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TL;DR: A German captured FCM 36 with its turret removed and a Pak 40 in its place.
History:
Following Germany’s July 1940 victory in France, the 227th Infantry Division was assigned for occupation. Alfred Becker, the battery chief of the 12th Battery in the 15th Artillery Regiment of the aforementioned division came across a number of abandoned vehicles while his unit was performing coastal protection duties. As Becker was a mechanical engineer, it was clear for him to see the benefits of mounting his artillery pieces onto the abandoned vehicles. 37 or so FCM 36s found themselves employed by the Germany Army under the designation of Paznerkampfwagen 737 FCM(f). From there, Becker converted a number of them into one of two vehicles. Around 12 of them were equipped with the 10.5cm leFH 16 cannon in a new armored fighting compartment, turning them into 10.5cm leFH 16 (Sf.) auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f). A further 10 were turned into tank destroyers, equipped with the famous 7.5cm Pak 40 in a similar fighting compartment. These vehicles were officially designated 7.5cm Pak 40 (Sf.) auf Geschützwagen FCM 36(f), however, they also came to be known as Marder I.
Place In War Thunder:
Becker’s conversions have always been sought after by the War Thunder community and the FCM 36 is a beloved meme vehicle, characterized by its poor firepower and mobility. This modification largely fixes the first issue. Playing an FCM 36 and actually being able to kill something is fairly enticing. Playstyle would be relatively self-explanatory. Unfortunately, the FCM 36’s poor mobility carries over to its German counterpart so the number of early game positions you’d be able to take would be greatly limited. Angling to increase effective armor thickness would also pose issues as angling the hull effectively unangles the superstructure. I would suggest that you stick to ridgelines, however, from what I can gather from images, gun depression might not be a luxury you’d be able to enjoy. This vehicle, as well as the other Becker conversions, are not something we’d expect to see in the standard tech tree. I think that this FCM would fit in just fine as a GE premium.
Specifications:
Armament: 7.5cm Pak 40 and 1x MG34
Dimensions: 4.77m, 2.15m, 2.25m (L,W,H)
Weight: 12350kg
Armor: Up to 40mm
Crew: 4 (Commander, Gunner, Loader, Driver)
Ammunition: APCBC, APCR, HEAT (50 rounds of ammunition)
Speed: 24~kph
Horsepower: 105hp
Pictures:
Right Side View:
3/4th View:Traversing A Ditch:
Sources:
7.5cm PaK 40/1 auf Geschutzenwagen FCM(f) (Marder I) Tank Destroyer Vehicle
7.5cm PaK40 (Sf) AUF GESCHÜTZWAGEN FCM (f) - Quartermaster Section
75mm Pak 40 auf GW FCM-36(f) Marder I
AFV Weapons Profile No. 59: French Infantry Tanks, Part II (including R 35 and FCM 36) by James Bingham