Valentine III is a Soviet Recon unit in Steel Division II.
Background[ | ]
The Valentine was an infantry tank produced in eleven marks and numerous specialized variants, accounting for a quarter of British tank production throughout the war. It began its life as a private design of Vickers-Armstrong. Drawing on their experience with previous designs, V-A engineers combined the low weight of cruiser tanks A9 and A10 and the armor of the A11 infantry tank (the infamous Matilda I). To keep the weight down while maintaining protection, the resulting Valentine was cramped and had a small, two-man turret. Although it was slightly less armored and only as fast as the Matila II, it was easier to produce and far cheaper, thanks to using parts from the A9 and A10 cruisers.
Submitted to the War Office, the design was finally approved in April 1939 and scheduled for delivery in May 1940. Successful trials coincided with the disastrous defeat in France and the loss of much of UK's tank force, leading to the Valentine entering service in July the following year. A total of 8 275 tanks were produced between the UK and Canada, making it the Empire's most produced tank design.
The III featured a modified turret, with more space for the loader thanks to an altered frontal armor plate and increased space in the rear. Side armor has been thinned to save some weight and reduce production costs.
Usage[ | ]
Soviet Union found the Valentine tanks to be a good light tank. What they didn't not like was the lack of HE that the 2-pounder that the Valentine III was equipped with. These along with T-70 served as the light tanks.
Soviet Union got 2,124 British-built and 1,208 Canadian-built Valentine tanks.