Kind of inspired by this thread:
https://www.alternatehistory.com/fo...is-retreat-from-tunisia-february-1943.419769/
Where consensus was a earlier German retreat from Tunisia made an Allied invasion of Southern Europe difficult and removed the nasty attrition of trying to compete in Africa. What if the Germans tried such an attrition favorable defense everywhere???
What if in September 1942, about the time List was sacked and Halder was sacked, which obviously was a crisis point, the Germans adopt a completely defensive strategy???? It should have been obvious by that time that Allied strength was increasing everywhere and Germany needed to adopt a strategy of going on the defense and securing favorable attrition ratios to compete. (Germans largely stopped in Caucasus, Stalingrad proving difficult, Stopped in Egypt, Shipping losses increasing in med, Japanese defeat in midway, Allies counterattacking at Guadalcanal, Heavy air losses attacking arctic convoys, heavy air losses at Malta, etc.)
Strategy involves (some examples):
a) Withdrawing from Africa once the going gets tough. (as per above thread). This is the general strategy. Hitler is going to want to hold stuff until pressed. Africa and the Don bend for example, if for political reasons if nothing else, but in this TL withdraws when pressed.
b) Evacuating in October 1942 the northern salients OTL evacuated in Feb 43 to create reserves for the Don (Demyansk etc.)
c) Stopping all offensives in the Caucasus and at Stalingrad, withdrawing a few divisions to the reserve.
d) Focusing production on fighters earlier than OTL, scaling back HE177 for example.
e) After heavy losses in PQ 18 battle, Germans pull air power out of Northern Norway (a couple months earlier than OTL), moving to med, flying top cover cover for convoys.
f) Quit bombing England and focus on the V1 for retribution, instead of the V2.
Can the Germans create a situation where they could stop an invasion of southern Europe, Stop the Soviets at some line (perhaps on the Dnieper eventually). Fight off operation Pointblank better, and thus have a fighting chance of stopping the Allied invasion of France in 1944?