Unimodel Military 1/72 SdKfz 140 WWII AA Tank Kit
The Marder III is the name for a series of WWII German tank destroyers built on the chassis of the Panzer 38(t). The German word Marder means "marten" in English. They were in production from 1942 to 1944 and served on all fronts until the end of the war. 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 such as Pak 36 or tank destroyers like the Panzerjäger I. This need became urgent in June 1941, when anti-tank shells failed to penetrate the armor of new Soviet tanks like the T-34 and KV-1.
As an interim solution, it was decided to use captured French vehicles like the Lorraine (Marder I), obsolete tanks such as German Panzer II Marder II), and Czech-supplied Panzer 38(t) (Marder III) as the base for makeshift tank destroyers.
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 captured in large quantities, the decision was made to mate this gun to the Panzer 38(t).
To do so, the production of the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. G was stopped and a modified superstructure was bolted onto the standard tank chassis. The upper structure mounted the gun and an extended gun shield, giving very limited protection for the commander and the loader. Armour protection overall ranged from 10 to 50 mm with no armor at all above and behind the gun compartment. The gun, commander and loader were located on top of the engine deck. It had a higher silhouette than the original Panzer 38 (t), which made it more vulnerable to enemy fire.
The now-called 7.62 cm PaK 36(r) was rechambered to be able to use standard German 75 mm ammunition of which 30 rounds could be carried inside the vehicle. Apart from the main gun, there was a 7.92 mm machine gun mounted in the hull.
As an interim solution, it was decided to use captured French vehicles like the Lorraine (Marder I), obsolete tanks such as German Panzer II Marder II), and Czech-supplied Panzer 38(t) (Marder III) as the base for makeshift tank destroyers.
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 captured in large quantities, the decision was made to mate this gun to the Panzer 38(t).
To do so, the production of the Panzer 38(t) Ausf. G was stopped and a modified superstructure was bolted onto the standard tank chassis. The upper structure mounted the gun and an extended gun shield, giving very limited protection for the commander and the loader. Armour protection overall ranged from 10 to 50 mm with no armor at all above and behind the gun compartment. The gun, commander and loader were located on top of the engine deck. It had a higher silhouette than the original Panzer 38 (t), which made it more vulnerable to enemy fire.
The now-called 7.62 cm PaK 36(r) was rechambered to be able to use standard German 75 mm ammunition of which 30 rounds could be carried inside the vehicle. Apart from the main gun, there was a 7.92 mm machine gun mounted in the hull.
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