Valiant tank
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Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38) |
|
| Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38) | |
|---|---|
| General characteristics | |
| Crew | 4 |
| Length | 17 ft 7 in, 5.4 |
| Width | 9 ft 3 in, 2.8 |
| Height | 7 ft, 2.1 |
| Weight | 27 |
| Armour and armament | |
| Armour | 114 |
| Main armament | QF 6 pdr (57 mm) |
| Secondary armament | 2 x 7.92 mm Besa MG |
| Mobility | |
| Power plant | GMC diesel 210 hp (157 kW) |
| Suspension | Individual sprung bogie |
| Road speed | 12 |
| Power/weight | |
| Range | 80 |
The Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38) was a British tank design of the Second World War, based upon the Valentine tank but only reached the prototype stage.
[edit] History
It was intended as an improvement on the Valentine using as many elements of the original. The design, A38, was first suggested by Vickers in 1943 but the pilot (built by Ruston & Hornsby) was not ready until the middle of 1944 and the design was dropped as the end of the war approached.
The major changes from the Valentine were a larger turret that could take the OQF 75 mm gun, as used on the Churchill and Cromwell, and thicker armour. The prototype was fitted with the 6 pounder (57 mm) gun. The project was cancelled. The Valiant II, equipped with a Meteorite engine (a half size Meteor engine) and improved transmission was suggested but nothing came of it.
The Valiant can be seen at the Bovington Tank Museum.
