Matilda I (tank)

Tank, Infantry, Mk I, Matilda I (A11)
A11E1 pilot model
Type	Infantry tank
Place of origin	United Kingdom
Service history
In service	1938-1940
Production history
Designer	Sir John Carden, Vickers-Armstrongs
Designed	1935
Manufacturer	Vickers-Armstrongs
No. built	140
Specifications
Weight	11 Long tons
Length	18 ft 5 in (4.85 m)
Width	8 ft 6 in (2.28 m)
Height	8 ft 3 in (1.86 m)
Crew	2 (commander/gunner, driver)
Armour	10–60 mm
Main armament	Vickers .303 or Vickers .50 machine gun 4,000 rounds
Secondary armament	none
Engine	3.6 Litre V8 Ford Model 79 petrol 70 hp (52 kW)
Power/weight	6.36 hp/ton
Suspension	Sprung bogie
Operational range	80 miles (130 km)
Speed	8 mph (12.87 km/h), off road: 5.6 mph (9 km/h)

The Tank, Infantry, Mk I, Matilda I (A11) was a British infantry tank of the Second World War. Despite being slow, cramped and only armed with a single machine gun, the Matilda I had some success in the Battle of France in 1940, owing to its heavy armour which was proof against the standard German anti-tank guns. It is not to be confused with the later model Tank, Infantry Mk II (A12), also known as the "Matilda II", which took over the "Matilda" name after the early part of the war, when the first Matilda was withdrawn from combat service. They were different designs and did not share components but did have some similar traits, because they were both designed to be infantry tanks, a type of tank that tended to sacrifice speed for increased armour protection.

The development, of the design by Sir John Carden at Vickers-Armstrongs Ltd, began in 1935. The General Staff specification required a cheap tank, requiring the use of commercially available components. It resulted in a small two-man vehicle with a low hull and a small cast turret. The turret was fitted with a single heavy machine gun, either a .303 Vickers machine gun or a larger, Vickers .50 machine gun. Designed for quick delivery as well as low cost, the A11 used many stock parts from other vehicles: a Ford V8 engine, a Fordson gearbox, a steering mechanism similar to the one used in Vickers light tanks and suspension adapted from the Mk IV Dragon artillery tractor, that was based on the Vickers 6-Ton Tank Model E.

The hull and turret were well protected against contemporary anti-tank weapons but the tracks and running gear were exposed and more vulnerable than on tanks that had protected tracks. The lack of a gun with anti-tank capability severely limited its utility on the battlefield. Besides operating the machine gun, the commander had to direct the driver and operate the wireless. There being no room in the turret for the wireless, it was placed in the hull and the commander had to duck down inside to operate it. The driver's position was equally cramped and the turret could not be traversed forwards while the driver's hatch was open. The top speed of 8 mph (13 km/h) was thought to be sufficient for supporting an infantry advance.