The Marder II was a German tank destroyer of World War II based on the Panzer II chassis. There were two versions, the first mounted modified Soviet 7.62 cm guns firing German ammunition, while the other mounted the German 7.5 cm Pak 40 gun. Its high profile and thin open-topped armor provided minimal protection to the crew. Nevertheless, the Marder II (and similar Marder III) provided a great increase in firepower over contemporary German tanks through the 1942/43 time frame.