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Marder III and Grille

John Prigent

MARDER III & GRILLE, by Vladimir Francev and Charles K Kliment, Publishing House MBI, 1999, ISBN 80-902238-5-0.

Here's a superb reference for model-builders! This dual English-Czech language book has 92 pages packed with information about all the SPs based on the Pz 38(t) chassis apart from the Hetzer - which is to be covered in the  next volume. Not just the anti-tank and 15cm SPs either, but also the FlakPz 38(t) and AufklarungsPz 38(t). Coverage actually starts with the inter-war  experiments, PzJager I, Marder I on French chassis and Marder II on Pz II chassis before moving on to the main subjects.Here you get the rear-engined  SdKfz139 with 7.62cm Russian gun and SdKfz138 with 7.5cm PaK40, both rear-and mid-engined Grilles with the 15cm infantry gun, and the mid-engined SdKfz138 Ausf M with its PaK40 too. The ammunition carriers are covered as well, and then the book moves on to the 2cm-armed FlaKPz SdKfz140 and AufklarungsPz SdKfz140/1. A single page covers the few remaining survivors and their museum locations, then comes a section on combat use by the German and Slovak armies. This includes the actual allocations to units - joy for the modeler! A short section on camouflage and markings is followed by the technical section with details of armour thicknesses and angles, drive train,  running gear and of course armament. Masses of clear photos of all variants are accompanied by sketches of details, 1/35 multi-view plans of the 7.62cm  Marder II and FlaKPz, 1/35 side views of several other variants, and colour plates showing the markings for no fewer than 21 vehicles. This is all  sterling stuff, and I'd go so far as to say it's an essential reference if you want to build an accurate model from any of the available kits of these   vehicles. My review sample came from Czech-Six Publications, to whom many thanks, and the book is available from them at £8.70 plus £0.60 P&P in the UK   (overseas rates on request). They're at 48 Station Road, Stoke D'Abernon, Cobham, Surrey, KT11 3BN, UK.

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