Marder II
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| ? | + | It is a vast improvement over the [[Panzerjäger I]]. It has a great range with its cannons, especially the 7.62cm PaK 36 (r), which can hurt most other vehicles one or possibly two tiers higher. With more engine power and a better gun than the Panzerjäger I, the Marder II is a decent tank to play whilst heading further up the tank destroyers line, a few players even keep the tank after they have finished researching it. | ||
| |Gallery= | |Gallery= | |||
Revision as of 01:39, 25 November 2012
{{TankData It is a vast improvement over the Panzerjäger I. It has a great range with its cannons, especially the 7.62cm PaK 36 (r), which can hurt most other vehicles one or possibly two tiers higher. With more engine power and a better gun than the Panzerjäger I, the Marder II is a decent tank to play whilst heading further up the tank destroyers line, a few players even keep the tank after they have finished researching it.
|Gallery= image:Marder II front view 1.jpg |Marder II front left view image:Marder II front view 2.jpg|Marder II front right view image:Marder II back view 1.jpg|Marder II back left view image:Marder II back view 2.jpg|Marder II back right view
|InTheGame_pros=
- Good shell travell arc
- Above average hit points
- Above average penetration
- Above average view range
|InTheGame_cons=
- Below average engine power
- Below average damage and rate of fire
- Below average elevation arc
- Below average ammo capacity
- Below average signal range
- Below average traverse speed
|InTheGame_performance=
|InTheGame_research=
|InTheGame_equipment=
Enhanced Gun Laying Drive, Coated Optics, "Wet" Ammo Rack Class 1, Enhanced Springs, Binocular Telescope, Camouflage Net
|History= The Marder II was a German tank destroyer of World War II based on the Panzer II chassis.
History
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 or tank destroyers like the Panzerjäger I.
Among a series of solutions, it was decided to use light tanks like the Panzer II and captured vehicles like the Lorraine Schlepper as the basis for makeshift tank destroyers. 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, large numbers of which had been acquired early in the war.
Production
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.
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.
Combat history
The various Marder IIs fought on all fronts of the war, mainly at the Eastern Front.
The Marder IIs were used by the Panzerjäger Abteilungen of the Panzer divisions of both the Wehrmacht and the Waffen SS, as well as several Luftwaffe units.
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.
The Marders were not assault vehicles or tank substitutes; the open top meant that operations in urban areas or other close-combat situations were very risky. They were best employed in defensive or overwatch roles. Despite their weaknesses they were much more effective than the towed antitank guns they replaced.
|HistoricalGallery= image:MardeII.jpg|Marder II image:MarderII-eastern.jpg|Marder II on Eastern front image:MarderIIUSSR.jpg|Marder II in USSR
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