DBWI Germans don't try to take Moscow in 1942?

I read in a history of World War 2 that the OkH and Hitler were seriously considering a plan for an offensive in the Caucasus in the summer of 1942, instead of the big offensive around Moscow. I think the idea would be to take the oil fields there, which would cut off the Soviet Union's access to oil if successful and cause them to die slowly. The plan also involved using the forces freed up by not doing the Moscow offensive to take Leningrad and Sevastopol, for reasons not entirely clear to me.

So lets say they adopt this alternative (or even just do nothing and go on the strategic defensive). How does this work out for them?

OOC: this is a companion thread to:

https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...w-instead-of-stalingrad.420795/#post-15184202
 
Well, Moscow for one thing wouldn't have fallen given that the main German efforts are now directed towards Plan Blue rather than Kremlin. But conversely, the Germans might have actually been more able to hold the line in '43 and probably do a good deal better in '42 given that taking it caused heavy casualties for them to achieve a breakthrough. Stalin expected them to go for the throat so to speak from the beginning, and thus the Soviets actually were ready for it, put some of their best men and armor to defend the Center, and were able to counter attack before Winter set in.

Though I can see why the Germans went for it. Blue was ambitious, probably too much given how wide a salient it called for.
 
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