SdKfz 135 Marder I – Photos & Video

The 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.

Source: SdKfz 135 Marder I on Wikipedia

text The SdKfz 135 Marder I was a German tank destroyer that served in World War II. It was armed with a powerful 75 mm Pak 40 anti-tank gun that could penetrate most Soviet tanks. The Marder I was based on the chassis of the French Tracteur Blindé 37L, a vehicle that the Germans captured in large numbers after the fall of France in 1940. The Marder I had a simple open-top superstructure that offered little protection to the crew, but allowed them to operate the gun more easily. The Marder I was produced from July to August 1942, with a total of 170 vehicles built. It was used mainly on the Eastern Front, where it proved to be an effective but vulnerable weapon against the Soviet armor.