Infantry tank Valentine. Weapon stories. Infantry tank Mk.III "Valentine" outside and inside. Equipment for Valentine AT
Good day to all and welcome to the site! Today, our focus is on a strong and at the same time interesting tank destroyer of the third level of Great Britain - this Valentine AT guide.
As you can understand from the name and appearance, this unit was designed on the basis of light british The tank that is at level 4 in our game is Valentina. Based on this, some conclusions can already be drawn about our self-propelled gun, however, it is worth considering Valentine AT WoT as detailed as possible, especially if you want to have fun playing it.
TTX Valentine AT
According to a long-established tradition, I will start with the fact that our British has a good by the standards of the PT-3, but a weak margin of safety compared to other equipment of our level, as well as a mediocre viewing radius of 320 meters.
If we talk about what are Valentine AT specifications booking, everything is very ambiguous. Due to the fact that we inherited the hull from the aforementioned tank, we can boast of very good armor of the hull in a circle, which not every classmate can penetrate, and we are protected very reliably from 99% of machine-gun cannons.
However, the problem is that british tank Valentine AT has a very cardboard cutting, which is easily broken through by everyone you meet. So a rhetorical question arises - why shoot at a solid hull if you can shoot at the wheelhouse?
In addition to a solid foundation, the tank has one more good advantage- disguise. The fact is that she is the owner of a low silhouette, it is thanks to this fact that her stealth coefficient is really high. However, when taking a position, remember that our body is long, that is, you need to hide it carefully.
Together with a relative's good armor, we got his mobility characteristics, and they are not comforting. How could you understand Valentine AT tank received a very low maximum speed, frankly poor dynamics, but quite decent maneuverability, although the latter fact calms down slightly.
gun
The armament of our self-propelled anti-tank installation deserves special attention, just because we have two guns to choose from, each of which has its own advantages and disadvantages.
First of all, I would like to draw your attention to what is Valentine AT gun with a caliber of 94 mm, that is, a high-explosive. Of course, her advantage is a huge alpha strike, with which you can one-shot even tier 4 vehicles.
But here we are faced with the first serious drawback - with this gun Valentine AT WoT gets very weak penetration, that is, even classmates will not always be able to deal full damage, not to mention more mature equipment.
The second drawback of the high explosive is poor accuracy. In this configuration British tank Valentine AT becomes the owner of a gigantic spread, terrible stabilization and long convergence. But what is even worse, the shells fly along a very hinged trajectory, their flight time is very long, that is, it is really difficult to shoot in advance.
And now let's pay attention to an ordinary gun, with not the highest, but still very impressive for the third level, one-time damage and a high rate of fire, thanks to which Valentine AT World of Tanks can consistently deal about 1600 damage per minute, which is a good result.
Especially in this configuration, the high armor penetration rates are pleasing, thanks to which you can confidently deal damage to almost every enemy you meet, and you can even play against fives without using gold.
Accuracy Valentine AT tank with such weapons, it also gets very enviable. Our spread is comfortable, the aiming time is fast, and only stabilization is still useless.
In addition, it is worth noting that both guns are the same in terms of vertical and horizontal aiming angles. Both a high-explosive and a conventional gun have a bad negative gun depression angle of 5 degrees, but at the same time, the UGN Tank Destroyer Valentine AT remained quite good, the total angle is 30 degrees.
Regarding which gun you choose, I can say one thing - a high explosive is more suitable for those who expect fun from the game and are not aimed at a serious result. But if you want to influence the outcome of the battle, leading your team to victory, Valentine AT WoT it is better to install a conventional weapon, it will give you stability and confidence in your actions.
Advantages and disadvantages
In order to fully unlock the potential of the machine, and in our case it is far from small, it is important not only to know its characteristics, it is much more important to understand the main advantages and disadvantages Valentine AT World of Tanks. Now we will highlight these nuances separately, but taking into account the fact that a second gun is installed on board, and not a high explosive.
Pros:
Good circular hull armor;
High masking factor;
Good chassis turning speed;
High rate of fire and DPM;
Excellent penetration performance;
Decent accuracy (scatter and convergence);
Comfortable horizontal aiming angles.
Minuses:
Small margin of safety;
Mediocre viewing range;
Very cardboard and open cutting;
Poor mobility (maximum speed and dynamics);
Terrible stabilization;
Uncomfortable elevation angles.
Equipment for Valentine AT
The situation with the purchase and installation of additional modules is quite simple, because we have very little choice. In addition, all three points that you will now see will work regardless of which gun you have chosen, that is, on tank Valentine AT equipment the following is set:
1. - this option will not only allow you to deal damage more efficiently, but you will also notice less stabilization problems if you have to rotate the body.
2. - a wonderful module that makes even hopelessly blind cars sighted, in our case, the increase in visibility will be really significant.
3. - perfectly combined with the previous paragraph and significantly increases your stealth while stationary, which is equivalent to increasing survival.
Crew training
Every tanker in World of Tanks knows that the process of choosing skills is an even more responsible nuance, and besides, painstaking. In our case, everything is further complicated by the fact that the crew consists of only three people, but you should not get lost, for Tank Destroyers Valentine AT perks it is better to study in this order:
Commander (gunner, radio operator) -, , , .
Driver mechanic - , , , .
Loader - , , , .
Equipment for Valentine AT
However, fortunately, the process of buying consumables, which are also indispensable in battle, looks much easier. As a standard, if you have little silver, you should stop at a set of , , . But in those cases when everything is in order with the reserves of the game currency, it is better to carry on Valentine AT equipment as , , . Regarding the latter, you can replace the fire extinguisher with, because this device rarely burns.
Valentine AT tactics
It is logical that when going into battle on this self-propelled gun, you should think over your strategy of behavior and actions. Of course, despite the security of our hull, we cannot rely on booking, which means that for Valentine AT tactics is to fight at long distances, using his excellent disguise.
In addition, it does not hurt to remember that we have serious problems with mobility, therefore, Valentine AT WoT can be deservedly considered a machine of one direction. This means that you need to choose this direction wisely, and if you are not confident in your team, do not rush to drive far from your own base.
As for your actions, everything is pretty standard. British tank Valentine AT, like many other self-propelled guns, should take a position in the bushes on the second line, play from disguise and deal damage to allied or own light.
The difficulty lies in how to take the position correctly. Besides that Tank Destroyer Valentine AT World of Tanks should be standing behind the bushes, think of at least one escape route. But beyond that, there is always the risk that someone will find you. In this case, you need cover nearby that will protect you from artillery and incoming damage from ground vehicles.
Otherwise, the player in whose hands it turned out Valentine AT tank, should keep a close eye on the mini-map, in no case let yourself be carouseled and be very careful. The machine in our hands is really very strong, you just have to make the most of its advantages and level the disadvantages.
One of the first serial Valentine I tanks at the training ground. UK, 1939
The most successful light (according to the classification adopted in most countries) and the most massive British tank of the Second World War. Developed on an initiative basis by Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. in 1938. It was mass-produced from 1940 to early 1944. During this time, three British companies - Vickers, Metro, 3RCW - and two Canadian companies - Canadian Pacific Pailway and Montreal Works produced 8275 tanks (including 1420 in Canada).
DESIGN AND MODIFICATIONS
Valentine I is the first production version. The main feature of the hull and turret design was the absence of frames for their assembly. The armor plates were processed according to the corresponding templates so that they were mutually closed during assembly. Then they were fastened to each other with bolts, rivets and dowels. The car was equipped with a 2-pounder gun, a 6-cylinder AES A189 carburetor engine with a power of 135 hp. at 1900 rpm. The transmission of tanks with AEC engines included: a J-151 single-disk main dry-friction clutch, a four-way, five-speed Meadows type 22 gearbox, a bevel transverse gear, multi-plate dry clutches and double planetary final drives. The capacity of the fuel tanks is 257 l. Some machines on a special bracket
a Lakeman anti-aircraft mount for a 7.7-mm Vgep infantry machine gun was attached to the roof of the tower. Combat weight 15.75 tons, crew of 3 people.
Valentine II - AES A190 diesel engine with a power of 131 hp. at 1800 rpm, bulwarks and an additional external fuel tank connected to the engine power system. Power reserve with an external tank - 176 km.
Valentine III is a three-man turret with a stern niche. The thickness of the hull sides has been reduced from 60 to 50 mm. Combat weight 16.75 tons, crew 4 people.
Valentine IV - Valentine II with American diesel GMC 6004 with 138 hp. and transmission.
Valentine V - Valentine III with American GMC 6004 diesel and transmission.
Valentine VI - Valentine IV made in Canada. different from English version a number of components and parts of Canadian or American production. In some tanks, the front part of the hull is made of one-piece cast.
Valentine VII - Valentine VI with a coaxial Browning М1919А4 machine gun in 7.62 mm American production instead of English BESA. Made in Canada.
Valentine VIII - Valentine III with a 6-pounder (57 mm) gun in a two-man turret. The coaxial machine gun and smoke breech-loading grenade launcher were absent. Two 101.6 mm smoke grenade launchers were attached to the right side of the turret on a special bracket. The thickness of the side armor of the hull has been reduced. Ammunition - 53 artillery rounds, combat weight - 17.2 tons. Crew 3 people.
Valentine IX - Valentine V with a 6-pounder gun in a two-man turret. The coaxial machine gun was missing. The last 300 vehicles were equipped with forced diesel engines GMC 6004 with a capacity of 165 hp. at 2000 rpm.
Valentine X - Valentine IX equipped with a 7.92 mm BESA machine gun. Gun ammunition reduced to 44 shots. Machine gun ammunition - 3150 rounds. GMC 6004 engine with 165 hp
Valentine XI - 75 mm cannon. Ammunition 46 shots and 3150 rounds. GMC 6004 engine boosted to 210 hp. at 2150 rpm.
Within a year after the start of mass production, the development of a new material part in the tank formations of the British army took place. One of the first in 1941, "Valentines" entered the 6th and 11th tank divisions, and even earlier, in the fall of 1940, the 1st Polish tank division.
These machines received their baptism of fire in North Africa in November 1941 during Operation Crusader. Of the six divisions and five brigades of the 8th British Army participating in this operation, one division and three brigades were armored. The 1st Army Tank Brigade included the 8th Royal tank regiment, fully equipped with Valentines (42 units), Another 10 vehicles of this type were part of the 32nd Army Tank Brigade, which was part of the garrison of Tobruk besieged by the Italo-German troops.
Valentine II equipped for desert operations. The machine has a 135-liter fuel tank and fenders, which reduced the cloud of sand dust from the tracks
Infantry tank Valentine III. A Lakeman anti-aircraft mount for a 7.7-mm Bgep infantry machine gun is mounted on the roof of the turret.
Infantry tank Valentine IV. Most of these tanks were sent to the Soviet Union
Five months later, by the start of the battle of El Ghazal, the 1st Army Tank Brigade was completely re-equipped with Valentines. In this formation, which consisted of the 8th, 42nd and 44th Royal Tank Regiments, there were 174 Valentines.
One squadron of "Valentines" took part in the landing on about. Madagascar in 1942, As part of the 3rd New Zealand Division, they fought in the Pacific Islands.
Of the 11 British tank regiments that fought the Japanese in Burma, one - the 146th Regiment of the Royal Tank Corps (146.RAC) - was armed with Valentine III tanks from October 1942. Despite the subsequent arrival of 8 other types of combat vehicles, including General Grant tanks, a certain number of Valentines continued to be used in this unit until 1945. Only in May 1945 was the regiment finally re-equipped with Shermans.
By the time of the landing in Normandy, the Valentines had been withdrawn from the first line of tank units. They were used as various special purpose vehicles - bridgelayers (Valentine-Bridgelayer), minesweepers and others. Some of the tanks were converted into self-propelled artillery mounts"Archer". Quite a few "Valentines" served as armored mobile observation posts in parts of the Royal Artillery and were used as command vehicles in anti-tank divisions.
The only country where Valentines were supplied under Lend-Lease was the Soviet Union. Moreover, almost half of the produced vehicles were sent to the USSR: 2394 English and 1388 Canadian, of which 3332 tanks reached their destination. The Red Army received tanks of seven modifications - II, III, IV, V, VII, IX and X. As can be seen, vehicles equipped with GMC diesel engines predominated. Perhaps this was done for the sake of unification; the same engines were on the American Shermans supplied to the USSR.
Valentine V, A 135 liter fuel tank is mounted on the left fender. In the side of the tower is visible loophole for firing personal weapons
Infantry tank Valentine VIII. First modification armed with a 6-pounder gun
Infantry tanks Valentine X (center) and Valentine XI (left). The characteristic distinguishing features of these tanks were the Besa machine gun in a stand-alone mount to the right of the gun and the installation on the right side of the turret of a bracket with 101.6mm smoke grenade launchers.
Red Army soldiers are studying the design of the English tank "Valentine II". 1942
Tank unit "Valentine IV" on the march. Western Front, 1942
In addition to line tanks, 25 bridge layers were delivered. The first "Valentines" appeared on the Soviet-German front at the end of November 1941. Already during the first battles, such a lack of British tanks was revealed as the absence of high-explosive fragmentation shells in the ammunition load of the 2-pounder gun. A large number of "Valentines" participated in the battle for the Caucasus. In 1942 - 1943. tank units of the North Caucasian and Transcaucasian fronts were equipped with imported equipment by almost 70%. This was due to the proximity to the so-called "Iranian Corridor", that is, one of the routes for the delivery of goods to the USSR, passing through Iran.
The geography of the use of "Valentines" was very wide - from the southernmost sections of the Soviet-German front to the northern ones. In addition to units of the Transcaucasian Front, they were, for example, in service with the 19th Tank Corps of the Southern Front (from October 20, 1943 - the 4th Ukrainian) and received Active participation in Melitopol offensive operation, and then in the liberation of the Crimea. Mk III tanks were actively used in positional battles on the Western and Kalinin fronts until the beginning of 1944. Until the end of the war, Valentines remained the main tanks of the cavalry corps. The cavalrymen especially appreciated the maneuverability of the vehicle. Most likely, for the same reason, "Valentines" were in service with many motorcycle battalions and individual motorcycle regiments. The staff of the latter at the final stage of the war included a tank company of ten T-34s or the same number of "Valentine IX".
Tanks of modifications "Valentine IX" and "Valentine X", armed with 57-mm guns, almost until the end of the war continued to be requested by the Soviet Union for Lend-Lease supplies. Largely due to this, serial production of "Valentines", which were no longer entering the British army, continued to be maintained until April 1944.
In the Red Army "Valentines" were used until the end of World War II. Fighting vehicles of this type ended their combat path in the Red Army on Far East in August 1945
Tank "Valentine IX" one of the units of the Red Army on the street of Yassy. August 1944
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TANK Mark III Valentine VI
COMBAT WEIGHT, t: 16.5.
CREW, people: 3.
OVERALL DIMENSIONS, mm: length - 5410, width - 2629, height - 2273, ground clearance - 420.
ARMAMENT: 1 Mk IX cannon caliber 2 pounds (40 mm), 1 machine gun 8ESA caliber 7.92 mm. 1 anti-aircraft machine gun Vgep caliber 7.7 mm, 1 smoke grenade launcher caliber 50.5 mm.
AMMUNITION: 61 artillery rounds, 3150 rounds of 7.92 mm caliber, 600 rounds of 7.7 mm caliber, 18 smoke grenades.
AIMING DEVICES: telescopic sight No. 24V Mk I. RESERVATION, mm: forehead - 60, side and stern - 60, roof - 10 - 20, bottom - 7 - 20; tower - 60 - 65.
ENGINE: GMC 6-71 model 6004, 6-cylinder, two-stroke, liquid-cooled, in-line diesel; maximum power 165 hp (120 kW) at 2000 rpm, factory adjusted - 138 hp at 1900 rpm. Working volume 6970 cm #179; .
TRANSMISSION: M-6004 dry-friction single-disk main clutch, Spicer synchromech three-way synchronized manual gearbox, transverse gear, dry multi-plate clutches, double planetary final drives, shoe brakes.
RUNNING GEAR: six rubber-coated road wheels on board, rear-mounted drive wheel (pinion engagement in the middle of the caterpillar), suspension blocked, balancing with a spiral spring and hydraulic shock absorber; three rubberized support rollers; in each caterpillar there are 103 tracks 356 mm wide, the track pitch is 112 mm.
MAX SPEED, km/h: 32.
POWER RESERVE, km: 150.
OVERCOME OBSTACLES: elevation angle, deg. - 40, wall height, m - 0.75, ditch width, m - 2.2, ford depth, m - 1.
COMMUNICATIONS: radio station No. 19.
Built on the initiative of the Vickers-Armstrong company, the Valentine tank corresponded to the basic principle that was adopted in the interwar period in the British army and provided for the presence of two types - cruising, intended for operations previously carried out by cavalry, and heavy tanks to support the infantry. For these latter, armor prevailed over all other combat qualities. Nevertheless, in the process of developing Valentine, the Vickers designers used a number of components and assemblies from their cruiser tanks, built by order of the War Ministry, which made it possible to save time and labor costs on the development of "their" tank. As a result, when the Valentine was born, it was more of a heavily armored cruiser tank than a pure infantry tank. However, its low speed was the disadvantage that constantly made itself felt when operating in open areas.
The tank owes its name to Saint Valentine, on the day of which - February 14, 1938 - the project was submitted to the War Ministry. The order was placed only in July 1939, when the minister demanded that 275 new tanks be produced in the shortest possible time. The first vehicles entered service in May 1940, with some of the tanks going to equip cavalry units to compensate for the losses suffered at Dunkirk, and only later did they appear in tank brigades, where they began to fulfill their characteristic infantry support role. Serial production of infantry tanks "Valentine" was completed at the beginning of 1944, but before that, 8275 vehicles managed to get off the assembly lines of factories. About 1420 tanks were built in Canada. 1290 of them, along with 1300 vehicles assembled in the UK, went to the USSR in accordance with the Lend-Lease program. In the Soviet Union, new tanks immediately entered the front lines. tank units, where they immediately won the love of tankers with the simplicity of design and the reliability of the engine and transmission. On the other hand, the armament of the "Valentines" completely disappointed them: the caliber of the gun mounted on the tank had long become a complete anachronism on the Eastern Front. In a number of cases, instead of weak British guns, Soviet specialists installed excellent domestic 76.2-mm tank guns, which had proven themselves well on T-34 tanks.
As part of the British army "Valentine" was baptized in North Africa in 1941. All subsequent modifications of this tank were used in the same theater of operations until the end of the African campaign. A number of tanks ended up in Tunisia as part of the 1st Army. These "Valentines" were operated in the desert and earned an excellent reputation for their reliability. After the battle of El Alamein, part of them traveled another 4830 km on their own, following the 8th Army. In 1942, one squadron of "Valentines" was used in the invasion of the island of Madagascar, tanks of the same type were in service with the 3rd New Zealand Division, which fought in the Pacific theater of operations. Some of these vehicles received new armament, with the 2-pounder replaced by a 3-inch howitzer for close infantry support. A small number of Valentines were sent to Burma and operated in Arakan; several vehicles reinforced the Gibraltar garrison. In 1944, when the invasion of Normandy was being prepared, Valentine was reclassified into a battle tank, but by that time its hull and chassis had already served as the basis for the creation of many armored vehicles for various purposes, and it was in this form that Valentine was in large numbers. appeared in France.
No other tank had as many modifications as the Valentine. As a battle tank, the car was built in eleven versions, following one after another. Added to these are the Valentine DD amphibious tanks, bridgelayers, flamethrower tanks, and several types of minesweepers. The basic model was great for the most incredible experiments.
As in most tanks, the Valentine's corps was divided into three sections: control, combat and power. The driver was located along the axis of the car and did not have a single extra square centimeter of area. He got into the tank through the hatch located above his seat, and after the hatch slammed shut, his view was provided only by a narrow viewing slot and two periscopes.
The tower was located above the fighting compartment and was completely unsuccessful. In all modifications, it remained still cramped and uncomfortable. In versions with a crew of three, two tankers were constantly in the turret and performed not only their own functions, but also those of others. At least this applied to the tank commander: in addition to his main job, he had to load the gun, indicate targets to the gunner and maintain radio communications. His view was very limited, since the tower had neither a dome nor a commander's cupola, and during the battle, when all the hatches were closed, the commander had to rely on a single periscope. Naturally, for this reason, he left the hatch open to look outside from time to time. This resulted in numerous casualties among the personnel. At the rear of the turret was radio station #19, which included a small shortwave radio to communicate with the infantry during a joint operation. Thus, the tank commander had to work with two radio stations and, in addition, use the intercom to direct the actions of his crew. Considering all this, it is impossible not to understand the tank commanders who preferred the four-seat versions of the Mk III and V to all modifications of the Valentines, despite the fact that the volume of their towers was no larger, and the observation devices remained just as bad.
As for the gun, it was a match for the tower. 2-pounder, it had only one advantage - high combat accuracy. However, it became obsolete back in 1938 and remained in service in initial stage fighting in the desert only because it still somehow coped with the Italian and lightest German tanks at a distance not exceeding 1 km. Another serious drawback of the gun was that it did not have high-explosive ammunition for firing at unarmored targets. The tank's ammunition consisted of 79 shots and 2000 rounds of ammunition for a BESA machine gun coaxial with a cannon. The Mk VIII, IX and X Valentines were armed with a 6-pounder gun, but even this more powerful gun proved obsolete from the moment it was introduced. In addition, due to the incredible frivolity of the Mk VIII and IX modifications, they did not have a machine gun coaxial with the cannon, and the crew had to use the main armament of the tank against the infantry. There was a machine gun on the Mk X, but it "ate" the already meager internal volume of the tank. Most Valentines had a Bren light machine gun inside the turret, which, if necessary, could be mounted on the turret. Only the tank commander could use it, while exposing himself to enemy fire. Canadian-built Valentines had American 7.62mm Brownings instead of BESA machine guns, and some (very few) tanks also had smoke grenade launchers mounted on the sides of the turret.
The rotation of the tower was carried out using a hydraulic drive, which provided good guidance, but the final rotation was carried out manually. Pointing the 2-pounder vertically was carried out by the gunner, who used a shoulder rest for this. On subsequent modifications, the gun was aimed vertically using the flywheel of the manual aiming mechanism.
The power department was the exact opposite of the combat one. It was spacious and provided easy access to the engine, which was easy to service, which was especially appreciated by drivers and repairmen. In general, the power plant of the tank satisfied almost any operating conditions. The Mk I modification had an AEC carburetor engine, but all subsequent versions were equipped with diesel engines. The transmission group included a five-speed Meadows gearbox and onboard clutches.
The armor plates of the "Valentines" were fastened with rivets and did not have rational angles of inclination. The frontal plates of the Canadian-made tanks, as well as the Mk X and XI versions that were built in the UK, were cast and, accordingly, more durable and cheaper, but in general, the armor of the Valentines left much to be desired. If the frontal part of the tanks had more or less satisfactory protection, then the thickness of the armor on the stern and roof was reduced from 65 mm to 8 mm, which was clearly not enough.
The undercarriage, typical for that period, was "low-speed" and consisted of two to three rollers on board, which were suspended on horizontal springs. The front and rear rollers had a larger diameter than the intermediate ones, and the hull of the tank was located quite high above the ground. Three small support rollers prevented the tracks from sagging. In general, the undercarriage proved to be quite good, however, during the operation of the tank in the winter in the Soviet Union, the tracks often slipped in deep snow. The amphibious tank "Valentine" DD was used mainly in educational purposes, however, several of these machines participated in the invasion of Italy. The DD version was a conventional Valentine that was carefully sealed and fitted with a folding screen to keep the tank afloat when submerged. A screen was also attached to the top, which was removed after the car landed.
Not so long ago, when mentioning any equipment sent to the USSR under Lend-Lease, the authors always noted the insignificance of foreign supplies in comparison with domestic production, as well as the poor quality and archaic design of these samples. Now that the struggle against bourgeois falsifiers has successfully ended with the victory of the latter, it is possible to more or less objectively analyze the merits and demerits of individual models of armored vehicles of Anglo-American production, which were used in significant quantities in parts of the Red Army. This article will focus on the English light tank MK.III "Valentine", which became the most massive British armored vehicle used on the Soviet-German front, as well as in battles in the Far East.
MK.III "Valentine" (according to the documents of the Red Army "Valentine" or "Valentina") was developed by Vickers in 1938. Like the Matilda, it belonged to infantry tanks, but in terms of mass - 16 tons - it was rather light. True, at the same time, the thickness of the Valentine's armor was 60-65 mm, and the armament (depending on the modification) consisted of a 40-mm, 57-mm or 75-mm gun. On "Valentine I" they used a 135 hp AEC carburetor engine, replaced in subsequent modifications by AEC and GMC diesel engines with a capacity of 131, 138 and 165 hp. Max Speed tank was 34 km / h.
By Soviet standards, "Valentines" had an archaic design - armor plates were attached to the frame from the corners with rivets. Armored elements were installed, basically, almost vertically, without rational angles of inclination. However, "rational" booking was not always used on German cars- this approach significantly reduced the working internal volume of the tank, which affected the performance of the crew. But on the other hand, all British cars were radio-equipped (radio station No. 19), and also had a diesel engine, which facilitated their operation along with Soviet models.
"Valentines" were produced from 1940 to the beginning of 1945 in 11 modifications, which differed mainly in armament and engine type. A total of 8275 tanks were manufactured by three British and two Canadian firms (6855 in England and 1420 in Canada). 2394 British and 1388 Canadian "Valentines" were sent to the Soviet Union (3782 units in total), of which 3332 vehicles reached Russia. In the USSR, "Valentines" of seven modifications were supplied:
"Valentine II" - with a 42-mm cannon, AEC diesel engine, 131 hp. and an additional external fuel tank;
"Valentine III" - with a triple tower and a crew of four;
"Valentine IV" - "Valentine II" with a GMC diesel engine of 138 hp;
"Valentine V" - "Valentine III" with a GMC diesel engine of 138 hp;
"Valentine VII" - a Canadian version of the "Valentine IV" with a one-piece frontal hull and a coaxial 7.62-mm Browning machine gun (instead of the 7.92-mm BESA machine gun that was installed on English-made Valentines);
"Valentine IX" - "Valentine V" with a 57-mm cannon with a barrel length of 45 or 42 calibers, mounted in a two-man turret without a coaxial machine gun;
"Valentine X" - "Valentine IX" with a 57-mm cannon with a barrel length of 45 or 42 calibers [most likely a typo. Further in the text - 52 caliber. A.A.], coaxial with a machine gun and a 165 hp GMC engine.
In addition to the main modifications of the "Valentine", in 1944 the Red Army also received the Mk.III "Valentine-bridgelayer" (Valentine-Bridgelaer) - in Soviet terminology "Mk.ZM". Perhaps the Canadian version of "Valentine" (modification VII) was even more reliable and technically more advanced than its English predecessor. Canadian "Valentines" were supplied to the Red Army from 1942 to 1944, with the bulk of the deliveries occurring in 1943. The most massive modifications in the Red Army were "Valentine IV" and its Canadian counterpart "Valentine VII", as well as the main version of the final period of the war - "Valentine IX". Moreover, the Soviet Union mainly supplied the Model IX with an artillery system having a barrel length of 52 calibers, while the British Army used models with a barrel length of 45 calibers. Model "XI" with a 75-mm cannon was not supplied to the USSR.
It should be noted that the designation system for British armored vehicles was quite complex and cumbersome. First, the index assigned to the tank by the Ministry of War was indicated (Mk.II, Mk.III, Mk.IV, etc.), then came the name of the vehicle ("Valentine", "Matilda", "Churchill", etc.) and its modification was indicated (in Roman numerals). Thus, the full designation of the tank could look like this; Mk.III "Valentine IX", Mk.IV "Churchill III", etc. To avoid confusion, we will use the designations of English tanks adopted in the Red Army during the war years: the name with the modification, for example: "Valentine IV", "Valentine IX", etc., or without the modification, for example: Mk. III Valentine.
During the four years of the war, foreign-made tanks and armored vehicles received various connections, subdivided | divisions and parts of the armored forces of the Red Army. Therefore, there were many reports on their operational and combat characteristics. Moreover, the assessment of the same vehicle by the middle and senior command staff often did not coincide with the opinion of the tank crew. This is understandable, the command was primarily worried tactical characteristics equipment - armament, speed on the march, cruising range, etc. - and for the crew, ease of operation, placement of units and the possibility of quick repairs, as well as other parameters of a domestic and technical nature, were important. The combination of these two points of view largely determined the conclusion about the presented sample of armored vehicles.
In addition, foreign equipment was designed with the expectation of a higher culture of production and operation. In many ways, it was the technical illiteracy of the crews, the lack of units needed for maintenance that became the reasons for the failure of allied equipment. However, the "chasm" of the gap was not so great, and our tankers very soon got used to foreign cars, having finalized many of them for the specifics of operation on the Soviet-German front.
The first "Valentines" appeared in parts of our active army at the end of November 1941, albeit in small numbers. In this case, only a part of the received 145 Matildas, 216 Valentines and 330 Universals was used. Yes, on Western front on 01/01/1942 "Valentines" were part of the 146th (2-T-34, 10-T-60, 4-Mk.Sh), 23rd (1-T-34, 5 Mk.III) and 20 -th (1-T-34, 1-T-26, 1-T-, 60, 2-Mk.Sh, 1-BA-20) tank brigades operating in combat formations of the 16th, 49th and 3rd armies, and also as part of the 112th TD (1-KV, 8-T-26, 6-Mk.Sh and 10-T-34), attached to the 50th Army. The 171st separate tank battalion, also equipped with Valentines (10-T-60, 12-Mk.II, 9-Mk.III), fought on the North-Western Front (4th Army).
German documents of the 4th tank group note the fact of the first use of English tanks "Type 3" (MK.III "Valentine". - Approx. Aut.) against 2 tank division November 25, 1941 in the Peshki area. The document stated: "For the first time, German soldiers were faced with the fact of real help from England, about which Russian propaganda was screaming for so long. English tanks are much worse than Soviet ones. The crews that the German soldiers took prisoner scold "the old tin boxes that the British handed them to them."
Judging by this report, it can be assumed that the crews of the Valentines had a very limited training period and did not know the English materiel well. In units of the 5th army, which covered the Mozhaisk direction, the first unit to receive "inotanks" was the 136th separate tank battalion (otb). The battalion completed its formation on December 1, 1941, having ten T-34 tanks, ten T-60 tanks, nine Valentines and three Matildas (English tanks were received in Gorky on November 10, 1941, tankers were trained directly on front). By December 10, during the training of the crews, five Valentines, two Matildas, one T-34 and four T-60s were broken. After bringing the materiel in order, December 15, 1911 136 otb. was attached to the 329th Rifle Division (SD). Then, together with the 20th tank brigade, he participated in the counteroffensive near Moscow.
On January 15, 1942, the battalion command compiled a "Brief report on the actions. Mk.Sh" - apparently one of the first documents with an assessment of the Allied equipment:
"The experience of using "Valentines" showed:
1. Patency of tanks in winter conditions good, movement is ensured on soft snow 50-60 cm thick. Grip with the ground is good, but spurs are needed when icy conditions.
2. The weapon operated flawlessly, but there were cases of undershot guns (the first five or six shots), apparently due to the thickening of the lubricant. The weapon is very demanding on lubrication and maintenance.
3. Observation in devices and slots is good.
4. The motor group and transmission worked well up to 150-200 hours, then a decrease in engine power is observed.
5. Good quality armor.
The personnel of the crews passed special training and tanks owned satisfactorily. The command and technical staff of the tanks knew little. A great inconvenience was created by the crews' ignorance of the elements of preparing tanks for winter. As a result of the lack of necessary heating, the cars hardly started in the cold and therefore kept hot all the time, which led to a large consumption of motor resources. In a battle with German tanks (12/20/1941), three "Valentines" received the following damage: one 37-mm projectile jammed the turret, the other had a cannon, the third received five hits on the side from a distance of 200-250 meters. In this battle, "Valentines" knocked out two medium German tanks T-3.
In general, the Mk.Sh is a good combat vehicle with powerful weapons, good maneuverability, capable of operating against enemy manpower, fortifications and tanks.
Negative sides:
1. Poor grip of the tracks with the ground.
2. Great vulnerability of suspension bogies - if one roller fails, the tank cannot move. There are no high-explosive fragmentation shells for the gun."
Apparently, the latter circumstance was the reason for the order of the State Defense Committee on the rearmament of "Valentine" with the domestic artillery system. This task and in a short time was carried out at the plant number 92 by the design bureau under the leadership of Grabin. In December 1941, for two weeks, one "Valen-Tyne" was armed with a 45-mm tank gun and a DT machine gun. This machine received the factory index ZIS-95. At the end of December, the tank was sent to Moscow, but things did not go beyond the prototype.
A large number of tanks "Valentine" participated in the battle for the Caucasus. In general, the North Caucasian Front in the period 1942-1943 had a very significant "share" of Anglo-American tanks - up to 70% of total number machines. This situation was explained primarily by the proximity of the front to the Iranian channel for supplying the Red Army with equipment and weapons, as well as the convenience of transporting tanks along the Volga that arrived in the northern ports of the USSR.
Of the armored units of the North Caucasian Front, the 5th Guards Tank Brigade was considered the most eminent and experienced. The brigade began combat operations in the Caucasus on September 26, 1942, covering the Grozny direction to the Malgobek, Ozernaya area (at that time the brigade had 40 Valentines, three T-34s and one BT-7). On September 29, the brigade counterattacked the German units in the Alkhanch-Urt valley. In this battle, the crew of Captain Shenelkov's Guards destroyed five tanks, one self-propelled gun, a truck and 25 soldiers on their "Valentine". 15 for the next few days, fighting in the area continued. In total, during the fighting in the Malgobek area, the brigade destroyed 38 tanks (of which 20 burned down), one self-propelled guns, 24 guns, six mortars, one six-barreled mortar, up to 1800 enemy soldiers. The losses of the brigade amounted to two T-34s, 33 Valentines (of which eight burned down, the rest were evacuated and restored), 268 people were killed and wounded.
Returning to the use of the Valentine tank on the Soviet-German front, we can say that our commanders found the right solution - they began to use these tanks in an integrated manner, together with Soviet equipment. In the first echelon (according to the documents of 1942) there were tanks KV and "Matilda CS;" (with a 76.2-mm howitzer), in the second echelon T-34, and in the third "Valentine" and T-70. This tactic has often yielded positive results. An example of this is the reconnaissance in force of the fire system of the German defensive zone in the North Caucasus - the Blue Line.
Forces from the 56th Army were involved in the attack: the 5th Guards Tank Brigade (as of 1.08. 1C), as well as a battalion of the 417th Infantry Division.
Exactly at six o'clock in the morning on August 6, 1943, a volley of Katyushas was fired at the Gorno-Vesely farm (the Object of attack), and immediately behind the fire shaft, three KV-1S rushed forward, followed by three "Valentines" under the command of the guard senior lieutenant G. P. Polosina. The infantry moved behind the slippers. Further, it is interesting to cite the memoirs of G.P. Polosin, a participant in the battle:
“Tacking among the shell bursts (thirty-minute artillery preparation, of course, did not fully suppress the enemy fire system), my Valentine suddenly found itself literally in front of the farmhouse houses. That’s luck! But how are the other tanks? ..
I looked around through the peepholes. I saw that two more "Englishmen" of my platoon - the cars of Poloznikov and Voronkov - were walking a little behind. But heavy HF is not visible. Maybe they fell behind or took it aside: The infantry, of course, was cut off from the tanks even earlier ...
Destroying enemy machine-gun emplacements and bunkers along the way, our tanks reached the hollow. Stopped here. I gave the order over the radio:
Do not shoot without my order! Save your projectiles. It is still unknown how much it will take like this ... And then to get through to your own ...
The tank commanders answered shortly:
Understood.
Then he tried to contact the commander of the guard company, Senior Lieutenant Maksimov. And I couldn't. The broadcast was filled to the limit with hysterical commands in German. Apparently, the Nazis were seriously worried about the unexpected breakthrough of Russian tanks in this sector of their defense.
But our position was unenviable. It just so happened that the main group, conducting reconnaissance in force, broke away, ammunition and fuel were running out, alone behind enemy lines, which, however, had not yet fully understood the situation, but this was a matter of time.
Having crushed a German anti-tank gun along the way, our tank jumped out of the hollow into the open space and saw a strange picture. On Voronkov's car, which was 30-40 meters to the right, there were Germans. They mistook "Valentines" for their equipment, pounded their butts on the armor and did not understand why the tankers did not get out. After waiting until the Germans had accumulated up to a dozen people, I ordered to hit them with a machine gun. Then, firing from smoke grenade launchers (that's where this weapon, which was only on English tanks) and, having installed a smoke screen, the vehicles returned through the same hollow to the location of their troops. Near Gorno-Vesely, the battle was still going on. The KV tanks were knocked out. One of them stood without a tower. Another a little farther from him buried his cannon in the ground. At its right, flattened caterpillar, two tankers fired their pistols from the advancing Germans. Having dispersed the enemy infantry with fire from cannons and machine guns, we dragged both wounded into our "Valentine". It immediately became clear that he could not penetrate the armor of the KV anti-tank artillery, the Germans used guided mines against them."
During this short raid behind enemy lines, a platoon of guards senior lieutenant G.P. Polosin destroyed five anti-tank guns, crushed five bunkers, 12 machine guns, shot up to a hundred Nazis. But most importantly, their unexpected blow from the rear he forced the enemy to fully open his system of fire. Which is exactly what was needed.
It remains to add that all the crew members of Polosin's platoon were awarded government awards for this. Personally, Georgy Pavlovich Polosin received the Order of the Red Star.
In the 196th Tank Brigade (30th Army of the Kalinin Front), which participated in the capture of the city of Rzhev, in August 1942, steel plates were welded onto each of the Valentine tank tracks, increasing the track area. Shod in such "bast shoes", the car did not fall through in the snow and did not get stuck in marshy ground middle lane Russia. Mk.IIIs were actively used in positional battles on the Western and Kalinin fronts until the beginning of 1944. For mobility and maneuverability "Valentine" was very fond of cavalrymen. Until the end of the war, "Valentine IV" and its further development "Valentine IX and X" remained the main tank of the cavalry corps. As the main drawback, the cavalrymen noted the absence of high-explosive fragmentation shells for the cannon. And one more thing: it was not recommended to make sharp turns on the "Valentine", since at the same time the sloth's crank bent and the caterpillar jumped off.
By the end of the war, modifications of the Valentine IX and X (along with the American Sherman) were the only types of tanks that the USSR continued to request for supplies to the Red Army. For example, as of June 22, 1944, the 5th Guards Tank Army (3rd Belorussian Front) had 39 Valentine IX tanks, and the 3rd Cavalry Corps had 30 Valentine III tanks. These vehicles completed their military career in the Far East in August-September 1945. The 1st Far Eastern Front included 20 bridge tanks Mk.III Valentine-Bridgelayer, the 2nd Far Eastern Front included 41 Valentine III and IX (267th Tank Regiment) and another 40 Valentine IV were in the ranks of the horse -mechanized group of the Trans-Baikal Front.
Attached to tank brigades by armies 15 and 16, tank-bridge companies (10 Mk.IIIM each) marched along with tanks, but were not used, since tanks and self-propelled guns overcame small rivers and streams themselves, and large obstacles (over 8 m) were not Mk.IIIM could be provided.
The Canadian tanks "Valentine IV" in Soviet terminology were also designated as "Mk.III", so it is quite difficult to determine where the English tanks are and where the Canadian tanks are. Several cars "Valentine VII" took part in the liberation of the Crimea. The 19th Perekop tank corps had the 91st separate motorcycle battalion, which had a Valentine VII tank, ten BA-64s, ten Universal armored personnel carriers and 23 motorcycles.
However, this does not detract from the Canadian share of deliveries to the USSR. After all, almost half of the Valentines delivered were Canadian-made. These tanks, along with British products, participated in many operations of the Great Patriotic War.
One example of the use of Canadian vehicles was the battle of the 139th tank regiment of the 68th mechanized brigade of the 5th mechanized corps of the 5th army to capture the village of Devichye Pole in November 1943. 139 TP (68 Mbr, 8 Mk, 5 Army) entered the operational subordination of the 5 Army on November 15, 1943. With 20 T-34 tanks and 18 Valentine VII tanks, the regiment was fully equipped and was not used in battles until November 20. After the preparation of the materiel for the battles was completed, on November 20, 1943, in cooperation with the 57th Guards Tank Breakthrough Regiment, armed with KV and T-34 vehicles, and the infantry of the 110th Guards Rifle Division, the tanks of the 139th TP went forward. , the attack was carried out at high speeds (up to 25 km / h) with a landing of machine gunners (up to 100 people) and with tanks attached anti-tank guns. 30 Soviet tanks participated in this operation. The enemy did not expect such a massive swift blow and could not offer effective resistance to the advancing units. When the first line of defense was broken, the infantry dismounted and, having unhooked their guns, began to occupy enemy positions, preparing to repel a possible counterattack. The remaining units of the 110th Guards Rifle Division were brought into the breach. However, the German counterattack did not take place, the German command was so stunned by the Soviet breakthrough that they could not organize resistance during the day. During this day, our troops went 20 km into the depths of the German defense and captured the Maiden's Field, while losing 4 tanks (KV, T-34, two Valentine VII). At the end of the war, Valentine tanks were used mainly as part of tank companies of motorcycle reconnaissance regiments (in the state - 10 tanks), mixed tank regiments (standard staff M4A2 "Sherman" - 10, Mk.III "Valentine" (III, IV, VII, IX, X) - 11 vehicles) and various cavalry formations: cavalry corps and mixed cavalry-mechanized groups. In individual tank and motorcycle regiments, modifications "IX" and "X" prevailed, and in the cavalry corps, modifications "IV" - "VII" prevailed. Tanks Mk.III "Valentine" III-IV were used on the Soviet-German front in much smaller numbers than other modifications and for some reason (?) prevailed in the North-Western theater of operations as part of the Baltic fronts.
After the end of the Second World War, the equipment supplied under Lend-Lease was to be returned to the former owners. However, most of the tanks were presented by the Soviet side as scrap and destroyed, and a smaller part of the repaired tanks was handed over to the Chinese National Liberation Army.
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At the beginning of 1938 War Department The UK offered Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. take part in the production of the Mk II infantry tank or develop a combat vehicle of their own design according to similar tactical and technical requirements. Such an alternative in the proposal was not accidental: starting from the First World War (the Vickers diversified concern was engaged in tank building and created several very successful models during the interwar period. In the second half of the 30s, he was the developer and main manufacturer of the Mk 1 Matilda I (A11) infantry tank ) and cruiser tanks Mk I (A9) and Mk II (A10). The elements of these machines and tried to combine in one project the chief designer of the company Leslie Little. The task was not easy - it was necessary to maintain powerful armor, the same as that of the infantry tank A11 , using the motor-transmission installation and undercarriage cruiser tanks, designed by S. Horstman and Captain Rocky of Slow Motion Suspension Co. Ltd. This could be achieved only by reducing the dimensions of the tank.
Appendix to the magazine "MODEL CONSTRUCTION"
Design Description
Sections of this page:
Design Description
LAYOUT the tank is classic with a stern transmission.
The department of management occupied the front of the car. It contained the driver's seat, controls, instrument panels, two six-volt batteries, an outlet for starting the engine and recharging the batteries from external source current, a call for signaling the driver from the stern of the tank, TPU, interior lighting devices.
The fighting compartment was in the middle of the tank. Above it, on a ball bearing, there was a tower, to which a floor rotating with it was attached with ammunition and seats for crew members. In front of the tower, in a mask, weapons were installed; in its rear part, in a niche, there was a radio station and there was a hole for air intake. In the center of the fighting compartment under the floor of the tower was placed VKU.
The engine compartment contained an engine with power, lubrication, cooling and electrical equipment. To the left of the engine were the main fuel tank and the constant pressure fuel tank, to the right - the oil filter and two batteries.
In the transmission compartment, a filling tank of the cooling system, two radiators, a main clutch, a gearbox, two side clutches and an oil tank were installed.
The main design feature of the HULL and TOWER was the absence of frames for their assembly. The armor plates were processed according to the appropriate templates so that they were mutually closed during assembly. Then they were fastened to each other with bolts, rivets and dowels. Tolerances when fitting various parts did not exceed 0.01 inches (0.254 mm). On tanks of early releases, the turret sides were composite, then they were replaced with a cast ring part.
For the landing of the driver in the roof of the control compartment there were two hatches, the covers of which were automatically locked from the inside with latches. Opening hatches facilitated the use of a torsion-spring mechanism. AT open position manhole covers were fixed with latches. Under the driver's seat, in the bottom of the hull, there was a manhole for the emergency exit of the crew from the tank.
In the middle of the frontal armor plate was the driver's viewing hatch, and on the sides were two Mk IV periscope observation devices.
In the roof of the turret of the Valentine I, II, IV, VI and VII tanks there was a landing hatch with a double-leaf cover, two periscopes, similar to the periscopes in the control compartment, two antenna inputs (one for working on the spot, the other for moving), a pin for an anti-aircraft installation and an arrow pointer (opposite the right periscope) for orientation when firing from a cannon and a machine gun. Two side hatches in the turret (the Valentine I had one hatch on the starboard side), closed by armored doors, were intended for firing from personal weapons and for flag signaling. The mirror on the left door, when opened, made it possible to observe the stern and the movement of cars coming from behind.
1 - driver's seat; 2 - clutch pedal; 3 - left panel of control devices; 4 - periscopes; 5 - forehead; 6 - driver's inspection hatch; 7 - inspection hatch block (in the lowered position); 8-levers side clutches; 9-right panel of control devices; 10 - gear lever; 11 - accelerator pedal; 12 - auxiliary brake pedal
In the roof of the turret of the Valentine III and V tanks there was a round hatch with a rotating shoulder strap and a three-leaf cover. A Mk IV observation device was installed in the front flap. The second such device was located in front of the roof above the place of the loader.
In the roof of the turret of the Valentine VIII, IX and X tanks there were two rectangular hatches with double-leaf covers, three Mk IV observation devices and a fan hood.
To rotate the tower on tanks of all modifications, a rotary mechanism with manual and electric drive was installed.
The roof of the engine compartment was closed with removable blinds, which were locked with locks from the fighting compartment. To facilitate access to the units located in the engine compartment, its inclined armor plates were made folding and hinged. The rear of the engine compartment was covered with a transverse armor plate, it had a hatch for access to the radiator filler neck.
The transmission compartment had sloping opening shutters on top and a stern hatch door.
The bottom of the hull was assembled from several large armor plates. To service the tank in the bottom there were appropriate hatches.
WEAPONS. The tanks of the Valentine I - VII modifications were equipped with a 2-pounder (40-mm) Mk IX cannon with a barrel length of 52 calibers.
The gun consisted of a barrel, a semi-automatic bolt, a cradle, a recoil device, a trigger mechanism, a sleeve catcher and a shoulder rest. The mass of the barrel without a shutter is 130.2 kg. The normal rollback length is 265 mm.
Vertical pointing angles ranging from +20° to -15° were given to the cannon and coaxial machine gun using a shoulder rest, which was attached to the left cheek of the sleeve catcher bracket and could be adjusted in accordance with the growth of the gunner.
On tanks of the Valentine VIII and IX modifications, 6-pounder (57-mm) guns Mk III and Mk V were installed, and on the Valentine X - Mk V.
The Mk III 6-pounder gun with a 42.9 caliber barrel was developed from the Mk II towed anti-tank gun. The shutter is vertical wedge, semi-automatic copy type. The weight of the gun is 326.88 kg.
Vertical guidance in the range from - 8 ° to + 17 ° was carried out using a shoulder rest and two "pistol" handles, on which there were electric gun triggers and a coaxial machine gun.
The 6-pounder Mk V gun had a barrel length of 50 calibers and a high muzzle velocity. Its vertical guidance was carried out using a screw-type lifting mechanism.
Valentine XI combat vehicles were armed with a 75 mm Mk V cannon with a barrel length of 36.5 calibers. Wedge gate, semi-automatic. Rate of fire up to 20 rds / min. The weight of the gun is 314 kg. Vertical guidance from - 12.5 ° to + 20 ° using a screw-type lifting mechanism. Electric trigger - foot.
Valentines of all modifications (with the exception of VIII and IX) were equipped with a coaxial (autonomous) 7.92 mm BESA machine gun (on Valentine X and XI), and a 7.62 mm Browning M1919A4 coaxial machine gun on Valentine VII.
Some of the vehicles had a Lakeman anti-aircraft mount for a 7.7-mm Bren infantry machine gun mounted on a special bracket on the roof of the turret.
Valentine I - VII in the tower, to the right of the machine gun in a separate mask, there was a 2-inch (50.8-mm) mortar for firing smoke mines (in the Red Army, fragmentation mines from a 50-mm Soviet-made company mortar were also used to fire mortars ). Mortar weight 7.6 kg. The maximum throwing range of a smoke mine is 137 m, a fragmentation mine is 415 m. Vertical Angle shelling - from + 5 ° to + 37 °; horizontal - 360 ° (set by turning the tank turret).
On tanks of variants VIII - XI, two 101.6 mm caliber smoke grenade launchers were mounted on a special bracket on the right side of the turret.
For firing from a 2-pounder cannon and a coaxial machine gun, a telescopic sight No. 24B Mk I was used; for firing from 6-pounder guns - telescopic sights No. 39 Mk I or No. 33 Mk II; from a 75 mm gun - No. 50x3L Mk I.
The ammunition load of the 2-pounder tanks included 60 - 62 rounds of armor-piercing shells, 3150 rounds of 7.92 mm (14 belts) or 3500 rounds of 7.62 mm (Valentine VII), 600 rounds of 7.7 mm and 18 smoke mines caliber 50.8 mm.
The ammunition load of the Valentine VIII and IX tanks with a 6-pounder gun consisted of 53 shots with armor-piercing shells and 600 rounds of 7.7 mm caliber, the Valentine X - of 44 shots, 3150 rounds of 7.92 mm caliber and 600 rounds of 7.7 mm caliber.
The Valentine XI tank's ammunition included 46 75-mm rounds with armor-piercing and high-explosive fragmentation shells, 3150 rounds of 7.92 mm caliber and 600 rounds of 7.7 mm caliber.
ENGINE. The tank of the Valentine I modification was equipped with a 6-cylinder four-stroke carbureted in-line engine AES A189 liquid-cooled with a power of 135 hp. at 1900 rpm.
On combat vehicles of all other modifications, two types of power plant were used: with an AEC A190 engine and a GMC engine.
The AES A190 engine is a 6-cylinder, four-stroke compressorless diesel engine with a vortex combustion chamber "Ricardo Comet III", in-line, with a power of 131 hp. at 1800 rpm. Cylinder diameter - 120 mm. Piston stroke - 142 mm. The working volume of the engine is 9650 cm3. Dry engine weight - 700 kg.
Fuel - diesel. Main tank capacity - 145 l, constant pressure tank - 25 l.
| Gun brand | projectile type | Projectile mass kg | Starting speed. m/s | The thickness of the pierced armor at a distance of 450 m with a slab slope of 30?. mm |
| 2pdr.MklX | armor-piercing | 0.921 | 848 | 57 |
| 6pdr. Mk HI | armor-piercing | 2.745 | 848 | 81 |
| 6pdr. Mk V | armor-piercing | 2.745 | 898 | 83 |
| 75mm MkV | armor-piercing | 6.791 | 615 | 68 |
| high-explosive fragmentation | 6,328 | 615 | - |
Cannons of tanks "Valentine"
1 - loophole for installing a BESA machine gun in a mask; 2 - gun barrel; 3 - machine gun barrel; 4 - machine gun armor; 5 - mask setting; 6 - telescopic sight; 7 - lifting mechanism; 8 - shoulder rest; 9 - trigger handle of the BESA machine gun; 10 - gun trigger; 11- sleeve collector; 12 - gun lock; 13 - recoil device
The lubrication system is combined, with a dry sump. Oil pump type - gear, three-section. The working capacity of the lubrication system is 36 liters.
The cooling system is liquid, forced, with a thermostat. Two tubular radiators were mounted above the gearbox. The hinged fastening of the radiators made it possible to access the units of the transmission compartment. Cooling system capacity - 41 l.
The engine was started by an electric starter, with air preheating by electric heating candles. To facilitate starting at low temperatures, the engine was equipped with a device for injecting ether into the intake pipe.
Engine GMC 6-71 model 6004, 6-cylinder, in-line, two-stroke, high-speed supercharged diesel, jet spray, liquid-cooled, 130 hp at 2000 rpm. Cylinder diameter - 108 mm. Piston stroke -127 mm. The working volume of the engine is 6970 cm3. Dry engine weight - 725 kg.
Fuel - diesel. Fuel tank capacity - 165 l. The lubrication and cooling systems are similar to the AEC A190 engine.
Engine start - electric starter. To facilitate starting at low temperatures, the engine was equipped with a device for heating the air coming from the supercharger.
In those cases when the driver was out of action during the movement of the tank or there was an urgent need to immediately stop the engine, the commander could cut off the air supply to the engine by pressing the emergency engine shutdown control button.
TRANSMISSION. Depending on the type of engine on the Valentine tanks, two types of transmissions were used.
The transmission of tanks with AES engines included: a J-151 single-disk main dry friction clutch, a four-way, five-speed (5 + 1) Meadows type 22 gearbox, a bevel transverse gear, multi-plate dry clutches and double planetary final drives.
The transmission of tanks with GMC engines was distinguished by the presence of a dry single-disk main clutch M-6004 and a mechanical three-way five-speed (5 + 1) synchronized Spicer synchromech gearbox. A feature of the transmission on tanks with GMC engines was that the engine, main clutch, gearbox and bevel gear housing were installed on a common base as one unit and fastened at five points.
On all Valentine models, shoe-type brakes were installed, and the brake drums were located on the outside of the drive wheels.
CHASSIS in relation to one side, it consisted of six rubber-coated road wheels (two with a diameter of 610 mm and four with a diameter of 495 mm), a rear drive wheel (pinion engagement in the middle of the caterpillar), a guide wheel with a crank-type tensioning mechanism, and three support rollers. The suspension is blocked, balancing with a spiral spring spring and a hydraulic shock absorber. Each caterpillar included 103 cast tracks 356 mm wide, track pitch 112 mm.
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT the tank consisted of batteries, a generator, a voltage regulator, a starter, a generator and an electric drive motor for the turret rotation mechanism, a control panel, indoor and outdoor lighting devices.
MEANS OF COMMUNICATION. The tank was equipped with two types of radios: No. 11, which included the TANNOY intercom system, and No. 19, with its own intercom system. Radio station No. 19 had a short-wave range of 15 km (in VHF mode - 1.5 km).
1 - 6-pounder gun Mk V; 2 - observation devices; 3 - hatch for firing from personal weapons; 4 - radio station number 19; 5 - GMC engine; 6 - fan; 7 - radiator; 8 - fuel tank; 9 - gearbox; 10 - main clutch; II - polik of the fighting compartment; 12 - driver's seat; 13 - gun vertical guidance mechanism
| Tactical and technical characteristics Valentine tanks | |||||||||||
| Modification | I | II | III | IV | V | VI | VII | VIII | IX | X | XI |
| Combat weight, t | 15,7 | 16,5 | 16.7 | 16,5 | 16,7 | 16,5 | 16,5 | 17,2 | 17,2 | 17,2 | 18 |
| Crew, pers. | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Overall dimensions, mm: | |||||||||||
| length with cannon forward | 5410 | 5410 | 5560 | 5410 | 5560 | 5410 | 5410 | 6325 | 6325 | 6325 | |
| width | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 | 2630 |
| height | 2270 | 2270 | 2580 | 2270 | 2580 | 2270 | 2270 | 2270 | 2270 | 2270 | 2270 |
| clearance | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 | 410 |
| Armor thickness, mm: | |||||||||||
| hull forehead | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| board | 60 | 60 | 50 | 60 | 50 | 60 | 60 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 |
| stern | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 60 |
| roof | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| bottom | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| forehead of the tower | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| board and stern | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 | 65 |
| Max, speed, km/h: | |||||||||||
| by highway | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 |
| by terrain | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 18 |
| Power reserve, km: | |||||||||||
| by highway | 112 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 176 | 225 | 225 | 225 |
| Specific power, hp/t | 7,9 | 7,7 | 7,7 | 8,1 | 7,7 | 8,1 | 8,1 | 7,56 | 7,56 | 7,56 | 9.6 |
Modern battle tanks Russia and the world photo, video, pictures watch online. This article gives an idea of the modern tank fleet. It is based on the classification principle used in the most authoritative reference book to date, but in a slightly modified and improved form. And if the latter in its original form can still be found in the armies of a number of countries, then others have already become a museum exhibit. And all for 10 years! To follow in the footsteps of the Jane's guide and not consider this combat vehicle (quite by the way, curious in design and fiercely discussed at the time), which formed the basis of the tank fleet of the last quarter of the 20th century, the authors considered it unfair.
Films about tanks where there is still no alternative to this type of armament of the ground forces. The tank was and probably will remain a modern weapon for a long time due to the ability to combine such seemingly contradictory qualities as high mobility, powerful weapons and reliable protection crew. These unique qualities of tanks continue to be constantly improved, and the experience and technologies accumulated over decades predetermine new frontiers of combat properties and military-technical achievements. In the age-old confrontation "projectile - armor", as practice shows, protection from a projectile is being improved more and more, acquiring new qualities: activity, multi-layeredness, self-defense. At the same time, the projectile becomes more accurate and powerful.
Russian tanks are specific in that they allow you to destroy the enemy from a safe distance, have the ability to perform quick maneuvers on impassable roads, contaminated terrain, can “walk” through the territory occupied by the enemy, seize a decisive bridgehead, induce panic in the rear and suppress the enemy with fire and caterpillars . The war of 1939-1945 became the most difficult test for all mankind, since almost all countries of the world were involved in it. It was the battle of the titans - the most unique period that theorists argued about in the early 1930s and during which tanks were used in large numbers by almost all the warring parties. At this time, a "check for lice" and a deep reform of the first theories of the use of tank troops took place. And it is the Soviet tank forces all of which are the most affected.
Tanks in battle that became a symbol of the past war, the backbone of the Soviet armored forces? Who created them and under what conditions? How did the USSR, having lost most of its European territories and having difficulty recruiting tanks for the defense of Moscow, be able to launch powerful tank formations on the battlefield already in 1943? This book, which tells about the development of Soviet tanks "in the days of testing ", from 1937 to the beginning of 1943. When writing the book, materials from the archives of Russia and private collections of tank builders were used. There was a period in our history that was deposited in my memory with some depressing feeling. It began with the return of our first military advisers from Spain, and stopped only at the beginning of forty-third, - said the former general designer of self-propelled guns L. Gorlitsky, - there was some kind of pre-stormy state.
Tanks of the Second World War, it was M. Koshkin, almost underground (but, of course, with the support of "the wisest of the wise leader of all peoples"), who was able to create the tank that, a few years later, would shock German tank generals. And what’s more, he didn’t just create it, the designer managed to prove to these stupid military men that it was his T-34 that they needed, and not just another wheeled-tracked “highway”. The author is in slightly different positions that he formed after meeting with the pre-war documents RGVA and RGAE Therefore, working on this segment of the history of the Soviet tank, the author will inevitably contradict something "generally accepted". this work describes the history of Soviet tank building in the most difficult years - from the beginning of a radical restructuring of all the activities of design bureaus and people's commissariats as a whole, during a frantic race to equip new tank formations of the Red Army, the transfer of industry to wartime rails and evacuation.
Tanks Wikipedia the author wants to express his special gratitude for the help in the selection and processing of materials to M. Kolomiyets, and also to thank A. Solyankin, I. Zheltov and M. Pavlov, the authors of the reference publication "Domestic armored vehicles. XX century. 1905 - 1941" because this book helped to understand the fate of some projects, unclear before. I would also like to recall with gratitude those conversations with Lev Izraelevich Gorlitsky, the former Chief Designer of UZTM, which helped to take a fresh look at the entire history of the Soviet tank during the Great Patriotic War Soviet Union. Today, for some reason, it is customary to talk about 1937-1938 in our country. only from the point of view of repressions, but few people remember that it was during this period that those tanks were born that became legends of the wartime ... "From the memoirs of L.I. Gorlinkogo.
Soviet tanks, a detailed assessment of them at that time sounded from many lips. Many old people recalled that it was from the events in Spain that it became clear to everyone that the war was getting closer to the threshold and it was Hitler who would have to fight. In 1937, mass purges and repressions began in the USSR, and against the backdrop of these difficult events, the Soviet tank began to turn from a "mechanized cavalry" (in which one of its combat qualities protruded by reducing others) into a balanced combat vehicle, which simultaneously had powerful weapons, sufficient to suppress most targets, good cross-country ability and mobility with armor protection, capable of maintaining its combat effectiveness when shelling a potential enemy with the most massive anti-tank weapons.
Large tanks were recommended to be added to the composition only special tanks- floating, chemical. The brigade now had 4 separate battalions of 54 tanks each and was reinforced by the transition from three-tank platoons to five-tank ones. In addition, D. Pavlov justified the refusal to form in 1938 to the four existing mechanized corps three more additionally, believing that these formations are immobile and difficult to control, and most importantly, they require a different organization of the rear. The tactical and technical requirements for promising tanks, as expected, have been adjusted. In particular, in a letter dated December 23 to the head of the design bureau of plant No. 185 named after. CM. Kirov, the new chief demanded to strengthen the armor of new tanks so that at a distance of 600-800 meters (effective range).
The latest tanks in the world when designing new tanks, it is necessary to provide for the possibility of increasing the level of armor protection during modernization by at least one step ... "This problem could be solved in two ways. Firstly, by increasing the thickness of the armor plates and, secondly," by using increased armor resistance". It is easy to guess that the second way was considered more promising, since the use of specially hardened armor plates, or even two-layer armor, could, while maintaining the same thickness (and the mass of the tank as a whole), increase its durability by 1.2-1.5 It was this path (the use of specially hardened armor) that was chosen at that moment to create new types of tanks.
Tanks of the USSR at the dawn of tank production, armor was most massively used, the properties of which were identical in all directions. Such armor was called homogeneous (homogeneous), and from the very beginning of the armor business, the craftsmen strove to create just such armor, because uniformity ensured stability of characteristics and simplified processing. However, at the end of the 19th century, it was noticed that when the surface of the armor plate was saturated (to a depth of several tenths to several millimeters) with carbon and silicon, its surface strength increased sharply, while the rest of the plate remained viscous. So heterogeneous (heterogeneous) armor came into use.
In military tanks, the use of heterogeneous armor was very important, since an increase in the hardness of the entire thickness of the armor plate led to a decrease in its elasticity and (as a result) to an increase in brittleness. Thus, the most durable armor, other things being equal, turned out to be very fragile and often pricked even from bursts of high-explosive fragmentation shells. Therefore, at the dawn of armor production in the manufacture of homogeneous sheets, the task of the metallurgist was to achieve the highest possible hardness of the armor, but at the same time not to lose its elasticity. Surface-hardened by saturation with carbon and silicon armor was called cemented (cemented) and was considered at that time a panacea for many ills. But cementation is a complex, harmful process (for example, processing a hot plate with a jet of lighting gas) and relatively expensive, and therefore its development in a series required high costs and an increase in production culture.
Tank of the war years, even in operation, these hulls were less successful than homogeneous ones, since for no apparent reason cracks formed in them (mainly in loaded seams), and it was very difficult to put patches on holes in cemented slabs during repairs. But it was still expected that a tank protected by 15-20 mm cemented armor would be equivalent in terms of protection to the same, but covered with 22-30 mm sheets, without a significant increase in mass.
Also, by the mid-1930s, in tank building, they learned how to harden the surface of relatively thin armor plates by uneven hardening, known from late XIX century in shipbuilding as the "Krupp method". Surface hardening led to a significant increase in the hardness of the front side of the sheet, leaving the main thickness of the armor viscous.
How tanks shoot videos up to half the thickness of the plate, which, of course, was worse than carburizing, since despite the fact that the hardness of the surface layer was higher than during carburizing, the elasticity of the hull sheets was significantly reduced. So the "Krupp method" in tank building made it possible to increase the strength of armor even somewhat more than carburizing. But the hardening technology that was used for sea armor of large thicknesses was no longer suitable for relatively thin tank armor. Before the war, this method was almost never used in our serial tank building due to technological difficulties and relatively high cost.
Combat use of tanks The most developed for tanks was the 45-mm tank gun mod 1932/34. (20K), and before the event in Spain, it was believed that its power was enough to perform most tank tasks. But the battles in Spain showed that the 45-mm gun could only satisfy the task of fighting enemy tanks, since even the shelling of manpower in the mountains and forests turned out to be ineffective, and it was only possible to disable a dug-in enemy firing point if direct hit. Shooting at shelters and bunkers was ineffective due to the small high-explosive action of a projectile weighing only about two kg.
Types of tanks photo so that even one hit of a projectile reliably disables an anti-tank gun or machine gun; and thirdly, to increase the penetrating effect of a tank gun on the armor of a potential enemy, since, using the example of French tanks (already having an armor thickness of the order of 40-42 mm), it became clear that the armor protection of foreign combat vehicles tends to be significantly increased. There was a right way to do this - increasing the caliber of tank guns and simultaneously increasing the length of their barrel, since a long gun of a larger caliber fires heavier projectiles at a higher muzzle velocity over a greater distance without correcting the pickup.
The best tanks in the world had a large caliber gun, also had a large breech, significantly more weight and increased recoil reaction. And this required an increase in the mass of the entire tank as a whole. In addition, the placement of large shots in the closed volume of the tank led to a decrease in the ammunition load.
The situation was aggravated by the fact that at the beginning of 1938 it suddenly turned out that there was simply no one to give an order for the design of a new, more powerful tank gun. P. Syachintov and his entire design team were repressed, as well as the core of the Bolshevik Design Bureau under the leadership of G. Magdesiev. Only the group of S. Makhanov remained at liberty, who from the beginning of 1935 tried to bring his new 76.2-mm semi-automatic single gun L-10, and the team of plant No. 8 slowly brought the "forty-five".
Photos of tanks with names The number of developments is large, but in mass production in the period 1933-1937. not a single one was accepted ... "In fact, none of the five air-cooled tank diesel engines, which were worked on in 1933-1937 in the engine department of plant No. 185, was brought to the series. Moreover, despite the decisions on the highest levels of the transition in tank building exclusively to diesel engines, this process was held back by a number of factors.Of course, diesel had significant efficiency.It consumed less fuel per unit of power per hour.Diesel fuel is less prone to ignition, since the flash point of its vapors was very high.
Even the most finished of them, the MT-5 tank engine, required reorganization of engine production for serial production, which was expressed in the construction of new workshops, the supply of advanced foreign equipment (there were no machine tools of the required accuracy yet), financial investments and strengthening personnel. It was planned that in 1939 this diesel engine with a capacity of 180 hp. will go to production tanks and artillery tractors, but due to investigative work to find out the causes of tank engine accidents, which lasted from April to November 1938, these plans were not fulfilled. The development of a slightly increased six-cylinder gasoline engine No. 745 with a power of 130-150 hp was also started.
Brands of tanks with specific indicators that suited the tank builders quite well. Tank tests were carried out according to new methodology, specially developed at the insistence of the new head of the ABTU D. Pavlov in relation to military service in war time. The basis of the tests was a run of 3-4 days (at least 10-12 hours of daily non-stop traffic) with a one-day break for technical inspection and restoration work. Moreover, repairs were allowed to be carried out only by field workshops without the involvement of factory specialists. This was followed by a "platform" with obstacles, "bathing" in the water with an additional load, simulating an infantry landing, after which the tank was sent for examination.
Super tanks online after the improvement work seemed to remove all claims from the tanks. And the general course of the tests confirmed the fundamental correctness of the main design changes - an increase in displacement by 450-600 kg, the use of the GAZ-M1 engine, as well as the Komsomolets transmission and suspension. But during the tests, numerous minor defects again appeared in the tanks. The chief designer N. Astrov was suspended from work and was under arrest and investigation for several months. In addition, the tank received a new improved protection turret. The modified layout made it possible to place on the tank a larger ammunition load for a machine gun and two small fire extinguishers (before there were no fire extinguishers on small tanks of the Red Army).
US tanks as part of modernization work, on one serial model of the tank in 1938-1939. the torsion bar suspension developed by the designer of the Design Bureau of Plant No. 185 V. Kulikov was tested. It was distinguished by the design of a composite short coaxial torsion bar (long monotorsion bars could not be used coaxially). However, such a short torsion bar in tests did not show enough nice results, and therefore the torsion bar suspension during further work did not immediately pave the way. Obstacles to be overcome: rises not less than 40 degrees, vertical wall 0.7 m, overlapping ditch 2-2.5 m.
YouTube about tanks work on the production of prototypes of D-180 and D-200 engines for reconnaissance tanks justifying his choice, N. Astrov said that the wheeled-tracked non-floating reconnaissance aircraft (factory designation 101 or 10-1), as well as the amphibious tank variant (factory designation 102 or 10- 2), are a compromise solution, since it is not possible to fully satisfy the requirements of ABTU.Option 101 was a tank weighing 7.5 tons with a hull like a hull, but with vertical side sheets of cemented armor 10-13 mm thick, since : "Sloping sides, causing a serious weighting of the suspension and hull, require a significant (up to 300mm) broadening of the hull, not to mention the complication of the tank.
Video reviews of tanks in which the power unit of the tank was planned to be based on the 250-horsepower MG-31F aircraft engine, which was mastered by the industry for agricultural aircraft and gyroplanes. Gasoline of the 1st grade was placed in a tank under the floor of the fighting compartment and in additional onboard gas tanks. The armament fully met the task and consisted of coaxial machine guns DK caliber 12.7 mm and DT (in the second version of the project even ShKAS appears) caliber 7.62 mm. The combat weight of a tank with a torsion bar suspension was 5.2 tons, with a spring suspension - 5.26 tons. The tests were carried out from July 9 to August 21 according to the methodology approved in 1938, with special attention paid to tanks.