Historical information[]
The Marder II was a German tank destroyer of World War II based on the Panzer II chassis.
During the very first days of Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union, the Germans were shocked to encounter Soviet T-34 medium tanks and KV heavy tanks. Although the Wehrmacht succeeded in most operations due to superior tactics, morale, and supply, it had few anti-tank weapons capable of successfully engaging these vehicles at normal ranges. An urgent need arose for a more mobile and powerful anti-tank weapon than the existing towed anti-tank guns. The result was the Marder series, which were armed with either the new 7.5 cm Pak 40 anti-tank guns or captured Soviet 7.62 cm F-22 Model 1936 field guns.
The Marder's weaknesses were mainly related to survivability. The combination of a high silhouette and open-top fighting compartment made them vulnerable to indirect artillery fire, shrapnel, and grenades. The armor was also quite thin, making them vulnerable to enemy tanks or infantry. Despite that the Marders were much more effective than the towed antitank guns that were replaced.
Production[]
The Marder II came in two major versions. The first version (Sd.Kfz. 132) was based on the light Panzer II Ausf. D/E and Flammpanzer II chassis with a new torsion bar suspension featuring four large road wheels and a "slack track" with no track return rollers. It was armed with captured Soviet 7.62 cm guns, re-chambered to accept German 7.5 cm Pak 40 ammunition, which improved its penetrative capabilities. These early Marder IIs had a very high silhouette (2.60 m high) and thin armor - only 30 mm (front) and 10 to 15 mm (sides). There was no armour on the top or rear, leaving the crew with very little protection. Alkett and Wegmann produced 201 Marder II (Sd. Kfz. 132) from early 1942 to early 1943.
The second version (Sd.Kfz. 131) was originally based on Panzer II Ausf. A to C hulls removed from active service, but later newly produced Ausf. F chassis were also used. ThisMarder II had a redesigned (widened) fighting compartment and used the German 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun. The silhouette was lowered by about 40 cm to 2.20 m, but the armor was thin and the compartment was open to the top and rear, as in Sd. Kfz. 132. FAMO, MAN and Daimler-Benz produced 576 Marder II (Sd.Kfz. 131) conversions from June 1942 to Mid 1943. 75 more were converted (probably by FAMO only) from mid 1943 to early 1944 when the last Panzer IIs were taken out of active service.
The Marder II in FHSW[]
| Marder II | |
|---|---|
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| General Historical Information | |
| Place of origin | Nazi Germany |
| Manufacturer | FAMO, MAN, Daimler-Benz |
| Produced In | 1942-1943 |
| Category | Tank Destroyer |
| Speed | 40 km/h (25 mph) |
| Armour | 5-35 mm (.19 -1.37 in) |
| Main armament | 7.5 cm Pak 40 37 rounds |
| General Ingame Information | |
| Used by | Nazi Germany |
| Crew in‑game | 1 |
| Historical Picture | |
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The Marder II came in two major versions. The first version Marder II (Sd.Kfz. 132) was based on the light Panzer II Ausf. D/E and Flammpanzer II chassis with Christie suspension. It was armed with captured Soviet 7.62 cm guns, re-chambered to accept German 7.5 cm Pak 40 ammunition, which improved its penetrative capabilities. These early Marder IIs had a very high silhouette (2.60 m high), thin armor of only 30 mm (front) and 10 to 15 mm (sides). There was no armour on the top or rear, leaving the crew with very little protection. Alkett and Wegmann produced 201 Marder II (Sd. Kfz. 132) from early 1942 to early 1943.
But the chassis ingame is not the Ausf D or E chassis. The second version Marder II (Sd.Kfz. 131) was based on Panzer II Ausf. A to C removed from active service but later also newly produced Ausf. F chassis were used. This Marder II had a redesigned (widened) fighting compartment and used the German 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun. The silhouette was lowered by about 40 cm to 2.20 m, but the armor was thin and the compartment was open to the top and rear, as in Sd. Kfz. 132. FAMO, MAN and Daimler-Benz produced 576 Marder II (Sd.Kfz. 131) conversions from June 1942 to Mid 1943. 75 more were converted (probably by FAMO only) from mid 1943 to early 1944 when the last Panzer IIs were taken out of active service. Because the Panzer II ingame is the Ausf F, it should be the Marder Ausf F ingame. The closest looking Marder model is the III Ausf. M but that one was based on the Panzerkampfwagen 38(t). The game model is the Panzerhaubitze Wespe with a PAK 40 instead of a 105 mm howitzer.
The Soviet equivalent is the SU-76, both have similar cannons, no secondary weapon and are classified as artillery vehicles. The closest US vehicle is the M10 Wolverine but a major difference is that the M10 has a turret.
Marder II With Night Vision[]
The Marder II is also one of the few vehicles that may have a night vision device. Otherwise obsolete, it can still utilize this device combined with its decent speed and dependable cannon. It can be found on maps such as Spurning Fate and Operation Blackknight.
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