Turning a Matilda into a Rat! (1 Viewer)

[chrisharrison]

Hi,

I have done as much research as I can with my limited resources and have a few ideas but I was hoping you guys might be able to lend a hand.

I am wanting to build a diorama featuring the tanks of the 8th Army in North Africa and my question is two-fold:

1 - Would there realistically have been a battle/occasion where all four of the K&C 8th Army tanks (Vickers, Matilda, Crusader, Grant) would have been seen together?

2 - If the answer to the previous question is 'no', I am thinking of just having the Matilda, Crusdaer and Grant together. The Crusader and Grant are already in 'Desert Rat' markings, what would need to be done to modernise (I understand the Matilda K&C has is an early war version) the Matilda and make it a 'Rat' to fight alongside the other two tanks towards the end of the desert war? I appreciate it would need 'Desert Rat' markings but would the paint scheme be different being a 'late war' Matilda?

Cheers, Chris

 

[Northgate Woods]

Chris mate,
If its any help to you, I break my EA dios down into early and later Desert War (Tobruk and Alamien) and therfore run the Matilda and the Vickers together as early battles and the Crusader and the Grant in later battles. The camo changed thru the Desert War but as you put it with a repaint the Matilda could be seen as a backup Infantry Tank in the latter campaigns. The Vickers were also then used by Cavalry Regiments in a recon role. You could also throw in the captured Italian M13 in the earlier battles used by the Aussies and the British 6th Tank Bn. RTR. Then toss in a couple of scout cars and armoured cars and you have a nice set up.
I hope this helps.
Cheers Howard

 

[chrisharrison]

Chris mate,
If its any help to you, I break my EA dios down into early and later Desert War (Tobruk and Alamien) and therfore run the Matilda and the Vickers together as early battles and the Crusader and the Grant in later battles. The camo changed thru the Desert War but as you put it with a repaint the Matilda could be seen as a backup Infantry Tank in the latter campaigns. The Vickers were also then used by Cavalry Regiments in a recon role. You could also throw in the captured Italian M13 in the earlier battles used by the Aussies and the British 6th Tank Bn. RTR. Then toss in a couple of scout cars and armoured cars and you have a nice set up.
I hope this helps.
Cheers Howard

Thanks Howard, that may be what I end up doing. I just wanted a nice little tank diorama, a few trees etc, nothing fancy, just displaying the tanks really. I am not a bad painter/repainter of models but I don't know if I dare take a paintbrush to one of the Matildas!

Out of interest, what would be a late-war paint scheme for the Matilda?

Cheers, Chris

 

[Northgate Woods]

Chris mate,
Dived into my library to check on some intel for you. Cannot find any coloured photos of Matildas after Autumn of 1941. They were replaced by Valentines about that time in the battle lines and the 25 odd ones left were converted to mine flail tanks. The only colour photo I could find of flail Matildas had it painted in just the plain Desert Sand colour all over. I hope this helps.
Cheers Howard

 

[chrisharrison]

Chris mate,
Dived into my library to check on some intel for you. Cannot find any coloured photos of Matildas after Autumn of 1941. They were replaced by Valentines about that time in the battle lines and the 25 odd ones left were converted to mine flail tanks. The only colour photo I could find of flail Matildas had it painted in just the plain Desert Sand colour all over. I hope this helps.
Cheers Howard

Cheers Howard, I appreciate you taking the time. I have all the Osprey books but they are all black & white pictures and I have no other books on desert tanks.

Chris

 

[Phantom Warrior]

The Matildas may not have been active that late except as Howard said as a flail tank where it's very slow speed was not a problem and it's thick armour an asset. They may not have been repainted so the original sand and blue may be OK. I think it will be difficult for anyone to prove otherwise. That will save on a repaint on a classic K&C model - especially if you have only one Matilda instead of 5 or so as a certain Aussie. {sm3}{sm4}

Terry

 

[Northgate Woods]

The Matildas may not have been active that late except as Howard said as a flail tank where it's very slow speed was not a problem and it's thick armour an asset. They may not have been repainted so the original sand and blue may be OK. I think it will be difficult for anyone to prove otherwise. That will save on a repaint on a classic K&C model - especially if you have only one Matilda instead of 5 or so as a certain Aussie. {sm3}{sm4}

Terry

Terry mate,
And more coming if a certain good "Dude" mate in the US and I can come to terms. You just have to go Waltzing Matilda.^&grin^&grin
Thinking that after Obee did such a great job on my Kaiser Car conversion that he might be able to repaint a beautiful Matilda into the Jungle green colours of Aussies in the Pacific.
Cheers Howard