INFANTRY TANK MK III VALENTINE MK XI (AOP)

Description

The Infantry Tank MkIII, Valentine, was a private venture undertaken by the Vickers company to provide a cheaper alternative to the expensive A12 Matilda. Plans were submitted to the War Office on the 14 February 1940, which happened to be St Valentines Day, and so the tank was named Valentine. The first tanks entered service in 1941, all early marks were armed with a 2 Pounder gun which was already getting obsolete. In 1942 the Valentine MkIX appeared armed with a 6 Pounder gun, this was followed a year later by the Valentine MkXI which mounted a 75mm gun. This weapon was a 6 Pounder re-bored to 75mm and used the same ammunition as the US 75mm mounted in the Sherman. The MkXI was sent to the Soviet Union, though a few were retained for training or used as Armoured Observation Post (AOP) tanks issued to Royal Artillery units. Performance reflected its role as an infantry support tank, road speed was 24km/h, but it was very reliable and its 65mm armour gave good protection. (Scale : 1/35e)