 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]