Tank Infantry Mark I A11

Tank Infantry Mark I A11, a photo by relex109.com on Flickr.

Via Flickr:
Designed by Vickers-Armstrongs to a War Office order that made price a very high consideration the result was a well-armoured but otherwise useless tank. Designed by Sir John Carden it had the General Staff specification number A11 and Vickers' own code name of Matilda.

If, as some suggest, it was intended to serve as a heavily protected, mobile machine-gun mounting there may have been some justification but only if produced in large numbers. As it was only 139 were completed.

The Ford engine, simple transmission and rugged suspension ensured that the Matilda was reliable but when a wireless set was installed it had to be located on the floor, behind the commander/gunner who then had to lower himself to the floor, reach behind himself for the controls meanwhile rendering the tank incapable of fighting.

First A.F.V. described as an infantry tank. Armour sufficiently thick to give it immunity in the shelled areas. New features included a heavy internal gun, mantlet and seat raising gear. Vehicles of this type saw action in France in 1940 with 4 RTR and 7 RTR. Discontinued in August 1940 but vehicles still used for training.

Evidence is coming to light that among the large number captured from 1st Army Tank Brigade some were employed by the Germans as internal security vehicles, probably in Poland.

Precise Name: Tank, Infantry, Mark I, Matilda I

Other Name: A11

DESCRIPTION

The Infantry Tank Mark I, or Matilda I, was designed by Sir John Carden of Vickers in 1935 to meet a War Office requirement for a small heavily armoured vehicle to support attacking infantry. Incidentally, ‘Matilda’ was Vickers’ internal project name. The overriding objective was economy; the development spending was limited to £15,000 and individual tanks cost about £5,000. The thick armour would enable the tank to operate in the fire swept zone between opposing armies. Clearly those responsible for the Matilda I’s specification thought that any future war would resemble World War I, an illusion that was violently dispelled by the German Army in May and June 1940.

The resulting vehicle was of limited use. Its’ two man crew meant that the commander, in the turret, also had to act as loader, gunner and radio operator – an intolerable workload. The radio was located in the rear of the hull so that the commander had to bend down to operate it. The armament was limited to a single machine gun, useless against enemy tanks, while a top speed of 8 mph meant that the Matilda I was too slow to run away! The design had three positive characteristics: it was reliable, well armoured (front armour proof against all contemporary anti-tank guns) and cheap.

The prototype was delivered to the Army in September 1936 and after the elimination of minor teething problems an order for 60 vehicles was given to Vickers in 1938. The first production vehicles were delivered in February 1939. The first vehicles were issued to the 4th 7th and 8th battalions of the Royal Tank Corps. Eventually 139 Matilda I tanks were made, production finishing in August 1940.

The Tank Museum’s Matilda I was built in March 1940 and restored to running condition in the 1980s. It is displayed in the markings of the 4th Royal Tank Regiment (4 RTR), May 1940. The Chinese eye painted on the turret is a 4RTR tradition dating back to World War I when a Chinese business man who donated money to the British for the purchase of tanks said that they needed an eye to see where they were going!

4 RTR participated in the famous but abortive attack against Rommel’s 7th Panzer Division near Arras on the 21st May 1940. After initial British successes the Germans found that the 88mm Flak 18 gun could pierce the Matilda I’s armour, firing in the anti-tank role. All the Matilda I tanks were lost in the defeat of France and the subsequent Dunkirk evacuation.

The usefulness of the Matilda I was doubted in the Royal Tank Corps even before the first production vehicles were delivered. There was considerable pressure to produce a much larger and more effective tank. This resulted in the development of the Infantry Tank Mark II, Matilda II, (See E1949.439) probably the best tank of its kind in the World when it was introduced, in contrast to the rather feeble Matilda I.

Summary text by Mike Garth
Other Numbers

NumberType
35049Original Accession
T8106 PMX 466Serial
1949.1007Original Entry
Main utility type

Light
Military unit

Royal Armoured Corps Royal Armoured Corps
Country of Use

U.K. (1940)

Production
Object Production

RoleAttributionDatePlaceNotes
Manufactured1940Vickers Armstrongs Ltd.United Kingdom
Era

World War 2
Nationality

British

Location
Current Location

BOVTM - B18 - WW2 Hall - France 1940

Physical
Features

Part NameDescriptionNotes
Tracks/WheelsFull Tracked
Armament - Main Weapon TypeMachine Gun - .303 or .50 Vickers Machine Gun
EngineFord V8 90 degree, model 79, water cooled
SuspensionLeaf springs
Transmission4 Forward, 1 Reverse
Dimensions

Part NameDimensionValueUnitPrecisionNotes
CrewNumber2
OverallWeight11tons
Speed - RoadMaximum8mph
FuelTypePetrol
Armour Thickness - HullMaximum65.00mm
Main GunCalibre.303in
Engine OutputPower70bhp@ 2820 rpm
FuelVolume42gall
RangeRadius80ml
OverallLength4.85m
OverallWidth2.34m
OverallHeight2.34m

Info from www.tankmuseum.org/ixbin/indexplus?_IXSS_=_IXMENU_%3dVehi...