Zvezda 6171 1/100 (Snap-Fit) British Infantry Tank Matilda Mk.II

This is a plastic snap fit model kit, which comes unassembled and unpainted. So model paints and other basic modelling tools are additionally required. This "snap fit" model can be assembled without glue.

The set includes unit flag and unit card for use with the Art of Tactic WWII game.

The "Matilda MK-II", or A12, was developed after Sir Archibald Wavell's visit to the USSR in 1936, where he was impressed by the Soviet T-28 tank. It would be fielded by the British army during all of World War II, particularly in North Africa and Asia, only gradually being replaced by newer "Valentine" tanks starting in late 1941. Though it shares a name with the earlier MK-I, the later A12 was a completely different design. Nearly 3,000 of this sturdy, heavily-armoured tank were produced.

The Matilda II was built with extremely heavy armour, which limited its top speed to only about 6 mph (9.7 kph). It was armed with an effective QF 2-Pounder gun, but it suffered from a lack of high-explosive rounds. This forced crews to rely on its single machinegun when fighting infantry. Thanks to its excellent armour protection, the tank was nicknamed "The Queen of the Desert" by British crews.