The Infantry Tank Mark II, best known as the Matilda, is a British infantry tank of the Second World War. [1] The design began as the A12 specification in 1936, as a gun-armed counterpart to the first British infantry tank, the machine gun armed, two-man A11 Infantry Tank Mark I. The Matilda was a 60,000 lbs (27 tonnes) machine, armed with the new Ordnace QF 2-Pounder (40 mm, 1.57 in) gun. This was one of the many derivatives of the licence-built Swedish Bofors gun, which had an excellent rate of fire. The caliber seemed sufficient against most tanks of the time.
Nazi Germany's Nightmare Britain's World War II Matilda Tank The National Interest
The Matilda II first saw action at the Battle of Arras in 1940 and was the only British tank used throughout the Second World War. In North Africa their thick armour earned them the nickname 'Queen of the Desert.' However, they proved vulnerable as more powerful German guns appeared. By 1940, the Matilda II Infantry Tank had made a name for itself in the western deserts of North Africa, aptly earning the moniker of 'Queen of the Desert'. However, by 1941, the Matilda II had fallen behind the increasing pace of desert warfare in terms of mobility and firepower. A Matilda II Mk.III fresh of the production line is prepared for shipment to the USSR with a number of Slogans painted on by the factory workers, September 26, 1941. Photo: warspot.ru Soviet Scrutiny The Matildas that arrived in the Soviet Union were mostly Mk.IIIs and IVs, with Leyland diesel engines. The Matilda II Tank January 11, 2011 2 mins read Known officially as the Infantry Tank Mark II, and less formally as the Matilda Senior or Matilda 2, this 27-ton tank wreaked havoc among the Italian forces in the deserts of Egypt in late 1940.
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Why the Matilda II Tank Was the British Queen of the Desert During World War II The National
The origins of the Matilda Tank or "I" Tank date back to 1934, when Maj. Gen. Percy C.S. Hobart, then the Inspector, Royal Tank Corps (RTC), itemized the features of a new infantry support weapon that would be "moderately well-armoured and equipped with a machine gun, available in large numbers to swamp the enemy defences; or a larger type, moun. Officially called the Infantry Tank Mark II, the Matilda II was a British tank from the Second World War. Also known as Matilda Senior or Waltzing Matilda, it was famous for the havoc it wreaked among Italian forces in the North African Campaign of 1940. Although it had limited speed, the Matilda was an excellent infantry support tank. The Infantry Tank Mark II, best known as the Matilda, is a British infantry tank of the Second World War. The design began as the A12 specification in 1936, as a gun-armed counterpart to the first British infantry tank, the machine gun armed, two-man A11 Infantry Tank Mark I. Matilda II tank. English: The Infantry Tank Mk II Matilda II (A12) was a British tank of World War II. In a somewhat unorthodox move, it shared the same name as the A11 Infantry Tank I. A Matilda tank of the 7th Royal Tank Regiment in the Western Desert, 19 December 1940. A British Matilda tank on its way into Tobruk, displaying an Italian flag.
A British Matilda II infantry tank from 1939 * All PYRENEES · France, Spain, Andorra
The theater which earned the Matilda II its fame, as well as its nickname The Queen of the Desert, was during the battle for North Africa. With its thick armour, the Matilda II was effectively impervious to all German tank guns in 1941. Using standard ammunition, the 5 cm Kw K L/42 of the Pz Kpfw III, the most common German tank in the desert. The Infantry Tank Mark II known as the Matilda II (sometimes referred to as Matilda senior or simply an 'I' tank) was a British Infantry tank of the Second World War. It was also identified from its General Staff Specification A12. It served from the start of the war to its end and became particularly associated with the North Africa Campaign. It was replaced in service by the Infantry Tank Mk.
After causing the Italian Army many problems in Libya, the Matilda II only became outclassed when the Afrika Korps' 88 mm guns were eventually introduced to the battlefield. Nevertheless, the tank played a key role in the desert, and later proved essential in the South-East Pacific with the Australian Army until the end of the war. The Matilda II, or just Matilda as it was later called, was what the British called an infantry tank. As opposed to bigger cruiser-style tanks with heavier guns, infantry tanks were meant to.
A British Matilda II infantry tank from 1939 * All PYRENEES · France, Spain, Andorra
The (original) Matilda was a two-man tracked vehicle with the primary armament of machine gun fitted to a traversing turret. The type more or less became an interim "stop-gap" design to be built at speed until a more formal development could be achieved. Matilda Mk.II Infantry Tank (1937) United Kingdom- 2,987 built A complete overhaul of the infantry tank concept The former Matilda, or Matilda I, was a product of the 1929 financial crisis, a rather limited and compromised vehicle, badly suited to real battlefield operations.
