Difference between revisions of "Marder III H"

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(Some additions, Clarified sloped armour modifier as test against Sherman and T-34 show slight sloping to still be able to be penetrated, but extreme nada. T-34E and T-34E STZ elaborated on why they're dangerous and how to handle it)
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== Description ==
 
== Description ==
''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''
+
<!--''In the description, the first part needs to be about the history of the creation and combat usage of the vehicle, as well as its key features. In the second part, tell the reader about the ground vehicle in the game. Insert the screenshot of the vehicle. If the novice player does not remember the vehicle by name, they will immediately understand what kind of vehicle it is talking about.''-->
 +
[[File:GarageImage_MarderIIIH.jpg|420px|thumb|left]]
 +
{{break}}
 +
The '''{{Specs|name}}''' (or '''Marder III H''') is a rank {{Specs|rank}} German tank destroyer {{Battle-rating}}. It was introduced in [[Update 1.47 "Big Guns"]].
 +
 
 +
The Marder III H is a step above the basic [[Marder III]]. As it is in Germany's open - top tank destroyer line, it's calling card is its superb firepower; in fact, it has the most powerful gun for the battle rating 2.0 - 3.0 - 4.0 range - APCBC is almost always enough to '''penetrate and destroy any tank on the battlefield''', and with APCR, it has '''the highest penetration of any tank for its battle rating range''' - even at '''battle rating 5.0 your gun will remain competitive'''.
 +
 
 +
The Marder III Ausf. H mounts a 75 mm gun slightly surpassing those on the late [[Pz.IV H|Panzer IV's]], thus its only disadvantages are its weak armour and its open encasement.
 +
 
 +
Being a modified Pz.38(t) tank, it is one of the more mobile of the German tanks - nearly matching some Russian tanks. It has a better gun close-range wise and has better armour coverage, being curved to the sides, unlike the earlier Marder III.
  
 
== General info ==
 
== General info ==
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
 
=== Survivability and armour ===
''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpfull for survival in combat?''
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<!--''Describe armour protection. Note the most well protected and key weak areas. Appreciate the layout of modules as well as the number and location of crew members. Is the level of armour protection sufficient, is the placement of modules helpful for survival in combat?''
  
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''
+
''If necessary use a visual template to indicate the most secure and weak zones of the armour.''-->
 +
'''Armour type:'''
 +
 
 +
*Rolled homogeneous armour
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|-
 +
! Armour !! Front (Slope angle) !! Sides (Slope angle) !! Rear !! Roof
 +
|-
 +
| Hull || 50 mm (19°) ''Front plate'' <br> 12 mm (74°) ''Front glacis'' <br> 50 mm (13°) ''Lower glacis'' || 16 mm ''Upper'' <br> 15 mm ''Lower'' || 15 mm || 12 mm
 +
|-
 +
| Turret || 11 + 8 mm (31°) || 11 mm (8-9°) || N/A || N/A
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
'''Note:'''<br>
 +
 
 +
* Belly armour is 15 mm thick.
  
 
=== Mobility ===
 
=== Mobility ===
''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''
+
<!--''Write about the mobility of the ground vehicle. Estimate the specific power and maneuverability as well as the maximum speed forward and backward.''-->
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Mobility characteristic
 +
|-
 +
! Weight (tons)
 +
! colspan="1" | Add-on Armor<br>weight (tons)
 +
! colspan="1" | Max speed (km/h)
 +
|-
 +
| rowspan="2" | 11.3 || colspan="1" rowspan="2" | N/A || colspan="1" | 46 (AB)
 +
|-
 +
|42 (RB/SB)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Engine power (horsepower)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|227
 +
|280
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|142
 +
|160
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" | Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" | Mode
 +
!Stock
 +
!Upgraded
 +
|-
 +
|''Arcade''
 +
|20.09
 +
|24.78
 +
|-
 +
|''Realistic/Simulator''
 +
|12.57
 +
|14.16
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
== Armaments ==
 +
=== Main armament ===
 +
<!--''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''-->
 +
{{main|PaK 40/3 (75 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | [[PaK 40/3 (75 mm)|75 mm PaK 40/3 L46]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="3" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Stabilizer
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="3" | 38 || -2°/+22° || ±30° || N/A
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="6" | Turret rotation speed (°/s)
 +
|-
 +
! style="width:4em" |Mode
 +
! style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! style="width:4em" |Upgraded
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| ''Arcade'' || 10.57 || 14.63 || 17.76 || 19.63 || 20.89
 +
|-
 +
| ''Realistic'' || 7.14 || 8.40 || 10.20 || 11.28 || 12.00
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" | Reloading rate (seconds)
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Stock
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Full crew
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Expert qualif.
 +
! colspan="1" style="width:4em" |Prior + Ace qualif.
 +
|-
 +
| 7.60 || 6.75 || 6.24 || 5.90
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
 
 +
===== Ammunition =====
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="8" | Penetration statistics
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! colspan="6" | '''Penetration''' '''''in mm''''' '''@ 90°'''
 +
|-
 +
! 10m
 +
! 100m
 +
! 500m
 +
! 1000m
 +
! 1500m
 +
! 2000m
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 151 || 148 || 135 || 121 || 108 || 96
 +
|-
 +
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80 || 80
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 197 || 195 || 170 || 144 || 121 || 102
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10 || 10
 +
|-
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center" width="100%"
 +
! colspan="11" | Shell details
 +
|-
 +
! rowspan="2" data-sort-type="text" | Ammunition
 +
! rowspan="2" class="unsortable" | Type of <br /> warhead
 +
! rowspan="2" |Velocity <br /> in m/s
 +
! rowspan="2" |Projectile<br />Mass in kg
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse delay''
 +
''in m:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Fuse sensitivity''
 +
''in mm:''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Explosive Mass in g<br /> (TNT equivalent):''
 +
! rowspan="2" | ''Normalization At 30° <br> from horizontal:''
 +
! colspan="3" | ''Ricochet:''
 +
|-
 +
! 0%
 +
! 50%
 +
! 100%
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 39 || APCBC || 792 || 6.8 || 1.3 || 15.0 || 28.9 || +4° || 48° || 63° || 71°
 +
|-
 +
| Hl.Gr 38B || HEAT || 450 || 4.4 || 0.0 || 0.1 || 872.1 || +0° || 62° || 69° || 73°
 +
|-
 +
| PzGr 40 || APCR || 990 || 4.2 || N/A || N/A || N/A || +1.5° || 66° || 70° || 72°
 +
|-
 +
| Sprgr. 34 || HE || 550 || 5.7 || 0.1 || 0.1 || 686 || +0° || 79° || 80° || 81°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
== Weaponry ==
+
===== [[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] =====
=== Main weaponry ===
+
[[File:Ammoracks_MarderIIIH.png|right|thumbnail|x250px|[[Ammo racks|Ammo racks]] of the Marder III H.]]
''Give the reader information about the characteristics of the main gun. Assess its effectiveness in a battle based on the reloading speed, ballistics and the power of shells. Do not forget about the flexibilty of the fire, that is how quickly the cannon can be aimed at the target, open fire on it and aim at another enemy. Add a link to the main article on the gun: <code><nowiki>{{main|Name of the weapon}}</nowiki></code>. Describe in general terms the ammunition available for the main gun. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage.''
+
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Full<br /> ammo
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |1st<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |2nd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |3rd<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |4th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |5th<br />  rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |6th<br /> rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |7th<br /> rack empty
 +
! class="wikitable unsortable" |Visual<br /> discrepancy
 +
|-
 +
|| '''38''' || 37&nbsp;''(+1)'' || 33&nbsp;''(+5)'' || 29&nbsp;''(+9)'' || 25&nbsp;''(+13)'' || 17&nbsp;''(+21)'' || 9&nbsp;''(+29)'' || 1&nbsp;''(+37)'' || style="text-align:left" | No
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
=== Additional weaponry ===
+
Gun shield empty: 33&nbsp;''(+5)''
''Some tanks are armed with several guns in one or more turrets. Evaluate the additional weaponry and give advice on its use. Describe the ammunition available for additional weaponry. Give advice on how to use them and how to fill the ammunition storage. If there is no additional weaponry remove this subsection.''
 
  
 
=== Machine guns ===
 
=== Machine guns ===
''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft, but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''
+
<!--''Offensive and anti-aircraft machine guns not only allow you to fight some aircraft but also are effective against lightly armoured vehicles. Evaluate machine guns and give recommendations on its use.''-->
 +
{{main|Vz.37 (7.92 mm)}}
 +
 
 +
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | [[Vz.37 (7.92 mm)|7.92 mm Vz.37]]
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="7" | ''Hull mount''
 +
|-
 +
! colspan="4" rowspan="1" style="width:5em" |Capacity (Belt capacity)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Fire rate <br> (shots/minute)
 +
! rowspan="1" | Vertical <br> guidance
 +
! rowspan="1" | Horizontal <br> guidance
 +
|-
 +
| colspan="4" | 1,200 (200) || 769 || ±10° || ±10°
 +
|-
 +
|}
  
 
== Usage in the battles ==
 
== Usage in the battles ==
''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''
+
<!--''Describe the tactics of playing in the vehicle, the features of using vehicles in the team and advice on tactics. Refrain from creating a "guide" - do not impose a single point of view but give the reader food for thought. Describe the most dangerous enemies and give recommendations on fighting them. If necessary, note the specifics of the game in different modes (AB, RB, SB).''-->
 +
Since you are an unprotected tank from behind, try to be as far from the action as possible. If getting close to enemy tanks cannot be prevented (Urban maps, Allied retreat etc), then try to hide at least a part of your hull against a wall or rock.
 +
 
 +
Use the horizontal range of the Marder III H as much as possible - as a turret-less SPG, it has excellent - if not the best - gun traverse for any turret-less SPG. This tank destroyer can be penetrated easily; it has next to no armour at its battle rating. keep close to other tanks to prevent this in urban maps, and stay close to cover in other maps. Also, be careful when being targeted by Artillery; one close hit on your rear and you can be destroyed by shrapnel. Another important thing to take into account is the fact that ammunition is stored in the nearly unarmoured gun shield - nearly any vehicle in the game - with the notable exception of the [[GAZ-AAA (4M)]] - can penetrate this tank with ease. To get Ammunition out of the turret, bring only 32 shells, leaving the "turret" basically empty - 32 shells is more than enough. Another fact to take into account is that nearly all shells will over penetrate the "turret", with no damage, a crewman knocked out or 2.
 +
 
 +
The Marder III H's main APCBC shell, the PzGr 39, is good enough against most standard medium tank models like the M4 Sherman and T-34 at a front-on and slightly angled perspective. However, the penetration performance against sloped armour is only just enough for these circumstances, and extreme angling beyond a 60 degree angle of attack on those tank's part can bounce rounds heading towards their front glacis. This makes up-armoured models like the T-34E and T-34E STZ particularly dangerous as they can defeat the APCBC shell's sloped performance at even slight angles. The T-34E presents itself an enhanced side armour that can bounce shots while the T-34E STZ features enhanced front armour to bounce shots, so be sure to distinguish the two models for a better understanding on where to aim.
 +
 
 +
===Modules===
 +
First off, the Marder III H is hull-breakable, which triggers when a 75mm+ size AP round strikes the gun breech, transmission, or engine block. It also triggers when a large HE or any size HEAT shell hits it. Due to this alteration, modifications that improves survival ''after'' getting hit are not as important, so get ''Tracks'' and ''Horizontal Drive'' first, then ''Adjustment of Fire'', ''Elevation Mechanism'', and the three mobility upgrades. Then you are free to get ''Parts''/''FPE'', though one can invest in ''FPE'' to avoid a case of a stray shrapnel or aerial strike penetrating the engine deck and causing a fire without hull-breaking the vehicle.
  
 
=== Pros and cons ===
 
=== Pros and cons ===
''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''
+
<!--''Summarize and briefly evaluate the vehicle in terms of its characteristics and combat effectiveness. Mark its pros and cons in a bulleted list. Do not use more than 6 points for each of the characteristics. Avoid using categorical definitions such as "bad", "good" and the like - they have a substitution in the form of softer "inadequate", "effective".''-->
 +
'''Pros:'''
  
'''Pros:'''
+
* Outstanding gun for its rank
*
+
* Armour that protects the crew from MG fire, but thin enough to allow normal AP rounds to over-penetrate
 +
* Fairly small tank destroyer can hide behind most obstacles
 +
* Good gun elevation
 +
* Excellent horizontal arc of 30°, that allows hiding easily the tank
 +
* Amazing penetration with APCR ammunition
  
 
'''Cons:'''
 
'''Cons:'''
*
 
  
== Historical part ==
+
* Vulnerable to HE rounds
''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''
+
* Not fully enclosed (Exposed crew)
 +
* Bad gun depression
 +
* Extremely high penetration that it often over penetrates most light tanks that it faces
 +
* Hull-breakable
 +
 
 +
== History ==
 +
<!--''Describe the history of the creation and combat usage of the ground vehicle in more detail than in the introduction. If the historical reference turns out to be too big, take it to a separate article, taking a link to an article about the vehicle and adding a block "/historical reference" (example: https://wiki.warthunder.com/Name-vehicles/historical reference) and add a link to it here using the <code>main</code> template. Be sure to include links to sources at the end of the article.''-->
 +
===Development===
 +
After the start of ''Operation Barbarossa'', the Wehrmacht found a very dire problem of the lack of a mobile anti-tank system and adequate anti-tank weapons, especially after the appearance of the Soviet [[T-34 (1941)|T-34]] and [[KV-1 (L-11)|KV-1]] tanks. The only mass-issued anti-tank was the 37 mm Pak 36 and the only mobile anti-tank system widely used was the ''Panzerjäger I'' with the Czech 47 mm anti-tank gun. Modifications to current vehicles in service was done to put more self-propelled anti-tank weapons into service, which created the ''Marder I'' from the French Lorraine, the ''Marder II'' from the [[Pz.II F|Panzer IIs]], and the '''Marder III''' from the Czech [[Pz.38(t) F|Panzer 38(t)]].
 +
 
 +
===Specifications===
 +
The Marder III, with the rest of the ''Marder'' series, gave Germany forces a self-propelled gun mounting a better gun than what was available on German tanks, such as the 75 mm Pak 40 or captured Soviet 76.2 mm guns chambered for the Pak 40 ammo. All of the ''Marders'' share a lack of armour for the crew, the top and rear of the vehicle is left exposed to mortar, shrapnel, or infantry weapons. This weakness is mitigated with the fact that the ''Marders'' is supposed to be anti-tank motor carriages that are to ambush incoming enemy tanks.
  
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guids, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
+
The '''Marder III Ausf. H''' uses the Panzer 38(t) as it was a design going obsolete, and new large German anti-tank weapons were being produced, so they mounted these guns onto the Panzer 38(t) first. The finished self-propelled mount had a higher silhouette than the Panzer 38(t), which left it more vulnerable, but had a 75 mm Pak 40 gun and withhold 38 rounds in the vehicle. A machine gun on the hull was retained for anti-infantry purposes.
 +
 
 +
The Marder III Ausf. H predecessor, simply named as the '''[[Marder III]]''' mounted a rechambered 76.2 gun instead of a Pak 40. Another variant created, the '''Ausf. M''', featured a lower silhouette and a better-sloped armour and fighting compartment, despite only holding 27 rounds for the mounted Pak 40. A total of 3,472 Marder IIIs and its version was created or converted from Panzer 38(t) during its production life.
 +
 
 +
===Combat usage===
 +
The Marder III Ausf. H fought on all front of the war, being produced from 1942 to 1945, with 450 Marder III Ausf. H with the Pak 40 converted and produced. Using the tested design of the Panzer 38(t), the Marder III experienced a reliable mechanical history and has a gun that could take out most allied tanks in the war. The vulnerability to the crew due to lack of armour was its most pressing issue, with only a front shield plate at most 15 mm thick and side plates that can't enclose the crew. This makes it as very poor assault vehicles or tank substitutes as the open top could allow infantry to easily kill the crew from hidden areas, despite that, it is sometimes repurposed to this role to the chagrin of the crew.
 +
 
 +
As its production was underway, Germany already had a few self-propelled assault weapons being produced such as the [[StuG III F|StuG III]] that could have the same anti-tank capabilities, yet was fully armoured, enclosing the crew inadequate armour. This obvious advantage over the open ''Marder'' series encouraged the development of a new kind of tank destroyer from the Panzer 38(t) with better armour, which will eventually create the [[Jagdpanzer 38(t)|Jagdpanzer 38(t)]]. Despite that, the ''Marders'' continued to serve to the end of the war.
 +
 
 +
=== In-game description ===
 +
"An antitank vehicle designed by Alkett. The prototype was built in June, 1942. It was produced from November, 1942 to April, 1943 at the BMM factory. The Marder II Ausf.H was also rebuilt from damaged tanks at the Wehrmacht factory in Prilougi using cabins obtained from BMM.
 +
 
 +
Marder IIIs were used actively on all fronts of World War II. Most of them were used on the Eastern Front.
 +
 +
A total of 613 Marder III Ausf.H tank destroyers were produced."
 +
 
 +
== Media ==
 +
''An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.''
  
 
== Read also ==
 
== Read also ==
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 
''Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,''
 +
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''reference to the series of the vehicles;''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 
* ''links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.''
 +
 
''ETC.''
 
''ETC.''
  
 
== Sources ==
 
== Sources ==
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 
''Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:''
 +
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
 
* ''topic on the official game forum;''
* ''page on the Wikipedia;''
 
 
* ''other literature.''
 
* ''other literature.''
 +
 +
{{Germany tank destroyers}}

Revision as of 21:28, 2 June 2019

VTOL | Rank 5 USA
AV-8A Harrier Pack
Marder III H
germ_pzkpfw_38t_marder_iii_ausf_h.png
Marder III H
AB RB SB
3.0 3.0 3.0
Research:7 900 Specs-Card-Exp.png
Purchase:10 000 Specs-Card-Lion.png
Show in game

Description

GarageImage Marder III H.jpg


The PaK40/3 auf Sfl.38 Ausf. H (or Marder III H) is a rank II German tank destroyer with a battle rating of 3.0 (AB/RB/SB). It was introduced in Update 1.47 "Big Guns".

The Marder III H is a step above the basic Marder III. As it is in Germany's open - top tank destroyer line, it's calling card is its superb firepower; in fact, it has the most powerful gun for the battle rating 2.0 - 3.0 - 4.0 range - APCBC is almost always enough to penetrate and destroy any tank on the battlefield, and with APCR, it has the highest penetration of any tank for its battle rating range - even at battle rating 5.0 your gun will remain competitive.

The Marder III Ausf. H mounts a 75 mm gun slightly surpassing those on the late Panzer IV's, thus its only disadvantages are its weak armour and its open encasement.

Being a modified Pz.38(t) tank, it is one of the more mobile of the German tanks - nearly matching some Russian tanks. It has a better gun close-range wise and has better armour coverage, being curved to the sides, unlike the earlier Marder III.

General info

Survivability and armour

Armour type:

  • Rolled homogeneous armour
Armour Front (Slope angle) Sides (Slope angle) Rear Roof
Hull 50 mm (19°) Front plate
12 mm (74°) Front glacis
50 mm (13°) Lower glacis
16 mm Upper
15 mm Lower
15 mm 12 mm
Turret 11 + 8 mm (31°) 11 mm (8-9°) N/A N/A

Note:

  • Belly armour is 15 mm thick.

Mobility

Mobility characteristic
Weight (tons) Add-on Armor
weight (tons)
Max speed (km/h)
11.3 N/A 46 (AB)
42 (RB/SB)
Engine power (horsepower)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 227 280
Realistic/Simulator 142 160
Power-to-weight ratio (hp/ton)
Mode Stock Upgraded
Arcade 20.09 24.78
Realistic/Simulator 12.57 14.16

Armaments

Main armament

Main article: PaK 40/3 (75 mm)
75 mm PaK 40/3 L46
Capacity Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
Stabilizer
38 -2°/+22° ±30° N/A
Turret rotation speed (°/s)
Mode Stock Upgraded Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
Arcade 10.57 14.63 17.76 19.63 20.89
Realistic 7.14 8.40 10.20 11.28 12.00
Reloading rate (seconds)
Stock Prior + Full crew Prior + Expert qualif. Prior + Ace qualif.
7.60 6.75 6.24 5.90
Ammunition
Penetration statistics
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Penetration in mm @ 90°
10m 100m 500m 1000m 1500m 2000m
PzGr 39 APCBC 151 148 135 121 108 96
Hl.Gr 38B HEAT 80 80 80 80 80 80
PzGr 40 APCR 197 195 170 144 121 102
Sprgr. 34 HE 10 10 10 10 10 10
Shell details
Ammunition Type of
warhead
Velocity
in m/s
Projectile
Mass in kg
Fuse delay

in m:

Fuse sensitivity

in mm:

Explosive Mass in g
(TNT equivalent):
Normalization At 30°
from horizontal:
Ricochet:
0% 50% 100%
PzGr 39 APCBC 792 6.8 1.3 15.0 28.9 +4° 48° 63° 71°
Hl.Gr 38B HEAT 450 4.4 0.0 0.1 872.1 +0° 62° 69° 73°
PzGr 40 APCR 990 4.2 N/A N/A N/A +1.5° 66° 70° 72°
Sprgr. 34 HE 550 5.7 0.1 0.1 686 +0° 79° 80° 81°
Ammo racks
Full
ammo
1st
rack empty
2nd
rack empty
3rd
rack empty
4th
rack empty
5th
rack empty
6th
rack empty
7th
rack empty
Visual
discrepancy
38 37 (+1) 33 (+5) 29 (+9) 25 (+13) 17 (+21) (+29) (+37) No

Gun shield empty: 33 (+5)

Machine guns

Main article: Vz.37 (7.92 mm)
7.92 mm Vz.37
Hull mount
Capacity (Belt capacity) Fire rate
(shots/minute)
Vertical
guidance
Horizontal
guidance
1,200 (200) 769 ±10° ±10°

Usage in the battles

Since you are an unprotected tank from behind, try to be as far from the action as possible. If getting close to enemy tanks cannot be prevented (Urban maps, Allied retreat etc), then try to hide at least a part of your hull against a wall or rock.

Use the horizontal range of the Marder III H as much as possible - as a turret-less SPG, it has excellent - if not the best - gun traverse for any turret-less SPG. This tank destroyer can be penetrated easily; it has next to no armour at its battle rating. keep close to other tanks to prevent this in urban maps, and stay close to cover in other maps. Also, be careful when being targeted by Artillery; one close hit on your rear and you can be destroyed by shrapnel. Another important thing to take into account is the fact that ammunition is stored in the nearly unarmoured gun shield - nearly any vehicle in the game - with the notable exception of the GAZ-AAA (4M) - can penetrate this tank with ease. To get Ammunition out of the turret, bring only 32 shells, leaving the "turret" basically empty - 32 shells is more than enough. Another fact to take into account is that nearly all shells will over penetrate the "turret", with no damage, a crewman knocked out or 2.

The Marder III H's main APCBC shell, the PzGr 39, is good enough against most standard medium tank models like the M4 Sherman and T-34 at a front-on and slightly angled perspective. However, the penetration performance against sloped armour is only just enough for these circumstances, and extreme angling beyond a 60 degree angle of attack on those tank's part can bounce rounds heading towards their front glacis. This makes up-armoured models like the T-34E and T-34E STZ particularly dangerous as they can defeat the APCBC shell's sloped performance at even slight angles. The T-34E presents itself an enhanced side armour that can bounce shots while the T-34E STZ features enhanced front armour to bounce shots, so be sure to distinguish the two models for a better understanding on where to aim.

Modules

First off, the Marder III H is hull-breakable, which triggers when a 75mm+ size AP round strikes the gun breech, transmission, or engine block. It also triggers when a large HE or any size HEAT shell hits it. Due to this alteration, modifications that improves survival after getting hit are not as important, so get Tracks and Horizontal Drive first, then Adjustment of Fire, Elevation Mechanism, and the three mobility upgrades. Then you are free to get Parts/FPE, though one can invest in FPE to avoid a case of a stray shrapnel or aerial strike penetrating the engine deck and causing a fire without hull-breaking the vehicle.

Pros and cons

Pros:

  • Outstanding gun for its rank
  • Armour that protects the crew from MG fire, but thin enough to allow normal AP rounds to over-penetrate
  • Fairly small tank destroyer can hide behind most obstacles
  • Good gun elevation
  • Excellent horizontal arc of 30°, that allows hiding easily the tank
  • Amazing penetration with APCR ammunition

Cons:

  • Vulnerable to HE rounds
  • Not fully enclosed (Exposed crew)
  • Bad gun depression
  • Extremely high penetration that it often over penetrates most light tanks that it faces
  • Hull-breakable

History

Development

After the start of Operation Barbarossa, the Wehrmacht found a very dire problem of the lack of a mobile anti-tank system and adequate anti-tank weapons, especially after the appearance of the Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks. The only mass-issued anti-tank was the 37 mm Pak 36 and the only mobile anti-tank system widely used was the Panzerjäger I with the Czech 47 mm anti-tank gun. Modifications to current vehicles in service was done to put more self-propelled anti-tank weapons into service, which created the Marder I from the French Lorraine, the Marder II from the Panzer IIs, and the Marder III from the Czech Panzer 38(t).

Specifications

The Marder III, with the rest of the Marder series, gave Germany forces a self-propelled gun mounting a better gun than what was available on German tanks, such as the 75 mm Pak 40 or captured Soviet 76.2 mm guns chambered for the Pak 40 ammo. All of the Marders share a lack of armour for the crew, the top and rear of the vehicle is left exposed to mortar, shrapnel, or infantry weapons. This weakness is mitigated with the fact that the Marders is supposed to be anti-tank motor carriages that are to ambush incoming enemy tanks.

The Marder III Ausf. H uses the Panzer 38(t) as it was a design going obsolete, and new large German anti-tank weapons were being produced, so they mounted these guns onto the Panzer 38(t) first. The finished self-propelled mount had a higher silhouette than the Panzer 38(t), which left it more vulnerable, but had a 75 mm Pak 40 gun and withhold 38 rounds in the vehicle. A machine gun on the hull was retained for anti-infantry purposes.

The Marder III Ausf. H predecessor, simply named as the Marder III mounted a rechambered 76.2 gun instead of a Pak 40. Another variant created, the Ausf. M, featured a lower silhouette and a better-sloped armour and fighting compartment, despite only holding 27 rounds for the mounted Pak 40. A total of 3,472 Marder IIIs and its version was created or converted from Panzer 38(t) during its production life.

Combat usage

The Marder III Ausf. H fought on all front of the war, being produced from 1942 to 1945, with 450 Marder III Ausf. H with the Pak 40 converted and produced. Using the tested design of the Panzer 38(t), the Marder III experienced a reliable mechanical history and has a gun that could take out most allied tanks in the war. The vulnerability to the crew due to lack of armour was its most pressing issue, with only a front shield plate at most 15 mm thick and side plates that can't enclose the crew. This makes it as very poor assault vehicles or tank substitutes as the open top could allow infantry to easily kill the crew from hidden areas, despite that, it is sometimes repurposed to this role to the chagrin of the crew.

As its production was underway, Germany already had a few self-propelled assault weapons being produced such as the StuG III that could have the same anti-tank capabilities, yet was fully armoured, enclosing the crew inadequate armour. This obvious advantage over the open Marder series encouraged the development of a new kind of tank destroyer from the Panzer 38(t) with better armour, which will eventually create the Jagdpanzer 38(t). Despite that, the Marders continued to serve to the end of the war.

In-game description

"An antitank vehicle designed by Alkett. The prototype was built in June, 1942. It was produced from November, 1942 to April, 1943 at the BMM factory. The Marder II Ausf.H was also rebuilt from damaged tanks at the Wehrmacht factory in Prilougi using cabins obtained from BMM.

Marder IIIs were used actively on all fronts of World War II. Most of them were used on the Eastern Front.

A total of 613 Marder III Ausf.H tank destroyers were produced."

Media

An excellent addition to the article will be video guides, as well as screenshots from the game and photos.

Read also

Links to the articles on the War Thunder Wiki that you think will be useful for the reader, for example,

  • reference to the series of the vehicles;
  • links to approximate analogues of other nations and research trees.

ETC.

Sources

Paste links to sources and external resources, such as:

  • topic on the official game forum;
  • other literature.


Germany tank destroyers
Pz. I Derivatives  Panzerjäger I
Pz. II Derivatives  15cm sIG 33 B Sfl
Pz. 38(t) Derivatives  Marder III · Marder III H · Jagdpanzer 38(t)
Pz. III Derivatives  StuG III A · StuG III F · StuG III G · StuH 42 G
Pz. IV Derivatives  Jagdpanzer IV · Panzer IV/70(A) · Panzer IV/70(V) · Dicker Max · Nashorn · Brummbär · VFW
Pz. V Derivatives  Jagdpanther G1 · Bfw. Jagdpanther G1
Pz. VI Derivatives  Sturer Emil · Elefant · Ferdinand · 38 cm Sturmmörser · Jagdtiger
Wheeled/Half-track  8,8 cm Flak 37 Sfl. · Sd.Kfz.251/9 · Sd.Kfz.251/10 · Sd.Kfz.251/22 · Sd.Kfz.234/3 · Sd.Kfz.234/4 · 15 cm Pz.W.42
ATGM Carrier  RakJPz 2 · RakJPz 2 (HOT) · Wiesel 1A2
Other  Waffenträger · M109G · JPz 4-5 · Raketenautomat · VT1-2