Short answers, pulled from the story.
The British Army issued specification A12 for the new infantry tank in 1936. This requirement followed a paper from Major-General Percy Hobart dated 1934 which outlined two alternatives for vehicle design.
Front glacis plating on the Matilda II reached up to 78 millimeters thick while cast cylindrical turrets featured 78 millimeter armor all round. Side hull armor measured 60 millimeters and rear protection stood at 60 millimeters.
Eighteen British Matilda IIs participated in the counter-attack at Arras on the 21st of May 1940. Thirty tanks were lost during this engagement after breaking through to the rear area of the 7th Panzer Division.
A total of 409 Matilda IIs supplied Britain to the Australian army between 1942 and 1944. The Red Army received 918 of 1,084 Matildas sent to USSR with thirty-three close-support Matildas transferred from New Zealand to Australia in 1944.
The last Matilda II tank was delivered in August 1943 when peak production reached 1,330 units in 1942. Some 2,987 tanks were produced by Vulcan Foundry John Fowler Co Leeds Ruston Hornsby London Midland Scottish Railway Horwich Works Harland Wolff North British Locomotive Company Glasgow.