Why so much HEAT ammo for KwK40 and pak 40

[valentine III]

Reading through this topic

viewtopic.php?f=47&t=216138

I'm surprissed to find how many Hl granaten(heat rounds) were made and used in the Pak40 and KwK40, StuK 40. I tended to think that you used AP39/40 to fight tanks and HE to fight other targets. But why then so much HEAT. I guess it was cheaper to produce but for example PaK 40's most common targets would be the allies T-34's and Shermans. Was the Heat round enough?

Thanks

[critical mass]

Yes. HL isnt so badly affected by slope.

[Yoozername]

It was actually in response to the production bottleneck for making Pzgr 39. The Soviets, who were the major intended target in 1942+, still fielded a variety of lighter AFV, and wasting Pzgr 39 on them was verboten. HEAT (HL) ammunition was produced for many other weapons also. Mostly bore sizes 75 mm and larger. This included infantry guns and 'French 75s', etc.

The projectile itself was shared on Pak 40, StuK 40, KWK 40 and I think other 75 mm weapons. But not the 'Panther' L70 weapon.

Germans were quite clear on the use of the ammunition types. Do a deeper search here as it has been discussed before.