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Posted on 02/13/2006 8:35:48 PM PST by alfa6
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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| Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood and support. The FReeper Foxhole hopes to share with it's readers an open forum where we can learn about and discuss military history, military news and other topics of concern or interest to our readers be they Veteran's, Current Duty or anyone interested in what we have to offer. If the Foxhole makes someone appreciate, even a little, what others have sacrificed for us, then it has accomplished one of it's missions. We hope the Foxhole in some small way helps us to remember and honor those who came before us.
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THE VALENTINE TANK  Based on the A10 Cruiser tank, the Valentine was privately designed by the Vickers-Armstrong corporation (hence its lack of an "A" designation) and was submitted to the War Office on February 14, 1938. Like many other projects, the Valentine was rushed into production following the loss of nearly all of Britain's equipment during the evacuation at Dunkirk. Several versions exist concerning the source of the name Valentine. The most popular one says that the design was presented to the War Office at St. Valentine's Day (February 14). Some sources, however, claim that the exact date the design was submitted was February 10. According to other version, the tank was called Valentine in honor 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.  The War Office was initially deterred by the size of the turret and the crew compartment. However, concerned by the situation in Europe, 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 successfull and the vehicle was rushed into production as Infantry Tank III Valentine. The Valentine remained in production until April 1944, becoming Britain's most mass produced tank during the war with 6855 units manufactured in the UK (by Vickers, Metropolitan-Cammell Carriage and Wagon and Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon) and further 1420 in Canada. They were the Commonwealth's main export to the Soviet Union under the Lend-lease Act, with 2394 of the British models being sent and 1388 of the Canadian (the remaining 30 were kept for training).  The Valentine was Britain's most mass produced tank during the war, having manufactured 6855 and a further 1420 in Canada. They were the Commonwealth's main export to the Soviet Union under the Lend-lease Act, with 2394 of the British models being sent and 1388 of the Canadian (the remaining 30 were kept for training). In Soviet service, they were quite popular due to their small size, reliability, and generally good armour protection. In Soviet service, the Valentine was used from the Battle of Moscow until the end of the war. It was employed mostly on the southern fronts, both because of the proximity to the Persian supply route and in order to avoid using the tank in very cold climate. 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 Valentine was something of an oddity, having the weight and size of a cruiser tank, but the armour and speed of an infantry tank. Though its armour was still weaker than the Matilda and, due to its weaker engine, it shared the same top speed, its high reliability and lower cost kept it in the war. ![](http://www.dad.incomingwormhole.com/Valentine/valentine_mk_iii_01.jpg") By 1944, in the European Theater of Operations the Valentine was almost competely replaced in the frontline units by the Churchill and the US-made Sherman. In the Pacific the tank was employed in limited numbers at least until May 1945. There were 12 variants of the Valentine as follows:     |
Great thread....bump.
Hello to my FRiends in the Foxhole.
Good morning and Happy Valentine's Day and ((HUGS)) to everyone at the Freeper Foxhole.
HEY!
I have one of those!
| February 14, 2006
The Greatest Thing In The World
Read:
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Well-known scientist and writer Henry Drummond (1857-1897) conducted a geological survey of South Africa and wrote what was then the definitive work on tropical Africa. But he is best remembered for his book about love, The Greatest Thing In The World.
Drummond wrote, "As memory scans the past, above and beyond all the transitory pleasures of life, there leap forward those supreme hours when you have been enabled to do unnoticed kindnesses to those round about you, things too trifling to speak about . . . . And these seem to be the things which alone of all one's life abide."
Paul warned that impressive gifts and spectacular deeds may be little more than empty noise (1 Corinthians 13:1). Our best efforts—if bereft of love—ring hollow. "Though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, . . . but have not love, it profits me nothing" (v.3). The smallest loving act can hold eternal significance.
No matter our age or status in life, we all can strive to love others as God loves them. We may accomplish great things in our life—gain fame and fortune—but the greatest thing is to love. For of all that we have done, or ever will do, only love endures. We depart, but love abides. —David Roper
Now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love. —1 Corinthians 13:13
Good morning bittygirl, have not seen your tank in a while
Regards
alfa6 ;>}
Happy Valentines Day bittygirl!
The Beatles appeared with a Centurion MBT in "Help". :-)
Valentine tanks landing on a beach with flotation skirts lowered
Thanks alfa6, very appropriate.
An unusual dive in the Moray Firth can be had on one of the Valentine Tanks which were lost during practices and rehearsals for the D-Day Landings in Normandy. At the time the “amphibious tank” was a closely guarded secret and secret trials were carried out on beaches that resembled the ones in Normandy at Poole in Dorset and Findhorn in Moray.
The Valentine tank was fitted with a duplex drive and renamed the Valentine Duplex Drive Amphibious Tank. The ability for a tank to cross rivers and to land on beaches from landing craft positioned offshore to take the enemy by surprise was appealing to the Army so the trials were undertaken.
Needless to say there were casualties; some didn’t float and sank immediately, some didn’t drive the propeller and foundered in rough seas. Their misfortunes provide a different dive for us now. Losses totaled around eight tanks at Poole and around eight at Findhorn. Due to secrecy at the time of their loss the positions of them all have never been recorded and only two have been found at Findhorn. One life was lost at Findhorn and the tank off Findhorn Bay estuary must be considered a war grave. The other tank lies in Burghead Bay and is not easy to find even with the GPS position. Bear in mind you are looking for an object the size of a transit van in 12m and be prepared to carry out a systematic echo sounder search.
The Findhorn tank lies on a flat sandy seabed in about 12m of water at position N57 41.725 W003 31.324 GPS. The tank is starting to get a bit battered so please avoid anchoring into it. The site can be affected by tidal streams especially during spring tides - these shouldn’t affect experienced divers but care should be exercised with trainees.
The wreck harbors a variety of marine life with a couple of congers, large cod beneath the tank, edible and hermit crabs, the occasional lobster and lumpsucker as well as many smaller creatures. Go slow and stick your nose in all the nooks and crannies and enjoy this unusual dive. Its depth makes an ideal second or even third dive.
This doesn't look like something I'd like to try in any kind of sea, much less the swells they had on D-Day.
Beat me to it. :-(
I figure the Soviet KV II gets that honor, the Bishop was just a Brit "Knock off" ;-)
YAY, Bittygirl, you go girl!!
ROTFLOLOL!!!
Hilarious, snippy! *HUGS*
The Bishop still gets my vote for two articulable reasons. First, the road wheels on the Russian tank match. The mis-matched road wheels on the Bishop (as on most of the tanks of the series) give it a 'thrown together' look that is missing from the Russian machine. Second, the armored box on top is so grossly disproportionate to the bottom on the Bishop. The Russian tank has a certain funtional ugliness, but Bishop lacks utilitarian elegance.
LOL!
xoxoxo
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