British Matilda II Mk III Tanks did not see action in the WW2 Battle of the Bulge. They were obsolete in 1944 but 23 Matilda II tanks did fight in the battle for France and Belgium in 1940. This surviving Matilda II Mk III Tank is kept at the Bastogne Barracks in Belgium.

This restored British Matilda II Mk III Tank is exhibited at the Bastogne Barracks in Belgium.

Location

The Bastogne Barracks can be found at 40 Rue de la Roche (N834) in Bastogne just north west of the city centre. They open at 10am and close at 4pm. You really need to get there by 2pm as there is a lot to see. It is an operational military camp with a tank restoration centre attached. You have to wait to go on a guided tour. You cannot wander around on your own. The only day it is closed is Monday. Many of the tanks have been restored to running condition. Have a look at their Facebook page for information about new events.

This restored British Matilda II Mk III Tank is exhibited at the Bastogne Barracks in Belgium.

Specifications

The Matilda II tank was produced in 1937 until 1943. It was powered by two 6 cylinder 7 litre engines that produced 95 hp. The weight of the armour made this small tank very heavy. At 25 tons it only had a top road speed of 16 mph (26 km/h) and 9 mph (14 km/h) cross country. It was designed to keep pace with the infantry not the fast cruiser tanks. Its armour ranged from 20mm to 78mm.

During the German invasion of France in May 1940 only the German 88mm anti aircraft Flak gun could knock out the Matilda II tank. In 1941 in the North African desert most Italian anti tank guns could not penetrate the Matilda II tank's front armour.

It had a crew of four : commander, gunner, driver and loader. It was armed with a 2 pounder (40 mm) anti-tank gun. It only had one machine gun and that was fitted next to the main gun in the turret. It was a 7.92mm Besa machine gun.

This restored British Matilda II Mk III Tank is exhibited at the Bastogne Barracks in Belgium.

Read more in these two tank books