Marder III
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The Marder III is the name for a series of World War II German tank destroyers built on the chassis of the Panzer 38(t). They were in production from 1942 to 1944 and served on all fronts until the end of the war.
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[edit] History
Even in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, the Wehrmacht already felt the need for a more mobile and more powerful anti-tank solution than the existing towed anti-tank guns or tank destroyers like the Panzerjäger I. This need became urgent in late 1941, with the appearance of the new Soviet tanks like the T-34 and Kliment Voroshilov.
As an interim solution, it was decided to use both obsolete tanks like the Panzer II and captured vehicles like the Lorraine as the base for makeshift tank destroyers. The result was the Marder series, which were armed with either the 75 mm PaK 40 anti-tank guns or the Russian 76.2mm F-22 Model 1936 divisional field gun, of which large numbers had been captured.
[edit] Development
[edit] Sd.Kfz. 139 Marder III
While the Panzer 38(t) had largely become obsolete as a tank in early 1942, it was still an excellent platform for adaptation into a tank destroyer, among other roles. Since the Soviet 76.2 mm field gun was available in large quantities, the decision was made to mate this gun to the Panzer 38(t).
To do so, the turret and upper superstructure of the Panzer 38 were removed and a new superstructure was bolted on to the chassis. The upper part, which housed the gun, was open at the top and back and only lightly armoured. Armour protection overall ranged from 10 to 50 mm. A major disadvantage of this variant was its high silhouette, which made it more vulnerable to enemy fire.
The gun itself was rechambered to be able to use standard German 75 mm ammunition, of which 30 rounds could be carried. Apart from the main gun, there was a 7.92 mm machine gun mounted in the hull.
This tank destroyer was put into production as the Sd.Kfz.139 Panzerjäger 38(t) für 7.62cm PaK36(r). A total of 363 of this Marder III variant were built from April 1942 to 1943.
[edit] Sd.Kfz. 138 Marder III Ausf. H
The next variant of the Marder III fielded the standard 75 mm PaK 40 German anti-tank gun on the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. H. This had the engine in the rear of the vehicle (Ausf. H standing for Heckmotor (rear engine)), with the gun in a fighting compartment in the centre of it. Thirty-eight rounds of ammunition for the gun were carried. As with the Sd.Kfz.139, this also carried a 7.92 mm machine gun in the hull, of Czech manufacture.
The full name of this variant was the 7.5cm PaK40/3 auf Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf. H (Sd Kfz 138). The production figures for the 418 Ausf. H Marder IIIs are as follows; 243 (including a single prototype were built new from November 1942 to April 1943. 175 converted from Panzer 38(t)s in 1943.
[edit] Sd.Kfz. 138 Marder III Ausf. M
The last Marder III variant was based on the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. M (with Ausf. M standing for Mittelmotor (middle engine)), again armed with the PaK40 75 mm anti-tank gun. In this variant, the gun and fighting compartment were located at the rear. Unlike in the previous two Marder IIIs, this compartment was closed at the rear, though still open-topped. It could only carry 27 rounds of ammunition. The Ausf. M did not carry a machinegun in its hull, instead a MG 34 or MG 42 was carried by the crew.
The Ausf. M was the variant which was produced in the largest numbers, some 975 vehicles being manufactured in 1943 and early 1944. Its full name was the Sd.Kfz.138, Panzerjäger 38(t) mit 7.5cm PaK40/3 Ausf. M.
[edit] Combat history
The various Marder IIIs fought on all fronts of the war, with the Sd.Kfz. 139 being used mainly at the Eastern Front, though some also fought in Tunisia. Even in February 1945 some 350 Ausf M were still in service.
The Marder IIIs were used by the Panzerjäger Abteilungen of the Panzer divisions of both the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS, as well as several Luftwaffe units, like the Hermann Göring division.
The Marders were mechanically reliable, as with all vehicles on the Czechoslovak 38t chassis. Their firepower was sufficient to destroy any light or medium armored vehicle on the battlefield at reasonable range.
The Marder's weaknesses were mainly related to survivability. The combination of a high sillhouette and open-top armor protection made them vulnerable to indirect artillery fire. The armor was also quite thin, making them vulnerable to enemy tanks.
The Marders were not assault vehicles or tank substitutes; the open top meant that operations in urban areas or other close-combat situations were very risky. They were best employed in defensive or overwatch roles. Despite their weaknesses they were much more effective than the towed antitank guns they replaced.
[edit] External links
- Achtung Panzer!
- OnWar (Marder III M)
- World War II vehicles
- Captured German vehicles - A PDF file presenting the German vehicles based on captured and modified foreign equipment (PzKpfw. 35(t), PzKpfw 38(t), 10.5 cm leFH 18(Sf) auf Geschützwagen, Marder I, Panzerjäger I, Marder III, Grille, Munitionspanzer 38(t)) still existing in the world
| German armored fighting vehicles of World War II | |
|---|---|
| Tanks | |
| Panzer I | Panzer II | Panzer III | Panzer IV | Panther | Tiger I, II | Panzer 35(t) | Panzer 38(t) | |
| Self-propelled artillery | |
| Wespe | Hummel | Grille | Panzerwerfer | sIG 33 | Wurfrahmen 40 | |
| Assault guns | |
| StuG III | StuG IV | StuH 42 | Brummbär | Sturmtiger | |
| Tank destroyers | |
| Panzerjäger I | Marder I , II , III | Hetzer | Jagdpanzer IV | Jagdpanther | Nashorn | Jagdtiger | Elefant | |
| Half-tracks | Armored cars |
| SdKfz 4 | 6 | 7 | 10 | 11 | 250 | 251 | 252 | 253 | 254 | Sdkfz 221/22/23 | Sdkfz 231/32/34/63 | ADGZ |
| Self propelled anti-aircraft | |
| Flakpanzer IV: Möbelwagen, Wirbelwind, Ostwind, Kugelblitz | Flakpanzer 38(t) | |
| Prototypes | |
| Maus | E- series | Panther II | Waffenträger | Neubaufahrzeug | |
| Proposed designs | |
| Panzer VII 'Löwe' | Panzer IX | Panzer X | Ratte | Monster | |
| German armored fighting vehicle production during World War II | |
