Marder III
Type	Tank destroyer
Place of origin	Czechoslovakia
Service history
In service	1942–1945
Used by	Nazi Germany
Wars	World War II
Production history
Designed	1942
Manufacturer	BMM (ČKD)
Produced	1942–1944
Number built	1736 produced and converted Sd. Kfz. 139: 344 produced Sd.Kfz. 138, Ausf. H: 275 produced, 175 converted Sd.Kfz. 138, Ausf. M: 942 produced [1]
Specifications
Weight	10,670 kg (23,523 lbs)
Length	4.65 m (15 ft 3 in)
Width	2.35 m (7 ft 9 in)
Height	2.48 m (8 ft 2 in)
Crew	4
Armor	10 - 50 mm
Main armament	7.62 cm PaK 36(r) or 7.5 cm PaK 40
Secondary armament	7.92 mm MG 37(t), MG 34 or MG 42
Engine	Praga Typ TNHPS/II water-cooled, 6-cylinder gasoline, 7.75 l 125-150 PS (123-148 hp, 92-110 kW)
Power/weight	14.1 PS (10.3 kW) / tonne
Suspension	leaf spring
Ground clearance	40 cm (1 ft 4 in)
Operational range	190-210 km
Speed	35-42 km/h

History

Even in the early stages of Operation Barbarossa, the Wehrmacht felt the need for a more mobile and more powerful anti-tank solution than the existing towed anti-tank guns, such as the Pak 36, or self-propelled tank destroyers such as the Panzerjäger I. This need became urgent in 1942, when anti-tank shells failed to penetrate the armor of new Soviet tanks such as the T-34 and KV-1.

As an interim solution, it was decided to use captured French vehicles, such as the Lorraine (Marder I), obsolete tanks, such as the German Panzer II(Marder II), and Czech-supplied Panzer 38(t) (Marder III) as the base for makeshift tank destroyers. The result was the Marder series, which were armed with either captured Soviet 76.2mm F-22 Model 1936 divisional field guns, or German 7.5 cm PaK 40 anti-tank guns for later versions. Due to weight and space constraints of these small chassis, the Marder series were not fully armored. Thin upper armor protection against just shrapnel and small arms fire was provided only for the front and sides. All Marder series had open tops. Some were issued with canvas tops to protect the crew from the elements. In this regard, the Marder was more of a gun carriage than a proper Panzerjäger that could exchange shells with enemy tanks.

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. 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, such as the Hermann Göring division.

The Marder IIIs were mechanically reliable, as with all vehicles based on the Czechoslovak LT-38 chassis. Their firepower was sufficient to destroy the majority of Soviet tanks on the battlefield at combat range.

The Marder' IIIs weaknesses were mainly related to survivability. The combination of a high silhouette and open-top armor protection made them vulnerable to indirectartillery fire. The armor was also quite thin, making them highly vulnerable to enemy tanks and to close-range machinegun fire.

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 mobility, they did not replace the towed antitank guns.

In March 1942, before the Marder III appeared, Germany had already started production of the StuG III assault gun, which had comparable anti-tank capability (StuG III Ausf. F and later variants). These were fully armored vehicles, built in much greater numbers than the vulnerable Marder III. Among the many German fully armored tank destroyers, one based on the Panzer 38(t) chassis was built in numbers from 1944: the Jagdpanzer 38(t). The weakly armored Marder series were phased out of production in favor of the Jagdpanzer 38(t), but Marder series vehicles served until the end of the conflict.