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The '''Infantry Tank Mark II''', better known as the '''Matilda''', is a [[Tanks in the British Army|British]] [[infantry tank]] of the [[World War II|Second World War]].<ref name="Jentz11">Jentz, p. 11.</ref>
The design began as the '''A12''' specification in 1936, as a gun-armed counterpart to the first British infantry tank, the [[machine gun]] armed, two-man A11 [[Matilda I (tank)|Infantry Tank Mark I]]. The Mark I was also known as Matilda, and the larger A12 was initially known as the '''Matilda II''' or '''Matilda senior'''. The Mark I, essentially a First World War tank boasting heavy [[Vehicle armour|armour]] but weak armament, was abandoned in 1940, and from then on the A12 was almost always known simply as "the Matilda".
With its heavy armour, the Matilda II was an excellent infantry support tank but with somewhat limited speed and armament. It was the only British tank to serve from the start of the war to its end, although it is particularly associated with the [[North Africa Campaign]]. Only two were available for service by the outbreak of World War II in 1939.<ref name=":0">{{Cite AV media| date=28 April 2016|title=Tank Chats #19 Matilda II |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll90l2kWCbM&t=51s|access-date=7 December 2020|via=[[YouTube]] |publisher=The Tank Museum}}</ref> It was replaced in front-line service by the lighter and less costly [[Valentine tank|Infantry Tank Mk III Valentine]] beginning in late 1941.
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