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Marder I

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the infantry fighting vehicle, seeMarder 1.
Marder I
MarderI on display at theMusée des Blindésat Saumur.
TypeTank destroyer
Place of originNazi Germany
Service history
In service1942–1944
Used byNazi Germany
WarsWorld War II
Production history
Designed1942
No.built170
Specifications
Mass8,200 kg (18,100 lb)
Length5.38 m (17 ft 8 in)
Width1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Height2 m (6 ft 7 in)
Crew4 to 5
Armour5–12 mm
Main
armament
7.5 cm Pak 40
EngineDelahaye103TT
70 PS (69 hp; 51 kW)
Power/weight8.4 hp (6.3 kW) / tonne
Operational
range
135–150 km (84–93 mi) road
Maximum speed
  • 34–38 km/h (21–24 mph) road
  • 15–20 km/h (9.3–12.4 mph) off-road

TheMarder I"Marten"(Sd.Kfz.135) was aGermanWorld War IItank destroyer,armed with a 75 mm Pak-40 anti-tank gun. Most Marder Is were built on the base of theTracteur Blindé37L (Lorraine),a French artillery tractor/armoured personnel carrierof which the Germans had acquired more than 300 units after theFall of Francein 1940.

History

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Marder I, 1943

From the early stages ofOperation BarbarossatheWehrmachtbecame aware that their ability to combat some of the Soviet tanks was inadequate. The lighter tanks then in general service, such as thePanzer IIand the Czech built38(t),were under-armoured and did not mount an adequate gun to deal with the newer Soviet tanks. In addition, the standard towed anti-tank gun of the Wehrmacht, the 37 mm3.7 cm Pak 36,was both difficult to get into position quickly and lacked the ability to penetrate the heavy sloped armour of the new Soviet tanks. What was needed was a more powerful anti-tank gun that was mobile. The Germans possessed such a gun in the 75 mm7.5 cm Pak 40.They also had come into possession of a large number of captured Soviet76 mm F-22 Model 1936divisional field guns. The Germans had experience in taking the chassis of an under-gunned tank to provide mobility to a heavier gun. ThePanzerjäger Iis such an example, where the turret was removed for an open conversion to allow the gunners the necessary room to operate the gun.[citation needed]

With the shock of having units overrun by new SovietT-34medium tanks andKV-1heavy tanks, the need for a heavier-gunned German tank became urgent. As an interim solution, it was decided to use captured French vehicles such as theLorraine,and less effective German tanks such as the Panzer II and Panzer 38(t) as the basis for makeshift tank destroyers. The result was theMarderseries, comprising the Marder I,Marder II,andMarder IIIrespectively. These vehicles provided mobility to either the7.62 cm Pak 36(r)(a conversion of the 76 mm F-22 Model 1936) gun or in later versions the German 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun. Due to the weight and space constraints of the small chassis, theMarderseries were not fully armoured. Thin upper armour protection was provided only for the front and sides against shrapnel and small arms only. AllMarderseries had open tops. Some were issued with canvas covers to protect the crew from the elements. The Marder series were not a properPanzerjägerthat could exchange fire with enemy tanks.[citation needed]

Development

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Marder I of the 21st Panzer in Normandy, converted from Hotchkiss, 1944.

TheMarderI was developed in May 1942 by MajorAlfred Becker.It carried the 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun on a Lorrainechassis.As the gun was relatively large, the original crew compartment superstructure was removed to create the space needed to work the gun. This was done byBaukommando Becker,an organization in occupied France converting French armoured fighting vehicles for internal security use. The gun was then mounted atop the chassis.Alkett,working in conjunction with Becker, produced the angled armour shielding for the crew compartment.[1]The shielding was relatively light, and was open from above. The shielding provided the crew with protection from blast andsmall armsfire, but was not intended to stop armour piercing rounds. The vehicle's primary function was to provide mobility to the anti-tank gun. It was not intended as a replacement for a tank.

Between July and August 1942, 170MarderIs were built on the Lorraine chassis. Later, several other French and Polish tanks were used as the conversion base for theMarderI, including theHotchkiss H39andFCM 36.These conversions were also completed in 1942 byBaukommando Beckerat theHotchkiss planton the outskirts of Paris, 24 Hotchkiss tanks were converted into aMarderI, the7,5 cm Pak 40 (Sf) auf Geschützwagen 39H(f).The Marder Is initially served in infantry divisions on theEastern Frontand met with good success. They later made up a significant component of the armoured fighting vehicles of the reformed21st Panzer Divisionin Normandy.

Combat history

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The first Lorraine-basedMarderI vehicles were sent to theEastern Frontin 1942 to serve in thePanzerjäger(tank destroyer) units of infantry divisions.

This is a list of Infantry Divisions operating on the Eastern Front known to have usedMarderIs and the estimated time frame they were used[citation needed]

Division Battalion Time frame
31.Inf. Div Pz. Jg.Abt.31 Aug 42 - Dec 43
35.Inf. Div 2.Kp./Pz. Jg.Abt.35 Sep 42 - Dec 43
36.Inf. Div (mot) 4.Kp./Pz. Jg.Abt.38 Oct 42 - Jun 43
72.Inf. Div 3.Kp./Pz. Jg.Abt.72 Sep 42 - Dec 43
206th Inf. Div. 1./Pz. Jg.Schn. Abt.206 Jan 43 - Dec 43
256.Inf. Div 5./Pz. Schnelle-Abt.256 Nov 42 - Apr 44
227. Inf. Div ~2. &/or 3.Kp. Pz. Jg.-Abt.227

"On 14 August 1942,... Gen.Qu. was requested to include 72 - 7.5cm Pak40 (Marder I) Lorraine on Blitztransport trains." (6 initially noted divisions issued 9 and then 10 Marder I "in accordance with K.St.N.1148a dated 15Feb42 for a Panzerjäger-Kompanie (9 Sfl.)" then "10 7.5cm Pak40/1 auf Sfl. Lorraine-Schlepper and organized in accordance with K.St.N.1148a dated 1Dec42."[2] Alfred Beckernotes: "By Christmas 1942 almost all of Becker’s men had reached Paris. In exchange for the men Becker provided the commander of the 227th Infantry Division with 20 of his armoured vehicles.[22]".[citation needed]This follows on from the ground breaking pre-Pz. div. developmental use of the Becker's first conversion vehicles: 12x10.5 cm leFH 16 Geschützwagen Mk VI 736 (e)& six of the larger 15 cm sFH13 guns on Mk VI 736(e) by the 227th Inf. Div.

"Two additional leFH18/4 (Sf.) mounted on Lorraine Schlepper chassis were completed with a modified superstructure (similar in design and purpose to the 38t Grille sIG 33, with an additional 12 built for and used by the 2 PzGren Regts of 21 Pz. div.) and delivered in early December 1942 as a new Sturmgeschütz-Zug for the 15.Batterie/Artillerie-Regiment 227." (Of 227th Inf.Div.).[3]

"An additional 64 sFH13 (after the first 30 built in June 42 and shipped to Rommel) were mounted on Lorraine-Schlepper chassis at Wa A Paris in July and August 1942. Gepanzerte Artillerie-Regiment 1 (Sfl) and 2 (Sfl) were each issued 30 sFH14 auf Sfl. To fill their five batteries.".[4]

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  • Marder I being prepared to detrain
    Marder I being prepared to detrain
  • Marder I towing its ammunition trailer
    Marder I towing its ammunition trailer
  • Marder I with driver visible
    Marder I with driver visible
  • Men of the 6th Airborne Division investigate a Marder I (H39 chassis) they had destroyed
    Men of the 6th Airborne Division investigate a Marder I (H39 chassis) they had destroyed

See also

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Comparable vehicles

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References

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  1. ^Restayn, JeanKommando Becker.German Military Magazine (in German)
  2. ^Panzer Tracts, 7-2
  3. ^Pz Tr No. 10
  4. ^Pz Tr No. 10
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