Infantry Mk III, Valentine
Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum
Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum
On exercise:
Designed by Leslie Little of Vickers Armstrongs and was submitted to the War Office on February 14, 19381. The War Office took a year to decide as there were concerns about the 2 man turret not being able to be up-gunned.1 Was based on the A10 and used the same chassis, suspension, engine, and transmission. Was put into production in July 1939 with 275 being ordered. The first model was delivered in May 19408 for trials to the cavalry to make up for losses at Dunkirk.
Produced by Vickers, Birmingham Carriage and Wagon, and Metropolitan-Cammell.1
1,420 Valentines were also built in Canada.1,8 All but 30 of these (used for training) and 1,300 built in England were sent to Russia.1
The driver sat in the middle of the front hull. He was able to get in the vehicle via a hatch above his head. When closed in he had 2 episcopes and a small visor. The commander only had an episcope to look out of when the hatch was closed. In the rear of the turret was a No. 19 radio set.
Turret was traversed by a hydraulic motor. The engine compartment was easy to get to for maintenance. Used riveted plate armor which was primarily straight. The bogies were mounted in pairs on each side with 3 wheels each.8 The front and rear wheels were bigger than the others.
First action with the 8th Royal Tank Regiment of the 1st Army Tank Brigade at Capuzzo on Nov 22, 1941, during Operation Crusader.8
Took part in the night attack with the 2nd South African Division against Bardia fortress on Jan. 1, 1942.8
The 4th and 44th Royal Tank Regiment were also equipped during the Desert campaign.8
The 7th Royal Tank Regiment had some while trapped in the Tobruk garrison.8
A squadron (15) were used on Madagascar in 1942. Reliability was considered very high, as it is reported some Valentines were able to trek the 3,000 miles from El Alamein to Tunisia with the 8th Army. A few were stationed at Gibraltar.
Issued to armored regiments in 1941 as cruisers were in short supply.8
Issued to:
- 6th Armored Dvision8
- 20th Armored Brigade8
- 26th Armored Bridage.8 Saw action in Tunisia from November 1942 to February 1943.8
- 8th Armored Division8
- 20th Armored Brigade8
- 26th Armored Brigade8
- 8th Armored Division8
- 23rd Armored Brigade8 Saw action at First Alamein in July 1942.8
- 34th Armored Brigade8
- 11th Armored Division8
- 29th Armored Brigade8
- 30th Armored Brigade8
- 1st Polish Armored Division (formed in Scotland)8
Saw action with the 23rd Armored Brigade at the First Alamein battle in July 1942.8 Saw action in Tunisia with the 26th Armored Brigade
Bishop:
Self propelled version with 25 pdr.
Archer:
Self propelled version with 17 pdr.
Valentine CDL:
Canal Defense Light. Replaced turret with searchlight.
Valentine OP/Command: Dummy gun with extra communications equipment. Used for officers of Archer SP units in 1944.
Valentine Scorpion II:
Turret removed and flail attachment added. Produced in Britain in 1943. Used for training.
Valentine AMRA Mk Ib:
Adapted to propel anti-mine roller attachment. Not used operationally.
Valentine Snake: Used to tow pipe to minefield and detonated. Used by 8th Army.
Valentine Bridgelayer:
Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum
Mk II with turret removed. Carried No 1 30' scissors bridge. Some used in Burma. Most used for training. Bridge was 34' x 9.5' class 30.
Valentine Burmark:
1 vehicle with twin Twaby Ark ramps for service in Burma in 1945. Cancelled 1946.
Valentine 7.92" flame mortar:
Turret removed and replaced by mortar to project 25 lb TNT to demolish concrete emplacements. Max range was 2,000 yards, effective 400 yards. Experimental.
Valentine with 6 pdr AT mounting:
Experimental vehicle to house 6 pdr field carriage. 1942.
Valentine DD (Mks III and VIII):
650 were produced. Used for crew training.
Valentine DD (Mk V, IX, and XI):
635 were converted to swimming tanks.8 Used for training in United Kingdom and India.8 Used for training and operationally in Italy.8
Valentine Flamethrowers:
2 different types made. None used operationally.
Roller Fascine:
60 built in 1940. 6' 4" twin cable drums. None used operationally.
The Russians are reported to have liked the simplicity and reliability of the vehicles, but disliked the small gun.1 Some complaints of snow packing the wheels and stopping the tanks from moving.1 Some vehicles had a 76.2 mm tank gun installed.1 2,690 were shipped with 400 sunk.8
3rd New Zealand Division used them in Pacific.1,8 Some had their 2 pdr. replaced by 3 inch howitzers for close support. Some went to Burma and were used at Arakan.
| Valentine | |
|---|---|
| Crew | Commander, gunner, driver10 3-45, 37,10,11 |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Weight | 16-17 tons5,8, 17 tons11 17,272 kg11 35,840 lb |
| Length w/gun | 17' 9"5,8, 19' 4"11 5.89 m11 |
| Length w/o gun | |
| Height | 7' 5.5"5,8, 7' 6"11 2.29 m11 |
| Width | 7' 6"11, 8' 7.5"5,8 2.64 m11 |
| Width over tracks | |
| Ground clearance | 1' 4" |
| Ground contact length | |
| Ground pressure | 5.97 psi |
| Turret ring diameter | |
| Armament (mm) | |
| Main | 2 pdr, 6 pdr, or 75 mm11 |
| Secondary | |
| MG | 7.92 Besa MG11 |
| Side arms | |
| Quantity | |
| Main | |
| Secondary | |
| MG | |
| Side arms | |
| Armor Thickness (mm) | 658,11 8 - 655 |
| Hull Front, Upper | 30@68° |
| Hull Front, Lower | 60@21° |
| Hull Sides, Upper | |
| Hull Sides, Lower | 60@0° |
| Hull Rear | 60@0° |
| Hull Top | |
| Hull Bottom | |
| Turret Front | 65@0° |
| Turret Sides | 60@0° |
| Turret Rear | |
| Turret Top | |
| Engine (Make / Model) | AEC11 GMC11 |
| Bore / stroke | |
| Cooling | |
| Cylinders | AEC diesel: 611 AEC gasoline: 611 |
| Capacity | |
| Net HP | AEC diesel: 13111 AEC gasoline: 13511 GMC: 13511 |
| Power to weight ratio | |
| Compression ratio | |
| Transmission (Type) | Meadows gearbox, 5 forward, 1 reverse |
| Steering | |
| Steering ratio | |
| Starter | |
| Electrical system | |
| Ignition | |
| Fuel (Type) | AEC: diesel and gasoline11 GMC: diesel11 |
| Octane | |
| Capacity | 67 gallons 164 liters |
| Road consumption | |
| Cross country consumption | |
| Performance | |
| Traverse | 360°, electric, hydraulic |
| Max speed | 14.9 mph11, 15 mph 24 kph11 |
| Cross country speed | 8 mph 15 kph |
| Road radius | 90 miles11 145 km11 |
| Turning radius | 26' |
| Elevation limits | +20° to -5° |
| Fording depth | 3' |
| Trench crossing | 7' 6" 2.4 m |
| Vertical obstacle | 2' 9" 0.91 m |
| Climbing ability | |
| Suspension (Type) | Slow motion with twin 3-wheel bogies.4 |
| Wheels each side | |
| Return rollers each side | 3 |
| Tracks (Type) | |
| Length | |
| Width | 14" |
| Diameter | |
| Number of links | |
| Pitch | |
| Tire tread | |
| Track centers/tread | 7' 3" |
| Production | 1939-44: 8,2751 8,2758 |
Sources:
- The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
- Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1933-1942, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
- Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1943-1945, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
- British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
- Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
- The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
- Jane's World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles The Complete Guide, Leland Ness, 2002
- Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
- AFV 6: Valentine Mark III, B.T. White
- The Royal Armoured Corps Tank Museum, Tanks 1919-1939 The Inter War Period, 1966
- The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
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