Description

The Valentine Infantry Tank III, a private venture design from Vickers-Armstrong, was the 3rd of Great Britain's infantry tank designs. Though not the 1st tank to go into battle against the Axis in WWII, the Valentine has the distinction of having the highest production numbers of any wartime British tank, and arguably the most variations. A total of 8,275 Valentines were produced in no fewer than 11 major variants. Early versions of the vehicle were equipped with gasoline engines, while a diesel powered the later Marks. The turret also saw development, with later models fit with a more elongated design. The Valentine received its baptism of fire with the British 8th Army in Operation Crusader in North Africa during July 1941, just the beginning of a long career, as they would eventually take part in combat in both the European and Pacific Theaters. After the war, Valentines continued to serve several British Commonwealth armies as late as the 1950s.Besides fighting under the Union Jack, Valentines saw action with the armed forces of Canada, the Soviet Union, Australia, and New Zealand. Illustrated with 250 photos, plus color profiles and detailed line drawings; 88 pages. By David Doyle