The following brief intel report on the German Marder III 76.2-mm self-propelled gun was originally printed in Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 29, July 15, 1943. [DISCLAIMER: The following text is taken from the U.S. War Department publication Tactical and Technical Trends. As with all wartime intelligence information, data may be incomplete or inaccurate. No attempt has been made to update or correct the text. Any views or opinions expressed do not necessarily represent those of the website.]

GERMAN 76.2-MM SELF-PROPELLED GUN Further information has been reported from official sources about this weapon, previously referred to in Tactical and Technical Trends, No. 21, p. 6. It appears that to date the only 76.2-mm piece reported mounted on the 38 light (t)* tank chassis is a long-chambered version of the Russian field piece 76.2-mm FK (Feldkanone, field piece 36 (r).* The long-chambered piece and the Russian light field piece are identical except for the following differences:        76.2-mm as mounted on 38 (t) tank      76.2-mm FK 36 (r) Muzzle brake           Yes            No Length of chamber (approx)         28 in         15 in Chamber volume (approx)      3,600 cc      1,780 cc Maximum range (estimated)     15,000 yds     8,000 yds Both pieces have Russian markings; however, the only known long cartridge case ammunition is of German manufacture. It is also of interest to note that the same cartridge case is used in the 75-mm Pak 40 (antitank) as is used in the long-chambered 76.2 mm. *The letter t stands for Czech; r for Russian.

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