Valentine MK II The Tank , Infantry , Mk III , Valentine was an infantry tank produced in the United Kingdom during the Second World War . More than 8 , 000 of the type were produced in 11 different marks plus various purpose - built variants , accounting for approximately a quarter of wartime British tank production . Over its lifetime it went from a riveted construction to entirely welded , and from a petrol powerplant to a safer , less ignitable , | two strokediesel engine produced by GMC . It was supplied to the USSR and built under license in Canada . Developed by Vickers , it proved to be both strong and reliable Name . Several versions exist concerning the source of the name Valentine . The most popular one says that the design was presented to the War Office on St . Valentine ' s Day , 14 February 1940 . Some sources claim that the exact date the design was submitted was 10 February . According to another version the tank was called Valentine in honour of Sir John Valentine Carden , the man who led the development of the A10 and many other Vickers vehicles . Yet another version says that Valentine is an acronym for Vickers - Armstrong Ltd Elswick & ( Newcastle - upon ) Tyne . History . Based on the A10 Cruiser tank , the Valentine was privately designed by Vickers - Armstrongs ( hence its lack of a General Staff " A " designation ) and was submitted to the War Office on 10 February 1938 . The development team tried to combine the weight of a cruiser tank ( so that suspension and transmission parts of the A10 could be used ) with the greater armour of an infantry tank , which resulted in a very small vehicle with a cramped interior and two - man turret . Though its armour was still weaker than the Infantry Tank II Matilda and , due to a weaker engine , it shared the same top speed , the new design was easier to produce and much less expensive . The War Office was initially deterred by the size of the turret and the crew compartment . Concerned by the situation in Europe , however , it finally approved the design in April , 1939 . The vehicle reached trials in May , 1940 , which coincided with the loss of nearly all of Britain ' s equipment during the evacuation at Dunkirk . The trials were successful and the vehicle was rushed into production as Infantry Tank III Valentine . The Valentine remained in production until April 1944 , becoming Britain ' s most produced tank during the war with 6 , 855 units manufactured in the UK ( by Vickers , Metropolitan - Cammell Carriage and Wagon and Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon ) , and a further 1 , 420 in Canada . They were the Commonwealth ' s main export to the Soviet Union under the Lend - lease Act , with 2 , 394 of the British models being sent and 1 , 388 of the Canadian Pacific built models , and the remaining 30 being kept for training . Combat history . The tank first saw combat during Operation Crusader in the North African desert , at which point it began to replace the Matilda . It was extensively used in the North African Campaign , earning a reputation as a reliable and well protected vehicle . The Valentine shared the common weakness of the British tanks of the period - its 2 - pounder gun lacked high - explosive capability and soon became outdated as an anti - tank weapon too . The small size of the turret and of the turret ring made mounting larger guns a difficult task . Although versions with the 6 - pounder and then with the Ordnance QF 75 mm gun were developed , by the time they were available in significant numbers better tanks had reached the battlefield . Another weakness was small crew compartment and two - man turret . A larger turret with a loader position added was used in some of the 2 - pounder armed versions , but the position had to be removed again in variants with larger guns . By 1944 the Valentine was almost completely replaced in front - line units of the European Theatre by the Infantry Tank IV Churchill and the US - made Sherman . In the Pacific the tank was employed in limited numbers at least until May 1945 . It was used in New Zealand service , some with the main armament replaced by the 3 inch howitzer taken from Australian Matilda CS tanks . , on the Solomons in 1943 . In Soviet service the Valentine was used from the Battle of Moscow until the end of the war . Although criticized for its speed and its weak gun , the Valentine was liked due to its small size , reliability , and generally good armour protection . The first model of the Valentine , it was not sent out due to problems from rushed production . The tank had riveted hull , was powered by AEC A189 135 hp petrol engine and equipped with a 2 pdr . gun and a coaxial Besa machine gun . Its two - man turret forced the commander to also act as the gun - loader . This model used AEC A190 131 hp diesel engine . In order to increase its range , an auxiliary external fuel tank was installed to the left of the engine compartment . A larger turret was installed , allowing the addition of a dedicated loader to ease the duties of the commander . The side armour was reduced from 60 mm to 50 mm to save weight . A Mark II using an American 138 hp GMC 6004 diesel engine and US - made transmission . Though it had slightly lower range , it was quieter and more reliable . Valentine III with the GMC 6004 diesel engine and US - made transmission . Canadian - built version of IV . It used some Canadian and American mechanical parts . Late production vehicles had cast glacis detail . First few produced with a 7 . 92 mm Besa coaxial machinegun , but soon replaced with a 0 . 30 inch Browning coaxial machinegun . Another Canadian version , it was essentially VI with internal changes , and a different radio set . Mark VII with jettisonable fuel tanks , new studded tracks and protected headlights . A III upgraded with the QF 6 pounder gun . In order to fit it , the coaxial machinegun and the loader crewmember had to be removed . The side armour was reduced again . Crews came up with a novel way of using a machinegun from inside the hull by fitting a solenoid - fired Browning MG into a 6 - pdr shell - case . When needed , this was inserted into the 6 - pdr breech and the solenoid cable connected up , allowing the gunner to aim it using the main gun elevating gear , traverse and telescope . A V upgraded to the 6 pdr gun . Similar armour reduction as the VIII . On late production units an upgraded , 165 hp version of the GMC 6004 diesel was installed , somewhat improving mobility . A new turret design and 165 hp engine . A Besa coaxial machinegun was fitted again . Welded construction . An X upgraded with the OQF 75 mm gun and 210 hp version of the GMC 6004 diesel . Welded construction . Only served as a command tank . Valentine Mk V , IX and Mk XI , made amphibious by the use of Nicholas Straussler ' s Duplex Drive . Used by crews in training for the M4 Sherman DD tank s of the Normandy Landings . Observation Post / command version with extra radios . To give more space inside the gun was replaced with a dummy . A continuation of the Canal Defence Light experiments . The conventional turret was replaced with one containing a searchlight . Mine exploder , turretless with flail attachment . Never used operationally . Mine exploder with Amoured Mine Roller Attachment . Never used operationally . Mine exploder , using Snake mine clearing equipment . Few used operationally . An armoured bridgelaying vehicle ; a turretless Mk II fitted with 34 ft x 9 . 5 ft Class 30 scissors bridge . Several dozens were produced , some of them supplied to the USSR . Experimental vehicle built by Vickers - Armstrong to examine possibility of producing a simple tank destroyer by mounting the 6pdr in its field carriage on hull in place of turret . Trials only , 1942 . Two Valentine tanks were modified to carry flamethrowers . These were tested by the Petroleum Warfare Department to determine which system was best for a tank - mounted flame projector . One used a projector ignited by cordite charges and one used projector operated by gas pressure . The fuel was carried in a trailer and the flame projector was mounted on the hull front . Trials started in 1942 and it showed that gas - operated system was better . From this test installation was developed the Crocodile equipment for the Churchill Crocodile flamethrower used in the North West Europe campaign in 1944 - 45 . Experimental vehicle with turret replaced by fixed heavy mortar intended to project 25 lb TNT incendiary shells to demolish concrete emplacements . Trials only by Petroleum Warfare Dept , 1943 - 45 . Maximum range of this weapon was 2 , 000 yards and effective range was 400 yards . Surviving tanks . Valentines are displayed at Bovington Tank Museum and Imperial War Museum Duxford in the UK ; Brussels Tank Museum , Belgium ; Musée des Blindés , Saumur , France ; Kubinka Tank Museum , Russia ; National Museum of Military History , Johannesburg , South Africa ; Armoured Corps Museum , Ahmednagar , India and Virginia Museum of Military Vehicles , USA . Further Valentines are held in private collections . Two Canadian - built Valentines survive . Valentine Tank Mk VIIA , no . 838 , built May 1943 , was a Lend - Lease tank shipped to the Soviet Union . It fell through the ice of a boggy river near Telepino ( Telepyne , Ukraine ) , during a Soviet counter - offensive on January 25 , 1944 . In 1990 , a 74 - year old villager helped locate the tank , and it was recovered and offered as a Glasnost - era gift to Canada . It was presented to the Canadian War Museum by independent Ukraine in 1992 , and stands on display in the LeBreton Gallery . At least one Valentine exists in around 10 metres of water in Bracklesham Bay , south of Chichester in West Sussex . The hull and turret are clearly recognizable as it sits on a gravel mound . The remains of the tank used to be regularly dived by various diving clubs in the area . There are also two Valentine DD tank s out of Poole Bay in Dorset . These tanks are 100 metres apart under 15 metres of water . They were part of the amphibious experiments during World War II to enable them to be launched into the water farther from the beach . There are also believed to be another five tanks sunk in the same area , and divers from the Isle of Purbeck Sub Aqua Club are involved in an ongoing search to find their location . The remains of a Valentine Mk V ( NZ20767 ) , operated by the Waikato Armoured Regiment at Waiouru in the late 1950s , are now in a children ' s playground in Ohakune , New Zealand . A further Valentine is in running order at MOTAT in Western Springs , Auckland , New Zealand . There is also one in running order in private hands based in hamilton . one none running Valentine is set up at the gate of the Hamilton Territorial base