 Valentine Mk 3 in North Africa carrying infantry from a Scottish regiment. | | Valentine | | General characteristics | | Length | 5.4 (hull) m | | Width | 2.6 m | | Height | 2.2 m | | Weight | 16-17 t | | Suspension | coil sprung three wheel bogies | | Speed | 15 mph km/h road
8 mph km/h off-road | | Range | 90 miles (road) km | | Primary armament | 2-pounder to 6-pounder | | Secondary armament | 0-1 x 0.303 MG | | Maximum armour | 8-65 mm | | Power plant | diesel
130 hp (? kW) | | Crew | 3 - 4 | The most numerous British manufactured tank of World War II, the Infantry Tank III Valentine was known mainly for its inexpensive cost and high reliability. Valentine carrying british troops in the desert This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ...
The metre, or meter, is the basic unit of length in the International System of Units (SI: Système International dUnités). ...
The word ton or tonne is derived from the Old English tunne, and ultimately from the Old French tonne, and referred originally to a large cask with a capacity of 252 wine gallons, which holds approximately 2100 pounds of water. ...
The QF 2-pounder gun was a British anti-tank gun. ...
The QF 6-pdr 7 cwt was a British anti-tank gun of World War 2. ...
A picture of a destroyed M113 armoured personnel carrier showing a section of the armour. ...
Diesel fuel is a specific fractional distillate of fuel oil (from petroleum) that is used in a diesel engine invented by German engineer Rudolf Diesel, and perfected by Charles F. Kettering. ...
The horsepower (hp) is the name of several non-metric units of power. ...
World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was a mid-20th-century conflict that engulfed much of the globe...
History
Based on the A10 Cruiser tank, the Valentine was privately designed by the Vickers-Armstrong corporation (hence its lack of an "A" designation) and was submitted to the War Office on February 14, 1938. Like many other projects, the Valentine was rushed into production following the loss of nearly all of Britain's equipment during the evacuation at Dunkirk. General characteristics Length 5. ...
The Vickers corporation, founded as the Vickers company in 1828, was a British manufacturer, primarily of military equipment. ...
Old War Office Building, Whitehall, London - the former location of the War Office The War Office was a former department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1963, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence. ...
February 14 is the 45th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...
1938 was a common year starting on Saturday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Evacuation at Dunkirk, June 1940. ...
The Valentine was something of an oddity, having the weight and size of a cruiser tank, but the armour and speed of an infantry tank. Though its armour was still weaker than the Matilda and, due to its weaker engine, it shared the same top speed, its high reliability and lower cost kept it in the war. General characteristics Length 6. ...
The Valentine was Britain's most mass produced tank during the war, having manufactured 6855 and a further 1420 in Canada. They were the Commonwealth's main export to the Soviet Union under the Lend-lease Act, with 2394 of the British models being sent and 1388 of the Canadian (the remaining 30 were kept for training). In Soviet service, they were quite popular due to their small size, reliability, and generally good armor protection. The Commonwealth of Nations is an association of independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former colonies once governed by the United Kingdom as part of the British Empire. ...
The Lend-Lease program was a program of the United States during World War II that allowed the United States to provide the Allied Powers with war material without becoming directly involved in the war. ...
Variants
 Valentine I (350)
The first model of the Valentine, it was not sent out due to problems from rushed production. It was equipped with a 2 pdr. gun and a coaxial machine gun. Its cramped turret forced the commander to also reload the gun. It used a 135hp gasoline engine. Image File history File links File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ...
A machine gun is a fully-automatic firearm that is capable of firing bullets in rapid succession. ...
Turret (highlighted) attached to a tower on a baronial building in Scotland In architecture, a turret (from Italian: torretta, little tower; Latin: turris, tower) is a small tower that projects from the wall of a building, such as a medieval castle or baronial house. ...
Gasoline engine (also referred to as petrol engine or Otto engine) invented at the end of the 19th century by German engineer Nikolaus Otto is a type of internal combustion engine which is often used for automobiles, aircraft, small mobile vehicles such as lawnmowers or motorcycles, and outboard motors for...
Valentine II (700)
This model used a 131hp diesel engine in order to increase its range. It first saw combat during Operation Crusader, at which point it began to replace the Matilda. The diesel engine is a type of internal combustion engine; more specifically, it is a compression ignition engine, in which the fuel is ignited by being suddenly exposed to the high temperature and pressure of a compressed gas containing oxygen (usually atmospheric air), rather than a separate source of ignition...
Operation Crusader (November 18 - December 10, 1941) was the third attempt to relieve the Siege of Tobruk and the one that succeded. ...
Valentine III
A larger turret was installed, allowing the addition of a dedicated loader to ease the duties of the commander.
Valentine IV
A II using an American 138hp GMC diesel engine. Though it had slightly lower range, it was more silent and reliable. General Motors Corporation NYSE: GM, also known as GM, is a United States-based automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Daewoo, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab, and Vauxhall. ...
Valentine V
Valentine III with the American GMC engine.
Valentine VI
A Valentine built solely in Canada. It used a cast hull and a Browning machine gun in place of the Besa. Browning Arms Company was founded in Utah in 1927. ...
BESA machine gun Type medium machine gun Nationality UK (Czech) Era World War 2 History Date of design 1936 Production period 1939-1945 (?) Service duration 1939-1945 Operators UK War service World War 2 Specifications Type Caliber 7. ...
Valentine VII
Improved version of the VI- it had jettisonable fuel tanks, new tracks and an expanded turret similar to the III. Also built only in Canada.
Valentine VIII
A III upgraded with the QF 6 pdr gun. In order to fit it, the coaxial machine gun and the loader crewmember had to be removed. The side armour was made thinner to reduce weight. The QF 6-pdr 7 cwt was a British anti-tank gun of World War 2. ...
Valentine IX
A V upgraded to the 6 pdr. gun. Similar reductions as the VIII.
Valentine X
A new turret design and better 165hp GMC engine allowed the Valentine the use of its coaxial machine gun again. Also used welded construction.
Valentine XI
An X upgraded with the OQF 75mm gun. Only served as a command tank. Ordnance QF 75mm, abbreviated to OQF 75 mm, was a British tank-gun of the Second World War. ...
Valentine DD
Valentines fitted with Straussler's Duplex Drive. Used by crews in training for the Sherman DD's of the Normandy Landings.
Vehicles based on chassis The Archer was a British tank destroyer used during World War II based on the Valentine chassis. ...
The Bishop was a British self-propelled artillery vehicle based on the Valentine II chassis. ...
The Valiant was a British tank design of the Second World War, based upon the Valentine tank but only reached the prototype stage. ...
See also: Vickers Tank Periscope MK.IV (invented by engineer Rudolf Gundlach) was first patented in 1936 as Gundlach Peryskop obrotowy. ...
External links
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