Primary armament of the SU-100 centered around the use of the potent 100mm D-10S main gun. The system was installed onto a specially engineered mount that made for a rather complex overall system. 33 x 100mm projectiles were typically carried on a given SU-100 and this was usually divided into a standard issuing of 18 x AP (Armor-Piercing) rounds and 15 x HE/FRAG (High-Explosive / Fragmentation) rounds allowing the SU-100 crew to tackle both "hard" armored and "soft" targets. High-explosive ordnance proved highly effective when engaging concentrations of dug-in troops and light-armored vehicles and was issued on nearly every armored fighting vehicle of the war. Interestingly, no thought was given to arm the SU-100 crew with self-defense machine guns - making her susceptible to both enemy infantry attacks and low-flying aircraft.
Power for SU-100s were provided for by the inclusion of a V-2-34M series 12-cylinder, 4-stroke diesel-fueled engine of 500 to 520 horsepower tied to a five-speed transmission system. This allowed the vehicle to reach top speeds of 30 miles per hour over ideal terrain and out to 200 miles of distance - in line with fast-moving Soviet armored doctrine of the time.
In practice, the SU-100 proved her value to Red Army forces, especially when fielded with supporting infantry and armor. Some 65 systems were issued to self-propelled artillery brigades to help bolster the lines. A well-trained and experienced crew could loose up to six rounds per minute from a fighting compartment that was not unlike the T-34 itself - save for the lack of a turret. Engagement was through a pair of sights - one being panoramic and the other telescopic in design - and made for a highly effective tank killer. The D-10S gun could now match German armor as thick as 125mm at ranges out to 6,500 feet with lethality being increased against armored targets within 3,200 feet. First contact action with the enemy regarding SU-100s occurred in March of 1945 in Hungary against German armor where the Soviets prevailed at Lake Balaton.
All was not well for the SU-100 design, however, for initial production models shown some inherent limitations. The complicated gun mounting system led to extended production times that also resulted in sub-par penetration performance of the gun itself when in the field. The problem was not rectified until the end of 1944 by which time the D-10S delivered - on the whole - as promised. Natural teething issues also played a role in limited success very early on. However, once the SU-100 was cleared of its issues, it made for an excellent German tank killing system allowing full production to be reached by the end of 1944 and into 1945. Consider the lack of self-defense weaponry and the SU-100 needed to be sent into battle with accompanying ground infantry for point protection. It was common practice for enemy infantry to swarm a defenseless tank through grenade attacks and attempt to flush out tanker crews, only to shoot them as they exited the vehicle.
It is believed that some 2,335 to 3,000 SU-100s were ultimately produced, allowing the vehicle to stock the inventories of several Soviet-allied nations in the Cold War years. In fact, Soviet production spanned into 1947 - a full two years after the world war was over, such being the value of the nimble little system. Czechoslovakia continued local production of the SU-100 up to 1957. Other operators included Albania, Angola, Bulgaria, Cuba, East Germany, Egypt, Hungary, North Korea, Poland, Romania, Vietnam and Yugoslavia. In Yugoslavian service, the SU-100 went under the designation of "M-44". A tropicalized version intended for desert warfare emerged as the "SU-100M" - the "M" used to showcased its "modified" form. The Egyptians fielded their SU-100s in a large part during the Suez Crisis of 1956, the Six Day War of 1967 and the Yom Kippur War of 1973 and these vehicles proved adequate for their intended role. Likewise, those SU-100s in Yugoslavian service were used for a short time the local civil war until maintenance issues resulted in their removal from active service. For some global forces in the world today - including North Korea and China - the SU-100 remains a viable tank destroyer implement.
Content ©MilitaryFactory.com; No Reproduction Permitted.