Matilda IV

This page is about the Soviet Lend Lease Matilda. The British Matilda can be found here.

Matilda_II_LL (Stock)

Totals

1500 Price

610 Hit Points

27.31 / 31 kgWeight

Crew

1. Commander

Armor

75/70/55Hull Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)

75/75/75Turret Armor(front/sides/rear, mm)

Maneuver

274 h.p.Engine Power

25 km/hSpeed Limit

35 deg/secTraverse Speed

Firepower

110 Standard Shell Damage

86 mmStandard Shell Penetration

3.71428571428571 Time for Complete Loading

34 deg/secTurret Traverse Speed

Communication

350 mView Range

570 mSignal Range

Matilda IV

V

1500

A British tank supplied to the U.S.S.R. under Lend-Lease. A total of 1,084 vehicles were sent to the Soviet Union, with some lost at sea during transport to Murmansk.

Though the Matilda IV is classified as a medium tank, when compared to similar-tiered vehicles it emerges about equal in terms of firepower and armor, but its low mobility lends this tank to be played more as a heavy tank, specifically a tiny stock KV-1.

AMX 13/90 Modèle 52

Stock

	Level	Turret	Weight (t)	Turret Armor (front/sides/rear, mm)	Gun Traverse Speed (deg/s)	View Range (m)
	V	Matilda IV	3500	75/75/75	34	350

	Level	Gun	Weight (t)	Average Penetration (mm)		Rate of Fire	Dispersion at 100 m	Aiming Time
	V	76 mm ZiS-96	1155	86/102/38	110/110/156	16.15	0.41	1.71

	Level	Engine	Weight (t)	Engine Power (h.p.)	Chance of Fire on Impact
	III	AEC3	400	274	15

	Level	Suspension	Weight (t)	Load Limit	Traverse Speed (deg/s)
	V	Matilda II	7000	31	35

	Level	Radio	Weight (t)	Signal Range (m)
	IX	WS No. 19R	0	570

Compatible Equipment

Compatible Consumables

Player Opinion

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Superior rate of fire, aim time and accuracy to comparable guns on the Soviet KV-1 and T-34
• Amazing gun depression/elevation, superior to even the American M4 Sherman
• Very high survivability for a Tier 5 medium tank, thanks to a combination of thick armor, small size and high HP
• Preferential matchmaking (Tier 6 maximum)
• Crew layout matches those of Soviet medium tanks from tier 7 onward

Cons:

• Limited top speed and power to weight ratio
• Low penetration, even with APCR
• Poor accuracy makes it difficult to aim for weakspots or snipe

Performance

The Matilda IV is more like a heavy tank than a medium tank in playstyle. Like any other slow tank, it requires careful analysis of the enemy team composition and map layout in order to be able to ensure that it arrives in time to make a difference in the battle.

The 76 mm ZiS-96 has a phenomenally good aim time by Soviet standards, and has the rate-of-fire to make up for any shots that may have bounced or missed. Its primary failing is the low penetration, especially by the standards of Tier 5. The gun is nearly the same thing as the 76 mm ZiS-5 (the KV-1's stock gun) or the 76 mm F-34 (the T-34's intermediate 76 mm gun), and even with APCR, it will have a very difficult time penetrating most heavy tanks. The accuracy is also fairly disappointing, making long range shots and targeting weakspots in heavily armored tanks somewhat tricky. The ammunition capacity is also somewhat limited, given the high rate-of-fire, so shots must be taken with care.

The Matilda IV boasts good armor for a medium tank, and this combined with its excellent gun depression (one of the best in the game) makes it very good at fighting on hilly terrain. Many lower tier tanks will have significant trouble penetrating it from most angles, but equal and higher tier tanks, especially heavy tanks and medium tanks armed with howitzers, will have very little trouble penetrating its armor It is also very important to avoid open areas and stay artillery-safe, because even though the Matilda IV does not take too much damage from lower tier artillery, they are still capable of wearing it down with repeated hits.

The role in which the Matilda IV excels is that of flank protection. It will have absolutely no problems destroying any light tank and most medium tanks that it faces, and it has the HP to take a few hits. This makes it ideal for protecting allied heavy tanks from lower tier tanks and medium tanks, allowing the heavy tanks to focus on tougher targets.

Early Research

As a premium tank, the Matilda IV does not have any modules to be researched.

Historical Info

The Soviets began receiving the Matilda infantry tank from the British via Lend-Lease in 1941, following the German invasion in June of that year. While they liked the thick armor, they were highly dissatisfied with the Matilda's low mobility, and especially its Ordnance QF 2-pounder gun, which not only had inadequate penetration but also lacked a useful high explosive round. In order to at least address the armament problem, the GAU (Glavnoye Artilleriskoye Upravleniye - Main Artillery Directorate) began a project in November 1941 to rearm the Matilda with the 76 mm ZiS-5 that also armed the indigenous KV-1 heavy tank. One Matilda Mk. III was thus modified in December 1941, essentially by removing the complete gun and gun mantlet assembly associated with the 2-pounder gun, and welding in place the gun and gun mantlet assembly of the KV-1. The modified Matilda underwent trials that same month, but development was cancelled in January 1942, primarily due to conflict between the GAU and the GABTU (Glavnoye AvtoBronetankovoye Upravleniye - Main Automobile and Tank Directorate), the body primarily responsible for Soviet tank development. The arrival of Matilda CS tanks under Lend-Lease that same year, which were armed 3-inch howitzers with adequate high explosive ammunition, and the increasing production of Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks also made the project superfluous.

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Historical Gallery

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  Matilda Lend Lease upgun experiment, rearmed with the ZiS-96

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  Matilda Lend Lease

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  Soviet Matildas being transported to the frontlines, about April 1942.

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  Soviet Matildas being transported to the frontlines, about April 1942.

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  Soviet Matildas being off loaded in the Soveit port of Arkhangelsk (Archangel), about February 1942.

USSR

Medium Tanks

Premium tanks

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