MK-IX "Valentine" (USSR)

▂МК-IX "Valentine"

▂МК-IX "Valentine"

USSR

II Rank

Battle rating:

AB	RB	SB
3.0	3.0	3.0

Class:

PREMIUM

Medium tank

Purchase:Bundle or Gift

Show in game

Description

The ▂МК-IX "Valentine" is a premium gift rank II Soviet medium tank with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced during Update 1.95 "Northern Wind" as a special Valentines' Day vehicle. This is a Lend-Lease Valentine, shipped to the USSR by British.

General info

Survivability and armour

The armour on the MK-IX "Valentine" is quite mediocre. The maximum base armour thickness of the hull is 60 mm and is laid out flat on the designs, while the sloping portions are of thinner 30 mm armour plates. This gives an average thickness of ~60 mm of armour when facing the MK-IX "Valentine" from the front. The turret is more well protected than the hull, with its front armoured with 65 mm armour plates and sloped with its circular shape, but the cast construction of the gun mantlet can lead to some enemies attacking the gun breech to disable the Valentine's firepower, if they do not aim for the hull directly.

The mediocre armour construction means that there will be multiple types of enemies the MK-IX "Valentine" can encounter that can easily penetrate through the armour, especially if the opponent is firing at a close range and have a good knowledge on the MK-IX "Valentine"'s weak spots. These armour vulnerabilities adds up with the Valentine's fault of not being a particularly fast vehicle. This means any exposure from cover can be a long one that enemies can take the time to line up their next shot towards an armour weak point.

Armour type:

• Rolled homogenous armour (Hull, Turret)
• Cast homogenous armour (Gun mantlet)

Armour	Front (Slope angle)	Sides	Rear	Roof
Hull	60 mm (1°) Front plate 30 mm (65-67°) Front glacis 60 mm (24°) Lower glacis	50 mm	17 mm (51-54°) Top 60 mm (1°) Bottom	20 mm (40-89°)
Turret	65 mm (0-73°) Turret front 65 mm (1-61°) Gun mantlet	60 mm (0-1°)	65 mm (2-58°)	20 mm (76-89°)

Notes:

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

Mobility

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

Armaments

Main armament

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	-12°/+20°	±180°	N/A	15.23	21.08	25.60	28.31	30.12	5.20	4.60	4.24	4.00
Realistic					9.52	11.20	13.60	15.04	16.00

Ammunition

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 (m)	Fuse sensitivity (mm)	Explosive Mass (TNT equivalent) (g)	Normalisation at 30° from horizontal	Ricochet
								0%	50%	100%
Shot Mk.5	AP	815	2.8	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1.0°	47°	60°	65°
Shot Mk.5 HV	AP	853	2.8	N/A	N/A	N/A	-1.0°	47°	60°	65°
Shot Mk.8	APC	853	2.87	N/A	N/A	N/A	+4.0°	48°	63°	71°
Shot Mk.9	APCBC	801	3.23	N/A	N/A	N/A	+4.0°	48°	63°	71°
Shell Mk.10	HE	655	2.72	0.1	0.1	590	+0.0°	79°	80°	81°

Ammo racks

Ammo racks of the MK-IX "Valentine" (USSR)

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

MK-IX "Valentine" (USSR) Optics
Which ones	Default magnification	Maximum magnification
Main Gun optics	x1.85	x3.5
Comparable optics	M4A1

Usage in battles

The MK-IX Valentine fits in a niche battle rating in the Soviet line-up, presenting its own unique traits compared to the rest of the Soviet line-up. Its armour is a considerable improvement from preceding medium tanks like the T-28. The firepower with the 57 mm gun gives penetration values similar to the tank destroyers like the ZiS-30, along with a faster reloading rate and superior gun depression. However, its mobility is a downgrade compared to anything available to the Soviets, even the ~30 ton heavier KV-1 can move faster than the Valentine on the battlefield. As such, finding a place for the Valentine in the Soviet line-up can be tricky.

The Valentine's excelling role is in a methodical march towards its objective, as its mobility precludes any attempt to make a speedy flanking manouvre. Teammates are more than likely to reach and capture the point before the Valentine will, but this does not mean the Valentine should not participate in the effort.

One must use the Valentine wisely to not expose it too long in the open when traveling to the objective; make the most of any cover available. It is in these periods that the Valentine is most vulnerable to a concealed enemy a distance away taking a shot at the Valentine's armour straight at the front or from the sides. Angling the armour during movement through contested areas is a must as the flat surfaces present easy weak points for any frontal enemy to attack at, and the guns at this rank are more than likely to penetrate even at slightly angled armour plates. Whether uptiered or downtiered, the main concerning enemy unit are tank destroyers, as their guns have a high chance of penetrating the Valentine's armour no matter how the vehicle is angled.

Once a position is taken however, the Valentine can plant itself at the location at suitable firing positions and make use of the fast-firing and potent 57 mm gun to take out any enemy assault units. The green paint on the Valentine can assist in concealment on foliage-rich environment for a good ambush position. Whether from behind cover or a hull-down position, the Valentine can end up victorious in an engagement if it hits with the first shot. However, due to the poor mobility, the Valentine's movement is restricted. This means it is important to make sure the enemy's ability to fire back and/or move is knocked out in the first shot so it is not required to retreat back into cover during the brief reloading period, then out again to fire, especially since that whole manouvre can take more time than simply reloading in place while exposing the tank to return fire. The poor mobility also means the Valentine needs to be aware of any flanking vehicles coming up, as the Valentine would not be able to react fast enough to the new threat.

Modules

Tier	Mobility		Protection	Firepower
I	Tracks		Parts	Horizontal Drive	Shot Mk.5 HV
II	Suspension	Brake System	FPE	Shot Mk.8	Adjustment of Fire
III	Filters		Crew Replenishment	Shot Mk.9	Elevation Mechanism	Smoke grenade
IV	Transmission	Engine		Artillery Support
This is a premium vehicle: all modifications are unlocked on purchase

Pros and cons

Pros:

• 57 mm gun has decent penetration
• Upper glacis is sloped, can bounce a few shots
• Low profile allows it to hide behind obstacles
• Decent stock shells
• Turret is angled and can bounce some shots
• Fast reload speed

Cons:

• No machine gun
• Side armour is very weak
• Slow top speed (22 km/h)
• Drivers port and the area around it is a major weak spot
• No explosive filler in shells
• Only three crew members (crew can be knocked out very easily)
• Thin top armour makes it vulnerable to air attacks

History

Valentine in the USSR

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.

Media

Skins

• Skins and camouflages for the MK-IX "Valentine" (USSR) from live.warthunder.com.

Videos

Should You Buy: MK-IX "Valentine" (USSR) - ConeOfArc

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

• [Special] Valentine's Day