Matilda amphibious and infantry-support adaptations

Pacific operations forced changes beyond armour protection. Improvised waterproofing supported river crossings and repeated beach landings, while small landing craft proved more useful for tactical movement than tank transports. Vulnerable exhaust silencers and a shortage of replacement pipe elbows prompted experiments with moving the exhausts onto the back of the hull. A telephone on the rear hull let infantry communicate with a closed-down tank under fire. Infantry confidence in the Matildas grew, while Japanese troops sometimes abandoned defensible positions after hearing them approach. Some Matildas remained with Australia's Citizen Military Forces until about 1955.