The German Panzer divisions have finally moved out in force. At the beginning of turn five, there are five Panzer divisions in view, at least three of them at strength 10. Given that my strongest armored units are strength 9, and they are far from the front, I could be in trouble.
The Situation, Turn 5
I can afford to take some losses in exchange for taking out the German Panzer divisions. I can replace my losses, but the Germans will find it difficult to replace theirs. The Soviets will keep them plenty busy on the eastern front. Before I use my ground forces, I can deploy my air force to do some damage.
Bombing Runs
The bombers do a fairly substantial amount of damage to the German tanks. My land forces then surround for the attack.
After the Bombs
Despite the preparatory bombing and concentric attack, my units fail to dislodge, or even do significant damage to the Panzers. The big terrain bonus they got on defense likely made a substantial difference.
Not Good Enough
My drive has stalled on the eastern front, so I switch my attention to the peninsula. There is one stubborn German division on the edge of the peninsula. It is weakened, but not destroyed. The decision to attack may have been a mistake, given the relative weakness of my units.
In Retrospect, a Bad Idea
So that attack failed miserably, making it a theme for the turn. I try to push my stronger armored units forward, eventually hoping to surround and eliminate as many Panzer units as possible. The Panzer divisions in the south seem vulnerable, given the lack of supporting units. Perhaps I will be able to eliminate them next turn.
The Situation at the End of Turn 5
Next Post: The Battle Continues.
