A historical photo of a Marder II.
Marder (Ger. Marten) was a tank destroyer series originating in the work of Alfred Becker on captured English and French materiel. Combining high-caliber weapons with obsolete combat vehicles produced one of the most effective defensive tools in the Nazi arsenal. Becker collaborated closely with Alkett to manufacture his designs, which led to their proliferation on all fronts of the war in surprising numbers, given the state of German industry as the war progressed.
Models[]
Marder I[]
A conversion of a Lorraine artillery tractor undertaken by Major Alfred Becker of Baukommando Becker in 1942, in order to provide German units on the Eastern Front with firepower capable of taking down the T-34 and KV-1 tanks. Mounting a PaK 40 75mm anti-tank gun on the Lorraine proved to be a practical, effective solution.
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Marder II[]
A practical solution to the problem of fighting Soviet tanks, the Marder II (Marten II) combined the reliable Panzer II chassis with a powerful anti-tank gun in a tall, casemate mounting. The early versions (Sd.Kfz. 132) were pressed into service rapidly in 1942, and mounted captured F-22 obr. 1936 field guns on Ausf. D and E chassis, providing much needed firepower against T-34 and KV-1 tanks. The second generation of Marders used the PaK 40 75mm gun on an Ausf. F chassis. This version, the Sd.Kfz. 131, was more thought out, shorter by 40 cm and with a more spacious interior. 202 early and 130 late model Marder IIs were manufactured between 1942 and 1943.
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Marder III[]
With multiple kill rings.
A simple conversion of the Panzer 38(t), the Marder (Marten) was the pinnacle of the improvised tank destroyer series, combining the proven light tank chassis with a high powered gun to create a cheap, effective counter for enemy tanks in the Soviet Union and North Africa. The conversion took place at the Böhmisch-Mährische Maschinenfabrik, which was the original ČKD factory renamed under Nazi occupation.
The turret of the original tank was removed and replaced with an armored superstructure bolted together from armored plates, providing limited protection from the front and to the sides. The main gun was a captured Soviet F-22 76.2mm divisional gun, with a hull-mounted MG 34 for self-defense. Although it had a high silhouette and was extremely vulnerable to return or artillery fire, the high-powered main gun combined with German optics made them capable fighting vehicles. Improvements to the design focused on lowering the profile, with Ausf. H full utilizing the fighting compartment and providing a purpose-designed open-topped casemate for the gun. A total of 344 early versions were produced, with an additional 275 vehicles and 175 conversions of the Ausf. H variant.
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Marder III M[]
The final model, Ausf. M, was redesigned to provide significant improvements. Sacrificing the front machine gun for a sloped glacis plate and moving the engine from the rear to the middle of the vehicle reduced the vehicle's visibility and improved protection, while the enclosed fighting compartment provided decent protection for the gun crew from all sides, except for the top. The number of crew in the rear was also increased by adding the radio operator, who assisted the commander and gunner as a loader. 942 Ausf. M destroyers were produced, serving until the end of the war.
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