What if those nukes were combined with conventional night bombing raids that the Germans couldn't stop and I doubt that would be any different for the Soviets.
You're greatly underestimating the sort of air power/defense a Germany that has no continental threats or resource shortages would be able to put together.
The Germans were working on a bomber that could hit America, you don't think the Americans couldn't develop bombers that could leave from the UK that can reach at least eastern Russia?
What is each sides respective definition of a "win" in this scenario?
Agreed. Any conversation that does not take these into account and solely focuses on manpower, manufacturing and bomb capability is one that is only going to encourage further debate without resolution. The best responses of this thread so far, have taken the "reality" of the situation into account.
where are you calculating Japan under this scenario? it seems to me the Nazi regime would/could tolerate the USSR longer if they had reverted back to relations with KMT China and had access thru the Soviets to their treasure chest of resources? (and were watching the Soviets battle an Allied Japan? and the British and US in Iran?)
If the planes still fall down near Air defense systems, which would be near cities etc. doesn't the nuke still destroy it anyway? I hardly see it make it out okay from a falling plane. So still causing some damage.
Shooting down a nuke does not cause it to go critical mass and detonate, not even with gun type bombs.
In addition to the weapons not being triggered on impact with the ground, they aren't intended to hit the ground at all. Most weapons are intended as air burst weapons, in order to optimize the damage the explosion actually does. In fact, while a ground explosion would leave far more radioactive material behind on the ground, the actual damage of it would be a fraction of what happened at Hiroshima.
After takeoff the devices were armed and would detonate at a certain altitude. So if the aircraft or bomb fell below that set altitude and the altimeter based detonation device was operating, it would explode whether or not it was at the desired target.
Yeah this probably wouldn't work, Soviets+Germans would have enough oil supplies for at least a year or so while the oil facilities get repaired.
The Amerikabomber was still on the drawing board when the war ended, the B-29 did actually have the range to hit Moscow/Leningrad from England IIRC but that's only if they face no opposition. Luftwaffe+VVS are still going to be at pretty full strength. I'm not sure if the WAllies had any fighters with enough range to escort the bombers that far, if they don't then they 100% can't do that and even if they do have fighters with the necessary range it's quite likely that they get overwhelmed. If they aren't going in a straight line at the optimal altitude but are instead swerving around to dodge/attack enemy fighters then their range is decreased even if they never get shot.
Allies are more likely to have their Persian and Iraqi oil supplies threatened by mesopotamia becoming a warzone than they would of crippling the Caucasus supply with pure air power against a Soviet Union with no other fronts to worry about.
