Difference between revisions of "Valentine IX"

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{{Specs-Card|code=uk_valentine_mk_9}}
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{{About
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| about = British medium tank '''{{PAGENAME}}'''
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| usage = other versions
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| link = Valentine (Family)
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}}
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{{Specs-Card
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|code=uk_valentine_mk_9
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|images={{Specs-Card-Image|GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|ArtImage_{{PAGENAME}}.png}}
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}}
  
 
== Description ==
 
== Description ==
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
 
<!-- ''In the description, the first part should be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert a screenshot of the vehicle, so that if the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, he will immediately understand what kind of vehicle the article is talking about.'' -->
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[[File:GarageImage_{{PAGENAME}}.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 
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{{Break}}
 
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]].
 
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' is a rank {{Specs|rank}} British medium tank {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in [[Update 1.55 "Royal Armour"]].
  
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The general style of play that best works with  the Valentine Mk.IX changes depending on the battle ratings of the current match. If you find yourself at the higher end of the spectrum, the armour is still very viable and you can play much like a standard heavy tank. If you find yourself on the lower end of the spectrum your armour is of less value, and many tanks will be able to penetrate you reliably, this often means its best to play in a supporting role of other tanks. Unlike the first Valentine the Mk.IX can engage most other tanks somewhat reliably at longer ranges and with more reliability due to being significantly up gunned from the former model.
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At its BR, the Valentine's protection starts to let it down a bit, uptiers can bring guns powerful enough to cut through the Valentine's armour anywhere. Still, the protection is fairly good, especially on the turret cheeks but the hull is somewhat weaker. Mobility is poor. However the Mark. IX sports the formidable 6-pounder gun, which can reliably get through the armour of many vehicles. The Valentine's small profile also allows it to be "sneaky".
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 +
{{Specs-Tank-Armour}}
 
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat? If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.'' -->
 
'''Armour type:'''
 
'''Armour type:'''
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|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
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Flat on the Valentine's hull is pretty weak, it consists mainly of a flat 60 mm front plate, with an even weaker driver's vision port, so even Rank I guns can punch through there. The sides are 50 mm thick, so angling can be effectively done. The turret is a lot better, featuring both 60 mm turret cheeks sloped forwards, there is still a breech weak spot, where the armour is flat, the sides of the turret are still pretty strong at 60 mm but flat, however turret angling should not be done as it will normalize the cheeks.
 +
 +
As for post-pen survivability it is fairly poor, as there is only three crewmates, a driver in the hull, a gunner and a loader in the turret, so a hull pen will practically always result in a one shot, a turret armour breach might knock out only one of the turret crew, but can one shot as well.
 +
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The Valentine gets 2 smoke grenades, but for some reason they launch together and don't create a particularly impressive smoke screen.
 +
 
'''Note:'''
 
'''Note:'''
  
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=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
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{{Specs-Tank-Mobility}}
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and manoeuvrability, as well as the maximum speed forwards and backwards.'' -->
 +
The mobility of the Valentine IX shouldn't be surprising: it is bad. As a British infantry tank, the mobility of the Valentine IX is severely limited: you can reach at most 24 km/h on perfectly flat and solid ground, and on slopes you will travel much slower (10-20 km/h). As a result the Valentine IX can only keep up with similarly slow and heavy tanks, like the [[B1 bis|B1]] or [[Matilda (Family)|Matilda]].
 +
 +
Your reverse speed is straight up awful: -2 km/h, not so different than not being able to reverse at all. Thus you must make sure that where you are heading towards is very safe as you will not be able to reverse back to safety quickly. Sometimes turning around at 180° will be faster, if you accelerate a little bit before that you will turn more easily. But turning on the move will bleed a lot of your speed away. The power-to-weight ratio is very low, meaning the Valentine IX will become painfully slow and sluggish on bad roads or slopes. In maps like Frozen Pass or White Rock Fortress, the Valentine IX must choose roads to drive on, or else it will be as slow as ~15 km/h.
  
 
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=256|rbMinHp=146}}
 
{{tankMobility|abMinHp=256|rbMinHp=146}}
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 +
=== Modifications and economy ===
 +
{{Specs-Economy}}
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Suggested research order:
 +
# Parts & FPE: being able to repair and extinguish a fire is always important on the battlefield.
 +
# Mobility modifications: they can be researched first to increase the poor mobility of the stock Valentine IX as much as possible.
 +
# Others, such as firepower modifications.
 +
# The shells can be the last ones, since the stock Shot Mk.5 AP has reasonable penetration and spalling, and is enough to deal with most opponents.
  
 
== Armaments ==
 
== Armaments ==
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{{Specs-Tank-Armaments}}
 
=== Main armament ===
 
=== Main armament ===
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{{Specs-Tank-Weapon|1}}
 
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 
<!-- ''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibility of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.'' -->
 
{{main|6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)}}
 
{{main|6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)}}
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 +
The Valentine IX is armed with a 57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.III cannon. Similar to some previous British tanks, this cannon has a quick reload for its calibre of ~4.5 seconds which allows the player to fire more shots if the first round didn't disable or destroy the target. This gun provides rather flat projectile trajectories which is good for beginners to aim at longer ranges (>600 m).
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The gun depression is great, at -12° it will be able to suit most mountainous maps. The turret rotation speed of ~13° is very average: it is fast enough to swivel towards the target if the target is not far away from where the gun is pointing at, but too slow to quickly respond to anything that's far from the gun's direction.
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 +
Like the previous Valentine XI, the IX model does not have access to a gun stabiliser so tactics like CQC may not be as smooth as before.
  
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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|-
 
|-
 
! ''Arcade''
 
! ''Arcade''
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| rowspan="2" | 53 || rowspan="2" | -12°/+20° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.23 || 21.08 || 25.60 || 28.31 || 30.12 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
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| rowspan="2" | 53 || rowspan="2" | -8°/+17° || rowspan="2" | ±180° || rowspan="2" | N/A || 15.2 || 21.1 || 25.6 || 28.3 || 30.1 || rowspan="2" | 5.20 || rowspan="2" | 4.60 || rowspan="2" | 4.24 || rowspan="2" | 4.00
 
|-
 
|-
 
! ''Realistic''
 
! ''Realistic''
−
| 9.52 || 11.20 || 13.60 || 15.04 || 16.00
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| 9.5 || 11.2 || 13.6 || 15.0 || 16.0
 
|-
 
|-
 
|}
 
|}
  
 
==== Ammunition ====
 
==== Ammunition ====
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
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* Shot Mk.5: the default AP shell has an average penetration of ~100 mm which is enough to frontally penetrate the great majority of light, medium tanks, and SPGs (.eg. [[Sd.Kfz.234/2]], [[M4A1]], [[SU-85]]) the Valentine IX will face. The shrapnel is reasonable, being able to damage anything in its path, or anything around the path if the point of penetration is far enough for the shrapnel to spread out. However this shell will struggle against heavy tanks like [[KV-1 (L-11)]] especially when they are angling and/or at a distance.
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! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
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−
|-
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* Shot Mk.5 HV and Shot Mk.8: these shells provide a few milimetres more penetrations over the default AP, and a faster velocity. The slightly better penetration gives limited improvement against mildly armoured targets like [[M4A4 (China)|M4A4]]. Therefore these shells are placeholders just leading up to the best round.
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
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! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
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* Shot Mk.9: this APCBC should be the primary ammo choice for Valentine IX tankers thanks to its great penetration of ~120 mm and slightly improved ricochet angles. Now the Valentine IX is able to penetrate not only normally armoured targets, but also heavy tanks with relative ease. This shell can go through the weak spots of almost all tanks the Valentine IX will ever face.
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! colspan="6" | '''Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)'''
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−
|-
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* Shell Mk.10: this HE has too little explosive filler to actually damage anything except non-armoured targets like [[GAZ-MM (72-K)|GAZ]] trucks. Even the thin armour of a [[Sd.Kfz.251 (Family)|Sd.Kfz 251]] has some chance to protect its crew against this HE shell. Thus it is not very recommended to bring this ammo into battles.
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! 10 m !! 100 m !! 500 m !! 1,000 m !! 1,500 m !! 2,000 m
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|-
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{{:6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)/Ammunition|Shot Mk.5, Shot Mk.5 HV, Shot Mk.8, Shot Mk.9, Shell Mk.10}}
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| Shot Mk.5 || AP || 101 || 97 || 82 || 66 || 53 || 43
 
−
|-
 
−
| Shot Mk.5 HV || AP || 108 || 104 || 87 || 70 || 57 || 46
 
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|-
 
−
| Shot Mk.8 || APC || 110 || 106 || 89 || 72 || 59 || 48
 
−
|-
 
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| Shot Mk.9 || APCBC || 122 || 118 || 101 || 84 || 70 || 58
 
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|-
 
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| Shell Mk.10 || HE || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9 || 9
 
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|-
 
−
|}
 
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{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 
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! colspan="10" | Shell details
 
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|-
 
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! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 
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! rowspan="2" | Type of<br>warhead
 
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! rowspan="2" | Velocity<br>(m/s)
 
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! rowspan="2" | Projectile<br>Mass (kg)
 
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! rowspan="2" | Fuse delay<br>(m)
 
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! rowspan="2" | Fuse sensitivity<br>(mm)
 
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! rowspan="2" | Explosive Mass<br>(TNT equivalent) (g)
 
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! colspan="3" | Ricochet
 
−
|-
 
−
! 0% !! 50% !! 100%
 
−
|-
 
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| Shot Mk.5 || AP || 815 || 2.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
 
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|-
 
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| Shot Mk.5 HV || AP || 853 || 2.8 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 47° || 60° || 65°
 
−
|-
 
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| Shot Mk.8 || APC || 853 || 2.87 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
 
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|-
 
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| Shot Mk.9 || APCBC || 801 || 3.23 || N/A || N/A || N/A || 48° || 63° || 71°
 
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|-
 
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| Shell Mk.10 || HE || 655 || 2.72 || 0 || 0.1 || 590 || 79° || 80° || 81°
 
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|-
 
−
|}
 
  
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
 
==== [[Ammo racks]] ====
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==== Optics ====
 
==== Optics ====
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{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" width="50%"
 
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
 
! colspan="3" | {{PAGENAME}} [[Optics]]
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'''Overview:'''
 
'''Overview:'''
  
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The Valentine IX is an interesting vehicle. The armour can be useful against most enemy cannons if you angle properly, but the mobility is sub par. The 6 pounder gun provides excellent penetration with a fast velocity, not to mention the reload rate and semi stabilization. The best way to play the Valentine IX is to play around cover and play carefully. The benefit of being slow is it gives Valentine commanders time to think before they act. The Valentine will be the last to the fight in most situations, so make sure to pay attention to your allies and enemy positions as they reveal themselves. With careful planning, the Valentine can preform very well. Because it is so slow, it is important to play with your team. Use the map to point out enemy positions and pay attention when your allies do the same. Also be careful not to come too close to the enemy spawn, as the Valentine will struggle to leave in a timely manner. Another weakness to consider with the Valentine IX specifically is the lack of a machine gun. While the MGs on most tanks are not often used, lacking one is still a disadvantage.
+
The Valentine IX is an interesting vehicle. The armour can be useful against most enemy cannons if you angle properly, but the mobility is sub par. The 6 pounder gun provides excellent penetration with a fast velocity, not to mention the reload rate and semi stabilization. The best way to play the Valentine IX is to play around cover and play carefully. The benefit of being slow is it gives Valentine commanders time to think before they act. The Valentine will be the last to the fight in most situations, so make sure to pay attention to your allies and enemy positions as they reveal themselves. With careful planning, the Valentine can preform very well. Because it is so slow, it is important to play with your team. Use the map to point out enemy positions and pay attention when your allies do the same. Also be careful not to push too far into enemy territory, your low speed will not let you get out quickly. You cannot rely on smoke cover for retreats either as you only get 2 smoke grenades that are launched together, which is far fewer than most British vehicles. Another weakness to consider with the Valentine IX specifically is the lack of a machine gun. While the MGs on most tanks are not often used, lacking one is still a disadvantage.
  
 
'''Notable Enemies:'''
 
'''Notable Enemies:'''
  
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The most notable enemies for the Valentine IX are the Panzer IV F2, and any T-34. The Panzer IV F2 will make short work of the Valentine, regardless of armour angling. The T-34 is very difficult to kill in the Valentine because the 6 pounder gun struggles against angled armour. Against the T-34, shoot for the turret or machine gun port. Against the Panzer IV F2, just make sure you shoot first.
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* [[T-34 (Family)|T-34]]: the T-34 is commonly used and can be difficult to kill when using the Valentine IX because the 6-pounder gun struggles against angled armour. Against the T-34, shoot for the turret or machine gun port. Avoid the hull (if angling) and the heavily curved areas of its spherical gun mantlet which can very likely result in bounces.
 +
* [[Pz.IV F2]]/[[Pz.IV G|G]]: the Panzer IV F2 and Panzer IV G will make short work of the Valentine, regardless of armour angling, since they have a powerful long 75 mm cannon with ~130 mm of penetration. This level of firepower is more than enough to penetrate the armour of the Valentine IX even when angling. Against a Panzer IV F2 or G, just make sure you shoot first. If it's facing you, target the right side of the turret to disable its gunner. If it's facing elsewhere, you can break its engine or driver to pin it down, then finish it with quick follow-up shots.
  
 
'''Differences AB vs RB:'''
 
'''Differences AB vs RB:'''
  
 
While the slow speed can be an advantage in RB, allowing Valentine commanders to play more cautiously, it AB it is a simple disadvantage. However the other qualities of the Valentine allow it to be a somewhat competitive front line medium tank in AB, using its angled armour and firepower to bounce a few shots and easily dispatch most enemy vehicles.
 
While the slow speed can be an advantage in RB, allowing Valentine commanders to play more cautiously, it AB it is a simple disadvantage. However the other qualities of the Valentine allow it to be a somewhat competitive front line medium tank in AB, using its angled armour and firepower to bounce a few shots and easily dispatch most enemy vehicles.
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=== Modules ===
 
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{| class="wikitable"
 
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! Tier
 
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! colspan="2" | Mobility
 
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! Protection
 
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! colspan="3" | Firepower
 
−
|-
 
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| I
 
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| Tracks
 
−
|
 
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| Parts
 
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| Horizontal Drive
 
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| Shot Mk.5 HV
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
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| II
 
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| Suspension
 
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| Brake System
 
−
| FPE
 
−
| Shot Mk.8
 
−
| Adjustment of Fire
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
−
| III
 
−
| Filters
 
−
|
 
−
| Crew Replenishment
 
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| Shot Mk.9
 
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| Elevation Mechanism
 
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| Smoke grenade
 
−
|-
 
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| IV
 
−
| Transmission
 
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| Engine
 
−
|
 
−
| Artillery Support
 
−
|
 
−
|
 
−
|-
 
−
|}
 
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
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'''Pros:'''
 
'''Pros:'''
  
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* 57mm gun has decent penetration
+
* 57 mm gun has decent penetration (~110 mm)
−
* Upper glacis is sloped, can bounce a few shots
+
* Upper glacis and turret are angled, can bounce a few shots
−
* Low profile allows it to hide behind obstacles
+
* Low profile allows it to hide behind some obstacles
−
* Decent stock shells
+
* Decent stock shell
−
* Turret is angled and can bounce some shots
 
 
* Fast reload speed
 
* Fast reload speed
 +
* Great -12° gun depression, is helpful in hilly terrains
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
  
−
* No machine gun
+
* No machine gun, awkward to deal with truck-based vehicles like [[GAZ-MM (72-K)]]
−
* Side armour is very weak
+
* Hull armour is unchanged from Valentine I, much less effective against better tanks like [[M4A1]]
−
* Slow top speed (22km/h)
+
* Substandard mobility, with low top speed, slow hull traverse, and awful reverse
−
* Drivers port and the area around it is a major weakspot
 
 
* No explosive filler in shells
 
* No explosive filler in shells
−
* Only 3 crew members (Crew can be knocked out very easily)
+
* Only 3 crew members (crew can be knocked out very easily)
 
* Thin top armour makes it vulnerable to air attacks
 
* Thin top armour makes it vulnerable to air attacks
 +
* Unlike many other British tanks, very few smoke grenades and all are released at once.
  
 
== History ==
 
== History ==
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
<!-- ''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too long, take it to a separate article, taking a link to the article about the vehicle and adding a block "/History" (example: <nowiki>https://wiki.warthunder.com/(Vehicle-name)/History</nowiki>) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to reference text and sources by using <code><nowiki><ref></ref></nowiki></code>, as well as adding them at the end of the article with <code><nowiki><references /></nowiki></code>. This section may also include the vehicle's dev blog entry (if applicable) and the in-game encyclopedia description (under <code><nowiki>=== In-game description ===</nowiki></code>, also if applicable).'' -->
 
===Development===
 
===Development===
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The experiences taken from the development of the A9, A10 cruiser tanks and the A11 infantry tank prompted Vickers-Armstrongs to begin development of a new tank. As a private venture, the design did not receive any designations from the British General Staff during its creation. The designing of the tank focused on the tank having the weight of a cruiser, but with the armour comparable to the infantry tanks. The basis was to have the vehicle with 60 mm of frontal armour and a 2-pounder gun in a two-man turret. To make it as light as possible, it was small and featured a cramped interior. The design used features taken from the A9 and A10 tanks so the design was easier to produce and cheaper to make. Vickers unveiled the design to War Office at February 10, 1938. While they initially viewed it unfavorably for its tiny two-man turret, they took it in April 1939 due to the growing tense situation in Europe with Nazi Germany, with the first order coming in May 1940 after the losses suffered by the British Expeditionary Forces in the Battle of France. The name '''Valentine''' was given to the tank sometime between its introduction to War Office and its adoption. The origin of the name is disputed, some say it was due to its introduction on February 14 in 1938 or 1940, other say it was the middle name of Sir John V. Carden, who helped design the Valentine's predecessors. Other sources say it is a name from the Vickers' company full name (Vickers-Armstrong Ltd Elswick & [Newcastle-upon] Tyne), and David Fletcher from Bovington Tank Museum say that "Valentine" was a code name used by the company for its development.
+
The experiences taken from the development of the A9, A10 cruiser tanks and the A11 infantry tank prompted Vickers-Armstrongs to begin development of a new tank. As a private venture, the design did not receive any designations from the British General Staff during its creation. The designing of the tank focused on the tank having the weight of a cruiser, but with the armour comparable to the infantry tanks. The basis was to have the vehicle with 60 mm of frontal armour and a 2-pounder gun in a two-man turret. To make it as light as possible, it was small and featured a cramped interior. The design used features taken from the A9 and A10 tanks so the design was easier to produce and cheaper to make. Vickers unveiled the design to War Office at February 10, 1938. While they initially viewed it unfavourably for its tiny two-man turret, they took it in April 1939 due to the growing tense situation in Europe with Nazi Germany, with the first order coming in May 1940 after the losses suffered by the British Expeditionary Forces in the Battle of France. The name '''Valentine''' was given to the tank sometime between its introduction to War Office and its adoption. The origin of the name is disputed, some say it was due to its introduction on February 14 in 1938 or 1940, other say it was the middle name of Sir John V. Carden, who helped design the Valentine's predecessors. Other sources say it is a name from the Vickers' company full name (Vickers-Armstrong Ltd Elswick & [Newcastle-upon] Tyne), and David Fletcher from Bovington Tank Museum say that "Valentine" was a code name used by the company for its development.
  
 
The Valentine was put into service as quickly as possible under the designation ''Tank, Infantry, Mk.III''. Vickers, Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage & Wagon, and Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company were all involved in the construction of this vehicle. During World War II, Canada was also contracted to build the Valentine to build up their own tank forces. The United Kingdom produced a total of 6,855 Valentines during the war between the three company while Canada built 1,420 Valentine tanks in their factories, for a total of 8,275 tanks produced, making the Valentine the most produced British tank in the entire war.
 
The Valentine was put into service as quickly as possible under the designation ''Tank, Infantry, Mk.III''. Vickers, Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage & Wagon, and Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company were all involved in the construction of this vehicle. During World War II, Canada was also contracted to build the Valentine to build up their own tank forces. The United Kingdom produced a total of 6,855 Valentines during the war between the three company while Canada built 1,420 Valentine tanks in their factories, for a total of 8,275 tanks produced, making the Valentine the most produced British tank in the entire war.
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The Valentine is one of the most modified British tank in World War II, up to eleven variants were made during its entire production life.
 
The Valentine is one of the most modified British tank in World War II, up to eleven variants were made during its entire production life.
  
−
#''[[Valentine Mk I|Mark I]]'': The first one, it was built with a rivet construction, a 135 hp petrol engine, and a 2-pounder, but was not sent to combat due to mechanical problems.
+
#''[[Valentine I|Mark I]]'': The first one, it was built with a rivet construction, a 135 hp petrol engine, and a 2-pounder, but was not sent to combat due to mechanical problems.
 
#''Mark II'': Uses a 131 hp diesel engine and has an auxiliary fuel tank added to the left hull.
 
#''Mark II'': Uses a 131 hp diesel engine and has an auxiliary fuel tank added to the left hull.
 
#''Mark III'': Has a slightly thinner side armour (60 mm to 50 mm) and a modified turret design, giving room for a loader in the tank, freeing the commander to do his job.
 
#''Mark III'': Has a slightly thinner side armour (60 mm to 50 mm) and a modified turret design, giving room for a loader in the tank, freeing the commander to do his job.
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#''Mark VII'': A Canadian Mk.VI with a new radio set and a modified interior. Another Mk.VII named the ''Mark VIIA'' has jettisonable fuel tanks and new tracks, oil cooler, and headlights.
 
#''Mark VII'': A Canadian Mk.VI with a new radio set and a modified interior. Another Mk.VII named the ''Mark VIIA'' has jettisonable fuel tanks and new tracks, oil cooler, and headlights.
 
# ''Mark VIII'': Uses a British AEC diesel engine and a modified turret to use the 6-pounder. The modification eliminated the coaxial machine gun from the design.
 
# ''Mark VIII'': Uses a British AEC diesel engine and a modified turret to use the 6-pounder. The modification eliminated the coaxial machine gun from the design.
−
#''[[Valentine Mk IX|Mark IX]]'': A Mk.V modified to take the 6-pounder as well, but with an armour reduction. Later version also had a stronger 165 hp GMC diesel engine installed.
+
#''Mark IX'': A Mk.V modified to take the 6-pounder as well, but with an armour reduction. Later version also had a stronger 165 hp GMC diesel engine installed.
 
#''Mark X'': Features another modified turret design using the 6-pounder, but made it able to use a coaxial machine gun again and still uses the 165 hp diesel engine. Uses a welded construction
 
#''Mark X'': Features another modified turret design using the 6-pounder, but made it able to use a coaxial machine gun again and still uses the 165 hp diesel engine. Uses a welded construction
−
#''[[Valentine Mk XI|Mark XI]]'': The Mk.X using the QF 75 mm gun instead of a 6-pounder, with the 210 hp diesel engine. However, these tanks only served as a command tank in the battlefield. Uses a welded construction
+
#''[[Valentine XI|Mark XI]]'': The Mk.X using the QF 75 mm gun instead of a 6-pounder, with the 210 hp diesel engine. However, these tanks only served as a command tank in the battlefield. Uses a welded construction
  
 
===Combat usage===
 
===Combat usage===
−
The Valentine mostly saw service in the North African Campaign, where the crew reported on it very favorable as a reliable and well-protected tank. The first unit who saw action with the Valentine was the 8th Royal Tank Regiment in Operation Crusader, where it was in the process of replacing the [[Matilda Mk II|Matilda II]]. The reliability is expressed when some Valentine were reported to have traveled a distance of 4,800 kilometers by the time the British reached Tunisia. The Valentine tanks soon saw wide-spread use by mid-1941 when they were issued out widely to armoured regiments due to the lack of cruiser tanks available to fill in the ranks.
+
The Valentine mostly saw service in the North African Campaign, where the crew reported on it very favourable as a reliable and well-protected tank. The first unit who saw action with the Valentine was the 8th Royal Tank Regiment in Operation Crusader, where it was in the process of replacing the [[Matilda III]]. The reliability is expressed when some Valentines were reported to have travelled a distance of 4,800 kilometers by the time the British reached Tunisia. The Valentine tanks soon saw wide-spread use by mid-1941 when they were issued out widely to armoured regiments due to the lack of cruiser tanks available to fill in the ranks.
  
−
However, the biggest weakness of the Valentine tank is the lack of high-explosive rounds for the 2-pounder, a weakness suffered by every other tank using the 2-pounder. This and the 2-pounder's growing deficiency against tank armour was remedied by the usage of the 6-pounder on the Valentine after the Mark VIII version, and then the QF 75 mm gun. However, these larger guns were harder to mount on the small Valentine turret and made for a cramped interior, even removing the established loader's position made in an enlarge turret for the 2-pounder. By the time these larger guns were introduced for the tank, better tanks were being introduced, such as the [[Churchill Mk III|Churchill heavy tanks]] from Britain and the [[M4|M4 Shermans]] from the Americans. Despite the better tanks, the Valentine's low height is able to exploit small cover on the battlefield and take up a good hull-down position behind hills.
+
However, the biggest weakness of the Valentine tank is the lack of high-explosive rounds for the 2-pounder, a weakness suffered by every other tank using the 2-pounder. This and the 2-pounder's growing deficiency against tank armour was remedied by the usage of the 6-pounder on the Valentine after the Mark VIII version, and then the QF 75 mm gun. However, these larger guns were harder to mount on the small Valentine turret and made for a cramped interior, even removing the established loader's position made in an enlarge turret for the 2-pounder. By the time these larger guns were introduced for the tank, better tanks were being introduced, such as the [[Churchill III|Churchill heavy tanks]] from Britain and the [[M4|M4 Shermans]] from the Americans. Despite the better tanks, the Valentine's low height is able to exploit small cover on the battlefield and take up a good hull-down position behind hills.
  
 
Some Valentines were sent to the Soviet Union as part of the Lend-Lease program, most of the Valentines came from Canada's production lines. The Valentines saw use from the time of Battle of Moscow in 1941 all the way until the end of the war, though the Valentines saw use more as a second-line tank due to its relative weakness. It was criticized for its slow speed and weak gun, but was liked for its small size, reliability, and armour protection and thus the Soviet Supreme Command continue asking for it and its production to continue until the end of the war.
 
Some Valentines were sent to the Soviet Union as part of the Lend-Lease program, most of the Valentines came from Canada's production lines. The Valentines saw use from the time of Battle of Moscow in 1941 all the way until the end of the war, though the Valentines saw use more as a second-line tank due to its relative weakness. It was criticized for its slow speed and weak gun, but was liked for its small size, reliability, and armour protection and thus the Soviet Supreme Command continue asking for it and its production to continue until the end of the war.
  
−
By 1944, the Valentine is mostly taken out from the front-line services and replaced by the newer tanks. A few were retained for special purposes and command vehicles for [[Archer|Archer]] units, which is a tank destroyer based off the Valentine chassis. The tank continue to see use in the Pacific in limited numbers until May 1945 in the 3rd New Zealand Division, some had their armaments changed to the larger 3-inch howitzer to use it stronger high-explosive ammunition against the Japanese. New Zealand kept the normal and modified Valentines all the way until 1955. The last known combat usage of the Valentine was on Cyprus in early 1960s when a turret-less Valentine was used by the Greek militia, added with a make-shift armour and a machine gunner position with a Bren gun.
+
By 1944, the Valentine is mostly taken out from the front-line services and replaced by the newer tanks. A few were retained for special purposes and command vehicles for [[Archer]] units, which is a tank destroyer based off the Valentine chassis. The tank continue to see use in the Pacific in limited numbers until May 1945 in the 3rd New Zealand Division, some had their armaments changed to the larger 3-inch howitzer to use it stronger high-explosive ammunition against the Japanese. New Zealand kept the normal and modified Valentines all the way until 1955. The last known combat usage of the Valentine was on Cyprus in early 1960s when a turret-less Valentine was used by the Greek militia, added with a make-shift armour and a machine gunner position with a Bren gun.
  
 
===Survivors===
 
===Survivors===
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;Skins
 
;Skins
−
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicleCountry=britain&vehicleType=tank&vehicleClass=medium_tank&vehicle=uk_valentine_mk_9 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
+
* [https://live.warthunder.com/feed/camouflages/?vehicle=uk_valentine_mk_9 Skins and camouflages for the {{PAGENAME}} from live.warthunder.com.]
  
 
;Videos
 
;Videos
−
{{Youtube-gallery|qfY_erhfnog|'''{{PAGENAME}} Tank Review''' - ''NUSensei''|xIrVVhdC9ac|'''Tank Chats #11 Valentine''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}
+
{{Youtube-gallery|xIrVVhdC9ac|'''Tank Chats #11 Valentine''' - ''The Tank Museum''}}
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
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* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.'' -->
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:''
 +
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
 
* ''other literature.'' -->
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
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* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
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* ''encyclopedia page on the tank;''
 
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
  
 +
{{Manufacturer Vickers-Armstrongs}}
 
{{Britain medium tanks}}
 
{{Britain medium tanks}}

Latest revision as of 16:37, 30 March 2024

Rank VI | Premium | Golden Eagles
Chinese A-5C Pack
This page is about the British medium tank Valentine IX. For other versions, see Valentine (Family).
Valentine IX
uk_valentine_mk_9.png
GarageImage Valentine IX.jpg
ArtImage Valentine IX.png
Valentine IX
Britain flag.png Britain
II Rank
Battle rating:
AB RB SB
3.0 3.0 3.0
Class:
Research:5 600 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:22 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

The Tank, Infantry, Valentine IX is a rank II British medium tank with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced along with the initial British tree line in Update 1.55 "Royal Armour".

At its BR, the Valentine's protection starts to let it down a bit, uptiers can bring guns powerful enough to cut through the Valentine's armour anywhere. Still, the protection is fairly good, especially on the turret cheeks but the hull is somewhat weaker. Mobility is poor. However the Mark. IX sports the formidable 6-pounder gun, which can reliably get through the armour of many vehicles. The Valentine's small profile also allows it to be "sneaky".

General info

Survivability and armour

Smoke grenades
Creation of a smoke screen in front of the vehicle
Armourfront / side / back
Hull60 / 30 / 60
Turret65 / 60 / 65
Crew3 people
Visibility78 %

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
  • Cast homogeneous armour (Gun mantlet)
Armour Front Sides Rear Roof
Hull 60 mm (1°) Front plate
30 mm (65-67°) Front glacis
20 mm (73°), 60 mm (24°) Lower glacis 		50 mm 17 mm (58-59°) Top
20 mm (65°), 60 mm (1°) Bottom 		20 mm
Turret 65 mm (0-66°) Turret front
65 mm (0-62°) Gun mantlet 		60 mm 65 mm (1-57°) 20 mm

Flat on the Valentine's hull is pretty weak, it consists mainly of a flat 60 mm front plate, with an even weaker driver's vision port, so even Rank I guns can punch through there. The sides are 50 mm thick, so angling can be effectively done. The turret is a lot better, featuring both 60 mm turret cheeks sloped forwards, there is still a breech weak spot, where the armour is flat, the sides of the turret are still pretty strong at 60 mm but flat, however turret angling should not be done as it will normalize the cheeks.

As for post-pen survivability it is fairly poor, as there is only three crewmates, a driver in the hull, a gunner and a loader in the turret, so a hull pen will practically always result in a one shot, a turret armour breach might knock out only one of the turret crew, but can one shot as well.

The Valentine gets 2 smoke grenades, but for some reason they launch together and don't create a particularly impressive smoke screen.

Note:

  • Suspension wheels, bogies, and tracks are 20 mm thick.
  • Belly armour is 20 mm thick.

Mobility

Speedforward / back
AB27 / 4 km/h
RB and SB25 / 3 km/h
Number of gears5 forward
1 back
Weight17.3 t
Engine power
AB315 hp
RB and SB165 hp
Power-to-weight ratio
AB18.2 hp/t
RB and SB9.5 hp/t

The mobility of the Valentine IX shouldn't be surprising: it is bad. As a British infantry tank, the mobility of the Valentine IX is severely limited: you can reach at most 24 km/h on perfectly flat and solid ground, and on slopes you will travel much slower (10-20 km/h). As a result the Valentine IX can only keep up with similarly slow and heavy tanks, like the B1 or Matilda.

Your reverse speed is straight up awful: -2 km/h, not so different than not being able to reverse at all. Thus you must make sure that where you are heading towards is very safe as you will not be able to reverse back to safety quickly. Sometimes turning around at 180° will be faster, if you accelerate a little bit before that you will turn more easily. But turning on the move will bleed a lot of your speed away. The power-to-weight ratio is very low, meaning the Valentine IX will become painfully slow and sluggish on bad roads or slopes. In maps like Frozen Pass or White Rock Fortress, the Valentine IX must choose roads to drive on, or else it will be as slow as ~15 km/h.

Game Mode Max Speed (km/h) Weight (tons) Engine power (horsepower) Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Forward Reverse Stock Upgraded Stock Upgraded
Arcade 27 4 17.3 256 315 14.8 18.21
Realistic 25 3 146 165 8.44 9.54

Modifications and economy

Repair costBasic → Reference
AB684 → 925 Sl icon.png
RB772 → 1 044 Sl icon.png
SB948 → 1 282 Sl icon.png
Total cost of modifications10 330 Rp icon.png
13 810 Sl icon.png
Talisman cost750 Ge icon.png
Crew training6 300 Sl icon.png
Experts22 000 Sl icon.png
Aces210 Ge icon.png
Research Aces220 000 Rp icon.png
Reward for battleAB / RB / SB
50 / 60 / 70 % Sl icon.png
124 / 124 / 124 % Rp icon.png
Modifications
Mobility Protection Firepower
Mods new tank traks.png
Tracks
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank suspension.png
Suspension
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
620 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank break.png
Brake System
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
620 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank filter.png
Filters
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank transmission.png
Transmission
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank engine.png
Engine
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png
Mods tank tool kit.png
Improved Parts
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods extinguisher.png
Improved FPE
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
620 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods tank reinforcement uk.png
Crew Replenishment
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank horizontal aiming.png
Horizontal Drive
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
57mm_britain_6pdr_AP_HV_ammo_pack
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
57mm_britain_6pdr_APC_ammo_pack
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
620 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mod arrow 0.png
Mods tank cannon.png
Adjustment of Fire
Research:
470 Rp icon.png
Cost:
620 Sl icon.png
80 Ge icon.png
Mods tank ammo.png
57mm_britain_6pdr_APCBC_ammo_pack
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods new tank vertical aiming.png
Elevation Mechanism
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods smoke screen.png
Smoke grenade
Research:
520 Rp icon.png
Cost:
690 Sl icon.png
90 Ge icon.png
Mods art support.png
Artillery Support
Research:
1 100 Rp icon.png
Cost:
1 500 Sl icon.png
185 Ge icon.png

Suggested research order:

  1. Parts & FPE: being able to repair and extinguish a fire is always important on the battlefield.
  2. Mobility modifications: they can be researched first to increase the poor mobility of the stock Valentine IX as much as possible.
  3. Others, such as firepower modifications.
  4. The shells can be the last ones, since the stock Shot Mk.5 AP has reasonable penetration and spalling, and is enough to deal with most opponents.

Armaments

Main armament

57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.III cannon
Ammunition53 rounds
Reloadbasic crew → aces
5.2 → 4.0 s
Vertical guidance-8° / 17°
Main article: 6pdr OQF Mk.III (57 mm)

The Valentine IX is armed with a 57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.III cannon. Similar to some previous British tanks, this cannon has a quick reload for its calibre of ~4.5 seconds which allows the player to fire more shots if the first round didn't disable or destroy the target. This gun provides rather flat projectile trajectories which is good for beginners to aim at longer ranges (>600 m).

The gun depression is great, at -12° it will be able to suit most mountainous maps. The turret rotation speed of ~13° is very average: it is fast enough to swivel towards the target if the target is not far away from where the gun is pointing at, but too slow to quickly respond to anything that's far from the gun's direction.

Like the previous Valentine XI, the IX model does not have access to a gun stabiliser so tactics like CQC may not be as smooth as before.

57 mm 6pdr OQF Mk.III Turret rotation speed (°/s) Reloading rate (seconds)
Mode Capacity Vertical Horizontal Stabilizer Stock Upgraded Full Expert Aced Stock Full Expert Aced
Arcade 53 -8°/+17° ±180° N/A 15.2 21.1 25.6 28.3 30.1 5.20 4.60 4.24 4.00
Realistic 9.5 11.2 13.6 15.0 16.0

Ammunition

  • Shot Mk.5: the default AP shell has an average penetration of ~100 mm which is enough to frontally penetrate the great majority of light, medium tanks, and SPGs (.eg. Sd.Kfz.234/2, M4A1, SU-85) the Valentine IX will face. The shrapnel is reasonable, being able to damage anything in its path, or anything around the path if the point of penetration is far enough for the shrapnel to spread out. However this shell will struggle against heavy tanks like KV-1 (L-11) especially when they are angling and/or at a distance.
  • Shot Mk.5 HV and Shot Mk.8: these shells provide a few milimetres more penetrations over the default AP, and a faster velocity. The slightly better penetration gives limited improvement against mildly armoured targets like M4A4. Therefore these shells are placeholders just leading up to the best round.
  • Shot Mk.9: this APCBC should be the primary ammo choice for Valentine IX tankers thanks to its great penetration of ~120 mm and slightly improved ricochet angles. Now the Valentine IX is able to penetrate not only normally armoured targets, but also heavy tanks with relative ease. This shell can go through the weak spots of almost all tanks the Valentine IX will ever face.
  • Shell Mk.10: this HE has too little explosive filler to actually damage anything except non-armoured targets like GAZ trucks. Even the thin armour of a Sd.Kfz 251 has some chance to protect its crew against this HE shell. Thus it is not very recommended to bring this ammo into battles.

Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Penetration @ 0° Angle of Attack (mm)
10 m 100 m 500 m 1,000 m 1,500 m 2,000 m
Shot Mk.5 AP 101 97 82 66 53 43
Shot Mk.5 HV AP 108 104 87 70 57 46
Shot Mk.8 APC 110 106 89 72 59 48
Shot Mk.9 APCBC 122 118 101 84 70 58
Shell Mk.10 HE 9 9 9 9 9 9
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead 		Velocity
(m/s) 		Projectile
mass (kg) 		Fuse delay Fuse sensitivity
(mm) 		Explosive mass
(TNT equivalent) (g) 		Ricochet
0% 50% 100%
Shot Mk.5 AP 815 2.8 - - - 47° 60° 65°
Shot Mk.5 HV AP 853 2.8 - - - 47° 60° 65°
Shot Mk.8 APC 853 2.87 - - - 48° 63° 71°
Shot Mk.9 APCBC 801 3.23 - - - 48° 63° 71°
Shell Mk.10 HE 655 2.72 0 0.1 590 79° 80° 81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the Valentine IX
Full
ammo 		1st
rack empty 		2nd
rack empty 		3rd
rack empty 		4th
rack empty 		5th
rack empty 		Visual
discrepancy
53 43 (+10) 32 (+21) 21 (+32) 11 (+42) 1 (+52) No

Optics

Valentine IX Optics
Which ones Default magnification Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics x1.85 x3.5
Comparable optics M4A1

Usage in battles

Overview:

The Valentine IX is an interesting vehicle. The armour can be useful against most enemy cannons if you angle properly, but the mobility is sub par. The 6 pounder gun provides excellent penetration with a fast velocity, not to mention the reload rate and semi stabilization. The best way to play the Valentine IX is to play around cover and play carefully. The benefit of being slow is it gives Valentine commanders time to think before they act. The Valentine will be the last to the fight in most situations, so make sure to pay attention to your allies and enemy positions as they reveal themselves. With careful planning, the Valentine can preform very well. Because it is so slow, it is important to play with your team. Use the map to point out enemy positions and pay attention when your allies do the same. Also be careful not to push too far into enemy territory, your low speed will not let you get out quickly. You cannot rely on smoke cover for retreats either as you only get 2 smoke grenades that are launched together, which is far fewer than most British vehicles. Another weakness to consider with the Valentine IX specifically is the lack of a machine gun. While the MGs on most tanks are not often used, lacking one is still a disadvantage.

Notable Enemies:

  • T-34: the T-34 is commonly used and can be difficult to kill when using the Valentine IX because the 6-pounder gun struggles against angled armour. Against the T-34, shoot for the turret or machine gun port. Avoid the hull (if angling) and the heavily curved areas of its spherical gun mantlet which can very likely result in bounces.
  • Pz.IV F2/G: the Panzer IV F2 and Panzer IV G will make short work of the Valentine, regardless of armour angling, since they have a powerful long 75 mm cannon with ~130 mm of penetration. This level of firepower is more than enough to penetrate the armour of the Valentine IX even when angling. Against a Panzer IV F2 or G, just make sure you shoot first. If it's facing you, target the right side of the turret to disable its gunner. If it's facing elsewhere, you can break its engine or driver to pin it down, then finish it with quick follow-up shots.

Differences AB vs RB:

While the slow speed can be an advantage in RB, allowing Valentine commanders to play more cautiously, it AB it is a simple disadvantage. However the other qualities of the Valentine allow it to be a somewhat competitive front line medium tank in AB, using its angled armour and firepower to bounce a few shots and easily dispatch most enemy vehicles.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • 57 mm gun has decent penetration (~110 mm)
  • Upper glacis and turret are angled, can bounce a few shots
  • Low profile allows it to hide behind some obstacles
  • Decent stock shell
  • Fast reload speed
  • Great -12° gun depression, is helpful in hilly terrains

Cons:

  • No machine gun, awkward to deal with truck-based vehicles like GAZ-MM (72-K)
  • Hull armour is unchanged from Valentine I, much less effective against better tanks like M4A1
  • Substandard mobility, with low top speed, slow hull traverse, and awful reverse
  • No explosive filler in shells
  • Only 3 crew members (crew can be knocked out very easily)
  • Thin top armour makes it vulnerable to air attacks
  • Unlike many other British tanks, very few smoke grenades and all are released at once.

History

Development

The experiences taken from the development of the A9, A10 cruiser tanks and the A11 infantry tank prompted Vickers-Armstrongs to begin development of a new tank. As a private venture, the design did not receive any designations from the British General Staff during its creation. The designing of the tank focused on the tank having the weight of a cruiser, but with the armour comparable to the infantry tanks. The basis was to have the vehicle with 60 mm of frontal armour and a 2-pounder gun in a two-man turret. To make it as light as possible, it was small and featured a cramped interior. The design used features taken from the A9 and A10 tanks so the design was easier to produce and cheaper to make. Vickers unveiled the design to War Office at February 10, 1938. While they initially viewed it unfavourably for its tiny two-man turret, they took it in April 1939 due to the growing tense situation in Europe with Nazi Germany, with the first order coming in May 1940 after the losses suffered by the British Expeditionary Forces in the Battle of France. The name Valentine was given to the tank sometime between its introduction to War Office and its adoption. The origin of the name is disputed, some say it was due to its introduction on February 14 in 1938 or 1940, other say it was the middle name of Sir John V. Carden, who helped design the Valentine's predecessors. Other sources say it is a name from the Vickers' company full name (Vickers-Armstrong Ltd Elswick & [Newcastle-upon] Tyne), and David Fletcher from Bovington Tank Museum say that "Valentine" was a code name used by the company for its development.

The Valentine was put into service as quickly as possible under the designation Tank, Infantry, Mk.III. Vickers, Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage & Wagon, and Birmingham Railway Carriage & Wagon Company were all involved in the construction of this vehicle. During World War II, Canada was also contracted to build the Valentine to build up their own tank forces. The United Kingdom produced a total of 6,855 Valentines during the war between the three company while Canada built 1,420 Valentine tanks in their factories, for a total of 8,275 tanks produced, making the Valentine the most produced British tank in the entire war.

Variants

The Valentine is one of the most modified British tank in World War II, up to eleven variants were made during its entire production life.

  1. Mark I: The first one, it was built with a rivet construction, a 135 hp petrol engine, and a 2-pounder, but was not sent to combat due to mechanical problems.
  2. Mark II: Uses a 131 hp diesel engine and has an auxiliary fuel tank added to the left hull.
  3. Mark III: Has a slightly thinner side armour (60 mm to 50 mm) and a modified turret design, giving room for a loader in the tank, freeing the commander to do his job.
  4. Mark IV A modified Mk.II using an American 138 hp GMC diesel engine and an American-produced transmission, making the tank more reliable.
  5. Mark V: The same as Mk.IV, except using the Mk.III as the basis.
  6. Mark VI: A Canadian built Valentine, using Canadian and American parts and a GMC diesel engine, plus later switching the BESA machine gun into a Browning machine gun.
  7. Mark VII: A Canadian Mk.VI with a new radio set and a modified interior. Another Mk.VII named the Mark VIIA has jettisonable fuel tanks and new tracks, oil cooler, and headlights.
  8. Mark VIII: Uses a British AEC diesel engine and a modified turret to use the 6-pounder. The modification eliminated the coaxial machine gun from the design.
  9. Mark IX: A Mk.V modified to take the 6-pounder as well, but with an armour reduction. Later version also had a stronger 165 hp GMC diesel engine installed.
  10. Mark X: Features another modified turret design using the 6-pounder, but made it able to use a coaxial machine gun again and still uses the 165 hp diesel engine. Uses a welded construction
  11. Mark XI: The Mk.X using the QF 75 mm gun instead of a 6-pounder, with the 210 hp diesel engine. However, these tanks only served as a command tank in the battlefield. Uses a welded construction

Combat usage

The Valentine mostly saw service in the North African Campaign, where the crew reported on it very favourable as a reliable and well-protected tank. The first unit who saw action with the Valentine was the 8th Royal Tank Regiment in Operation Crusader, where it was in the process of replacing the Matilda III. The reliability is expressed when some Valentines were reported to have travelled a distance of 4,800 kilometers by the time the British reached Tunisia. The Valentine tanks soon saw wide-spread use by mid-1941 when they were issued out widely to armoured regiments due to the lack of cruiser tanks available to fill in the ranks.

However, the biggest weakness of the Valentine tank is the lack of high-explosive rounds for the 2-pounder, a weakness suffered by every other tank using the 2-pounder. This and the 2-pounder's growing deficiency against tank armour was remedied by the usage of the 6-pounder on the Valentine after the Mark VIII version, and then the QF 75 mm gun. However, these larger guns were harder to mount on the small Valentine turret and made for a cramped interior, even removing the established loader's position made in an enlarge turret for the 2-pounder. By the time these larger guns were introduced for the tank, better tanks were being introduced, such as the Churchill heavy tanks from Britain and the M4 Shermans from the Americans. Despite the better tanks, the Valentine's low height is able to exploit small cover on the battlefield and take up a good hull-down position behind hills.

Some Valentines were sent to the Soviet Union as part of the Lend-Lease program, most of the Valentines came from Canada's production lines. The Valentines saw use from the time of Battle of Moscow in 1941 all the way until the end of the war, though the Valentines saw use more as a second-line tank due to its relative weakness. It was criticized for its slow speed and weak gun, but was liked for its small size, reliability, and armour protection and thus the Soviet Supreme Command continue asking for it and its production to continue until the end of the war.

By 1944, the Valentine is mostly taken out from the front-line services and replaced by the newer tanks. A few were retained for special purposes and command vehicles for Archer units, which is a tank destroyer based off the Valentine chassis. The tank continue to see use in the Pacific in limited numbers until May 1945 in the 3rd New Zealand Division, some had their armaments changed to the larger 3-inch howitzer to use it stronger high-explosive ammunition against the Japanese. New Zealand kept the normal and modified Valentines all the way until 1955. The last known combat usage of the Valentine was on Cyprus in early 1960s when a turret-less Valentine was used by the Greek militia, added with a make-shift armour and a machine gunner position with a Bren gun.

Survivors

About forty Valentines and vehicles based off the Valentine chassis exist in various conditions in the world. Valentines in running condition exist in the Bovington Tank Museum and in private hands in New Zealand and United Kingdom. The Valentines survivors can be seen in UK, Canada, Belgium, France, Russia, Australia, and New Zealand.

Media

Skins
Videos
Tank Chats #11 Valentine - The Tank Museum

See also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example:

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

External links

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Vickers-Armstrongs Limited
Ships 
Tribal-class  HMS Eskimo · HMCS Haida
Invincible-class  HMS Invincible*
Kongō-class  IJN Kongo**
Tanks 
Light Tanks  VFM5*** · Vickers Mk.11***
Light Tank Mk VI  Light AA Mk I
Light Tank Mk VII  Tetrarch I
Light Tank Mk VIII  Alecto I
Tank, Infantry, Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI · Archer
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7***
Heavy Tanks  Independent****
Export  ▂МК-IX "Valentine" · Vickers Mk.E****
See also  Vickers-Armstrongs Aircraft Limited
  *Previously Armstrong Whitworth
  **Built for Japan
  ***Vickers Defence Systems
  ****Previously Vickers Limited

Britain medium tanks
Valentine  Valentine I · Valentine IX · Valentine XI
Cromwell  Cromwell I · Cromwell V · Cromwell V (RP-3)
Cromwell derivatives  Challenger · Avenger · Comet I · Comet I "Iron Duke IV" · Charioteer Mk VII
Centurion  Centurion Mk 1 · Centurion Mk.2 · Centurion Mk 3 · Centurion Mk.5 AVRE · Centurion Mk 10 · Centurion Action X · FV4202
Vickers MBT  Vickers Mk.1 · Vickers Mk.3 · Vickers Mk.7
Chieftain  Chieftain Mk 3 · Chieftain Mk 5 · Chieftain Mk 10
Challenger 1  Challenger Mk.2 · Challenger Mk.3 · Challenger DS
Challenger 2  Challenger 2 · Challenger 2 (2F) · Challenger 2 TES · Challenger 2 OES · Challenger 2E · Challenger 2 Black Night
Challenger 3  Challenger 3 TD
Australia  A.C.I · A.C.IV · Centurion Mk.5/1
South Africa  Olifant Mk.1A · Olifant Mk.2 · TTD
India  Vijayanta · Bhishma TWMP
Israel  ▄Sho't Kal Dalet
Jordan  Khalid
Sweden  ▄Strv 81 (RB 52)
USA  Grant I · Sherman II · Sherman Firefly · Sherman IC "Trzyniec"

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