Tanks "VALENTINE" in parts of the Red Army. Tanks "VALENTINE" in parts of the Red Army 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 car, tank destroyers of the third level of Great Britain are Valentine AT guide.
As you can understand from the name and appearance, this unit was designed on the basis of a lightweight British tank, which in our game is at level 4 - this is Valentine. 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 hull armor in a circle, which not every classmate can penetrate, and we are completely protected from 99% of machine guns.
However, the problem is that British Valentine tank 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 speed chassis rotation;
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 make it possible to deal damage more effectively, but you will also notice less problems with stabilization 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.
In early 1938, the British War Office offered Vickers-Armstrong Ltd. take part in the production of the infantry tank Mk. II or develop a combat vehicle of its own design according to similar tactical and technical requirements. The drawings of the new combat vehicle were submitted to the Ministry of War on February 10, 1938, and its full-size model was made by March 14, but the military was not satisfied with the double tower, and for a whole year they thought about whether to accept the project or not. The deteriorating situation in Europe contributed to the fact that on April 14, 1939, an order was issued for the first series of tanks. The contract, signed in June - July of the same year, provided for the supply of 625 Valentines to the British army. Two more firms were involved in their production: Metropolitan- Cammell Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd. and Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Co. Ltd. In June 1940, the first mass-produced tanks began to come out of the shops of the Vickers plant in Newcastle.
Infantry tank "Valentine II" at the NIIBT Polygon in Kubinka. 1947
Infantry tank "Valentine" had a classic layout with rear drive wheels. The main feature of the hull and turret design is 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 the plates were fastened to each other with bolts, rivets and dowels. Tolerances when fitting various parts did not exceed 0.01 inches.
The driver's seat was located in the center of the front of the tank. For landing and disembarking, he had at his disposal two hatches with hinged covers. Two more crew members - the gunner and the commander (he is also the loader and radio operator) - were located in the tower. In its frontal part, a 2-pounder gun and a 7.92-mm BESA machine gun coaxial with it were installed in a cast mask. To their right, in a separate mask, is a 50-mm smoke grenade launcher. The armament was supplemented by a 7.69 mm Bren machine gun on a Lakeman anti-aircraft mount on the roof of the turret. At the rear of the tower were radio station No. 11 or No. 19 and a special opening for ventilation. On the walls of the rotating floor of the fighting compartment of the tower was placed ammunition - 60 shots and 3150 rounds of ammunition (14 boxes of 225 pieces each) for the BESA machine gun; the seats of the crew members were also attached to the floor. Ammunition for the Bren anti-aircraft machine gun - 600 rounds (6 disk magazines) - was in a box on the rear outer wall of the turret. 18 smoke grenades were intended for the grenade launcher.
An engine with power, lubrication, cooling and electrical equipment was installed in the spacious engine compartment. To the right of the engine is an oil filter and two batteries, and to the left is fuel tank. The engine compartment was closed from the fighting compartment with removable blinds. To access the engine units, the armor plates of the roof of the engine compartment were hinged.
The transmission compartment contained a cooling system tank, two radiators, a single-disk main dry friction clutch, a five-speed gearbox, a transverse gear, two multi-disk dry clutches, semi-rigid connections of the final clutches with final drives and an oil tank.
The undercarriage of each side consisted of six rubber-coated road wheels, interlocked by three into two balancing carts with special springs and hydraulic shock absorbers; drive wheel with removable ring gear and two rubber tires; idler wheel with tensioner and three rubberized support rollers. There were 103 tracks in the caterpillar chain, and their engagement was lantern, in the middle of the track.
Infantry tank MK-III "Valentine IX" at the training ground in Kubinka.
Tanks "Valentine" were produced in 11 modifications, differing in brand and type of engine, turret design and armament. The Valentine I variant was the only one equipped with a 135 hp AEC A189 carburetor engine. Starting with the Valentine II model, only diesel engines were installed on the tank, first AEC A190 with a capacity of 131 hp. from, then, to Valentine IV, - the American GMC 6004, throttled to a power of 138 hp. Since the tankers complained about the congestion of the two crew members stationed in the turret, a three-man turret was installed on the III and V variants, increasing the volume of the standard one due to the new-shaped mask pushed forward. However, the new turret was too crowded for three tankers, and such an improvement turned out to be of little use. With a common identity, the "troika" and "five" differed from each other only in the brand of the engine - AEC A190 and GMC 6004, respectively. The mass of the tank increased by exactly one ton and reached 16.75 tons.
Before a rally on the occasion of the transfer of the first British tanks to the Soviet Union. Birmingham, 28 September 1941.
In the fall of 1941, the production of "Valentine" unfolded in Canada, at the plant of the Montreal company Canadian Pacific Co. Until the middle of 1943, 1420 tanks of modifications "VI" and "VII" were manufactured here, which almost did not differ from the "Valentine IV". The only difference was the brand of the coaxial machine gun: on Valentine VI - BESA, and on Valentine VII - Browning М1919А4. Some of the Canadian-made machines had a cast frontal part of the hull.
In an effort to raise firepower tank, the British installed a 6-pounder gun on the Valentine VIII. At the same time, the number of crew members in the tower was again reduced to two. The course machine gun was also eliminated, which reduced the tank's firepower.
The Valentine IX variant was identical to its counterpart, with the exception of the brand power plant: it had a GMC 6004 diesel engine, and on the "VIII" - AEC A190.
The coaxial machine gun was returned to Valentine X. And due to the fact that the mass of the tank with a 6-pounder gun increased to 17.2 tons, a GMC 6004 diesel engine with a power of 165 hp was installed on the "top ten". The 6-pounder guns were of two modifications: the Mk III with a barrel length of 42.9 calibers and the Mk V with a barrel length of 50 calibers. Ammunition was reduced to 58 rounds.
The latest modification of "Valentine", supplied in Soviet Union, became "Valentine X".
The latest modification - "Valentine XI" - was armed with a 75-mm cannon. At the same time, the coaxial machine gun was again removed - there was simply nowhere to put it. This version was equipped with a GMC 6004 engine, boosted to 210 hp.
On April 14, 1944, the last Valentine tank out of 6,855 military vehicles made in the UK left the factory floor. In addition, from the autumn of 1941 to the middle of 1943, 1420 of these machines were produced in Canada. Hence, total"Valentines" is 8275 units. This is the most massive British tank of the Second World War.
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.
According to the selection committees of the GBTU of the Red Army, in 1941, 216 tanks were accepted, in 1942 - 959, in 1943-1776, in 1944 - 381. The Red Army received tanks of seven modifications - II, III, IV, V, VII, IX and X. As you can see, cars equipped with GMC diesels prevailed. Perhaps this was done for the sake of unification: the same engines were on the Shermans supplied to the USSR. In addition to line tanks, 25 Valentine-Bridgelayer bridgelayers - the Soviet designation MK.ZM - were delivered. In the documents of the war years, "valentines" are called differently. Most often MK.III or MK.3, sometimes with the addition of the name "Valentine" or, more rarely, "Valentine". It is not often possible to come across the designation of the modification “Valentine III”, “Valentine IX”, etc. However, in the documents of those years, in addition to MK-3, the designations MK-5, MK-7, MK-9 come across. It is quite obvious that we are talking about various modifications of this British tank.
The first "Valentines" appeared on the Soviet-German front at the end of November 1941. In the 5th Army, which was defending in the Mozhaisk direction, the 136th separate tank battalion became the first unit to receive combat vehicles of this type. It was formed by December 1, 1941, and included ten T-34s, ten T-60s, nine Valentines and three Matildas. The battalion received English tanks in Gorky only on November 10, 1941, so the tankers were trained directly at the front. On December 15, the 136th separate tank battalion was attached to the 329th rifle division, and then to the 20th tank brigade, together with which it participated in the counteroffensive near Moscow. As in the case of the Matilda, already during the first battles, such a lack of English tanks was revealed as the absence of high-explosive fragmentation shells in the ammunition load of the 2-pounder gun. The latter circumstance was the reason for the GKO's order to re-equip Valentine with a domestic artillery system. This task was carried out in a short time at plant number 92 in Gorky. On the machine, which received the factory index ZIS-95, a 45-mm cannon and a DT machine gun were installed. At the end of December 1941, the tank was sent to Moscow, but things did not go beyond the prototype.
Tank MK-III "Valentine" is moving to the front line. Battle for Moscow, January 1942.
A large number of"Valentinov" participated in the battle for the Caucasus. In 1942–1943, almost 70% of the tank units of the North Caucasian and Transcaucasian fronts were equipped with imported equipment. This was due to the proximity to the so-called "Persian Corridor" - one of the routes for the delivery of goods to the USSR, passing through Iran. But even among the troops of the North Caucasian Front, the 5th Guards Tank Brigade stood out, whose tankers from mid-1942 to September 1943 mastered five types of vehicles: Valentine, MZl, MZs, Sherman and Tetrarch, and this apart from domestic technology!
fighting in the North Caucasus, the brigade began on September 26, 1942 in the Grozny direction in the Malgobek-Ozernaya area. At that time, the brigade had 40 Valentines, three T-34s and one BT-7. September 29 tankers attacked German troops in the Alkhanch-urt valley. In this battle, the crew of Captain Shepelkov's guards on their "Valentine" destroyed five tanks, a self-propelled gun, a truck and 25 enemy soldiers. In total, over several days of fighting in this area, the 5th Guards Tank Brigade destroyed 38 tanks (20 of them burned down), one self-propelled unit, 24 guns, six mortars, one six-barreled mortar and up to 1800 enemy soldiers. Our losses amounted to two T-34s and 33 "Valentines" (of which eight burned down, and the rest were evacuated from the battlefield and restored), 268 people were killed and wounded.
"Valentine II" in ambush. Battle for Moscow, January 1942.
Tank MK-III "Valentine VII" of the 52nd Red Banner Tank Brigade is heading to the front line. A white rhombus is clearly visible on the tower - the tactical sign of the 52nd brigade. Transcaucasian Front, November 1942.
Canadian tank "Valentine VII" from the 52nd Red Banner Tank Brigade, shot down near the city of Alagir. North Caucasus, November 3, 1942. In addition to the number of the military department, clearly visible on the turret, the belonging of this machine to the modification "Valentine VII" can be judged by the barrel of the coaxial Browning machine gun and the cast frontal part of the hull.
Working out the interaction of tanks and infantry. 1942
Since most of the brigades that were armed with imported equipment were distinguished by a mixed composition, the most correct solution was found already in 1942 - to use domestic and foreign tanks in a comprehensive manner so that they complement each other in terms of their combat qualities. So, in the first echelon there were tanks KB and "Matilda" CS with a 76-mm howitzer, in the second - T-34, and in the third - "Valentines" and T-70. This tactic has often yielded positive results.
The 5th Guards Tank Brigade acted in a similar way during the battles to break through the "Blue Line" - the German defensive line in the North Caucasus in 1943. Then, in addition to the forces of the brigade (13 M4A2, 24 Valentine, 12 T-34), the 14th Guards tank regiment breakthrough (16 KB-1C), and battle formations managed to build it in such a way that ultimately contributed to the success of the battle. However, in this regard, it will be interesting to get acquainted with the memoirs of G. P. Polosin, a participant in this battle:
“Tacking among shell explosions (thirty-minute artillery preparation, of course, did not fully suppress the enemy fire system), my Valentine suddenly found himself literally in front of the houses of the farm (Gorno-Vesely. - Note. author). 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 KB is not visible. Maybe they fell behind or took aside ... The infantry, of course, was cut off from the tanks even earlier ...
Destroying enemy machine-gun emplacements and bunkers along the way, our platoon tanks entered the hollow. Stopped here. I gave the order over the radio:
Do not shoot without my order! Save your projectiles. It is not yet known how much it will take like this ... And then to get through to your own ...
The tank commanders answered briefly: they 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 British tanks) and having installed a smoke screen, the cars returned through the same hollow to the location of their troops. Around Gorno-Vesely, the battle was still going on. The KB tanks were knocked out. One of them stood without a tower. Another a little farther from him buried his cannon in the ground. At his right flattened caterpillar, two tankers fired back from pistols from the Germans who were pressing. Having dispersed the enemy infantry with fire from cannons and machine guns, we dragged both wounded into our Valentine. It immediately became clear that, having failed to penetrate the armor of the KB with anti-tank artillery, the Germans used guided mines against them.
A very interesting episode. It is worth paying attention to one essential detail: the successful actions of the platoon are largely due to the presence of reliable radio communications between the vehicles. Which is not surprising, because radio stations were installed on all Lend-Lease tanks without exception!
"Valentine" lined up on the Eastern Front. Army Group Center, February 1942.
Another example of the use of such tactics was the battle of the 139th tank regiment of the 68th mechanized brigade of the 5th mechanized corps of the 5th army for capturing the village of Devichye Pole in November 1943. The regiment had 20 T-34 tanks and 18 Valentine VII tanks. On November 20, 1943, in cooperation with the 56th Guards Tank Regiment of the breakthrough, which was armed with KB and T-34, and the infantry of the 110th Guards Rifle Division, the tanks of the 139th Tank Regiment went forward. The attack was carried out at high speeds (up to 25 km / h) with a landing of submachine gunners on armor and attached to tanks anti-tank guns. In total, 30 Soviet combat vehicles were involved in the operation. The enemy did not expect such a swift and massive strike and could not offer effective resistance. After breaking through the first line of enemy defense, the infantry dismounted and, having unhooked their guns, began to take up positions, preparing to repel a possible counterattack. The remaining units of the 110th Guards Rifle Division were brought into the breach. However, there was no German counterattack - the German command was so stunned by the actions of the Soviet troops that they could not organize a counterattack for a day. During this time, our troops advanced 20 km into the depths of the German defense and captured the Maiden Field, while losing one KB, one T-34 and two Valentines!
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 Front) and took an active part in the 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. It should be noted that in many military units imported tanks were modified mainly in order to increase the cross-country ability on snow and swampy ground. For example, in the 196th Tank Brigade of the 30th Army of the Kalinin Front, which participated in the capture of the city of Rzhev in August 1942, steel plates were welded to each track, increasing its area.
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.
"Valentine" on the right bank of the Dniester. 1943
Tanks "Valentine V" (with triple tower) on the march. 1st Belorussian Front, 1944.
"Valentine VII", lined with German anti-tank artillery. Vitebsk region, January 1944.
A column of "Valentines" on the outskirts of Baranovichi. In the foreground is Valentine V. Belarus, 1944.
Tanks of modifications "Valentine IX" and "Valentine X", armed with 57-mm guns, along with "Shermans", almost until the end of the war, continued to be requested by the Soviet Union for Lend-Lease supplies. Largely due to this, the mass 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. So, for example, in the 5th Guards Tank Army of the 3rd Belorussian Front on June 22, 1944, there were 39 Valentine IX tanks, and in the 3rd Cavalry Corps - 30 Valentine III units. Tanks "Valentine IX" were in service with the 1st Mechanized Corps of the 2nd Guards Tank Army during the Vistula-Oder offensive operation in the winter of 1945. Combat vehicles of this type completed their combat path in the Red Army in the Far East in August 1945. As part of the 2nd Far Eastern Front, the 267th tank regiment fought (41 "Valentine III" and "Valentine IX"), in the ranks of the cavalry-mechanized group of the Trans-Baikal Front there were 40 tanks "Valentine IV", and, finally, as part of 1- On the Far Eastern Front, there were two tank-bridge companies with i0 Valentine-Bridgelayer bridgelayers in each.
AT foreign literature it is quite difficult to meet a more or less complete assessment of the Valentine tank. Too limited in time and scope was its operation in the British army. Basically, it is noted that the tankers praised the tank for its reliability, and scolded it for the tightness of the fighting compartment and the absence of high-explosive fragmentation shells in the ammunition of 2- and 6-pounder guns.
Since several thousand combat vehicles of this type fought on the Soviet-German front, in extremely harsh operating conditions, we will try to analyze the reviews given to Valentine by Soviet tankers. True, for the reasons already mentioned, this will not be easy to do. Evaluations in an exclusively negative way could not be avoided by memoirs either. A typical example of a biased and controversial assessment of the Valentine tank can be found in the memoirs of Major General A. V. Kazaryan.
On the eve of the events described in the spring of 1942, he completed his studies in the 38th Tank Training Regiment. In June, he arrived in the 196th tank brigade as a tank commander. Here is an excerpt from his memoirs.
What can be said about this episode? The young commander, who had just completed an accelerated (4–5 months) course of study, arrived at the unit. In his own words, he was not familiar with the Valentine tank (the 38th Training Tank Regiment was transferred to the training of tankers for the operation of foreign equipment only in March 1942). For a thorough study of such complex military equipment as a tank, three days is clearly not enough, especially for its commander. However, the company commander gave an objective and quite fair assessment of the battle. With such training, its result would be the same regardless of the military equipment involved in it: be it T-34 or Sherman, KB or Valentine. About the latter, by the way, in the above passage you can find some interesting information. It turns out that the armor is weak (this is 60 mm!), And the engine is low-power, and the speed “you can’t squeeze more than 25”, although “according to technical description should give all 40. Such "information" cannot cause anything but a smile. Behind it lies complete ignorance of the entrusted material part and the peculiarities of its use not only by the tank commander, but by the entire crew. Hence the lamentation at low speed, and references to the mythical technical description at a speed of 40 km / h! "Valentine" is an infantry escort tank, and it does not need high power density and movement speed. Moreover, the average speeds in an attack, as a rule, do not exceed 16-17 km / h (this is the endurance threshold of the crew members of any tank when moving across the terrain), and even less with infantry support - it is difficult to imagine an infantryman running into an attack from speed of 40 km/h! As for the maneuverability of the tank, they are provided not only and not so much by high specific power, but mainly by the L / B ratio. The smaller it is, the more maneuverable the car. At Valentine, it was 1.4, and in this indicator it surpassed the T-34 (1.5).
Forward to the west! Soviet tanks ("Valentine IX") entered the territory of Romania. 1944
Tanks "Valentine IX" pass through the streets of Botosani. Romania, April 1944.
The Valentine IX tanks of the 5th Guards Tank Army are moving into combat positions. 1st Belorussian Front, summer 1944.
A slightly different assessment of the "Valentine" is contained in the memoirs of N. Ya. Zheleznov, who was able to get acquainted with this car in the summer of 1942 at the 1st Saratov Tank School:
“For about a month, we trained in English Matildas and Canadian Valentines. I must say that Valentine is a very successful car. The gun is powerful, the engine is quiet, the tank itself is low, literally the height of a man.”
In fairness, it must be said that A.V. Kazaryan later quite successfully fought on the "Valentine" in the battles in the Rzhev direction, was awarded, became a platoon commander, and then a company. True, somewhere since July 1942, he calls his “Valentine” (by the way, models III or V) “thirty-four”, although, judging by the documents, until November 1942 in the 196th tank brigade of domestically produced tanks, except for T -60 was not. Yes, and the “thirty-four” is somehow strange - with a triple tower and an anti-aircraft machine gun.
In a word, the given fragment of memoirs did not add clarity. Let's try to turn to a more impartial source: documents of the war years. In particular, to the "Brief Report on the actions of MK.III", dated January 15, 1942, which was compiled by the command of the 136th separate tank battalion, which participated from December 15, 1941 in the counteroffensive near Moscow. This report, apparently, can be considered one of the first documents containing an assessment of Lend-Lease 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 there is a decrease in engine power ...
5. Armor good quality…
The personnel of the crews underwent special training and owned tanks 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 the necessary insulation, 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 had a turret jammed by a 37-mm projectile, the other had a cannon, the third received five hits on the side from a distance of 200–250 m. In this battle "Valentines" knocked out two medium tanks T-3.
In general, the MK.III is a good combat vehicle with powerful armament, good cross-country ability, capable of operating against enemy manpower, fortifications and tanks.
1. Poor grip of the tracks with the ground.
2. Great vulnerability of suspension bogies - if one roller fails, the tank cannot move.
3. There are no high-explosive fragmentation shells for the gun.”
There is no reason to doubt the objectivity of this report, compiled in hot pursuit. It is interesting to note that the Soviet tankers, like their British counterparts, noted the absence of high-explosive fragmentation shells in the cannon's ammunition as a drawback, but did not notice the tightness of the fighting compartment, apparently because the T-34, for example, still had it. closer. A number of design features the tank was criticized exclusively in parts of the Red Army. It goes without saying that in England or Western Europe, and even more so in North Africa or Burma, the water in the tank cooling system did not freeze due to the lack of frost. Most of The shortcomings of Valentine (and not just one), mentioned in our documents and memoirs, are connected with the climatic factor that made operation difficult. And here we come to another reason for the negative assessments of this combat vehicle by some of our tankers (as a rule, however, who fought on it for a short time).
Tank "Valentine IX" on the street of Iasi. Romania, August 1944.
Bridge layer Valentine-Bridgelayer at the NIIBT Polygon in Kubinka. 1945
There was a lot of trouble! Flush the cooling system and pour antifreeze into it - chores! At temperatures below -20 ° C, tractor kerosene must be added to domestic diesel fuel (we simply did not have diesel fuel required quality, and on the Valentines there were automobile diesel engines) - chores! To keep the engine warm, it is necessary to cover the radiators with plywood, tarpaulin or an old overcoat (on Valentine, by the way, for this purpose it was recommended to turn off one of the fans by removing the drive belt) - again chores! Of course, domestic equipment also required such measures, but, firstly, it was already created taking into account the quality of domestic fuels and lubricants and the level Maintenance, and therefore, for these reasons, it broke less often. In addition, for broken domestic equipment, they were punished less than for imported ones, for which it was “paid in gold”. This circumstance could not cause anything other than a steady hatred for foreign combat vehicles, including the Valentine, among the deputy technical officers and technicians. And what feelings could a driver experience, for example, reading the following provisions of the instruction manual:
“If, after 4–5 attempts, the engine of an English tank could not be started, it is necessary, if there is a device for starting with the help of ether, to load the pistol with an ampoule, press the primer puncture lever and start the engine with a starter. After starting the engine, do not allow it to run above 800 rpm until the oil temperature reaches 2TC (80°F) and the oil pressure rises to 60-80 psi.
Upon reaching these readings, the speed should be increased to 1000 per minute, and after 2-3 minutes, work can be done at a higher speed.
The movement of the tank can only be started after the engine is completely warmed up and always from the first gear in order to avoid damage (with frozen grease) of the gearbox, differential and final drives.
Like this! Not only do you need to monitor the temperature, but you need to get under way only from the first gear! (On the T-34, as you know, until the end of 1943, they generally used only one second gear, the rest simply did not turn on in motion.) Indeed, some kind of kerosene stove, not a tank! And in general - a phenomenon of a military-technical culture deeply alien to us!
True, by the end of the war, as our own military-technical culture grew and many foreign technical solutions were used on domestic technology, claims to "Valentine" became less and less. In any case, about the complex design and heavy operation.
In 1945, in the article "Analysis of the development of foreign tank technology during the war years and the prospects for further improvement of tanks," major general of the tank engineering service, doctor technical sciences Professor N. I. Gruzdev, published in the collection of works of the Academy of Armored and Mechanized Forces, "Valentine" deserved the following rating:
“The MK-III, as an infantry (or, adhering to the weight classification, light) tank, certainly has the most dense overall layout and is undoubtedly the most successful among this type of tanks, although the removal of brake drums outside the hull is certainly wrong. Experience with the MK-III tank stops the discussion about the possibility of expedient use of automotive units for tank building.
The armored bulkhead between the engine and fighting compartments significantly reduces losses in the crew in case of fire and preserves the engine-transmission group during the explosion of shells. Surveillance devices are simple and effective. The presence of equalizers in the MK-III and servomechanisms, despite the low specific power, makes it possible to provide a satisfactory average speed tank of the order of 13-17 km / h.
Characteristic of the British tanks MK-III, MK-II and MK-IV is the preference given to armor; speed and armament are, as it were, secondary; there is no doubt that if this is tolerable in the MK-III, then in other tanks the disproportion is a clear and unacceptable minus.
It should be noted reliably working diesel GMC.
Of all the existing light tanks, the MK-III tank is the most successful. We can say that in the conditions of 1940-1943. it was the British who created the type of infantry tank.
Tanks "VALENTINE" in parts of the Red Army
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 the bourgeois falsifiers has successfully ended with the victory of the latter, it is possible to more or less objectively analyze the advantages and disadvantages of individual models of Anglo-American armored vehicles, which were used in significant quantities in the Red Army. This article will talk about English easy 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 the company "" 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, a 135 hp AEC carburetor was used, replaced in subsequent modifications by AEC and GMC diesel engines with a capacity of 131, 138 and 165 hp. tank was 34 km / h.
By Soviet standards, "Valentines" had an archaic design - armor plates were attached to 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 Sovietsky (a total of 3782 units), 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 calibers. A.A.), coaxial with a machine gun and a GMC engine with a power of 165 l .with.
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 IX was delivered to the Soviet Union mainly with an artillery system having a barrel length of 52 calibers, while in the British army models with a barrel length of 45 calibers were used. "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 indicated by her (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 armored vehicles received various compounds, subdivided | divisions and parts armored forces 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 presented sample of armored vehicles.
In addition, the foreign one was designed with the expectation of a higher culture of production and operation. In many respects, 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 vehicles, modifying many of them to suit 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 Panzer Group note the fact of the first use of English Type 3 tanks (Mk.III Valentine. - Author's note) against the 2nd Panzer Division on November 25, 1941 in the Peshka area. The document stated: "For the first time, German soldiers were confronted 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 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, documents with an assessment of the Allied equipment:
"The experience of using "Valentines" showed:
1. Tanks passability in winter conditions is 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 care.
3. Observation in devices and slots is good.
4. The motor group and worked well up to 150-200 hours, then there is a decrease in engine power.
5. Good quality armor.
The personnel of the crews underwent special training and owned tanks 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 tower, 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 weapon 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 the suspension bogies - if one roller fails, it cannot move. There are no high-explosive fragmentation shells for the gun."
Apparently, the latter circumstance was the reason for the order State Committee Defense on the rearmament of "Valentine" with a 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:
- Don't 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 they broke away from the main group conducting reconnaissance in force, and the fuel was 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 (this is where this weapon, which was only on British tanks) came in handy 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. HF were hit. 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, having failed to penetrate the armor of the KV with 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, with his unexpected blow from the rear, he forced the enemy to fully open his fire system. 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 tracks of the Valentine tanks, increasing the area of the caterpillar. Shod in such "bast shoes", the car did not fall through in the snow and did not get stuck in the swampy soil of central 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 cavalry -mechanized group of the Trans-Baikal Front.
Dowries tank brigades 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 on their own, and large obstacles (over 8 m) could not be provided Mk.IIIM.
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 material part 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 anti-tank guns attached to tanks. This operation involved 30 Soviet tanks. 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,
In early 1938, the British War Office 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 infantry tank (A11 ) and cruising tanks Mk I (A9) and Mk II (A10). Elements of these machines and tried to combine in one project chief designer Leslie Little firm. The task turned out to be not easy - it was necessary to maintain powerful armor, the same as that of the A11 infantry tank, while using a motor-transmission unit 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. In the open position, the 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 with the help of a shoulder rest and two “pistol” grips, 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.
In Valentine I - VII, in the turret, 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 make it easier to start low temperatures the engine was equipped with a device for injecting ether into the suction 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 stop 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 Meadows type 22 four-way, five-speed (5 + 1) 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 number 19 had a range of short waves 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 |
Valentine - British light tank IV level. Allows you to open two branches of research: artillery through the Bishop and tank destroyers through the Archer.
Historically, it was one of the most successful and massive British tanks; in total, more than eight thousand Valentines of various modifications were produced.
Security and Valentine armor in World of Tanks
The tank stands out for its frontal projection armor: 60 mm in the hull and 65 mm in the turret. Taking into account the rounded shape of the turret and the specific location of the plates in the hull, we get quite a good result, allowing us to beat off a lot of shells from weak low-level guns. The last armor update affected only medium British tanks. On the other hand, for tanks of the fifth and sixth levels, such armor will not be an obstacle. In the maximum configuration, the Valentine tank has 340 survivability units, which partially compensates for the level of protection.
Characteristics of the Valentine tank
The best option is a stock gun. Yes, it has weak penetration by the main projectile and small one-time damage. But at the same time, it has an excellent rate of fire, accuracy and the best damage per minute among all the others. In addition, the stock turret allows the gun to be lowered down by as much as 15 degrees, which greatly helps in using the terrain. However, even weak penetration enough against most of the fourth level opponents, and against armored targets you can use premium shells.
The main characteristics of the Valentine are its damage per minute and the ability to mount the QF-6-PDR GUN MK tier 5 gun on the tank. With a full research of all modules, the gun can be replaced with a 75 mm GUN MK. V. Tier 5 tanks, such as the light Crusader, and even some Tier 6 tanks, will conquer the British with this gun. And among tier 4 and 3 combat vehicles, such as the British Medium Mark III tank, Valentine will actually dominate.
It is also worth mentioning the good mobility indicators due to the installation of the VALENTINE MK VI chassis, which will allow the tank to turn 42 degrees per second.
If you still decide to install a top turret, then you need to take into account that although it adds durability points and slightly increases visibility, the vertical aiming angles decrease, and the gun drops by 8 degrees. As for the gun, we can recommend the pre-top 75 mm Mk. V, which has good armor penetration.
Mobility and crew of the British light tank Valentine
Although the Valentine belongs to the class of light tanks, its movement is not very good. Max speed is only 24 km / h with a rather weak power density engine. The only thing that makes things easier is that the hull turns on the spot quite quickly, at 42 degrees per second, as we said above. The tower rotates by 40.
The British tank crew consists of three people:
- Commander
- Driver mechanic
- Charging
All tankers have unique british nation portraits in World of Tanks. Each of them is dressed in a military uniform and has a headdress in the form of a beret. It is enough for a level 4 tank to have three crew members. With proper pumping and correctly selected perks, such as " the Brotherhood of War", tankers will be able to show excellent results in battles at medium and close range.
Tactics of playing WOT on a tier 4 Valentine tank
Considering that "Valentine" plays on low levels, in the "sandbox", no complicated game tactics need to be invented. The behavior of allies is almost impossible to predict, so the main thing is to stay close to them. The armor is quite good and allows you to repel some of the enemy's shots. When playing on a stock gun, you have to load quite a lot of premium shells into the ammunition load in order to be able to fire at armored targets. But the tank does not go into big “minuses” in silver, the level is too low.