Slitherine

Hello:

According to the Tanks Encyclopedia web page, the different marks of the Matilda tanks indicated changes and improvements in the engine and transmission...

- Matilda Mk.I was something like a pre-series, build in small numbers. It had a Vickers coaxial machine gun mounted in the turret, protected by a large armored cover, also had a fixed metal "tail" attached to teh rear hull designed to help the tank cross ditches and shell craters, because before 1939, tank designers expected that battlefield conditions would be similar to the ones present in the Western Front in WW1. All of those machines were abandoned or destroyed in continental Europe before Dunkirk.

- Matilda Mk.II was the first production vehicle, it replaced the Vickers Mg with a Besa one, dispensig also with the big armored protection for the machine gun barrel.

- Matilda Mk.III had a diesel engine in place of the previous variant petrol burning one. It gave the tank a much improved range and diminished the possibility of internal fuel fires when hit by enemy rounds.

- Matilda Mk.IV, had an improved dieselengine. This was the main production variant.

- There was also a Mk.V variant with an improved transmission.

It mentions the CS variant(s) but it did not mention if the CS tanks were made from only one model of the tank or if some number of each production variant was equipped with the 3 inch howitzer... About Australian forces wanting to take as many Matilda CS variants sounds logical, because of the prevalent battlefield conditions of the Far East theater of operations, where many battles where fought in jungle terrain, the short range of the howitzer would not have been an important problem, because enemy contact would be made, in general, at very close ranges.

Besides, there was an experimetal vehicle which mounted a Cromwell tank turret with a 6 pdr gun. This was a failure because the weight added by the bigger turret and the gun ammunition, made the tank even slower and less agile than the original model.

But, some interesting new icons could be derived from the basic Matilda, nevertheless...

McGuba:

Yes, quality contro before a new icon release has always been an issue for me, may be the cause is the need to finish a project and release it to the community... Besides, having to work on a netbook with a 10" screen doesn´t help, because I cannot see the whole image when I zoom in it to work over the icon...

Anyway, here are the corrected icons for the Polish 155mm gun...

Last, but not least... Here are the icons for the Bristol Beaufighter in US colors... Made by request for Buffalohump. I hope you like it, pal!

I also want to make a variant with a desert two-tone camo... But that, I think, will take a little more time.

captainjack wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 9:58 am Wikipedia mentions Matilda III (the CS version) being very popular with Australian forces in the far east. I recall some more reliable sources (probably axis history forum) mentioning the Australians deliberately trying to get as many as possible.
The early cruisers also had CS versions, as did the Valentines. Basically the 3" gun was more of a mortar rather than a real gun and wasn't suited to taking out anti tank guns byond mg range, but good smoke cover hides a lot of things and the proportion of he vs smoke changed over time and from mission to mission so they must have been useful, even if a bit short of what was really needed.
It seems that New Zealand used Valentine CS converted using 3" guns taken from Australian CS Matildas.

Tanks "Matilda" I and II
http://ww2tanki.ru/tanki-vtoroj-mirovoj ... nk-matilda

Another land lease. Matilda Infantry Tank: strange doesn't mean bad
https://topwar.ru/150617-drugoj-lend-li ... lohoj.html


http://military-chronicle.com/ru/maket-1/

Matilda Frog from the 2nd Battalion of the 1st Australian Tank Brigade during battles in Balikpapan. July 1945
https://coollib.com/b/348591/read

so it’s not clear what is supposed to be considered as matilda 3? )

guille1434 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 8:33 pm Yes, quality contro before a new icon release has always been an issue for me, may be the cause is the need to finish a project and release it to the community...

Yes, for sure I know this feeling as well. I am not so sure if I will ever be able to claim that the BE mod is "finished" though. Every time I release a new version I am sure that this is the penultimate one, but after a while players start to turn up with new suggestions, coupled by my on new ideas and the whole process starts all over again. But at least it is fun, and that's what matters most.

As for US planes, here is my latest modification/improvement of another classic bebro icon, the P-51B. I felt that the original version was not exactly faithful with the depiction of the cabin part and thus I made this modified version to potentially improve it a bit (I hope bebro will not be too angry if he ever reads this ). I think the original version depicts more like the British Malcolm hood (used by the RAF) than the more traditional looking framed cockpit canopy used by the US units.

Hello Mac:

If "that" feeling is what makes you continue the support and improvement of Battlefield Europe Mod, then is a good thing for us all here...

Besides, let me say that the Graphic\Units folder present in your mod is a treasure of subtle and finely detailed icons that look right in the "vanilla look" which I like so much, so keep them coming!

The modification of the cockpit framed canopy to the P-51B is a clear example of what I wrote before, as it was the improved wooden spoked wheels on the 155 mm Schneider mle.1917 gun. It looks "right" and is more accurate.

Here are "my" edition of the P-51B including the new canopy, but with some modifications to suit my taste, mainly making vertical tail surfaces a little lighter than Bebro`s to show more the good looks of his icons. Also, I modified the SE version of the P-51B with your new canopy style. May be you find some use for that icon too.

British tank terminology is pretty confusing. Matilda 1 was a very different design than the Matilda 2. Matilda 2 was modified over time. The Matilda 2 Mark3 and mark 4 had different engines and minor modifications, but were sometimes known as Matilda 3 and Matilda 4. Then there were A and * versions and a need for a short rest.
The important point being that the CS Matilda 2, and CS Valentine are legitimate tanks, so we can ask Guille to make them for us - please.
There were CS versions of Cruiser mk1 and mk 4, almost certainly not for matilda 1 (though 0.5" vickers mg replaced the 0.303" in later ones) and possibly also CS Vickers medium, though it's a while since I did any work on those, and may have got that wrong.

Hello...

Here is a big pack of Infantry Tanks A12 Matilda... You will find vanilla looking British tanks, green colored ones (like the ones present in Battlefield Europe mod, and a more historical scheme), and some wonderful looking desert camouflaged tanks. All of them, with 2pdr. guns and CS versions in direct and indirect fire.

As a bonus, I also included German and Italian captured unit icons. Credits to Nikivdd for the original Italian captured tank icon.

...And as a "surprise content" here are some icons for the Australian versions: the 2 pdr. gun tank, CS versions in direct and indirect modes, and a truly "special" and unique to Australian forces unit: The Matilda Frog. This was a flame throwing tank, wich had the main gun replaced by a flamethrower and all the associated equipment, piping and internal tanks for the incendiary fluid located inside the turret. I suppose that it was decided that as the tank carried enough flammable stuff, the rear mounted external fuel tank was deleted (less range in exchange for some more safety). Also, some of those flame tanks carried a wire mesh protecting the engine deck, I think to improve its close defense against Japanese tank hunter parties which in the very close jungle terrain intented to throw explosive or incendiary devices to the vulnerable parts of the tank from above.

In spite of having its shortcomings, this vehicle was considered very effctive in the jungle environment to attack japanese bunkers and field fortifications which were very tough targets to neutralize using other, more conventional weapons.

I hope you like them, and I think Pacific theater units are now in high demand... So, cheers!

Superb

Great stuff Guille1434. Excellent work again.

guille1434 wrote: ↑Sat Apr 25, 2020 8:38 pm Last, but not least... Here are the icons for the Bristol Beaufighter in US colors... Made by request for Buffalohump. I hope you like it, pal!

I also want to make a variant with a desert two-tone camo... But that, I think, will take a little more time.

Sorry for the late response. I did not expect you would have them done so soon. I have been busy between family and work. I am a municipal government employee and have been deemed essential. They are of course beautiful and I look forward to adding them to my US Corp roster. The Beaufighter is one of my favorite aircraft and I always hold on and deploy them to long when playing as the English when the Mosquito is clearly superior. Thanks again!

Regards,
Buffalohump

Hello Buffalohump:

Welcome back! I admire the people who in this difficult times continue to make the efforts needed to keep the wheels of our civilization running in an as normal way as possible. I hope you are fine, and take care of yourself and your family!

I am glad you liked the icons... As I said, I will try to make also a variant with desert camo for that nice looking aircraft!

Greetings!!

Now, another important unit variants whuch were missing from the vanilla game roster: the early Chutchill tank models, Mk.I and Mk.II
Both of this variants had the early type turret with a 2 pdr. gun in it and as front hull armament, the Mk.I had the ubiquituous 3 inch howitzer (with a very limited elevation angle) and the Mk.II had a Besa machine gun in this position.

In fact, some units in the field switched places of the guns present in the Mk.I model, because the 2 pdr. AT gun did not need to have a great elevation (after all, its main funtion was direct fire against other tanks) and mounted the 3 inch howitzer in teh turret (which was something also desirable for an Infantry support tank). Also, I read about a one off (I think) field adaptation of a Mk.I tank with two 3 inch howitzer (in turret and front hull positions) and also equipped with a commander cuppola from a captured Pz.III tank.

I hope you like them!

Great stuff. I'm feeling inspired to have another go at my British mod now I have some early Churchills to send to Dieppe.

Hello CaptainJack: It´s always a good thing to know about a new mod, I hope you can finish and publish it here. As a little incentive, here are the icons for the Churchill Mk.I tank with deep wading gear, as used in the Dieppe raid.

Happy modding!

It looks like we can´t get enough Beaufighters...

Can you tell me which plane is this?

Sorry, I cannot tell which aircraft is that...

lennis29 wrote: ↑Wed Apr 29, 2020 9:39 pm Can you tell me which plane is this?

Visually similar to the u-52 ) but something is wrong with it )))
https://avro-live.livejournal.com/42004.html
https://pikabu.ru/story/yunkers_ju523mt ... do_6522422
http://waralbum.ru/category/weapons/air ... fts/ju-52/