Idea for a Timeline

I've been reading the books How Hitler Could Have Won World War II by Bevin Alexander, as well as using sites like JSTOR and ABC-CLIO to collect data on Rommel's Africa Campaign, and found an interesting fact.

The British were literally on the brink of defeat in several parts of the Mediterranean, some parts boggle my mind somewhat.

One of Hitler's mistake were invading Crete with his air troops, rather than Malta. Crete had no strategic value, while Malta was vital to British supply networks across the Mediterranean. Had Hitler invaded Malta, his convoys to North Africa would have been completely safe, allowing Rommel for more supplies.

Another thing is that Hitler was fixated on defeating the Soviet Union. He could have postponed the invasion, and sent Rommel several extra divisions to easily squash the British. Even 1 Division could have saved Rommel invading Egypt.

My timeline will start with the fall of Greece, and Hitler's order to invade Crete is changed to an invasion of Malta (Operation Hercules). This will allow for Axis Supply Lines to reach across the Mediterranean, and force the Allies across the Nile and the Suez, forcing the Allies to abandon Crete and Gibraltar.

So, what do you think? I will likely start it this weekend.

Also, what do you think would be a good title.
 
Another thing is that Hitler was fixated on defeating the Soviet Union. He could have postponed the invasion, and sent Rommel several extra divisions to easily squash the British. Even 1 Division could have saved Rommel invading Egypt.

How do these extra divisions get supplied? That's the big bottleneck.

Why does Hitler postpone? As far as he was concerned, invading the USSR was the whole point of his political career.
 
I get more into it.

Raeder as we know was more for a Mediterranean Strategy, as was Alfred Jodl (Who was more quiet about it).

In December 1940, they confront Hitler, as well as several other prominent Generals, who all propose postponing Barbarossa to concentrate on Africa. Hitler somewhat agrees to it, and orders preparations for the Invasion of Malta in June/July of 1941.

Hitler however, says that he will give Rommel his divisions after Malta is captured, which Rommel held out and beat the British back during that time anyways. With Malta out of the way, German soldiers would have a clearing across the sea to Africa.

Hitler does plan to move Barbarossa to early 1942, around February/March, to give Rommel about a year to finish off the British in Africa. I get more into depth.
 
Hitler does plan to move Barbarossa to early 1942, around February/March, to give Rommel about a year to finish off the British in Africa. I get more into depth.

February/March seems early since I don't think the razputista--the mud season in the spring/fall--would have ended yet. That would have made it almost impossible for the Germans to advance. May seems more likely.
 
I get more into it.

Raeder as we know was more for a Mediterranean Strategy, as was Alfred Jodl (Who was more quiet about it).

In December 1940, they confront Hitler, as well as several other prominent Generals, who all propose postponing Barbarossa to concentrate on Africa. Hitler somewhat agrees to it, and orders preparations for the Invasion of Malta in June/July of 1941.

Hitler however, says that he will give Rommel his divisions after Malta is captured, which Rommel held out and beat the British back during that time anyways. With Malta out of the way, German soldiers would have a clearing across the sea to Africa.

Hitler does plan to move Barbarossa to early 1942, around February/March, to give Rommel about a year to finish off the British in Africa. I get more into depth.

i think you forgeting one main issue AMERICA, germany has already declared war on them. i think germany now has to worry about a front being opened up with them rather then the possibility of two fronts with the soviets and america, which is something germany neverwants to have.

america would have sent troops to africa causing the war there to go longer, so germany would now have no other direction then down to deal with them.
 
America entered the war in December 1941, Africa started in February 1941, enough time for Rommel to storm across Africa. My TL starts in December 1940.

Also, in my TL, things change up a bit.
 
America entered the war in December 1941, Africa started in February 1941, enough time for Rommel to storm across Africa. My TL starts in December 1940.

Also, in my TL, things change up a bit.

My tl Manstein in Africa has explored a German focus on the mediterranian extensively including a 4 chapter operation hercules... here is a link to the third installment link

the first page has the other two books linked, hopefully you can find it to be a good resource

Bevin Alexander's book is ok... but if you want a great Africa Corps book I recommend Patton and Rommel Men of war in the 20th century which has one of the most in depth Rommel studies ever done
 
Ok, how so, what happens to America.

Well, America will get involved, but at a later date. Also, if Rommel is in the Middle East by December 1941, the Germans would be able to hold out against something like Operation Torch. However, if the Germans have control of the oil fields by 1942, any major British naval operation would be impossible, and be forced into a ceasefire. America, even though strong, wouldn't be able to go against the Axis with every way into the Mediterranean blocked, air bases across North Africa and Submarine bases along Africa's coasts, invasions would be nearly impossible by then.
 
Well, America will get involved, but at a later date. Also, if Rommel is in the Middle East by December 1941, the Germans would be able to hold out against something like Operation Torch. However, if the Germans have control of the oil fields by 1942, any major British naval operation would be impossible, and be forced into a ceasefire. America, even though strong, wouldn't be able to go against the Axis with every way into the Mediterranean blocked, air bases across North Africa and Submarine bases along Africa's coasts, invasions would be nearly impossible by then.

That's very good, what about Vichy France teritories and how they made that agreement with the Americans when tey landed there, the Belgian territories of Africa and soldiers posted there and lastly South Africa.

because though the north would be lost, the entire Africa would be another story. but with those oil fields i cant find a flaw there and that would leave Iraq by itself and Persia as the only thing in the way of a uppercut manouver of the Soviets and a decisive capture of India.
 
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Blair152

Banned
I've been reading the books How Hitler Could Have Won World War II by Bevin Alexander, as well as using sites like JSTOR and ABC-CLIO to collect data on Rommel's Africa Campaign, and found an interesting fact.

The British were literally on the brink of defeat in several parts of the Mediterranean, some parts boggle my mind somewhat.

One of Hitler's mistake were invading Crete with his air troops, rather than Malta. Crete had no strategic value, while Malta was vital to British supply networks across the Mediterranean. Had Hitler invaded Malta, his convoys to North Africa would have been completely safe, allowing Rommel for more supplies.

Another thing is that Hitler was fixated on defeating the Soviet Union. He could have postponed the invasion, and sent Rommel several extra divisions to easily squash the British. Even 1 Division could have saved Rommel invading Egypt.

My timeline will start with the fall of Greece, and Hitler's order to invade Crete is changed to an invasion of Malta (Operation Hercules). This will allow for Axis Supply Lines to reach across the Mediterranean, and force the Allies across the Nile and the Suez, forcing the Allies to abandon Crete and Gibraltar.

So, what do you think? I will likely start it this weekend.

Also, what do you think would be a good title.
There were members of the British aristocracy, the former King Edward VIII, for example, who were sympathetic to the Nazis. Back in 1987, HBO
had a movie called To Catch A King. It was based on the novel of the same
name. The author escapes me. I've read it. Good book. It's about the Nazis' attempts to kidnap the Duke of Windsor, (the former Edward VIII),
and his wife, the Duchess of Windsor, (the former Wallis Simpson), by the
SS. Among those who tried, and failed, was Walter Schellenberg. The Nazis' Deputy Fuhrer, Rudolf Hess, was arrested in Scotland after he bailed out of his Messerschmitt Bf. 109. He claimed that he was on a secret peace mission from the Fuhrer. Hitler knew nothing about it. Hess ended up in the Tower of London, and then Spandau Prison, until his alleged suicide in 1987. There were those in Britain who wanted to end the war in
1941. The world would have been a different place had Hess' "secret peace mission" succeeded.
 
Hitler could have easily got the Vichy government to join the war on his side with a little coercion. As for the rest of Africa, they are separated by the Sahara, for the most part, so Hitler wouldn't have to worry about that.

In my TL, if the oil is captured, the Allies wouldn't waste fuel trying to cross the Sahara desert.

As for North Africa itself, if Rommel can capture all of North Africa and parts of the Middle East by the beginning of 1942, and without a Russian front, he could easily defend Africa from a seaborne invasion, which would still be very hard with the British oil supply possibly in Axis hands.

Also, Persia if I recall was neutral until the British and Soviets occupied it later in the war, around July 1941. The purpose for its occupation was to assist the Soviets in the war.

But, in my TL, Barbarossa is postponed until a later date, so since there is no need to occupy Persia, it could remain a 'Buffer Zone' for the German occupied Middle East and India.

Also not to mention that many Middle Eastern governments were pro-Axis, Iraq, Persia, maybe the Syrians who wanted independence.
 
Malta wasn't nearly the problem that a lack of port capacity and rail transport within Libya was. When the Axis was forward convoys avoided Malta by sailing near to Crete and then south to Benghazi and points further east. Malta was most useful when the Axis were on the defensive and the Benghazi bulge was in Allied hands.
 
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