Post by ww2pictures on Jul 16, 2007 19:44:39 GMT 1
The Marder I (SdKfz 135) was a German World War II tank destroyer, armed with a 75 mm anti-tank gun. Most Marder I were built on the base of the Tracteur Blinde 37L (Lorraine), a French artillery mover/armoured personnel carrier of which the Germans had acquired more than three hundred after the Fall of France in 1940.
The Marder I was developed in May 1942 and carried the 75 mm PaK 40 anti-tank gun, on a Lorraine chassis. The original crew compartiment superstructure was removed and the gun placed on top of the chassis. Around this a new, open-topped compartment was built, to give the gun and crew some protection from small arms fire.
Between July and August 1942, 170 Marder I's were built on the Lorraine chassis. Several other French or polish tanks were also used as a conversion base for the Marder I, including the Hotchkiss H39 and FCM 36, though these were only built in small numbers.
The Marder I was developed in May 1942 and carried the 75 mm PaK 40 anti-tank gun, on a Lorraine chassis. The original crew compartiment superstructure was removed and the gun placed on top of the chassis. Around this a new, open-topped compartment was built, to give the gun and crew some protection from small arms fire.
Between July and August 1942, 170 Marder I's were built on the Lorraine chassis. Several other French or polish tanks were also used as a conversion base for the Marder I, including the Hotchkiss H39 and FCM 36, though these were only built in small numbers.