Editing Matilda II (section)

{{Short description|British Army tank of World War II}}
{{About|the tank|the person|Matilda II of Boulogne|the earlier tank known as Matilda |Matilda I (tank)}}
{{Infobox weapon
| is_vehicle         = yes
| is_UK              = yes
| name               = Infantry Tank Mark II
| image              = A12 Matilda II ‘T10459’ “THE PRINCESS ROYAL” (49909226038).jpg
| image_size         = 300
| caption            = A Matilda II on display at TankFest 2019
| origin             = United Kingdom
| type               = [[Infantry tank]]
<!-- Service history -->
| service            = 1939–1955
| used_by            = United Kingdom <br> [[Australia]] <br> [[Soviet Union]] <br> [[Nazi Germany]] (captured) <br> [[Kingdom of Egypt (1922–1953)|Egypt]]
| wars               = [[World War II|Second World War]]<br>[[1948 Arab–Israeli War]]
<!-- Production history -->
| designer           = Mechanization Board and [[Vulcan Foundry]]
| design_date        = 1937<ref name="Jentz11"/>
| manufacturer       = Vulcan Foundry and others
| unit_cost          =
| production_date    = 1937–1943
| number             = 2,987
| variants           = see [[#Variants|Variants below]]
| length             = {{cvt|18|ft|5|in|m|}}{{sfnp|Boyd|2008}}
| width              = {{cvt|8|ft|6|in|m|}}{{sfnp|Bean|Fowler|2002|pp=147–148}}
| height             = {{cvt|8|ft|3|in|m|}}
| weight             = 25 tons<ref name="Jentz13"/>
| suspension         = [[Coil spring]]<ref name="Jentz13">Jentz, p. 13.</ref>
| speed              = {{convert|24|km/h|abbr=on|disp=flip}} Mk III on road {{sfnp|Fletcher|1994|p= 28}}<br>{{convert|9|mph|km/h}} off-road
| fuel_capacity      = {{convert|181.8|L|impgal|disp=flip}} Internal + {{convert|163.3|L|impgal|disp=flip}} auxiliary tank {{sfnp|Fletcher|1994|p= 28}}
| vehicle_range      = {{convert|80|km}} With Internal + {{convert|157|km}}with auxiliary tank {{sfnp|Fletcher|1994|p= 28}}
| primary_armament   = [[Ordnance QF 2-pounder|QF-2 pounder (40 mm) gun]],<br>93 [[Armor-piercing shot and shell|armour-piercing]] rounds{{sfnp|Jentz|1998|p=12}}
| secondary_armament = 7.92 mm [[Besa machine gun]]<br>2,925 rounds{{sfnp|Jentz|1998|p=12}}
| armour             = {{convert|20| to| 78|mm|in|abbr=on}}{{sfnp|Bean|Fowler|2002|pp=147–148}}
| engine             = 2×[[diesel engine|diesel]] 6-cylinder 7-litre engines: 2×[[Associated Equipment Company|AEC]]{{efn|AEC engine model A183 on the left hand side and A184 on the right hand side.|group=nb}}{{sfnp|Jentz|1998|p=12}} or 2×[[British Leyland|Leyland]]<ref name="Jentz13"/>
| crew               = 4 (driver, gunner, loader, commander){{sfnp|Bean|Fowler|2002|pp=147–148}}
| transmission       = 6 speed Wilson epicyclic [[pre-selector gearbox]]
| steering           = Rackham clutches{{sfnp|Fletcher|1994|p= 6}}
| engine_power       = {{convert|190|bhp|abbr=on}} Leyland engine{{sfnp|Jentz|1998|pp=12–13|ps=.{{verify source|date=September 2012|Fletcher gives 87 bhp for AEC and 95 bhp for Leyland}}}}
| pw_ratio           = 7.5 bhp (5.6 kW) / tonne
}}

The '''Infantry Tank Mark II''', better known as the '''Matilda''', is a [[Tanks in the British Army|British]] [[infantry tank]] of the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref name="Jentz11">Jentz, p. 11.</ref>

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 [[Matilda I (tank)|Infantry Tank Mark I]]. The Mark I was also known as Matilda, and the larger A12 was initially known as the '''Matilda II''' or '''Matilda senior'''. The Mark I was abandoned in 1940, and from then on the A12 was almost always known simply as "the Matilda".

With its heavy armour, the Matilda II was an excellent infantry support tank but with somewhat limited speed and armament. It was the only British tank to serve from the start of the war to its end, although it is particularly associated with the [[North Africa Campaign]]. Only two were available for service by the outbreak of World War II in 1939.<ref name=":0">{{Cite AV media| date=28 April 2016|title=Tank Chats #19 Matilda II |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll90l2kWCbM&t=51s|access-date=7 December 2020|via=[[YouTube]] |publisher=The Tank Museum}}</ref> It was replaced in front-line service by the cheaper and lighter [[Valentine tank|Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine]] from late 1941.