The Marder family of self-propelled guns took advantage of obsolete tank chassis to create effective tank hunters by fitting the basic vehicle with an open fighting compartment and either 75mm German or 76.2mm Soviet anti-tank guns.

With a wide availability of kits and interesting differences between variants, not to mention the usual array of fascinating colour schemes, the Marder family is certainly a worthy modelling subject.

Australian modeller Sam Dwyer has put together an impressive package of modelling material for this newest title in the Osprey Modelling series.

Sam kicks off with a few paragraphs of history and a description of tools required for the forthcoming projects.

The next chapters cover the following projects in detail:

• Ironside's 1/35 scale Marder I, based on the French Lorraine chassis

• Alan Hobbies' 1/35 scale Marder II Ausf. D

• Tamiya's 1/35 scale Marder III Ausf. H

• Tamiya's 1/35 scale Marder III Ausf. M

• Italeri's old 1/35 scale Marder III Ausf. H

The model builds are very well documented in photos and text, with helpful captions adding even more value. Sam demonstrates scratchbuilding, kitbashing, detailing, painting and weathering tehniques that will be useful not only for Marders, but for any armoured vehicles. The selection, composition and reproduction of the photos is excellent.

A Gallery follows, with Pat Johnston's Tamiya Marder III Ausf. H and M kits, and Gary Edmundson's Marder I

The book is rounded out with a list of Museum examples and references, and a page of colours typically worn by the Marder family.

Conclusion

 

I enjoyed reading Sam Dwyer's "Modelling the Marder Self-Propelled Gun", and the book will remain a useful ongoing reference when I eventually build some of the Marders in my model collection.

Highly Recommended.

Thanks to Osprey Publishing for the review copy

 

Modelling the Marder Self-Propelled Gun (Osprey Modelling 18) Author: Sam Dwyer US Price: $17.95 UK Price: £12.99 Publisher: Osprey Publishing Publish Date: July 10, 2005 Details: 80 pages; ISBN: 1841768553 Shop Buy it from Osprey Publishing

Review Copyright © 2005 by Brett Green
Page Created 24 June, 2005
Last updated 23 June, 2005

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