The Dragon Marder III H has a radio adjacent to the main gun and no radio in the hull driver's compartment - can that radio be relocated down in the hull? Thanks.

...the crew of the Ausf.H consisted of only three men.

The radio set was up in the fighting compartment on the inside wall of the superstructure; one variation has it on the left side, the other has it on the right. A careful check of photos will reveal the antenna mount is seen on either side of the superstructure, but not both at once.

Depending on which side it was mounted on, either the commander (who was also the gunner) or the loader would ooperate it.

This according to Panzer Tracts and Nuts & Bolts books.

Frank

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because my copy of Nuts and Bolts says the Ausf.H & M both had 4 crew members (page 8 in #N&B 17).

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So many mysteries about this vehicle, esp inside the hull!! If 4 guys were on board, where did the 4th guy sit? A couple of references state the gunner position had no seat due to the ammmo stored on the left wall, the Tristar kit has the seat waaaaay back to access the radio mounted on the drive shaft shroud, making MG operation poor I would think... Dragon and Frank have the radio in the superstructure, but command vehicles have it in the hull on the drive shaft... and it sounds like from reading other threads, that the references contradict each other... what is a modeller to do???

I'm building the Tristar kit with the K59 resin set and I'm getting a bit frustrated on exactly the same questions. For now I've not decided what I'll do, but it's keeping me from finishing both the interior of the hull and the superstructure...

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The tristar kit is nice and that K59 ought to really make a great model. Best of luck once you make the commitment on the radio location and seat issue. I am inclined to put the radio in the superstructure, but on the left side rather than the right. That leaves me with the seat issue - can't believe that the machine gunner would not have a seat to sit in, and based on your evidence of 4 crew, a seat certainly seems likely.. hope all this thinking doesn't burn me (and you) out in getting a Marder finished!!!!

...due to conflicting info.

My decision for my model goes like this:

For a standard, non-command vehicle, I will fit the radio in the fighting compartment, but I am not sure of the fit or of which side I'll mount it.

In N&B 18, the bottom photo on page 79 and the top two pics on page 80 show the fighting compartment mounts for the radio and transformer. They designate the fit as FU5. The top photo on p.80 also shows the antenna mount on the outer surface of the starboard-side superstructure plate.

Now, check the pics on the the top of p.79 and bottom of p.78. It is a different vehicle, but I think the mounting pads for the radio are there, in the same place as the previous pics.

Now, check p.13: antenna base on port-side; same on top of p.14. Bottom of p.14, antenna on starboard side.

So, antenna bases are seen on both sides; from that I presume that the radios were mounted as near to the antenna as ppossible, a typical feature of German AFVs. That's why of all early German Panzer, only the Pz.Kpfw.II has its antenna on the port-side superstructure plate, where the radio is placed inside against that plate. The Pz.Kpfw.I, III and IV have their antennae on the starboard side, near the RO's position.

Panzer Tracts says, "...gunner who is also the...commander...operates the radio set...loader...and the...driver"., p.7-139. He also calls the radio FUd. I am ???guessing??? that at some time, the FU5 replaced the FUd???????

Note also that on the Marder III Ausf.H, the commander was the gunner and radio operator, so the radio had to be on the port-side of the superstructure, because that's where the gun-sight and fire controls were located, as in the Tristar kit. Maybe when the radio set changed, the loader took that duty away from an overworked commander/gunner/RO and became the RO/loader? Thus the radio on that side, opposite its earlier location.

Hopefully someone has some moore details/corrrections.

Frank

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Thanks for getting back in on this Frank, I appreciate your additional insight asnd follow-up.

Gentlemen: I am settled to mounting the radio on the superstructure left side where there are only two ammo tubes... just seems better balanced and less congested. Now, what do you think of putting a seat in the left hull in line with the driver's seat on the right? This would be for the MG gunner. One other question - what do the ammo cannisters look like for the ZB37 MG and where did they keep them - floor? Nothing is in the Dragon kit and I have not seen any aftermarket examples. Thanks and good luck during Marder production....