AH Summer of '42

What if beginning in August 1942, the Germans didn't try to take Stalingrad but were content to contain it and used most of 6th Army to guard the Don flank, while Army Group A received supply priority for its push into the Caucasus toward Baku. Meanwhile the Luftwaffe did not pound stalingrad but attacked soviet tankers in the Caspian.
How might the outcome of the Russian campaign and WWII have been changed?
 
Good question. Germany is still doomed but a smarter approach can make the war last longer and drag out all of the badness...
 
The common sense lasts until Herr H wakes from his coma and kicks over the map table...
 
Good question. Germany is still doomed but a smarter approach can make the war last longer and drag out all of the badness...

Would it necessarily be doomed though? What if a grave shortage of oil immobilizes much of the Soviet war machine, and the November counteroffensives fail? Could the eastern war have ended in a negotiated settlement favorable to the reich early in 1943? And having suffered far fewer casualties, and with more resources, the reich then seems too formidable to the western allies? Even in the OTL Churchill was leery of an attack in northern France, suggesting one in the balkans instead.
 
How about the British fleeing in the wake of Rommels mighty Africa Corps Hitler with the British well And truly beaten x-feres promotes Rommel who promptly takes Stalingrad
 
Would it necessarily be doomed though? What if a grave shortage of oil immobilizes much of the Soviet war machine, and the November counteroffensives fail? Could the eastern war have ended in a negotiated settlement favorable to the reich early in 1943? And having suffered far fewer casualties, and with more resources, the reich then seems too formidable to the western allies? Even in the OTL Churchill was leery of an attack in northern France, suggesting one in the balkans instead.

You assume the Soviets try to conduct a counteroffensive on the same historical scale. More likely, the attacks are postponed as the timetable for troop moments is slowed to compensate for rationing of petrol. Activity in general slow, like the Germans preparing for The Bulge, with the Red Army taking advantage of the lull forced by winter and the spring mud to get vital concentrations built up via rail with a greater concentration on artillery. These should be in the North, where North Sea convoys can take advantage of the still open route as opposed to the blocked Persian corridor, while the mechanized forces otherwise earmarked for the Caucauses via L-L are routed to the Med. in support of British actions there.
 
You assume the Soviets try to conduct a counteroffensive on the same historical scale. More likely, the attacks are postponed as the timetable for troop moments is slowed to compensate for rationing of petrol.

But the Soviets would want to break the German grip on the Caucasus as soon as possible, before their petrol stocks fell too low.

Activity in general slow, like the Germans preparing for The Bulge, with the Red Army taking advantage of the lull forced by winter and the spring mud to get vital concentrations built up via rail with a greater concentration on artillery. These should be in the North,

But the northern part of the front was easier to defend than the southern, and an offensive there wouldn't recover oilfields.

where North Sea convoys can take advantage of the still open route as opposed to the blocked Persian corridor,

But Churchill halted arctic convoys around September 1942 because "they cost too dearly in terms of escorts." This was when U-boat sinkings were peaking and escorts were needed to guard convoys headed for Britain itself, Torch etc.


while the mechanized forces otherwise earmarked for the Caucauses via L-L are routed to the Med. in support of British actions there.

If by September 1942 the Germans appeared poised to overrun the Caucasus, the British might've had to postpone the Alamein battle to guard Iran and Iraq.
 
I think the outcome of world war 2 would be the same. The only difference being that the germans would push into Don region more, but eventually getting pushed out by the Soviet winter offensives.
 
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