Existing comment:
SU-100 (self-propelled gun), Soviet Union.
Initial production 1944.
While the Soviet T34 tank with its 76mm gun dominated the battlefield in the mid-war period, the arrival of the German Panther and Tiger tanks threatened to make the T34 obsolete. To penetrate the tougher armor of the German "big cats," Soviet tank designers mounted more powerful guns on the chassis of the T34 in fixed mounts. Initially, the Soviets mounted their 85mm antitank gun in the SU-85. But when the T34/85 was developed, the SU-85 became redundant. The main armament was upgraded to the 100mm M1944/D 10-S, which was comparable to the German 88mm antitank gun. The 100mm gun could knock out enemy tanks up to 1,300 yards away. With its crew of 4, the SU-100 could attain speeds of up to 34 mph, and it had a cruising range of 185 miles. |