1/35 Marder I 7,5 cm PaK.40/1 auf Gw.Lr.s.(f) Sd.Kfz.135 German 50 ton type SSy45 Flatcar

The Marder I was one of the first improvised tank fighters developed by the Wehrmacht in response to the lack of modern anti-tank assets after encountering heavy Soviet tanks on the Eastern Front. It was created by installing the powerful German 7.5 cm PaK 40/1 anti-tank gun on the chassis of captured French Lorraine Schlepper tanks (Gw.Lr.s.(f)), which the Germans acquired after the surrender of France in 1940. These chassis were originally intended as artillery tractors, but their conversion to tank interceptors represented a quick and practical solution to the acute shortage of anti-tank vehicles. The Marder I was given an open superstructure with armour protection only on the front and sides, which exposed the crew to artillery fire and air attacks but allowed for rapid production and deployment. The vehicle served primarily on the Eastern Front and in North Africa, where its PaK 40 gun could effectively destroy most Allied tanks of the time.

Rail transport was a key logistical tool for the Wehrmacht. Heavy flat cars of the SSy45 type, with a capacity of 50 tons, were used to move armoured vehicles, artillery and other heavy equipment between fronts and to the rear for repairs. The loading of the Marder I onto a railway platform represents a typical scene from war logistics - troop movements, evacuation of damaged vehicles or strategic relocation of forces according to the needs of the front. For modellers, this combination is attractive because it allows the creation of dynamic dioramas with historical context without the need to build only a static model of the vehicle.

The DostanešZimi Model 1:35 scale kit offers flexibility thanks to the "2 in 1" variant: You can build either a stand-alone Marder I as a showcase model of a combat vehicle, or a complete scene with the car loaded on a railway SSy45 platform, which opens up possibilities for dioramas of a railway station, loading point or transport to the rear. The 1:35 scale is standard for military equipment and ensures easy combination with crew figures, railway personnel, accessories such as crates, barrels, tools or other vehicles. The Marder I can be painted with the typical German three-colour camouflage (dunkelgelb, rotbraun, olivgrün) or with a single-colour dark grey paint from the early deployment phase, supplemented by wear, dust and operational contamination. The railway platform offers scope for highlighting the wooden floor, metal elements, chains and fasteners, or traces of previous loads.

Package does not include paint or adhesives needed for assembly.