AP or HEAT
 

I have found that tanks prefer to fire HEAT ammo even at ranges where AP shot would have far better penetration. It is extremely annoying to have your Tigers lose short range duels to IS2s just because they insist on firing HEAT. As far as I can determine, there is no way for the player to influence ammo selection in the game.

I am fine with tanks firing heat at other tanks at long ranges, which is what doctrine says, but at short ranges AP should be preferred. This goes for most tanks, but there are admittedly some exceptions, short barrel tanks that should use HEAT at all ranges. I suggest that the game should make a check for whatever ammo has the best penetration at the current engagement range and use that.

Re: AP or HEAT
 

I am pretty sure that the game DOES fire the best ammo it has.
You can use the included application "WW2_APCALC" to see a comparison of the relative penetration stats of a gun at various ranges.

Re: AP or HEAT
 

There is a calculation made as to the best type for the shot. I personally have not seen much use of HEAT in inappropriate times.

But then again, I usually stick to the earlier models in German LCs, as those usually have some APCR versus the later models which use HEAT. The APCR is too valuable to "upgrade" my P4 etc to in the final year of the war!.

Re: AP or HEAT
 

According to WW2APCalc AP and best HEAT have the same value for a 8.8 cm KWK36 L56 (16) out to 450 meters. But that is best HEAT, and as HEAT penetration is highly randomized, AP is clearly the better choice at short ranges.