British tank of the Second World War. The Valentine was introduced in 1940 as a replacement infantry tank for the Matilda. Although it remainined in production for a couple of years it was basically obsolete by the time it came into service, being slow and seriously undergunned (originally equipped with a 2 pounder/40 mm gun generally incapable of penetrating the armour of any but the lightest contemporary German models) - the result of flaws in both procurement procedures and tactical doctrine. It saw some service in the Western Desert and Italy, and a number were supplied to the Red Army; the bodies were also later recycled for self-propelled artillery.