Sd.KFZ 132 MARDER IID - 1943

Description

As the war progressed the German Army converted many of its older tanks to self-propelled anti-tank guns, the Marder II was such a conversion. It used the Panzerkampfwagen II light tank hull with added upper superstructure to house an anti-tank gun and ammunition. It was built in two models, the SdKfz 131 and the SdKfz 132 depending on the model of PzKpfw II used. Production started in early 1942 when Alkett & Wegmann produced 201 SdKfz 132 Marder II’s from the PzKpfw IID/E hulls. All mounted the Soviet 76.2mm M1936 gun which had been re-bored to fire German 7.5cm PaK.40 ammunition. These were followed by the SdKfz 131 based on PzKpfw IIA/C/F models and mounting the 7.5cm PaK.40 in a modified superstructure. Marder II’s served on all fronts, but most were issued to Wehrmacht and SS Panzerjager Abteilungen serving on the Eastern Front. (Scale : 1/35e)