SFL SU-100: Bringing Out The Big Guns

Zombificus · November 22, 2019

The 100mm Selbstfahrlafette (Self-Propelled Gun) SU-100, usually abbreviated SFL SU-100, was the Nationale Volksarmee's name for their small force of ex-Soviet SU-100s, which were originally delivered in 1952 to the KVP, their ancestor force. Just like their SFL SU-85, the SFL SU-100 differs from the existing Soviet one in War Thunder only in what ammunition it carries, being limited to simply the HE and APHEBC shells, reducing its firepower a little compared to the Soviet original. This difference in ammunition might warrant a slightly lower BR than the normal SU-100, where it would fit well alongside the NVA's improved T-34-85s. Although the DDR only had small numbers of this tank destroyer, it was the only vehicle they could rely on to take on NATO tanks like Centurion Mk.3 at range until the arrival of the first MKPz T-54s in 1959, therefore filling an important role throughout the DDR military's formative years. Along with SFL SU-85, this is one of the few gun-armed tank destroyers of the NVA, which would remove the need for a WWII or West German TD in a DDR lineup if it were added, making it easier to successfully split off East German vehicles from the main tree as has been often proposed over the years.

History:

While Uralmash's SU-85 had been a successful stop-gap measure, as production of T-34-85s rose to satisfactory levels it was clear that the 85mm-armed tank destroyer was obsolete, so from February 1944 efforts were made to produce an improved design. In March that year, the Object 138 prototype rolled out of the factory, armed with a D-10S 100mm gun that was more than capable of taking on any German tank then in service, mounted in an improved hull. Frontal armour was increased to 75mm, almost double the original 45mm, and the commander's station was moved to a more spacious sponson position, inspired by German tank destroyer designs, creating a much better chassis that was quickly implemented as the new basis for 85mm-armed tank destroyers, which produced the SU-85M. In September 1944, mass production of the new SU-100 began, and by the time production ceased in 1948, over 2350 vehicles had been built at the Uralmash plant.

The first SFL SU-100s were delivered in 1952 to the Kaisernierte Volkspolizei (KVP; Barracked People's Police), which was a paramilitary organisation technically under the wider Volkspolizei chain of command and the direct predecessor to East Germany's true military, the Nationale Volksarmee. This was a small delivery of 26 vehicles, which at some later date was followed by 24 more, bringing the total up to 50. Just like the SFL SU-85s, the SFL SU-100s saw service with the KVP's "C-Units" before their absorption into the more typical military structure of the NVA, seeing service both as replacements for missing tanks (in SFL SU-100's case, 21 SPGs sent to fill in for absent SKPz IS-IIs) and in genuine tank destroyer units. The SFL SU-100s, being better armed than the SU-85s, saw a few more years of service before being entirely removed, with conversions into T-34T (SFL) and T-34TB (SFL) armoured recovery vehicles beginning one year later, in 1963, and concluding in 1964. The mass arrival of MKPz T-54s in 1957 and MKPz T-55s in 1959 saw all gun-armed tank destroyers replaced by MBTs by the end of 1959, the SFL SU-85s' and -100s' careers cut short by the rapid pace of DDR rearmament and modernisation. All SFL SU-100s had been scrapped or converted by the end of 1964.

Ammunition:

While War Thunder's SU-100 has three different AT shells (BR-412, BR-412B and BR-412D), sources on the ammunition provided to the NVA with their delivered SU-100s state that just the UBR-412 B (BR-412B) and UOF-412 (OF-412) shells were supplied. This means that the SFL SU-100 lacks the best shell of the USSR variant, as well as the marginally worse-penetrating starting shell, leaving them with only the 215mm-penetrating APHEBC-T, as opposed to the BR-412D APCBC shell, whose 240mm of penetration is a full 25mm better than SFL SU-100's sole round. While only a small difference mathematically, this will reduce the angles that SFL SU-100 can successfully attack ~200mm thick tanks from without the shell bouncing, whereas the USSR SU-100's 240mm provides a very comfortable margin of error. In practice, the East German vehicle will struggle more against its toughest opponents than its Soviet sibling, although I'm not aware of anything it outright can't penetrate that SU-100 can. Below is a comparative list of each tank's available shells.

SFL SU-100 (DDR):

UOF-412 HE-F - 19mm flat RHA at 10m

UBR-412 B APHEBC-T - 215mm flat RHA at 10m

SU-100 (USSR):

O-365 HE-F - 19mm flat RHA at 10m

BR-412 APHE - 210mm flat RHA at 10m

BR-412B APHEBC-T - 215mm flat RHA at 10m

BR-412D APCBC - 240mm flat RHA at 10m

Specifications:

Length: 9.45m (including gun)

Width: 3.00m

Height: 2.45m

Weight: 36.1 tonnes

Crew: 4 (Driver, Gunner, Loader, Commander)

Primary Armament: (33 rounds: HE & APHEBC)

Armament Details: -3 to 20 degrees elevation, -8 to 8 degrees traverse

Secondary Armament: None

Armour: 75mm upper glacis & mantlet, 70mm driver's hatch, 45mm lower glacis, sides and rear, 20mm roof

Max Speed: 30 mph (48 kph)

Its Place In The Game:

As with most of my previous DDR tank suggestions, this vehicle is meant to exist in the context of a full Tier III / IV lineup of NVA tanks, as part of the necessary set of vehicles for a truly split tree to work. Such plans need enough East German vehicles that they can form playable, worthwhile lineups without needing any WWII or West German tanks. The lineup I've been suggesting bit by bit includes 3-4 medium tanks, at least one heavy tank, several SPGs and scouts, and two less-than-ideal but still workable SPAAG options, which is hopefully enough that a DDR line could survive on its own. As I've said before in my SU-85 suggestion, Stuhlfleisch has done a great job covering DDR MBTs, which are good choices for a competitive high-tier lineup, so instead I've been focusing on mid-tier vehicles to prove that a separate DDR line is workable for more than just the top three tiers. The SFL SU-100 vehicle isn't the most exciting vehicle on its own, especially given its worse ammo, but it's important to think of it in context as a support for vehicles like MKPz T-34-85M (1960) and SKPz IS-II (M), where it would be a useful component of the wider lineup options in that BR bracket.

I hope you like this tank, and I look forward to hearing from you in the comments!

More Pictures:

Spoiler

A SFL SU-100 in West German markings to simulate a JPz 4-5 in exercises.

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