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German Self-Propelled Gun Marder III Ausf. H-Sd.Kfz 138
The Marder III was produced in two variants - Ausf H and Ausf M. They were based on the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t) Ausf H and Ausf M light tank chassis, respectively. They were designated as 7.5cm PaK40/3 auf PzKpfw 38(t) Ausf H, and Panzerjager 38(t) mit 7.5cm PaK40/3 Ausf M. Both were armed with the 75mm PaK 40/3 L/46 anti-tank gun and operated by four-man crews. The Ausf H (Heckmotor-rear engine) had the fighting compartment in a central forward location, while the fighting compartment of the Ausf M (Mitte-mid engine) was at the rear. The fighting compartment of the Ausf H was open at the top and rear, while that of Ausf M was open only at the top. The Ausf H carried 38 rounds of ammunition, while Ausf M had only 27 rounds. The main armament could be traversed 30 degrees to the left and right in the Ausf H and 21 degrees to the left and right in the Ausf M. Both vehicles also had additional armament - the Ausf H had a 7.92mm MG 37(t) mounted in the front hull, and the Ausf M carried a 7.92mm MG 34 or MG 42 inside the fighting compartment. Armor protection for the Ausf H ranged from 8 to 50mm, while armor for the Ausf M ranged from 8 to 20mm. Ausf M was the final variant of the Marder series and was a significant improvement over previous models, with its lower silhouette, sloped armour and much more functional fighting compartment.
From November 1942 to April 1943, BMM made 243 Ausf H models, and an additional 175 vehicles were converted in 1943. From April 1943 to May 1944, BMM produced 975 Ausf M models. Ausf M was modified during production, and early and late models can be identified by their unique features. The Ausf H was first issued to Panzerjager Abteilungen in late 1942. They also served with Waffen SS (e.g. Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in Russia, 1942) and Luftwaffe (e.g. Herman Goring Division in Tunisia and Italy, 1943) units. In April 1944, 18 Ausf H were also exported to Slovakia. Ausf M was first issued to Panzerjager Abteilungen in May 1943. It fought on all fronts, and there were still 350 in service as of February 1st 1945.
The Marder III Ausf H and Ausf M were also used to produce self-propelled guns armed with 150mm sIG heavy infantry guns and designated as Grille/Bison Ausf H and Ausf M. There was also a proposed project to mount a Panzerjager 38(t) Ausf M with a 75mm PaK L/60 anti-tank gun, but it was never produced.
In 1945, a number of Marder III Ausf H and Ausf M models ended up in use by the Czechoslovak Army as ST-II (Stihac Tanku II).
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Main Data
| Weight, tonns |
10.8 |
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| Lenght,m |
5.77 |
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| Width, m |
2.16 |
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| Height, m |
2.51 |
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| Crew, men |
4 |
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Armament
| Machine gun MG-37(t), mm |
1 x 7,92 |
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| Gun Pak 40/3 L/46, mm |
75 |
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Ammo
| MG-37(t), rounds |
1200 |
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| Pak 40/3 L/46, rounds |
38 |
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Armor thickness
| Hull front, mm |
50 |
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| Hull side, mm |
30 |
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| Gun shield, mm |
10 |
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Engine & Speed
| Engine type |
Praga EPA/2, carburetor |
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| Engine power, h.p. |
140 |
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| Max speed, km/h |
35 |
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| Max range, km |
240 (Road) |
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