matilda mk1 tank

[lenny100]

ok my wife has her own little series of models she wishes to produce namily tanks

she is going to make the tanks that my grandfarther drove from 1935 to 1945
his first tank which he drove in france in 1940 was a matilda mk1 and we carnt find any kit of it
anybody have any info if anybody does one

[Thorvic]

What scale Lenny ?

[Thorvic]

Only in resin AFAIK :-

1/35th Accurate Armour

http://www.accurate-armour.com/ShowProduct.cfm?manufacturer=0&category=1&subcategory=1&product=47

1/76th Millicast

http://www.milicast.com/shop/product.php?productid=1904&cat=15&page=1

Cheers

Geoff

[lenny100]

any she inst to botherd on setting a scale, she just wants to make the set of 6 tanks he drove

matilda mk1 france 1939-40
matilda mk2 libya 1941
churchill el alamen 1942
sherman mk1 1942
sherman firefly 1944-1945
sherman tank comander 1945- no main gun fitted extra radios, main gun profile provided by a wood pole the crew fitted

[deathjester]

Don't Airfix do a Matilda?  Even if it's a later mark, you could convert it back to a Mk.1.....

[lenny100]

the mk1 was a complitly diffrent tank more of a mobile machine gun post than a tank, and didnt share any parts apart from the name to the later tank

[deathjester]

I think I know which one you mean - it's in one of my tank books.  I'll see if I can find a photo later!

[Weaver]

I think I know which one you mean - it's in one of my tank books.  I'll see if I can find a photo later!

See the links Thorvic posted. Not one of our finer AFV moments, and that's really saying something  . About the only thing in it's favour was that it's armour could keep German 37mm AP out. Pity that it couldn't actually do much.....

[lenny100]

my grandfarther was part of the charge on the ghost division (7th panzer division) in may 1940 and he told me of the rounds from the panzers bounsing off the tanks and were almost in position stoot their machine guns on the entire division when the 88 opend up on them and they lost most of his section in seconds. read later the rommel himself had threatend to shoot the commander of the 88s before they opend up as they were anti aircraft guns only untill then!

[philp]

What a neat project.  If I can suggest she stays with one scale throughout, would look nicer in my opinion to see the differences in the same scale.
Counting the resin versions of the Matilda 1, everything else can be done in plastic in either scale.  In 1/35th you will need to spend over $300 to purchase the lot while in 1/72 1/76 you should be able to do the lot for less than $150.  I would opt for the smaller scale but that is what I build so makes sense and all 6 vehicles can be put on a display about a foot long.

[Weaver]

I agree that it would look good all in 1/76th. You could also put them all on a common base or plinth to make a really nice display.

Good project! 

[rickshaw]

my grandfarther was part of the charge on the ghost division (7th panzer division) in may 1940 and he told me of the rounds from the panzers bounsing off the tanks and were almost in position stoot their machine guns on the entire division when the 88 opend up on them and they lost most of his section in seconds. read later the rommel himself had threatend to shoot the commander of the 88s before they opend up as they were anti aircraft guns only untill then!

Not to upset your grandfather but its now known there were very few 88mm guns at Arras.  The gun which stopped the British advance was a battery of 105mm field guns, and while romantic, Rommel didn't personally command them AIUI.  A bit of the myth which grew up around him.   Personally, I'm not a great Rommel fan.

[lenny100]

my grandfarther was part of the charge on the ghost division (7th panzer division) in may 1940 and he told me of the rounds from the panzers bounsing off the tanks and were almost in position stoot their machine guns on the entire division when the 88 opend up on them and they lost most of his section in seconds. read later the rommel himself had threatend to shoot the commander of the 88s before they opend up as they were anti aircraft guns only untill then!

Not to upset your grandfather but its now known there were very few 88mm guns at Arras.  The gun which stopped the British advance was a battery of 105mm field guns, and while romantic, Rommel didn't personally command them AIUI.  A bit of the myth which grew up around him.   Personally, I'm not a great Rommel fan.

neither was he, he had a hatered of all germans after the things he saw when they librated a camp, although he never said which one, but shortly after his tank was hit killing the rest of the crew and was captured, allthough he had 70% burns, his live was saved by a SS doctor who experemented on his burnt legs using fish bones and silver plate to repar the smashed bones and skin taken from who knows were, he was given to the red cross to be repaturated two weeks before the end of the war then spent the next two years in hospital. The english doctor wanted to remove both of his legs be he refused to allow them and never had a single problem with them untill the day he died, but his hand were the english dockors did some work hurt him all the time!

[NARSES2]

Matilda Mk I in 1/72 or 1/76 would be tiny. I've had a trawl through some wargamming sites and can't find anything other then the Milicast kit.

[Weaver]

Matilda Mk I in 1/72 or 1/76 would be tiny. I've had a trawl through some wargamming sites and can't find anything other then the Milicast kit.

No smaller than something like a Humber armoured car though, which makes a nice little model. In any case, putting a Mk.I on the same base as the rest of that selection would make a rather good point about where we started from with tanks and where we ended up.