Sd.Kfz. 138 Marder III
German WW II Tank Hunter
 

UM, 1/72 scale

Reviewed by Glenn Porter

UM's 1/72 scale Marder III is available online from Squadron.com

This is the third in UM's 1/72 scale series of 38[t] based vehicles. It is, of course, the Pak 40 armed Marder III Ausf H as apposed to the better known Ausf M. The Ausf H has the fighting compartment placed centrally on a basically standard 38[t] chassis where as the M has the engine moved to the centre and the fighting compartment moved to the rear like the Wespe, Hornisse and Hummel.

I would guess the reason they produced this one first is that it required the least changes from the standard 38[t] and I believe UM is going to do a Bison which is basically an Ausf M with the Pak 40 replaced with a howitzer. It wouldn't be hard for them to then replace the howitzer with the Pak 40 from this kit and Hey Presto, an Aust M.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

Three of the four sprues in this kit are straight from the original 38[t], kit no 380, and the fourth replaces the 38[t]'s turret. Like the 38[t] and the ammo carrier, kit no 382, the two track sprues have five parts marked as 'not for use'. Sooner or later, they are obviously going to do something with a longer track run. This could be the Bison/ausf M. All the sprues have a small amount of flash and most parts will require some clean-up. However, the detail is crisp and plentiful and it should build into a very pleasing little model strait from the box.

Decals are as you would expect from UM, good register, minimum carrier film but very matt. Oddly, there are markings for six vehicles on the decal sheet but only three are mentioned in the instructions. All three are from the Eastern Front, two in Dark Yellow and the third marked as Humbrol H34 but nowhere dose it tell you what that colour is. The most attractive colour scheme is on the back face of the box. A Dark Yellow vehicle with patches of Olive Green and marked as Red 322 but again these decals are absent from the sheet. It looks like a case of the left hand not telling the right hand what it is doing. It's a good thing I have a reasonable reference book for this vehicle.

The PE fret is the same as in the other two kits except the perforated stowage box is placed else-where on this one.

I'm really looking forward to building this kit as it's definitely the most interesting of the three so far produced.

Again, Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Squadron for the review sample.

Review and Images Copyright © 2005 by Glen Porter
Page Created 20 June, 2005
Last updated 19 June, 2005

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