Missing Counter Series: Matilda Bridge Layer

[jrv]

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JR

 

[Jacometti]

was this ever used under fire ?

 

[Paul M. Weir]

I don't think it saw service and I can see why. Imagine trying to steer it in anything other than a straight line. Turn to one side with the Matilda and the bridge bogies will be forced to slide to that side. That may be practical on a desert floor (the terrain and Matilda camouflage look DTO), but allow the bogies to dig even just a few inches in damp ETO soil and you would have a major problem. Far, far worse than trying to reverse an 18 wheel rig.

All the service bridge layers that I can think of just right now, used segments that sat on the vehicle unsupported by leading or trailing bogie units, despite the added complications of folding mechanisms, etc, precisely because of the steering problem.

 

[Jacometti]

This would of course not deter any TPP to make money selling us the counters.

 

[jrv]

As I understand this was a field expedient used at Bardia in January 1941 and not an experiment. I can't find anything beyond the picture from Bovington (identified in one source as Tank Museum 3569/E4).

JR

 

[Paul M. Weir]

As I understand this was a field expedient used at Bardia in January 1941 and not an experiment. I can't find anything beyond the picture from Bovington (identified in one source as Tank Museum 3569/E4).

JR

OK, I stand corrected, it was used.

 

[jrv]

OK, I stand corrected, it was used.

I regret I can not confirm that either. I think it more likely that it was used given that it was built in a combat zone.

JR

 

[Jacometti]

I regret I can not confirm that either. I think it more likely that it was used given that it was built in a combat zone.

JR

Matildas crossing anti tank ditches in the desert under fire by 47mm AT guns.....sounds like a scenario concept just waiting to be explored!

 

[Justiciar]

Call it..."Plinking the Matildas"

 

[Ganjulama]

View attachment 5591

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JR

Call it..."Plinking the Matildas"

Nah, given the phallic nature of this beast it should be called "Matildo Penetration".

 

[Justiciar]

My suggestion was based off Peter's having 47mm shooting at it...hence 'plink' 'plink'

 

[Eagle4ty]

My thoughts were more along the lines of "Matilda's Rack"

 

[jrv]

Apparently the Italians had their own bridge layer. You could have a scenario where both sides are laying bridges, the surface equivalent of counter-mining:



Of course we would need a counter for it as well.

JR

 

[xenovin]

Apparently the Italians had their own bridge layer. You could have a scenario where both sides are laying bridges, the surface equivalent of counter-mining:

View attachment 5632

Of course we would need a counter for it as well.

JR

Perhaps there is a TPP that can bridge the gap

 

[Yuri0352]

The Italian bridge appears to have a light load capacity, I would be surprised if it was sufficient for armoured vehicles to use.

I'm not an engineer, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

 

[jrv]

The Italian bridge appears to have a light load capacity, I would be surprised if it was sufficient for armoured vehicles to use.

The L3 weighed around 3.5 tons. That's not a volkswagen, but it's also not a lot. The Matilda II weighed about 25 tons.

JR

 

[Jacometti]

The L3 weighed around 3.5 tons. That's not a volkswagen, but it's also not a lot. The Matilda II weighed about 25 tons.

JR

Most Italian AFVs could drive over a straw bridge.

 

[olli]

Perhaps there is a TPP that can bridge the gap

I think “they “ already have !

 

[von Marwitz]

The Italian bridge appears to have a light load capacity, I would be surprised if it was sufficient for armoured vehicles to use.

I'm not an engineer, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night...

I recall that in the old "Soldier of the Negus" there were rules for "tank flip attacks" vs. the Italian tankettes, i.e. infantry that simply toppled them. For which there was probably some historical model.

As such, the Italians could have probably disposed of that brigde layer and simply thrown their tankettes across the creeks...

von Marwitz

 

[Russ Isaia]

I recall that in the old "Soldier of the Negus" there were rules for "tank flip attacks" vs. the Italian tankettes, i.e. infantry that simply toppled them. For which there was probably some historical model.

As such, the Italians could have probably disposed of that brigde layer and simply thrown their tankettes across the creeks...

von Marwitz

"Tank flip attacks" is an actual sport in VT, USA: practiced on cattle and called "cow tipping". And doesn't Leonardi's notebook have a design for a "tankette slingshot?" The front armor the Italian vehicles tended to crumple on landing, however, so I don't believe it ever made it beyond the prototype stage. The testing did have one positive outcome: highway crumple barriers.