British Infantry Tanks

Between World Wars I and II, the British were in quite a quandary over the tactical significance of their new "mechanical toy," the tank. While German strategicians were deciding that war was going to go to the mobile and tanks would provide the required mobility, the British figured that future war was going to resemble World War I with entrenched lines. Thus they channeled their tank development in two directions: "infantry" tanks, having a top speed at about a doughboy's run, were to support infantry across no-man's land while "cruiser" tanks, like their naval brethren, were to engage and destroy other tanks (cruiser and infantry).

British "infantry" tanks tended to be ploddingly slow, poorly armed, but armored with as much mild steel as could be bolted on. They have been described as "rolling bricks," and I for one believe this is a very apt metaphor.

INFANTRY TANK MARK II A12 "Matilda Mark II"
Matilda Mk II, North Africa Colors	DIMENSIONS
	Mass (mt): 26.9	Length (m): 5.6	Width (m): 2.59	Height (m): 2.51
	TIME PERIOD: 1939 (A12 Matilda MkII) to 1941-2 (End of North African Campaign)
The Matilda Mk II is considered the most important British tank of the North African campaign and is the first WWII British tank design to truly deserve the "rolling brick" title. Slow, unwieldy, and armed with a two-pounder popgun, the Matilda's saving grace against Panzer IIIs was its massive armor, virtually impenetrable to German anti-tank weapons of the time. This "Queen of the Battlefield" could waddle her pompous bum within spitting distance of the Jerries and then dispatch them with a strike from her rather light weaponry. The Matilda scared the Germans so badly that they started firing their 88mm Flak anti-aircraft cannon at it... which didn't do the Matilda much good but allowed the Germans to discover a wonderful new anti-tank weapon. The British still complain about the Germans "cheating" in using an anti-air gun against tanks...

MATILDA INFANTRY TANK MK II				Max. Speed: 24 kph		Range: 256km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
80mm	80mm	70mm	70mm	20mm	80mm	80mm	70mm
40mm "Two-Pounder" Tank Gun				Max. Range: 1140m		Mx. Penetrate: 64mm
BESA 7.92mm Coaxial Machine Gun				Max. Range: 450m		Medium Machine Gun

INFANTRY TANK MARK III A10 "Valentine"
Valentine Mk III, North Africa Colors	DIMENSIONS
	Mass (mt): 16.2 - 17.2	Length (m): 5.4	Width (m): 2.63	Height (m): 2.27
	TIME PERIOD: 1939 (A10 Valentine Mk I) to 1943 (Valentine Mk XI)
A highly successful design, the Valentine was considered as an alternative for the expensive and difficult to mass-produce Matilda. Considered a "heavy cruiser" concept design, the Valentine had the molasses speed of an "infantry" tank but the heavy armament of a "cruiser." Its armor was somewhere between the two. Starting out with a measly two-pounder, the Valentine advanced, during its eleven Marks of existence, through the six-pounder and finally to the 75mm. Taking up about a quarter of British armor output, the Valentine also had numerous "specialist" variants ranging from amphibious tanks to bridgelayers to minesweepers.

VALENTINE INFANTRY TANK MK III				Max. Speed: 24 kph		Range: 295km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
60mm	60mm	50mm	50mm	20mm	65mm	60mm	60mm
40mm "Two-Pounder" Tank Gun				Max. Range: 1140m		Mx. Penetrate: 64mm
BESA 7.92mm (or Browning .30) Coaxial Machine Gun				Max. Range: 450m		Medium Machine Gun

VALENTINE INFANTRY TANK MK VIII				Max. Speed: 24 kph		Range: 295km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
60mm	60mm	50mm	50mm	20mm	65mm	60mm	60mm
57mm "Six-Pounder" Tank Gun				Max. Range: 1360m		Mx. Penetrate: 92mm
BESA 7.92mm (or Browning .30) Coaxial Machine Gun				Max. Range: 450m		Medium Machine Gun

VALENTINE INFANTRY TANK MK XI				Max. Speed: 24 kph		Range: 295km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
60mm	60mm	50mm	50mm	20mm	65mm	60mm	60mm
75mm (Modified Six-Pounder) Tank Gun				Max. Range: 1820m		Mx. Penetrate: 96mm
BESA 7.92mm (or Browning .30) Coaxial Machine Gun				Max. Range: 450m		Medium Machine Gun

INFANTRY TANK MARK IV A22 "Churchill"
Churchills, North Africa Colors	DIMENSIONS
	Mass (mt): 39 - 40.6	Length (m): 7.43	Width (m): 3.2 - 3.4	Height (m): 2.5 - 2.7
	TIME PERIOD: 1940 (A22 Churchill Mk I) to 1945 (Churchill Mk VIII, End of War)
The Churchill began life as a heavy infantry tank designed to act as a mobile siege engine capable of defeating any defensive entrenchment it could meet. Redesigned in a crash-project to rebuild Britain's homeland defenses after the disaster at Dunkirk, the Churchill became the ultimate "rolling brick." With a gun shield as thick as a man's hand is long, shots rang off of the Churchill while it inched its way to the battle. It was initially armed with a two-pounder pea-shooter in the turret and a three-inch (about 75mm) howitzer it the front, but this hybrid loadout was replaced with a six-pounder (Mk III), as well as a 75mm (Mk VII) throughout its career, but still found itself outgunned at the end of the war thanks to its extremely narrow design (to fit onto British railways for easy transport) which prevented it form mounting a larger turret. The A43 "Black Prince," a widebody version with the dreaded 17-pounder, was in the prototype stage when the war ended.

CHURCHILL INFANTRY TANK MK I				Max. Speed: 25 kph		Range: 193km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
88mm	88mm	65mm	65mm	25mm	102mm	88mm	88mm
40mm "Two-Pounder" Tank Gun				Max. Range: 1140m		Mx. Penetrate: 64mm
3-inch Bow Howitzer (Direct-Fire)				Max. Range: 1820m		Mx. Penetrate: 96mm
BESA 7.92mm Coaxial Machine Gun				Max. Range: 450m		Medium Machine Gun

CHURCHILL INFANTRY TANK MK IV				Max. Speed: 25 kph		Range: 193km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
88mm	88mm	65mm	65mm	25mm	102mm	88mm	88mm
57mm "Six-Pounder" Tank Gun				Max. Range: 1360m		Mx. Penetrate: 92mm
BESA 7.92mm Coaxial Machine Gun				Max. Range: 450m		Medium Machine Gun

CHURCHILL INFANTRY TANK MK VII				Max. Speed: 20 kph		Range: 193km
Front Bottom	Front Driver	Hull, Side	Hull, Rear	Hull, Deck	Gun Shield	Turret Front	Turret Side
88mm	120mm	80mm	80mm	25mm	152mm	120mm	88mm
75mm (Modified Six-Pounder) Tank Gun				Max. Range: 1820m		Mx. Penetrate: 96mm
BESA 7.92mm Coaxial Machine Gun				Max. Range: 450m		Medium Machine Gun