Girls und Panzer Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Maresal
Spoiler warning!
This Wiki contains detailed information regarding the Girls und Panzer universe.
Proceed with Caution!


The Vânătorul de Care Mareșal (Romanian for Tank Destroyer Marshal) was a Romanian tank destroyer also called Carul M (Tank M). It never left the stage of prototype and a very few numbers was produced during WWII.

History

Development

The program started when the Romanian Army noticed the lack of effective AT weaponry during Operation Barbarossa, especially after meeting the T-34 and the KV-1 in 1942. In parallel with the conversion of captured tanks, research started in December 1942 for development of a Romanian tank-destroyer.

The solution of Mareșal Ion Antonescu was the construction of a light, highly mobile and powerful armed vehicle that Romanian industry could handle alone. The research team made of Major Nicolae Anghel and Captain Gheorghe Sambotin had to develop an unique vehicle having at its disposal components of local or captured material.

Due to the capture of significant number of Soviet T-60 tanks and 122m howitzers from the Red Army, their idea was to adapt the howitzer to the T-60 by removing the turret and adding four thick steel plates to form a completely enclosed quadrangular casemate onto the hull. The initial prototype M-00 christened Mareşal (shorten to M- for all prototypes) was built by Rogifer Works, with the assistance of the TACAM R-2 designer Constantin Ghiulai and Rofiger Director Radu Veres, and was tested on July 1943.

Despite some problems with the gun mounting the testing was successful enough to launch the production of three more prototypes. Experiments continued and by October 1943 three more prototypes (M-01, M-02 and M-03) were completed at Rogifer Works, all similar in aspect with the first prototype but having a more powerful engine of 120 hp (Mostly H39 engine) and reinforced armour. The M-02 was based on a reinforced and slightly larger T-60 chassis.

The three prototypes, labelled M-01, M-02 and M-03 still used the the same T-60 chassis but were welded instead of riveted and were slightly wider and longer that the M-00, were tested on October 1943 in front of Marshall Antonescu. Tested during the same day, the 75mm Resița AT gun will be chosen to be later prototypes main gun, dropping the 122mm howitzer, due to its exceptional performances.

The M-03 had a larger chassis, welded armour plates and a reinforced inner structure. The vehicle had a crew of two, the driver which was also taking the aim sitting in the right part of the compartment shoulder to shoulder with the loader. The shells used for the 122mm gun were hollow-charge Hohlladung. (HEAT)

On 23 October 1943 the three prototypes were tested at Suditi in the same time with the trials of the exceptional 75mm DT-UDR No.26 anti-tank gun. The proposal made by Colonel Paul Draghiescu, one of the designers of Mareșal, of mounting the Romanian anti-tank gun instead of the Soviet gun was immediately approved and would be included in the M-04 prototype.

In November 1943 the preparation for mass production started as 1000 Hotchkiss engines were ordered from France while other components still not made in Romania were requested from Germany. The new vehicle immediately attracted the German attention and in December 1943 Antonescu presented to Hitler the project and the blueprints of M-04 prototype.

The work at the M-04 prototype started in November 1943 and lasted until January 1944. This new prototype had Hotchkiss H-39 engine and was armed with the 75mm DT-UDR anti-tank gun. In February it was tested at Suditi and its performance impressed the OKH officials which were attending trials. Hitler personally offered to support the project by dispatching specialists and materials to Romania. During March–May 1944 the development team which now was including Alkett and Vomag specialists worked at the M-05 and M-06 prototypes which comprised mostly Romanian components. The only foreign components were the Hotchkiss engine, the gearbox, the CKD tracks, the Telefunken radio and part of the optics.

The two last prototypes M-05 and M-06 dropped the T-60 hull in favor of a Romanian built-one. The M-05 was completed and tested in March–May 1944, helped by Alkett and Vomag specialists the new prototype was equipped with Czech tracks and German optics and radio. The M-06 remained incomplete as its testing occurs at the same time as King Michael's Coup on August–September 1944. After the armistice between Romania and the Allies, Soviet Union confiscated all Mareșal prototypes and related materials on October 1944. After this point the Mareșal's fate remain unknown.

Operational History

1000 Maresal (200 M-05 and 800 M-06 models) were ordered in May 1944, however due massive bombing from the allies the production plan was disrupted and was supposed to be delayed to November 1944 but that never happen because of the project being terminated by Soviets on October.

On May 1944 a training battalion called "M Battalion" for training future crew and testing new vehicles models was created as part of the 2nd Armored Regiment. As no mentions of the other prototypes being tested it can be assumed that only the M-05 was tested, probably due to previous prototypes being technologically too different.

Girls Und Panzer

Gekkan Senshado Magazine

At the time of the 63rd Sensha-dō Tournament, Count High School owned an inoperative Mareșal.

The Fir Tree and the Iron-Winged Witch

Count High School fielded their newly operational Mareșal (callsign Tank N°10) during a practice match against Saunders University High School. In the match it was paired with a R.2 (Panzer 35(t)), tasked to draw attention on it and luring their opponent in the Mareșal line of fire which was lying in ambush in the forest, it fires once on Alisa's M4A1(76) but as the angle wasn't optimal the shot ricochet on the turret, but it unknowing to Count revealed the Maresal position to Kay. She ordered her tanks to fire HE shells on the nearby forest blowing up the tank destroyer's cover and camouflage. It vainly tried to retreat but was intercepted by the Firefly.

Trivia

  • The Mareșal was named in honor of Mareșal Ion Antonescu, Romania's dictator (Conducator) from 1940 to 1944.
  • It is assumed that the model used by Count High School is the M-05, as the only pictures of the Mareșal that survived are from the M-05.
  • As only front pictures of the Mareșal exist, the rear of the tank can be considered as artistic license.
  • There is some rumors about the Mareșal to be the inspiration of the successful German tank destroyer Jagdpanzer 38(t) Hetzer. British historian Mark Axworthy claimed in his book "Third Axis Fourth Ally: Romanian Armed Forces in the European War" that a delegate of the Waffenamt said the Hetzer followed the Mareșal's design and American historian Steven Zaloga wrote in his book "Tanks of Hitler’s Eastern Allies 1941–45" that the Germans were impressed with the overall layout of the Mareşal, and it is credited with being the inspiration for the German Jagdpanzer 38(t) tank destroyer. But none of these statements are based on reliable sources only heresays.

Gallery

Main article: Maresal/Gallery
Tanks ☰ 
Light Tanks and Tankettes Poland7TPFranceAMR-35FinlandBT-42UKCrusaderItalyCV.33FranceFT-17UKHarry HopkinsUnited StatesM22 LocustUnited StatesM24 ChaffeeUKMark VIGermanyPanzer IICzechoslovakiaPanzer 38(t)FranceR35SovietT-60SovietT-70UKTetrarchPolandTK TanketteJapan2Type 2 Ka-MiJapan2Type 94 TanketteJapan2Type 95 Ha-GoJapan2Type 97 Te-Ke
Medium Tanks UKCenturionUnited StatesM3 LeeUnited StatesM4 ShermanItalyM13/40UKMatilda IIItalyP26/40GermanyPanzer IIIGermanyPanzer IVGermanyPanzer V "Panther"AustraliaSentinelFranceSOMUA S35SovietT-34SovietT-44Japan2Type 89BJapan2Type 3 Chi-NuJapan2Type 97 Chi-Ha
Heavy Tanks FranceARL 44FranceB1 BisUKBlack PrinceUKChurchillSovietIS-2SovietKV-1SovietKV-2United StatesM26 PershingUKMark IVGermanyNeubaufahrzeugGermanyPanzer VI "Tiger"GermanyPanzer VI Ausf. B "Tiger II"GermanyPanzer VIII "Maus"GermanyVK45.01 Porsche Tiger
Tank Destroyers GermanyElefantGermanyHetzerSovietISU-152GermanyJagdpanzer IVGermanyJagdpantherGermanyJagdtigerRomaniaMareșalItalySemovente da 75/18GermanyStuG IIIUnited StatesT28 Super-Heavy Tank
Self-Propelled Artillery GermanyKarl-Gerät 040
Main Battle Tank Japan2Type 10
Advertisement