Type Tank Destroyer In service 1943—44 Wars World War II | Place of origin Kingdom of Romania Used by Romania | |
Designer Comandamentul Trupelor Motomecanizate | ||
The Mareșal (Marshal) tank destroyer was a Romanian armored fighting vehicle produced in limited numbers during the Second World War.
History
The Vânătorul de Care Mareșal was the most ambitious Romanian tank effort of the Second World War. The first prototype was built in the summer of 1943, mounting a Soviet 122 mm howitzer on a T-60 light tank chassis in a completely enclosed casemate. The new vehicle proved successful enough that two more prototypes were built by October 1943. Although the Romanians developed a shape-charged anti-tank round for the 122 mm howitzer, it was eventually decided to replace the Soviet gun with the Romanian Reșița 75 mm anti-tank gun. When the Romanians approached the Germans about the supply of a thousand Hotchkiss tank engines, the Germans found out about the project and were impressed with the overall layout of the Mareșal. The Romanian vehicle is credited with being the inspiration for the German Jagdpanzer 38(t). The fourth prototype, M-04, was completed in February 1944, and was armed with the fore-mentioned 75 mm anti-tank gun. There were plans to create 32 anti-tank battalions, each with 30 Mareșal tank destroyers. After the Hotchkiss plant in France was overrun by the Allies in the summer of 1944, the Germans agreed to provide the 160 hp Praga engine. The last prototypes, M-05 and M-06, moved towards the incorporation of more Czech-built parts, as these could still be acquired. The Germans planned to build a flakpanzer version, armed with 37 mm anti-aircraft artillery. Ultimately, the eventual Romanian defection ended the program before production beyond the 6 prototypes took place.