Dragon Military Models 1/35 SdKfz 138 Marder III Ausf M Initial Prod Tank (Re-Issue) Smart Kit

Almost as soon as WWII began, Germany began to realize it had a weakness in the penetration power of its tank guns. This truth was forcefully rammed home when panzers began facing well-armored Russian tanks like the T-34 and KV-1. There was an urgent need for mobile antitank weapons, and one solution was the Marder III Ausf.M based on the chassis of the Czech-designed Panzer 38(t). (Note, the “M” in Ausf.M stands for Mittelmotor, referring to the mid-engine layout). This tank destroyer mounted a 75mm PaK 40/3 L/46 antitank gun set well back on the hull. The Marder III Ausf.M was the most widely produced Marder variant, with 975 vehicles built from April 1943 to May 1944. Marders fought in all theaters, and some 350 Ausf.M were still in service in February 1945.No detail has been spared on this kit, and it is bulging and rippling with fine detail. The open-topped fighting compartment is crammed with components such as ammo racks and rounds that will allow modelers to really go to town.