Marten II
| Tank destroyer Marder II | |
|---|---|
German Marder II in Russia (1943) |
|
| General properties | |
| crew | 4th |
| length | 4.88 m |
| width | 2.30 m |
| height | 2.65 m |
| Dimensions | 10.7 t |
| Armor and armament | |
| Armor | 14.5-30 mm |
| Main armament | 7.5 cm PaK 40, 7.62 cm PaK 36, |
| agility | |
| drive | Maybach HL 62 RTM 140 PS |
| Top speed | 45 km / h (road), 19 km / h (off-road) |
| Power / weight | 13.1 hp / t |
| Range | 185 km (road), 121 km (terrain) |
The Marder II (Sd.Kfz. 131 and 132) was a based on the chassis of the Panzer II developed tank destroyers , which by the German Wehrmacht in World War II was used.
development
Because of the steadily increasing number of Allied tanks , the German Wehrmacht found that they needed more and particularly mobile firepower, especially to fight the Red Army . Since many chassis of decommissioned older Panzer II versions D / E and Flammpanzer II were available on the German side , an emergency solution similar to the Marder I was created: the turret and part of the superstructure of the Panzer II were removed and a combat area provided with thin armor created in which the cannon was mounted. The main armament used was 7.62 cm PaK 36, captured and modified Soviet F-22 cannons. Vehicles with these cannons, captured in large numbers, were classified as Sd. Vehicle 132 designated. With the later version Sd. Vehicle 131, newly produced Panzer II version F chassis were used. The main armament was the German 7.5 cm PaK 40 , which was installed lower and further forward in the chassis in order to reduce the vehicle height, among other things. Both cannons were able to destroy enemy T-34 and KW-1 tanks at greater distances; this was not possible with the previous armored weapons. Development work began at the end of 1941, production ran from spring 1942 to summer 1943, and small-scale conversions were carried out until early 1944.
| Production figures of the Marder II tank destroyer | |||||||||||||||||
| Type | Sd. Vehicle 131 | Sd. Vehicle 132 | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New building | 531 from July 1942 to June 1943 | 150 from April to May 1942 | |||||||||||||||
| modification | ≈130 from mid-1943 to early 1944 | 52 from mid-1942 to late 1943 | |||||||||||||||
commitment
The Marder II received the Sd.Kfz with a German cannon . -Number 131, with the Russian booty cannon the Sd.Kfz.-number 132. Both types differ in the different structure of the fighting compartment and the shape of the cannon's muzzle brake . Due to the maximum 30 mm thick armor, the fighting compartment open at the top and rear and the unfavorably high silhouette, the Marder II was susceptible to enemy fire, especially the fragmentation effect it caused. Nevertheless, it was a successful interim solution until the Jagdpanzer 38 was available in 1944 . In the previous two years, the Marder II , the similar Marder I and Marder III, and the Panzerjäger Nashorn were the only effective mobile anti-tank weapons on the Eastern Front. The Marder II was also used in the North African and Italian theater of war . Some Marder II remained in service until the end of the war.
Technical specifications
| Tank destroyer Marder II | |
| 0 General characteristics | |
| Weight | 10.7 t |
| Length over all with cannon | 4.88 m |
| Length of tub | 4.64 m |
| width | 2.30 m |
| height | 2.65 m |
| 0 armament | |
| Main armament | either 7.62 cm PaK 36, 7.62 cm FK 296 (r), 7.5 cm PaK 40 |
| Ammunition supply | 30th |
| 0 mileage | |
| engine | Six-cylinder in-line engine Maybach HL 62 TRM, |
| power | 140 hp |
| Power / weight | 13.1 hp / t |
| Speed limit road | 45 km / h |
| Top speed terrain | 19 km / h |
| Range road | 185 km |
| Range terrain | 121 km |
| 0 armor | |
| Front tub | 30 mm |
| Structure in front | 14.5 mm |
See also
literature
- Werner Oswald : Motor vehicles and tanks of the Reichswehr, Wehrmacht and Bundeswehr . Motorbuch Verlag, Stuttgart 1982 10 , ISBN 3-87943-850-1 .
