[2022] What is the deal with Italian AP?

Italian 203mm guns are not known for their raw pen, however they do carry what pen they do have very well due to the great ballistic profile of the shells. You should be able to citadel a Salem out to 18ish kilometers, but if it starts to angle at all significantly you'll find you're just not going to punch through. SAP tends to be the more reliable choice in most situations outside of exposed Light Cruisers at range or Heavier Cruisers at medium ranges.