Kev Smith examines Tamiya’s re-worked 1/35 Marder IIIM self-propelled howitzer and discovers there’s much to enjoy, regardless of how it’s built
When Germany invaded Czechoslovakia in 1938, its ‘inherited’ that nation’s industries, including armaments manufacturers.
Ever resourceful, the German military made full use of its war booty and, instead of halting production, adapted various chassis and components to fill other roles. The Marder IIIM was the last of the Marder (German for marten) III series and was based on the Geschutzwagen 38(t) Ausf.M – the ‘t’ stood for Tschechisch (German for Czech) – a purpose-designed platform for self-propelled gun use. This was a significant improvement on previous versions, with a lower silhouette, sloped armour and improved fighting compartment. The powerplant was moved from the rear to the middle of the vehicle so the gun and gun crew were not fitted on top of the engine decks as on previous iterations. On earlier Marders the commander also served as the gunner, but on the Ausf.M this role was shifted to the radio operator, allowing the former to maintain continuous observation of the battlefield, increasing the vehicle’s combat effectiveness.
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The Ausf.…
