Marder Hotchkiss – Photos & Video

Čaj Marder I “Marten” (Sd.Kfz. 135) was a German World War II tank destroyer, armed with the 75 mm anti-tank gun. Most Marder Is were built on the base of the Tracteur Blindé 37L (Lorraine), a French artillery tractor/armoured personnel carrier of which the Germans had acquired more than three hundred after the Fall of France in 1940. Between July and August 1942, 170 Marder I’s were built on the Lorraine chassis. Later, several other French and Polish tanks were used as the conversion base for the Marder I, including the Hotchkiss H39 and FCM 36. These conversions were also completed at Baustokommando Becker, though fewer of these were built.

Izvor: Marder Hočkis na Vikipediji

The Marder I was a German tank destroyer that used the chassis of captured French vehicles, including the Hotchkiss H35 light tank. The Hotchkiss version of the Marder I was armed with a 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun, which was mounted on a thin-skinned, open-top superstructure. The gun had a limited traverse of 30 degrees and a muzzle brake to reduce recoil. The Marder I was designed to counter the Soviet T-34 and KV-1 tanks, which had superior armor and firepower to the German tanks at the time. The Marder I was produced in 1942 and saw service on the Eastern and Western fronts until 1944. Only 24 Marder I vehicles were converted from Hotchkiss tanks, as the process was complicated and time-consuming. The Marder I was vulnerable to enemy fire and artillery due to its low armor protection and exposed crew compartment. However, it was a cheap and simple way to increase the anti-tank capability of the German army until more advanced tank destroyers were available.