Revell’s little Marder III, which started life as a Toxso kit (as did the recent Grille Ausf M and BTR-50PK) is crammed with detail. Built on the Czech-designed Panzer 38(t), Marders were light panzerjäger vehicles. The Ausf M differed from earlier variants by moving the fighting compartment to the rear and shifting the engine forward. Nearly 1,000 were built.
The kit includes large cylinders that mount on the glacis for Stadtgas (city gas), a compressed fuel derived from coal and usually used for heating and cooking in German homes. With petrol in short supply as the war progressed, many military trucks were converted to run on the fuel. Armored vehicles used to train drivers were also converted; there is no evidence that these modified Fahrschul Panzers (driving school tanks) were ever used in combat.
The lower hull builds from a belly, sides, and rear plate, and everything fits well. Test-fit the parts because the locators are a little vague, so it is easy to slightly misalign parts.
The road wheels and bogies fit with little trouble. The tracks are supplied as single-piece plastic parts that need to be bent around the running gear, and they took coaxing to get in place. A little heat can make this easier, but be careful: The track links are thin and break easily; be patient and gentle. Superglue worked better than plastic cement to attach the tracks. The latter makes the track runs too fragile and more likely to break.
Good fits meant the upper hull and fighting compartment went together quickly. Pay attention and double-check the part numbers because there are two nearly identical upper-hull plates in the kit, but only one will work for the Marder.
The gun is designed to move, but you’ll have to modify the gun-travel lock to pose it in operation. Details fill the small fighting compartment, including ammunition racks and posable crew seats.
The kit supplies markings for two camouflaged Marders from unknown units; both differ from the box art and appear to be combat tank hunters. As such, they would be inaccurate for a Stadtgas-powered training vehicle because photos show them to be overall dunkelgelb. I went that direction, painting the little model with Tamiya Dark Yellow 2 (No. XF-88). I picked out details with Vallejo Model Color acrylics and weathered with artist oils.
I spent 15 hours building Revell’s diminutive tank destroyer. I recommend it to anyone with a few kits under their belt.