Marder tank destroyer

Self-propelled anti-tank gun Marder II and III (SdKfz 131, SdKfz 132, SdKfz 139, SdKfz 138 Ausf H and Ausf M): Evolution of German Tank Destroyers.

Marder II & III

World War II saw rapid advancements in tank technology, prompting the need for effective anti-tank weapons. The German military responded with the Marder series of self-propelled anti-tank guns. These mobile platforms combined the chassis of existing tanks with powerful anti-tank guns, creating versatile and deadly weapons on the battlefield.

The Marder III was a key variant in this series. It used the chassis of the Czechoslovakian Panzer 38(t) as its base. The SdKfz 139 model mounted a captured Soviet 76.2 mm gun, while later versions like the SdKfz 138 Ausf H and Ausf M used the German 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. These weapons gave German forces much-needed firepower against enemy armor.

The Marder III saw extensive action on the Eastern Front. Its open-topped design offered little crew protection but allowed for a larger gun than enclosed tanks of similar size. The Ausf M model improved on earlier versions by moving the fighting compartment to the rear, enhancing crew protection and vehicle balance.

Historical Context and Development

The Marder series emerged as a critical response to Germany’s need for mobile anti-tank weapons during World War II. These tank destroyers played key roles on the Eastern Front and in North Africa, evolving through several variants to meet changing battlefield demands.

Inception of the Marder Series

The Marder series began in 1942 as Germany faced Soviet tanks in Operation Barbarossa. The SdKfz 139 Marder III used captured Soviet 76.2 mm guns mounted on Czech-built Panzer 38(t) chassis. This quick solution provided much-needed firepower against enemy armor.

German forces deployed Marders on the Eastern Front and in North Africa. The vehicles’ open-topped design allowed for a larger gun but left crews exposed. Despite this drawback, Marders proved effective tank hunters.

Evolution and Variants

As the war progressed, the Marder series evolved. The SdKfz 138 Ausf H variant introduced in 1942 featured the German 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. This improved version offered better armor penetration against newer Soviet tanks.

The final main variant, the Ausf M, entered production in 1943. It had a redesigned layout with the engine in the middle and fighting compartment at the rear. This change improved crew protection and vehicle balance.

Technical Specifications

The Marder series combined powerful anti-tank guns with mobile chassis. These vehicles featured varying armament and armor configurations across models.

Armament and Armor

The SdKfz 139 Marder III mounted a 7.62 cm PaK 36(r) gun, a modified Soviet field gun. Later models used the German 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. These guns gave the Marder significant firepower against enemy armor.

Armor protection was minimal. The open-topped fighting compartment offered little cover for the crew. Front armor was 15mm thick, while side armor was only 10-15mm.

A machine gun provided secondary armament for close defense against infantry.

Chassis and Engine

The Marder III used the Panzer 38(t) chassis, a Czech-designed light tank. This proven platform offered good mobility and reliability.

Key specifications:

• Weight: 10.8 tonnes
• Length: 4.65 m
• Width: 2.35 m
• Height: 2.48 m

The Praga EPA engine produced 150 horsepower. This gave the Marder a top road speed of 42 km/h and an operational range of 140 km.

The low-profile chassis helped conceal the vehicle, partially offsetting its thin armor.

Specifications Marder II and III

Specifications:

Armor:

Armament and Equipment:

Penetration mm at 30° armor plates of the guns:

Production:

Service statistics: Marder II & III:

Operational History

The Marder series saw extensive action on multiple fronts during World War II. These tank destroyers played a crucial role in German anti-tank warfare from 1942 to 1945.

Deployment and Combat Performance

The Marder III entered service in 1942 on the Eastern Front. It proved effective against Soviet T-34 tanks and other armored vehicles. German infantry divisions used Marders to bolster their anti-tank capabilities.

Marders also fought in France, Ukraine, and Poland. They helped counter Allied armor during the Normandy invasion. The vehicles’ powerful guns could penetrate most enemy tanks at long range.

However, Marders suffered from thin armor. This made them vulnerable to enemy fire, especially from the sides and rear. Crews often added extra protection like sandbags.

Tactical Role and Limitations

Marders served as mobile anti-tank guns rather than assault vehicles. They supported infantry by providing long-range fire support. Their main job was to knock out enemy tanks from concealed positions.

The open-topped design gave crews good visibility. But it left them exposed to shrapnel and small arms fire. This limited the Marder’s effectiveness in close combat.

Marders struggled in bad weather due to their open fighting compartments. Snow and rain made operating conditions miserable for crews. Despite these drawbacks, Marders remained in use until the war’s end.

Production and Variants

The Marder series saw multiple variants produced during World War II. Each model had unique features and production numbers. Let’s look at the key differences between them.

Marder I, II, and III Production

The Germans made Marder I, II, and III tank destroyers using captured vehicles and spare parts. Marder I used French chassis. Marder II was based on German Panzer II tanks. Marder III used Czech Panzer 38(t) chassis.

Marder I had about 170 units built. Marder II saw over 500 produced. The Marder III was the most numerous, with over 1,700 made in total.

Production started in 1942 and continued until 1944. The Germans built Marders quickly to counter Soviet tanks on the Eastern Front.

Variant Comparison

The Marder III had two main versions: Ausf H and Ausf M. The Ausf H had the engine in back and fighting compartment up front. The Ausf M put the engine in the middle and crew area in back.

Both Ausf H and M used the 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. This gave them good firepower against enemy tanks. The earlier SdKfz 139 Marder III used a captured Soviet 7.62 cm gun instead.

Marder III Ausf M had better armor protection than earlier models. It also had a lower profile, making it harder to spot on the battlefield.

Marder II (SdKfz 132)

History:
On 20 December 1941, Alkett was commissioned to develop a self-propelled anti-tank gun by mounting the captured
7.62 cm guns on the chassis of the LaS 138 (PzKpfw II Ausf D and E). The first order for 150 units was fulfilled by 12 May 1942, and a further 60 superstructures were ordered so that more Pz.Sf. 1 (Panzer-Selbstfahrlafetten-Montage 1) could be produced from the chassis of the PzKpfw II Ausf F returned for repair.
The turrets of the PzKpfw II were later used in permanent fortifications. By May 1944, a total of 88 such turrets had been released for this purpose.

Special features:
The hull and superstructure remained unchanged from the original PzKpfw II Ausf D, E and Flamm. The height of the superstructure at the front and sides was increased to create a fighting compartment. The 7.62cm PaK36(r) was mounted on a modified field mount, which was equipped with a shield to protect the crew during combat.

Production:
201 units were converted from the PzKpfw II by the Alkett and Wegmann companies between April 1942 and June 1943.

Combat service:
The 7.62cm Pak(r) auf Fgst PzKpfw II (Sf) was issued to the Panzerjägerabteilungen (Sf) (tank destroyer detachments, self-propelled) of the Panzer and Panzergrenadier divisions from April 1942, mainly to units on the Eastern Front. It was withdrawn from front-line service at the beginning of 1944, when the 7.62 cm Pak(r) (Sf) had fulfilled its role as a stand-in until better tank destroyers were developed.

Marder II (SdKfz 131)

History:
On 13 May 1942 it was questioned whether the PzKpfw II, then being produced at a rate of 50 per month, was still fit for combat use, or whether it should be replaced by the 7.5 cm Pak40 on the Pz Kpfw II chassis.
In early June it was decided to produce 50 per cent of the series as 7.5 cm Pak self-propelled guns, and later in the month it was decided that at least 75 per cent (the Army’s wish was 100 per cent) of the entire new production should be self-propelled guns with 7.5 cm PaK40.
Production was interrupted in June 1943 to use all PzKpfw-II chassis for the construction of the Wespe artillery self-propelled guns.
From July 1943 to March 1944, an additional seventy-five PaK40/2s were mounted on converted PzKpfw II Ausf. c, A, B, C and F chassis.

Special features:
The hull and the front of the superstructure remained as on the Pz Kpfw II Ausf. F. A superstructure was placed on top as a fighting compartment. The upper half of the field mount for the 7.5 cm PaK 40 was retained, but modified with beams to form the mount for the anti-tank gun.

Production:
576 were built by FAMO, MAN and Daimler-Benz from June 1942 to June 1943. From July 1943 to March 1944, 75 were converted from chassis of existing PzKpfw IIs.

Combat service:
The SdKfz 131 was issued to Panzerjägerkommandos (SP) from July 1941. It remained in active service until the end of the war and was deployed on all major fronts.

Marder III (SdKfz 139)

History:
The problems that the German troops in Russia had when they were confronted with the new Soviet tanks were to be solved in the short term by the production of anti-tank guns on self-propelled guns. As the PzKpfw 38(t) was outdated as a battle tank and was also too slow as a reconnaissance tank, it was ordered that the chassis under construction be converted into gun mounts.

A prototype of the Sf with a Russian 7.62 cm gun was built in December 1941. An order dated 22 December 1941 provided for the production of 17 units per month from 24 March 1942 and 30 units per month from July.
Several follow-up orders were placed, so that 344 were eventually built. From July 1942, Hitler ordered that all PzKpfw 38(t) be used as Sf.

The 7.62cm PakK36(r) was the Russian FK296, which had been converted to German specifications and refitted with the PaK40 shell. The conversion was carried out from the large stocks of these Russian field guns captured during the initial successes in Russia.

Special features:
In order to cope with the higher weight of the self-propelled guns, the engine power was increased to 150 hp. This model was
introduced in July 1942 as Ausf H (see description below).

Production:
344 built by BMM between Aoril and October 1942. A further 19 converted from PzKpfw 38(t) in 1943.

Combat service:
Served mainly with tank destroyer detachments in Russia. A total of 66 were sent to North Africa, where those that arrived from July to November 1942 were used by the 33rd Panzerjäger-Abteilung of the 15th Panzer-Division, as well as by the 39th Panzerjäger-Abteilung. The first six units, which arrived in North Africa in May 1942, were directly subordinate to the headquarters of the Panzerarmee.

Marder III Ausf H (SdKfz 138)

History:
In May 1942, discussions took place regarding the production of a new self-propelled gun based on the PzKpfw-38(t) chassis, but with the standard German 7.5cm Pak40 instead of the Soviet 7.62cm Pak36(r). The prototype was completed in June 1942 and featured a redesigned superstructure that was lower and lighter and also offered better protection.

Special features:

Production:
242 units built at BMM from November 1942 to April 1943, plus one prototype. In 1943, a further 175 were converted from PzKpfw 38(t).

Combat service:
The SdKfz 138 was issued to tank destroyer detachments from the end of 1942. Luftwaffe, SS units (including the Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler) and Wehrmacht units received these self-propelled guns. From December 1942 they were deployed in Russia and in 1943 also in Tunisia and Italy.

Marder III Ausf M (SdKfz 138)

History:
In July 1942, Hitler ordered that the entire production capacity of the PzKpfw 38(t) be used for chassis for self-propelled guns. It had been recognised that many of the features of the tank chassis were superfluous on the existing conventional self-propelled guns. A new design was therefore proposed in which the engine was moved to the centre. This made it easier to mount the gun at the rear of the vehicle. The front armour and thus the weight were also reduced.

On 6 February 1943, Hitler was informed that the new self-propelled gun would be available in a very short time after test firing and that the BMM would be able to produce 150 units per month – compared to its current production of 60 units. This level was not reached until October/November 1943, but not all were 7.5 cm Pak40/3 Sf, although the maximum monthly delivery of 141 was reached in October.
In May 1944, production was discontinued in favour of the new Jagdpanzer Hetzer.

Special features:
The vehicles built in 1943 can be recognised by the round, cast cover for the driver’s compartment on the right front right side of the vehicle. A simpler welded cover was introduced at the end of 1943, and the front towing eyes were now formed from extensions of the side armour plate.

Production:
975 units built by BMM between April 1943 and May 1944.

Combat service:
Tank destroyer detachments (SP) of both armoured and infantry divisions were equipped with these self-propelled guns from May 1943. Due to the large number of units, they were used on all fronts, with 350 units still listed as operational in the Waffenamt inventory for 1 February 1945.

Legacy and Historical Significance

The Marder series of tank destroyers played a crucial role in World War II. They showed the value of mobile anti-tank guns and shaped future armored vehicle designs.

Post-War Analysis and Impact

The Marder III proved the effectiveness of tank destroyers in combat. It gave Nazi Germany a way to counter enemy tanks cheaply. The design influenced later German vehicles like the Jagdpanzer IV.

Military experts studied the Marder after the war. They noted its strengths and weaknesses. The open-top design left crews exposed, but it allowed for a powerful gun on a light chassis.

The Marder’s success led to more tank destroyer designs. Many armies adopted similar vehicles in the Cold War era.

Preservation and Exhibits

Several Marder IIIs survive today in museums and private collections. These vehicles offer a glimpse into World War II technology.

Photographs and documents help preserve the Marder’s history. They show how crews used and maintained these machines.

Museums display Marders to educate visitors about the war. Some restored vehicles take part in reenactments. This helps people understand the role of mobile artillery in combat.

Historians continue to study the Marder. It remains an important example of German engineering during World War II.

Marder in PC games

In the following replay video of ‘Realistic Ground Battles’ from the Free-2-Play game War Thunder you can see the effect of the Marder IIIH and the deployment procedure of the Puma scout tank with subsequent aircraft deployment, here with the German captured Stormowik (premium aircraft), which is one of the most favourable ground attack aircraft in terms of the necessary spawn points after a CAP conquest mission.

Who does not know the F2P tank and plane war game War Thunder can download it from here for free:

Frequently Asked Questions

The Marder series of self-propelled anti-tank guns played a crucial role in German armored warfare during World War II. These vehicles underwent several design changes and saw action in major campaigns across Europe.

What were the different variants of the Marder series used during World War II?

The main Marder variants were the SdKfz 139, SdKfz 138 Ausf H, and SdKfz 138 Ausf M. The SdKfz 139 was based on the Czech Panzer 38(t) chassis. It mounted a captured Soviet 76.2 mm gun.

The SdKfz 138 Ausf H and Ausf M used the same chassis but carried the German 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun. The Ausf M had a redesigned fighting compartment at the rear of the vehicle.

How did the armament of the Marder self-propelled anti-tank guns evolve throughout the war?

Early Marder variants used the captured Soviet 76.2 mm F-22 Model 1936 field gun. This was later replaced by the more powerful German 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank gun.

The PaK 40 offered improved armor penetration capabilities. It allowed Marder crews to engage most Allied tanks effectively at medium ranges.

Can you detail the combat roles and effectiveness of the Marder series against allied armor?

Marders served primarily as mobile anti-tank weapons. They provided infantry divisions with much-needed anti-armor capability. Their powerful guns could defeat most Allied tanks at combat ranges.

However, their thin armor made them vulnerable in close combat. Marders were most effective when used in ambush positions or for long-range fire support.

What were the main operational limitations of the Marder tank destroyers?

The Marder’s open-topped design left crews exposed to small arms fire and artillery fragments. This limited their effectiveness in intense combat situations.

Their high silhouette made concealment difficult. Mechanical reliability issues also plagued some variants, especially on the Eastern Front.

In what battles and campaigns did the Marder series play a significant role?

Marders saw extensive action on the Eastern Front from 1942 onwards. They participated in major operations like the Battle of Kursk.

On the Western Front, Marders fought in Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge. They also served in Italy and North Africa, providing mobile anti-tank support.

How did the design of the Marder series influence post-war tank destroyer development?

The Marder’s concept of a lightly armored, highly mobile anti-tank platform influenced post-war designs. Many nations developed similar vehicles in the early Cold War era.

However, the vulnerabilities of open-topped designs led to a shift towards fully enclosed tank destroyers. The Marder’s legacy can be seen in modern wheeled anti-tank vehicles.

References and literature

Kraftfahrzeuge und Panzer der Reichswehr, Wehrmacht und Bundeswehr (Werner Oswald)
Encyclopedia of German Tanks of World War Two (P.Chamberlain, H.L.Doyle)
Panzer und andere Kampffahrzeuge von 1916 bis heute (Christopher F. Foss, John F. Milsom, Colonel John Stafford Weeks, Captain Georffrey Tillotson, Richard M. Ogorkiewicz)
Panzerkampfwagen des 1. und 2. Weltkrieges (Andrew Kershaw)
Krieg der Panzer (Piekalkiewicz)