AFV Modeller - Issue 08 - 6 - Dial M for Marder

Dial

M for

Marder David Parker does grevious bodily harm to Tamiya’s new 1:35th Marder III M

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Top quality moulding on the hull front and rear - the hull assembles without problem. Sink marks on the inside of the side walls must be filled.

Mmmmmmm Tamiya’s new Marder III M is marvellous! The first frenzied peek inside the box confirmed my expectations - superbly moulded and with a completely new Pak 40 this is a kit that will build into a fine model straight from the box. That said, there are one or two omissions and areas that can be improved and with that in mind I set out to take this kit to the next level.

I assembled the basic hull very quickly as it falls together but I was very aware of the need to keep certain parts separate in order to be able paint the open topped fighting compartment. With this in mind I

by adding small latches into the

The side walls of the fighting compartment

rectangular holes and added a first aid box

are where the fun really begins. The

which I took from a Dragon kit and detailed

release pin marks must be filled and the

with brass fittings from left over Aber frets.

sudden bevel where the armour is thinned

The kit includes a moulded on release

towards the upper edge must also be

handle for the gun crutch which I removed

erased which I achieved by scraping with a

and replaced with a scratchbuilt example,

scalpel followed be some careful sanding.

the handle for which I turned from plastic

with this complete I fitted the radio and its

rod using a mini drill as an impromptu

connection box to the right hand wall.

lathe. On the inside of the rear wall I added

Some filling is necessary around the

the circular guide bracket for the starter

mounting brackets for the radio and I

crank from plastic tubing and fitted the two

thinned down the weather cover above the

brackets either side that are to hold the

radio to a scale thickness. The radio lacks

removable seat or step which I made from

any wiring so this was added using copper

brass tube. I added fixing brackets to the

and lead wire. The kit is missing a

small flare box and the bigger stowage

transformer and two junction boxes so I

box that sits under the radio and added

added a resin transformer and the junction

new latches to this using Aber parts.

box was from the Aber SdKfz.139 set.

The compartment floor with the tiny latches just visible and the new first aid box.

The inside rear wall showing the added details.

did not fix the side walls or the fighting compartment floor. I modified the kit floor

The new release lever for the gun crutch. Note also the fixing bracket on the stowage box.

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With the radio installation complete I turned my attention to the ammunition stowage. This would be one area that I would fault the kit in that these racks are supplied empty and only four rounds are included. In normal service these would be crammed and it is not uncommon to see pictures of the crews standing on top of extra ammunition. I resolved that I would have to fill these racks and also correct the omission of the top lip on the main racks even though this lip is included on the 3 round box. No doubt this lip is the kind of part that will be supplied by the likes of Aber but in the absence of a dedicated detail set for this vehicle I was forced to improvise. I began by drilling out the

Above The completed right side of the fighting compartment

ammunition tubes to a scale thickness which I did using a round burr on a mini drill. This was a nerve racking and time consuming procedure with the constant danger of the burr jumping and smashing into the adjacent tubes and the risk of the heat generated by the drill melting the tubes which happened a couple of times. I used a cut down ammo round from the Verlinden Productions Pak 40 ammunition set to check the fit and you need to create some very thin tubes in order to get the rounds to fit. I then added the upper lip using strips cut from thin pewter sheet and bent to shape having taken the size from

Above Before - the unmodified kit racks Below After - the thinned version with a round in position.

Above & Below The completed interior prior to painting

the examples that are included in the three round box. This procedure was completed for both ammunition racks and I also added some additional fame supports to the racks which are absent from the kit. The ammunition racks have a tarpaulin cover to protect the rounds from inclement weather and I added this using some thin lead foil from the Tiger Models range which is extremely easy to manipulate and allows you to emboss the heads of the rounds into it for a good fit.

Moving to the left hand wall, it was necessary to add a bracket between the wall and the hull which is absent and to which the fire extinguisher fits. The extinguisher comes from the spares box and it was detailed using the Aber 139 set again as were the gas mask cases and the microphone box. I rebuilt the 3 round

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Above The completed ammunition racks, the fixing straps will be added to the actual rounds prior to fitting in the tubes.

Above Parts from the Blast Models update set

Above The new bracket fitted on the left hand side.

Above The left hand side showing the new bracket and the gunners seat which was later modified. At this stage the MG stowage has not been added.

ammunition box as it seemed easier

eventually I cheated by moving the

than trying to thin down the one from

intercom box and not fitting the

the kit and I had several goes at

weapon, just the brackets.

modifying the gunners seat before I finally got it right. Halfway through the build I received a sample of the Blast

On the rear wall I added some weld

Models update set for the Marder. This

seams using Duro putty and I detailed

set is excellent and it solves a lot of the

the gun travel lock. Unfortunately the

problems inherent in the kit providing

release pin marks are on the front face

fully stowed ammunition sets, improved

of this part so they had to be filled and

gun parts and a host of details for the

some additional bolt head details fitted

interior - see the review in Keeping

to the pivot points. I scratchbuilt the

Track - I was able to use one or two

hook that latches the lock to the wall

parts from this to make my life easier

along with the hook and handle

including the stowage box that sits

arrangement that engages with the

under the gunners seat. The brackets

gun. New latches to hold the rear door

that hold the seat were made from

were made from spare etched

Above The completed rear wall with detailed gun travel lock and door latches.

plastic strip. I did have problems with the fitting of the stowage point for the MG 42 machine gun - there just isn’t enough room to fit this between the ammunition racks and the intercom box.

Above The front wall with MP40 stowage and Blast Models ammunition packs.

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actual periscopes as they obstruct the detail I had added to the shield Moving to the exterior of the vehicle, and with all the fighting compartment still separate, I removed the moulded on grab handles from the engine deck covers and made new ones from brass strip and rod. I also drilled holes in the ends of the bigger handles on the curved splash guards to replicate the hollow tubes used on the actual vehicle. On the vehicles bow I added weld beads and I made the triangular bracket between the towing bracket and the glacis which is missing from the kit even though it is depicted on the box art. I substituted Model Kasten track links for those in the spare racks and the racks themselves were detailed with a wingnut fastening and interlocking tooth at the other. The gun crutch was improved by firstly filling the pin marks, then the cushion pads from the Aber 139 set were fitted to the inner faces of the clamps. The Aber set only provided one semicircular ring so I used it as a template to make another from plastic. A new support stop was made from brass along with an improved filled all the joints. It was the gun shield which required the most work and I began by

linkage to connect the release handle with the gun crutch. Lastly I had to make a replacement centre bracket - the kit part has a ‘U’ shaped channel through it to simplify

sanding it down to give it a more scale

fitting. I made a new bracket, sliced off the

brass parts and plastic strip and fitted on

thickness. With this done it was necessary to

top then glued it back on once the gun

either side of the doorway. Turning my

replace the location brackets for the shield

crutch had been fitted.

attention to the gun, I made some minor

supports which had been erased by the

improvements to the gun itself with a new

sanding. It is necessary to add the

firing button and improved handles for the

adjustable shutters for the gun sight aperture

All the tool stowage was improved by adding

hand wheels and an electrical cable for the

which I scratchbuild around the the toothed

Aber tool clasps but I made a new starting

firing mechanism. I also drilled out both ends

rails from the Aber 139 kit. This set also

crank connector and new gun cleaning rods

of the gun sight and added some extra

supplied the periscope brackets one fixed,

from brass rod. I had to fabricate the

detail to the top of the breach having first

one adjustable, I decided not to fit the

brackets to hold the cleaning rods along with

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Above The reworked gun sheild with new brackets and shutter.

Above Two views of the finished gun showing the improved hand wheels and gun sight.

Above detail of the bracket on the glacis.

Above the new step, grab handle and tow rope brackets.

Above the weld beads added to the joints on the armoured air intake covers.

the stopper plate which prevents them

brass as the kit version is too heavy and

sliding forward as these are non standard

along with a missing grab handle I

fittings. The tool box was another item

fabricated the ‘C’ shaped tow rope

pilfered from the Aber set and its scale

brackets from spare brass fret. Once again

thickness is a real improvement and I used

the truster Aber set provided an ideal

the Blast models jack for convenience as it

selection of buckled straps to complete

has the clasps moulded on. At the back of

these fittings.

the vehicle the two mounting pins for a starter motor are missing and again the Blast Models provided a convenient

At this point the fact that the fighting

solution. I scratchbuilt a new step from

compartment was still comprised of loose

Above the gun cleaning rods and tool box

Above new grab handles for the engine deck hatches.

Above the reworked gun crutch - note the wingnut on the track bracket.

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panels was beginning to interfere with the

using the lead foil which was very easy to

assembly process and I faced up to the

work with.

fact that it was time to paint this so that I could complete the assembly. Leaving

Above the completed right hand side.

Above the completed left hand side.

the panels loose was a big help and I

Once the painting was complete the

had also left all the ammunition bins

ammunition bins were glued into place

loose as well as the bins needed to be

and the fighting compartment was finally

painted before the pre-painted rounds

assembled having first fitted the gun onto

were fitted. I masked off the exterior

its mount as this is impossible with the

edges of the panels along with the sides

side walls in place. Once the walls had

of the hull and sprayed a base coat of

dried I was able to fill and sand the seam

overall sand enamel. The ammunition

along the top of the air intakes. On the

bins were the most time consuming with

later model Marder M these boxes were

the rounds painted with Humbrol Metal

made of welded section in place of the

Cote steel whilst spinning in a drill to

rivetted assembly of the early model. I

minimise the chance of any lines forming

therefore added weld beads along the

in what is a very quick drying paint. Once

edges of the intakes using micro rod

thoroughly dry they were polished with a

which I melted with liquid glue. The final

soft cloth. I cut straps from strips of the

parts of the assembly process was the

thin lead sheet and these glued around

replacement of all the tie down cleats

the grenade of each round having

with new ones from the Aber range. I

checked the correct position when fitted

also added the tubular brackets for the

in the bin. To replicate the buckles on the

tarpaulin supports to the outside of the

straps I used some of the fine ammo bin

hull walls. A set of Fruil tracks completed

fittings from the Aber 139 set. The

the assembly I had already widened the

grenades were painted in enamels

width of the idler wheels to accept the

before being given a soft satin coat of

tracks and I chose to use the drive

varnish. The rounds were the cut down

sprockets that Fruil supplied to save a

so that the minimum length had to be

similar procedure with the kit sprockets.

fitted into the tubes and any empty tubes then had sagging straps added again

Above detail of the ammunition bins.

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Above The compartment floor - note the worn surface.

Having carefully masked the fighting

enamels. I kept any chipped paint effects

compartment I sprayed the vehicle in a

to a minimum and kept them fairly subtle

base coat of enamels followed by my usual

with some wear to the barrel where the

application of gouache for the camouflage

gun crutch touches it and wear to the rear

colours, whilst the tracks received a coat

hatch area. Above The finished tool stowage.

of dark grey/brown enamel. I applied a dark wash to pick out all the details before working a coat of ingrained dust over the

At this point I began to consider some

hull using pastels which were brushed into

crew figures for the vehicle and my first

all the recesses and around all the fittings

choice was the Tristar SPG crew set as it is

where dust will collect. The same colour

designed to work with this vehicle. I used

pastel mixed with acrylic thinners was

the commander straight from the box but

applied to the lower hull, wheels and

added a new Hornet head and I switched

tracks. The vehicle number and other

bodies and legs with the radio operator

markings were hand painted with enamels

and the standing crewman holding

and the wooden tool handles were painted

ammunition. The radio operator was

with a woodgrain finish also using

unmodified apart from his new legs but the

Above dust and grime on the hull.

Above The completed fighting compartment.

Above Good and dirty - the finished tracks.

Above Detail of the dirty wheels and tracks.

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other crewman received new arms from a

ground. The foliage was made using dry

Dragon figure to give him a more natural

lichen and seafoam painted and coated

pose. Finally I used a Dragon Infantry

with powdered foam. The vehicle was

figure straight from the box but with a new

glued into position and the figures were

Hornet head and they were all painted with

positioned and fitted to the base with a pin

enamels. To display the Marder I

fitted into the base to secure them. The

envisaged a Normandy campaign scenario

radio operator was carefully positioned in

with the vehicle moving up to support the

the vehicle, which is quite tight for space,

infantry and having the location of targets

so as not to obscure too much of the detail

pointed out by an infantry soldier. The base

which I had spent so long working on.

was made from polystyrene ceiling tiles covered in a layer of filler. On this occasion

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I used a static grass mat designed for

To conclude, another fine model from

railway modelling which provided a quick

Tamiya - aside from the limitations of the

and easy covering for the banks and

ammunition stowage there are no serious

oversights and many of the parts that I have corrected are the result of the restrictions of the moulding process. The after market manufactures are already supplying kits to both correct and improve the Marder - how long before we see a backdate set to convert this to an early model - or even an Ausf H from Tamiya? Mmmmmm.

As for me - no more open topped vehicles for a while - I’m off to lie down in a dark room - Nashorn anyone?

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