Without the restrictions which had been placed on Germany, the main allied countries of Britain and France had also been engaged in developing their weapons during the ’20s and ’30s. They did, however, take different routes. The other major nations had not always recognised the full potential of the tank and therefore design and innovation in this aspect were rather more limited. France had relegated the tank to the role of an infantry support weapon. Britain had seen the potential of this new machine and set about developing new designs. By the outbreak of the Second World War they had come up with four main designs.
The Matilda Mk I was designated a light tank and weighed 11 tons. It was crewed by two men. The main armament was provided by a Vickers machine gun. Like the Panzer I this tank was little more than an armoured machine gun carrier. However, unlike the Panzer I, this vehicle had very good armour protection 60mm thick. This was double the thickness of the best German tank at the time. For a light tank it had a very low top speed of 8mph. The Matilda I’s limitations were cruelly exposed in the French campaign. Although it protected its crew well, it was no match for the determined German Panzer crews. The one-man turret was also a major drawback. Over one hundred and forty of these machines were sent to France, but all of them were lost in that campaign.
The Cruiser Mk IV was an improved design that weighed in slightly heavier at 15 tons. It had a four-man crew that allowed for better results in battle. The main armament was the two-pound gun backed up with a Vickers machine gun. The armour was not as thick as the Matilda 1, but was still good at 38mm. The top speed of this tank was 30mph. It had excellent suspension but the engine suffered from reliability problems. Over three hundred of them saw action in the French campaign.
The A9 Mk I Cruiser weighed in at 13 tons and was crewed by six men. The main firepower was the two-pounder gun, but this time it was backed up with three Vickers machine guns. It was thinly armoured at 14mm but had a good top speed of 25mph. Like the Cruiser Mk IV, the structural design consisted of many angles that trapped the armour-piercing enemy shells This, coupled with the thin armour, resulted in many of them being lost in the French campaign.
The best of the British machines, the Matilda II, was an infantry support tank. The Matilda II weighed 27 tons and had a crew of four. It was armed with a two-pounder gun backed up with a Vickers machine gun. It was very well protected with 78mm thick armour. The speed was a maximum 15mph. This tank performed reasonably well and remained in service after the fall of France.
A French tank man surrenders to German grenadiers. Although better armed and armoured than the German machines, the French tank forces were hampered by inferior organisation and tactics.