Tamiya Matilda Infantry tank. 1/35

[colin m]

That looks great. You have a nice used look. I like this loads.

[Allen Dewire]

Hi Ian,

You could get away with a Pz. III J or a Pz. IV E or early F for Africa. A PZ. II would be no real match for the Matilda, but would work too. Not sure what's available in 1/48 though....

That looks great. You have a nice used look. I like this loads.

Colin, not sure about who has the nice used look here. Ian or the Matilda? Just wondering..........

Prost
Allen

[The Smythe Meister]

Depends what you mean really Ian.......
My first thought was a German Flak 88,with the ,(Supplied in most kits),crew desperately trying to traverse the gun?!
Andy

[Caustik Filth]

Hi Ian,
I would go with Allen on this one. The Pz III with its 50mm gun could run rings around the Matilda, given half a chance, and the Pz IV with its 75mm gun was definitely a match for her.
The Germans sent over the Marder self-propelled anti-tank gun to 15th Panzer Div. to deal with Matilda's thick armour. They arrived in May 1942.
As Andy mentions the 88mm flak gun ended the 'Queen of the Desert's' reign.
She was withdrawn from service in North Africa in July 1942, with no further replacements sent out, and the Valentine coming into service.
Are you thinking of diorama?
I sure Tamiya have a good 1/48 scale armour selection from the ads in various model mags.
Enjoy your hunt for a kit!
Cheers Rob.

[Ian M]

Thanks chaps.
I was wondering why the suggestions where for 1/48 scale, then I saw the thread title... hmm 'how dat appen'?
It is now correctly shown as 1/35. My bad.

Looking more for what she would have been up against, rather than things that could destroy her!

Depends what you mean really Ian.......

[Guest]

The main opponent for a Matilda would have been infantry positions, anti-tank guns and other front-line defences. This was a tank intended to help the infantry fight its way forward, not to go off and fight enemy armour — though it did have a gun for taking on tanks if necessary, because of course they would be encountered too. So if you want a tank opponent, anything the Germans and Italians used in North Africa at the time would do. How about an M13/40 or M14/41, or even an M11/39?

[Ian M]

Looking more for what she would have been up against, rather than things that could destroy her!

I think what I am trying to ask is not so much as to what she would have been up against, more what would have been in the battlefield at the time. Bit daft to make a diorama with a piece from the wrong era. All you historians on here would skin me alive!

[Allen Dewire]

Bit daft to make a diorama with a piece from the wrong era. All you historians on here would skin me alive!

Nah Ian, we wouldn't do that.......................

Maybe stake you down on hill of Fire Ants though....................

Prost
Allen

[Guest]

what would have been in the battlefield at the time.

If you’re going to make a diorama, may I suggest an L3 (also known as a CV-33, and only to be confused with L7 at your peril )? It’s small enough that the Matilda will be the focus, and it’s historically probably more likely for a Matilda to have been up against Italian forces than German ones …

[Ian M]

How about an M13/40 or M14/41, or even an M11/39?

I like a couple of the camouflage options for the M13/40. And my 'local' plastic pusher has the Tamiya one.... hmm

[Guest]

AFAIK, though I’ve built neither, the Italeri version is better — probably because of it being an Italian tank, of course

[Ian M]

AFAIK, though I’ve built neither, the Italeri version is better — probably because of it being an Italian tank, of course :smiling3:

That might explain why I can only fine the Tamiya one here in DK.

[Guest]

Odd, a few large model web stores I checked also only have the Tamiya kit, not the Italeri one. The retailers that Scalemates links to, also all show it as out of stock. I guess the Tamiya version it is, then

[Airborne01]

Not really a British armour fan but that is really nice Ian - I may just relent and try one in a future diorama due to this one! Very nice indeed :thumb2:
Steve

[Allen Dewire]

Morn Ian,

Check out evilbay (Germany) as there are a few kits for the M13/49 and the M40-75/18 from Italeri for sale and for under €20. The postage would be prob €8 - €12 in the EU. Worth a look maybe if they're not sold yet..........

Prost
Allen