Main Menu

Britain's Infantry Tank Mk II, A12, Matilda Mk II, Matilda II Infantry Tank¹³

Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12: Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12:	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12:	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12:
Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12:	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12:	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12, in training in 1942:	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12:
Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12:	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12. A member of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment.	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II, A12:	Cruiser Mk IIAs, Valentine, and Matilda IIs Imperial War Museum
Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II Baron, A12:	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II Baron, A12: Royal Armored Corps Tank Museum	Infantry Tank Mk II, Matilda Mk II Carrot, A12:

Design

While the Matilda I was still in pre-production phases, it was decided an infantry tank would need to be able to withstand anti-tank fire from enemy guns and tanks. A tank that could carry more than just a MG was decided upon. The Matilda I couldn't have a larger turret installed so a new design was started in November 1936. The Design Department at Woolwich Arsenal was given the task.

During trials improvements were made to the gearbox, suspension, and air cleaners.

The driver sat in the middle behind the nose armor plate.¹⁰ There was a cupola for the commander but it didn't have good visibility. The Frazer Nash Company developed the hydraulic power for the turret.

First British tank to have diesel engines. It was difficult to mass produce due to the size and shape of the armor castings. The side skirts were one piece and cause production to slow down. The mud chutes were reduced from 6 to 5¹² to help speed up production.

The Matilda couldn't be up-gunned as the turret ring was too small.¹

Had No. 11 radio installed.⁸

Prototype

The Vulcan Foundry made wooden prototypes in April 1937. It was another year before a mock-steel prototype was produced.

Production

An order for 65 was placed in December 1937 and was shortly increased into 165.

Initially produced by the Vulcan Foundry in Warrington¹², Lancashire.^1,8 In June 1938 contracts for production were placed with Fowler, Ruston and Hornsby, and later LMS, Harland and Wolff and North British Locomotive Co.¹

• Infantry Tank Mk II, A12, Matilda Mk II: 2,987^1,8
• Production: December 1937 - August 1943^1,8
• Manufacturer: Vulcan Foundry⁹; William Fowler; Ruston & Hornsby; London, Midland & Scottish Railway; Harland & Wolff; North British Locomotive Works⁷

Variants

• Matilda II, Mk IIA: Besa MG replacing Vickers. Had No. 11 radio installed.⁸
• Matilda III, Mk IIA*: Used Leyland engines. Had No. 11 radio installed.⁸
• Matilda III CS: 3" howitzer.
• Matilda IV, Mk IIA**: Like Mk III but with improved Leyland engines. Had No. 19 radio installed.⁸
• Matilda V: Improved gear box and gear shift. Had No. 19 radio installed.⁸
• Matilda II CDL¹² and Matilda V CDL: Canal Defense Light.¹² Replaced turrets with searchlight. Used  at Rhine crossing in 1945.
• Baron I, II, III, IIIA:¹² Mine clearing.¹² Developed in Britain.
• Matilda Scorpion I:¹² Mine clearing¹², developed in Middle East.⁴
• Matilda Scorpion II: Used on October 23, 1942, at El Alamein to clear Afrika Korps minefields.¹
• Matilda with AMRA¹² Mk Ia: Fowler rollers mine clearing device.¹² Used in small numbers in Western Desert.
• Matilda with Carrot:¹² 600lb HE demolition charge.¹² Used for blowing gaps in obstacles.
• Matilda Murray: Improved flame thrower. Produced in 1945.
• Matilda with Inglis Bridge: Light bridge on a track pushed ahead of Matilda. Used only in training.
• Matilda with Trench Crossing Device: Device pushed ahead on tracked bogies for spanning gaps for infantry and light vehicles to cross.

Australia

• Matilda Frog:¹² Flame thrower version.^1,12 25 vehicles in late 1944. Used in Borneo in 1945.⁸
• Matilda Murray¹² FT: Modified Frog with cordite operated flame thrower instead of gas-pressure.⁴ Produced in 1945.⁴ Carried 50 gallons of flame fuel.⁴
• Matilda Dozer: Developed box shaped blade dozer.
• Matilda Hedgehog: A seven barreled Naval Hedgehog was mounted on the rear of the Matilda.⁴ They could be fired individually or all at once.⁴

Usage

At the outbreak of the war in September 1939 only 2 were in service.⁸

Used by the 4th and 7th Royal Tank Regiments¹ in France at Battle of Arras¹, on May 21, 1940, against the German 7th Panzer Division and SS Totenkopf.⁸

Used in Africa and the Mediterranean. Fought the Italians at Sidi Barrani, Tobruk, Bardia, Keren (Eritrea).¹ Its last battle was at Alamein in July 1942.

Was used by the 42nd and 44th Royal Tank Regiments in Egypt and Cyrenaica.⁸

A squadron of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment was used in Eritrea with the 4th Indian Division.⁸

Half squadron of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment was lost on Crete.⁸

At the Second Battle of Alamein in October 1942, the 6th, 42nd, and 44th Royal Tank Regiments contained detachments of the Matildas and some Scorpions.⁸

While fighting in Libya in 1940 and 1941 it was nearly invulnerable to antitank fire. Became known as the Queen of the Battlefield. However, once the Germans brought 88 mm Flak guns this dominance was over.

Only British tank to server throughout entire war.¹

Soviet Union

Some were sent to Russia.⁸

Australia

Many were supplied to Australia.⁴

	Matilda II (A12), Matilda II Infantry Tank13	Matilda IIA	Matilda III, Matilda IV	Matilda III CS, Matilda IV CS
Crew	Commander, gunner, loader, driver.3,8,10,11 41,2,3,4,5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13
Physical Characteristics
Weight	59,360 lb3,5,10 26,924 kg12, 26,500 kg, 29,925 kg1,7, 29,926 kg5,10 26 tons2, 26.5 tons1,4,7,8,11,12,13, 29.7 tons9
Length w/gun	18.25'9, 18.4'10, 18' 5"1,3,4,5,7,8,12,13, 19' 5"11 5.6 m10, 5.61 m7,12,13, 5.613 m1,5, 5.72 m2, 6.019 m
Length w/o gun	5.61 m
Height	7.8'9, 7' 10"11, 8'4,8, 8.3'10, 8' 3"1,3,5,7,12,13 2.5 m10, 2.515 m1, 2.51 m5,7, 2.52 m12,13, 2.56 m2
Width	8.25'9, 8' 3"11, 8' 6"1,3,4,5,7,8,10,12,13 2.59 m1,5,7,12,13, 2.51 m2, 2.6 m10
Ground clearance	1' 2"9, 1' 7" 0.4 m, 0.48 m2
Ground contact length	11' 4"9
Ground pressure	15.8 psi9, 15.9 psi, 16.2 psi 1.12 (kg/cm2)2
Turret ring diameter
Armament
Main	2 pdr OQF Mk IX or X L/52 2 pdr (40 mm)1,4,5,8,10,11 40 mm L/522 2 pdr OQF3,12,13 2 pdr QF and SA Mk IX, L/529	2 pdr11	2 pdr11	3" howitzer4,8,11
Secondary
MG	7.92 mm Besa MG3 MG2,4 Vickers .303 MG8 Mk I: Vickers3 .303 MG9	7.92 mm Besa MG5,11	7.92 mm Besa MG11	7.92 Besa MG11
OR	1: 7.92 mm Besa MG8
MG - coaxial	1: 7.92 mm Besa MG1,10,12,13 .303" MG11	1: 7.92 mm Besa MG10
Side arms
Quantity
Main	672,9,10, 933
Secondary
MG	2,00010, 2,9252,3, 4,0009
Side arms
Armor Thickness (mm)	13 - 781, 14 - 787,10, 20 - 784,5, 133, 6011, 783,8,12 0.55" - 3"7 Front: 2.94 - 3.15"9 Side: 2.75"9 Turret front: 3.1"9 Turret side: 3"9
Hull Front, Upper	45-782, 47@67°
Hull Front, Lower	78@0°
Hull Sides, Upper	65-702, 70@30°
Hull Sides, Lower	40@0° + 25@0° (side skirting)
Hull Rear	55@25°, 552
Hull Top	20@90°, 202
Hull Bottom	13-20@90°, 13-202
Turret Front	75@11°, 752
Turret Sides	75@0°, 752
Turret Rear	75@0°, 752
Turret Top	20@90°, 202
Engine (Make / Model)	Twin Leyland E148/E149 or E164/E165 2 x Leyland3,5,7 2 x AEC5,7,8,9,10,11,12,13 Mk I/II: Twin AEC3,4 AEC2	2 x AEC8,11	2: Leyland4,8 III: Leyland E148/14911, E164/16511 IV: Leyland E170/17111	III CS: Leyland E148/149, E164/16511 IV CS: Leyland E170/17111
Bore / stroke
Cooling	Water2,9
Cylinders	2x62,3,5 AEC: 2x67,9,10,12,13 Leyland: 2x67
Net HP	2 x 942 @ 2,000 rpm2 Leyland: 2 x 965, 2 x 957 AEC: 2 x 875,7,11,12,13, 174 @ 2,000 RPM each9 Mk I/II:2 x  873,4	2 x 8711	1904 III: 2 x 9511	III: 2 x 9511
Power to weight ratio	7.2 hp/ton10
Compression ratio
Transmission (Type)	Wilson epicyclic12, 6 forward, 1 reverse9 6 forward2, 1 reverse2
Steering	Clutch brake9
Steering ratio
Starter	Electric9
Electrical system
Ignition
Fuel (Type)	Diesel2,4 Leyland: Gasoline5, Diesel7 AEC: Diesel5,7,9,10,11,12,13 Mk I/II: Diesel3	Diesel11	Diesel4
Octane
Quantity	50 gallons9, 56 gallons11, 112 gallons, 181.8 liters + 163.6 liters in auxiliary tank 423 liters2
Road consumption	1.8 mpg9
Cross country consumption	1.1 mpg9
Performance
Traverse	360°3,12, hydraulic9,10 360°/14 seconds12
Max speed	8 mph12,13, 15 mph1,3,4,5,9,10,11, 15.5 mph7 13 kph12,13, 24 kph1,5,10, 24.1 kph2, 25 kph7
Cross country speed	8 mph3,5,10 12.9 kph5, 13 kph10, 15 kph
Road radius	60 miles11, 80 km (internal tank), 90 miles9, 155 miles7, 160 miles1,3,5,10,12,13 112 km2, 250 km7, 256 km10, 257 km1,5, 258 km12,13
Cross country radius	56 miles9
Turning radius	27' 8.3 m2
Elevation limits	-15° to +20°, -20° to +20°
Fording depth	3'3,5, 3' 6.4"9 1 m, 0.91 m2, 0.914 m5
Trench crossing	7'3,5,9,10,11 2.1 m10, 2.133 m5
Vertical obstacle	2'3,5,9,11 0.609 m5, 0.61 m
Climbing ability
Suspension (Type)	Bell crank.3 Coil Springs2 10 pairs of bogies on bell cranks9
Wheels each side	11, 102
Return rollers each side
Tracks (Type)	Dry pin9
Length
Width	13.75"9, 14"3 355 mm2
Diameter
Number of links
Pitch
Tire tread
Track centers/tread	6.8'9, 6' 9.5"3

Sources:

1. The Encyclopedia of Tanks and Armored Fighting Vehicles - The Comprehensive Guide to Over 900 Armored Fighting Vehicles From 1915 to the Present Day, General Editor: Christopher F. Foss, 2002
2. Panzer Truppen The Complete Guide to the Creation and Combat Employment of Germany's Tank Force 1933-1942, Thomas L. Jentz, 1996
3. British and American Tanks of World War Two, The Complete Illustrated History of British, American, and Commonwealth Tanks 1933-1945, Peter Chamberlain and Chris Ellis, 1969
4. Tanks of the World, 1915-1945, Peter Chamberlain, Chris Ellis, 1972
5. The Encyclopedia of Weapons of World War II, Chris Bishop, 1998
6. -
7. Allied Armour of World War Two, Ian V. Hogg, 2000
8. Tanks of World War II, Duncan Crow, 1979
9. Tank Data, Aberdeen Proving Grounds Series, 1968?
10. Battle Winning Tanks, Aircraft & Warships of World War II, David Miller, 2000
11. The Royal Armoured Corps Tank Museum, Tanks 1919-1939 The Inter War Period, 1966
12. The Illustrated Guide to Tanks of the World, George Forty, 2006
13. Western Allied Tanks 1939-45, David Porter, 2009

---