>Type Tank destroyer
>Place of origin Czechoslovakia
>In service 1942–1945
>Used by Nazi Germany
>Wars World War II
>Designed 1942
>Manufacturer Skoda
>Produced 1942–1944
>Number built 1756 all variants : Sd.Kfz.139: 344 produced + 19 converted / Sd.Kfz.138 Ausf H 418 produced / Sd.Kfz.138 Ausf M 975 produce
>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 34 or MG 42 or MG37(t)
>Engine Praga Typ TNHPS/II water-cooled, 6-cylinder gasoline 125-150 PS (148 hp, 110.3 kW), 7.75 l
>Power/weight 14.3 PS/t
>Suspension leaf spring
>Ground clearance 40 cm (1 ft 4 in)
>range 190-210 km
>Speed 35-42 km/h
The Marder III is the name for a series of World War II German tank destroyers built on the chassis of the Panzer 38(t). The German word Marder means "marten" in English. They were in production from 1942 to 1944 and served on all fronts until the end of the war.
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, like the Hermann Göring division.
The Marders 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's weaknesses were mainly related to survivability. The combination of a high silhouette and open-top armor protection made them vulnerable to indirect artillery 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 Marder III appeared, Germany already started production of StuG III assault gun with comparable anti-tank capability (StuG III Ausf. F and later variants). These were fully armored vehicles, built in much greater numbers than vulnerable Marder III. Among many German fully armored tank destroyers, also one based on Panzer 38(t) chassis was built in numbers since 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.
