Valiant tank

Infobox Weapon
name= Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38)


caption=Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38)
origin=UK
type=infantry tank
is_vehicle=yes
manufacturer=Vickers/Ruston & Hornby
length=17 ft 7 in (5.4 m)
width=9 ft 3 in (2.8 m)
height=7 ft (2.1 m)
weight=27 t
suspension=Individual sprung bogie
speed=12 (off-road 7)
vehicle_range=80 miles
primary_armament=QF 6 pdr (57 mm)
secondary_armament=2 x 7.92 mm Besa MG
armour=114 mm
engine=GMC diesel
engine_power=210 hp (157 kW)
pw_ratio=
crew=4

The Tank, Infantry, Valiant (A38) was a British tank design of the Second World War, based upon the Valentine Infantry Tank but only reached the prototype stage.

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 some variants of the Churchill Infantry tank and on the Cromwell cruiser tank, and thicker armour. The prototype was fitted with the 6 pounder (57 mm) tank gun. The project was cancelled. The Valiant II, equipped with a Rolls Royce 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.

Notes and references