By 1944, the Red Army was facing some of the most advanced German tank designs of the Second World War. The Panther with its sloped frontal armor and powerful gun proved more than a match for any Soviet tank of the period. If the Panther wasn’t enough for Soviet tankers, the King Tiger would prove a near unstoppable behemoth.

The threat posed by these designs forced the Red Army to seek out ever powerful anti-tank guns to eliminate this menace. The Soviet 100mm BS-3 was one such design.

The 100mm BS-3 proved one of the most powerful anti-tank gun produced during the Second World War. Despite mainly being used in an anti-tank role, the weapon’s caliber meant that its High Explosive (HE) round proved extremely effective; giving the gun the vital ability to fulfill a duel role on the battlefield.

The gun's excellent armor penetration (185mm at 1000m) made it the ideal choice of weapon to arm the SU-100 and provided the Red Army with a more mobile option of dealing with the vaunted German Tiger and Panther tanks.