The Infantry Tank Mk.I was birthed nefariously under the pseudonym of Matilda due to the various intrigues that afflicted the War Office's tank development organisation in the pre-war era. These in turn were caused by pecunious circumstances and the strong differences in the ideas favoured by the major proponents of armour policy. Designed as a small two-man tank to accompany the infantry during assaults on prepared positions, it was soon rendered obsolete by its successor, which would more famously adopt the Matilda name. However, delays in producing the Infantry Tank Mk.II would see the Mk.I be shipped to France in volume, where it would fight a significant action in delaying the German advance, this being both the height of its achievements and its swansong.