Modelling the Marder Self-Propelled Gun

This book is in a 7 ¼” x 9 ¾” soft-cover format. It is 81 pages in length. The author: Sam Dwyer, has been building models for over 25 years and he specializes in armor modeling. His work has been featured on modeling web-sites and he has also done articles for Military Modeling Magazine. He lives and works in Victoria, Australia.

The book contains an introduction, which is a little history about the various vehicles that the Germans named “Marder”. Next is some discussion about tools and materials for armor modeling in general.

Dwyer does in depth “how-to” chapters on 5 different Marder kits:

• Ironside’s 1/35th scale Sd.Kfz. 135 Marder I (with additional PAK 40 by AFV Club and Tamiya’s PAK 40 ammo. Also, Friulmodel tracks)
• Alan Hobby’s 1/35th scale Sd.Kfz. 132 Marder II Ausf. D (with additional Modelkasten workable tracks, main gun from Tamiya’s Marder III and tools from Tamiya’s Pz.Kpfw. IV set)
• Tamiya’s 1/35th scale Marder III Mit PAK 36r (with additional Aber PE, K59 resin main gun, shield and replacement upper armor, CMK’s interior set and Friulmodel’s ATL. 53 38T/Marder tracks)
• Tamiya’s 1/35th scale Marder III Ausf. M (with additional TMD’s Marder III Ausf. M backdate set, Aber PE and Modelkasten workable tracks)
• Italeri’s 1/35th scale Marder III Ausf. H (with additional Royal Models Marder III Ausf. H detail and interior sets, main gun and wheels from Tamiya’s Marder III Ausf. M and Moskit’s Marder III Ausf. H exhaust).

Each chapter gives a history of the particular vehicle, a description of the kit, in-depth step-by-step construction steps used, how the kit was painted and weathered, with many full color photos showing these things.

The book finishes with photos of Marder kits that were done by other modelers, in a Showcase chapter. The last page in the book has color swatches of the various main colors that the German’s used to paint their Marder’s. Dwyer does a lot of kit-bashing and scratchbuilding, with Evergreen plastic items and the use of after-market products. His work is meticulous and excellent.

I recently bought the DML Sd.Kfz.131 Marder II kit, with a internet discount coupon for Hobby Lobby. This was after reading Cookie Sewell’s review of the kit on this site. While in Indiana, this past weekend, for my grand-twins baptism ceremony, I visited a small hobby shop in their home town. I found this book on the shelf there.

I thought it would have a chapter on building the DML kit, but found out…when I got home and read it for content…that it did not. However, the construction and painting instructions about how to do the kits that are featured in the book are very appropriate to doing some of the same things to my DML kit. Also, I do have all the kits that are mentioned in the book in my stash here.

I highly recommend this book to armor modelers who have any of the kits that are mentioned in this book.

This is the 5th Osprey book, on how to do a particular armor kit that I now have in my home library. All are very well done and valuable resources to aid modelers with their armor finishing.