BATTLE FOR BERLIN
A World War II Fantasy:
Allies vs. Russians in Europe, 1945
by Roy Easton

	By the waning days of World War II, the Allies and the Soviets were learning that they really weren't such good friends after all. Churchill realized this simple fact earlier than most and constantly pushed for increased Allied influence to counteract the Russians in Eastern Europe. The Soviet desire  to conquer the world  became apparent to all after the war but there were no direct military confrontations between the Allies and the Soviets.
	Things could have been quite different, however. Patton was all set to drive on Vienna and
Montgomery was preparing to capture Berlin when they were halted by Elsenhower's express orders  since  these  were  "political" and  not "military" objectives. Had these orders not been issued, there would have been a race between the Allies and the Soviets for the occupation of these cities.
	This variant uses  Panzerblitz and  Panzer Leader boards and counters to simulate clashes
between Allied and Soviet units attempting to reach the axis capitals. The Panzer Leader rules are used with the following modifications.

1. STACKING-Four Allied units may stack in a hex: three Soviet units may stack in a hex except for Soviet infantry units which can stack with only one other unit.
2.  INDIRECT  FIRE-No  Soviet unit  may use indirect Fire: all Allied M and (H) units may use indirect fire.
3. RANGE-Soviet infantry units have a range of 2*.

NOTES

	The Allied player soon learns that his tanks are inferior to the Soviet heavy tanks and that he has nothing to match the SU-152's. In fact, it usually becomes necessary to use the SPA'S as assault guns and the premature loss of these units will often cost the Allies the game. The Allied anti-tank guns are longer-ranged than the Russian ones and this is a definite advantage on defense; on the other hand, the British infantry is noticeably inferior to that of the Soviets. The Soviet SMG units are excellent for close assaulting and the Allies have nothing to equal these units. These are very mobile scenarios and the victor must be very good at both attack and defense.