The Marder II tank destroyer was a Panzerjäger (tank hunter) fielded by the Wehrmacht during World War II. It was the 7.5-cm Pak 40 anti-tank gun mounted on the chassis of the Panzer (PzKpfw) II. When it was conceived in 1941, this German light tank had already become obsolete and it was no longer produced. Thus, the Germans decided to use its chassis as an anti-tank gun platform. The 3-man crew was protected by a 35-mm steel plate armor shield.
Above, the lethal German tank hunter in June 1943, right before the Battle of Kursk.
The 75-mm L/46 was a powerful gun, which had a high-muzzle velocity and it could destroy any tank at 1,800 m away. The Marder II entered service in early 1942 and it would first see combat action during Blue Case. However, by 1943 and 1944, it would be replaced by the Hetzer and the Nasshorn, which were based on the chassis of the Panzer IV tank. The official name in the German Army inventory was the SdKfz 131.
Specifications
Weight: 11 tons
Length: 6.36 m
Width: 2.28 m
Height: 2.2 m
Power Plant: one Maybach HL-62, 140-HP, gasoline engine.
Maximum Speed: 40 km/h
Armament: one 7.5-cm anti-tank gun
Gun Elevation: -8° to +10°
Below, the Marder II tank destroyer on the Eastern Front during Blue Case in October 1942.
