You know that:
- The development of the MARDER tank destroyer began in 1941 at Alkett.
- The basis for the new machine was the excellent Czechoslovak-designed LT-38 tank chassis, which was produced by ČKD Prague under German occupation.
- The first units were equipped with captured Soviet F-22 cannons, renamed PaK 36, as the main weapon. Later versions received German PaK 40/3 barrels.
- The machine had an open superstructure with light armor, a deficiency that was fully manifested in the fighting on the Eastern Front. The M version already had thicker armor and a redesigned engine mount.
- The open hull was covered with a waterproof tarpaulin in case of inclement weather.
- In addition to the Eastern Front, Marders were also deployed in large numbers in the African Campaign to destroy the superiority of British tanks.
- The most famous battle in which these vehicles participated was the Second Battle of El Alamein.
- The newly appointed British commander Bernard Law Montgomery developed a plan called Lightfoot and later Supercharge. At heavy losses, they initially managed to stop the advance of German troops and in November 1942 weakened German forces so much that the Allies finally gained superiority in Africa.
- The commander of German forces Erwin Rommel was well aware of the reality on the battlefield and decided to disobey Hitler's direct order, which prohibited any retreat. This decision later had serious consequences for Rommel, but that's another story.
- A total of 1,736 units were produced in various versions.
- After World War II, tank destroyers were included in the armament of the Czechoslovak Army under the designation ST-II.
Marder III technical parameters:
- length 6.43 m, width 2.06 m, height 2.5 m
- weight 10,700 kg
- frontal armor thickness up to 50 mm
- drive 6-cylinder Praga EPA I/II gasoline engine with a volume of 3,297 cm³ and a power of 93 kW
- number of gears 5 forward + 1 reverse
- maximum speed 42 km/h on the road and 15 km/h off-road
- fuel tank capacity 220 liters
- range 190 km on the road and about 95 km off-road
- maximum wading depth 0.9 m
- main weapon PaK 36 L/54 cannon 76.2 mm caliber (27 rounds), effective range 300-500 m, maximum range 5,500 m
- secondary weapon MG machine gun 37 7.92mm (1,200 rounds)
- crew 4
PaK 38 L/60 technical parameters:
- purpose: anti-tank gun
- weight 830 kg
- travel weight 1,000 kg
- barrel length 3.00 m
- caliber 50 mm
- maximum range 2,700 m
- rate of fire 13 rounds / min.
Johannes Erwin Eugen Rommel:
"The British are a tough opponent. They wrote the best military doctrine in the world. Fortunately, they never read it."
Assembly instructions
