Soviet Matildas of 5th Mechanized Brigade, South-West Front October 1943
In the autumn of 1941, a Soviet liaison mission visited Britain to evaluate the types of tanks that could be supplied for their war effort. Initially, they dismissed the British cruiser tanks as being similar to their own BT-7 and showed no interest in the MK.VI light tank. Ultimately, they chose two British infantry tanks, the Matilda and the Valentine.
Early Tank Deliveries
The first British tanks were delivered via Arctic convoys to the Soviet port of Arkhangelsk in 1941. This method soon became risky due to German U-boat and air attacks. The first convoy, PQ.1, delivered 20 Valentine tanks on October 11, 1941, along with a three-month supply of ammunition. Britain promised 750 tanks under the protocols for 1941, of which 259 Valentine and 145 Matilda tanks were delivered. However, discrepancies in records between British and Soviet sources caused some confusion, as British and Soviet dates of shipment and arrival differed, and some tanks were lost during the convoys.
Soviet Training and Deployment
On October 15, 1941, the Red Army established a special training course at the Kazan tank school to train Soviet crews on British tanks, with the first 20 Valentines from convoy PQ.1 arriving on October 28. British instructors found Soviet crews eager and experienced, though they faced challenges teaching British gunnery practices. Soviet officers preferred their own methods, often rejecting power traverse and internal communication systems in favor of manual techniques and visual signals. While the first Soviet training batches were competent, later crews were less prepared, making the short 15-day course difficult.
By late November 1941, the Soviet Army had formed six tank battalions, including 20 Matildas and 97 Valentines, mostly deployed in the Western Front during the defense of Moscow. The first Soviet unit to use British tanks, the 146th Tank Brigade, was part of the 16th Army and included 40 Valentines and two Matildas. The 136th Separate Tank Battalion was the first unit to receive the Matilda, with 20 tanks deployed in November 1941.
Role in the Defense of Moscow
The British tanks played an essential role in the defense of Moscow, with historian Alexander Hill estimating that they made up 30-40% of the Soviet medium and heavy tank force. However, Soviet historians considered the Valentine and Matilda to be more like light tanks, though they were in between Soviet light and medium tanks. Despite having weaker firepower than Soviet medium tanks, these British tanks had better armor than Soviet light tanks, especially compared to the T-60, a Soviet light tank commonly in production at the time.
The British tanks were committed to combat at a critical time for the Soviet Union, but by December 1941, 77 of the 182 British tanks had been lost. By January 1, 1942, only 47 British tanks were operational, including 15 Valentines, as they struggled with the harsh Russian winter. Both tanks were designed to operate down to 0°C, but the Soviet winter reached temperatures as low as -50°C. The Valentine performed better than the Matilda, which had traction issues in snow and a complicated maintenance burden due to its two-engine configuration. Despite its shortcomings, the Matilda’s armor was highly valued for its ability to withstand heavy fire, with one Soviet tanker reporting that his Matilda had been hit 87 times without penetration.
British Response and Soviet Preferences
In response to Soviet feedback, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill directed Lord Beaverbrook, Minister of Supply, to increase Valentine production and reduce Matilda shipments due to the Valentine’s better winter performance. However, industrial limitations meant that Matildas continued to be shipped throughout 1942.
Armament Issues and Soviet Modifications
The biggest tactical problem with both the Valentine and Matilda was their 2-pounder gun, which lacked high-explosive rounds critical for infantry support and fighting anti-tank guns. The Soviet Union found the 2-pounder inadequate compared to their own 45mm gun and even requested that Britain stop sending 2-pounder anti-tank guns due to their unsatisfactory ballistic performance.
In December 1941, the Grabin design bureau was tasked with adapting the Soviet ZiS-5 76mm gun for the Matilda, but the project saw limited success. Only a prototype and a few units received this upgrade. Similarly, attempts to mount the 45mm F-95 gun on the Valentine were abandoned due to logistical constraints. Britain eventually supplied a limited number of Matilda CS tanks armed with a 3-inch gun, but they were not widely used.
While British tanks like the Valentine and Matilda were not ideal for Soviet conditions, they played an important role during the critical defense of Moscow. Despite the limitations in winter operations and armament, their armor and availability made them a valuable contribution to the Soviet war effort.