A somewhat ASB premise, dark version of "team yankee", question is what are the post-war consequences? What would this have for effect on the cold war?
After June 22nd 1941, a group of determined US communists and some non-communist too decide to do more than just contributing to the Soviet war effort and decide to found an international brigade to fight against the european axis on Soviet side. This effort is lead by a individual Stalin have personally met, this individual also have a right-hand man who is a skilled and organized commander.
This brigade sees action near Moscow between December and January 1941, during that time Roosevelt decides to turn this international brigade into an US one, since all its members are US citizens. He knows Stalin will be much less unfavourable to a groud force fighting against the european axis than fly boys, a bomber squadron(too much a good view over Soviet territories and too little usefulness against axis supplies) or leasing a few Siberian bases against the Japanese (because Stalin makes his priorities clear).
Official name is something like, the Soviet Front 1st-and-only United States Army Expedition Force.
Supplies through Muramsk, Arkangelsk and Iran are far too problematic, while special equippement to a single division is an added difficulty to Soviet supply planning. Hovewer Roosevelt comes up with a brilliant idea, this division will only partially be using lend-lease equippement, it will also improve relations with Soviet units if there is little favouritisme. When hearing that gem, Churchill suggest that perhapse, troublesome British and colonial elements could do some good too.
"I am most certain Stalin will understand and agree with our desire to redeem some of our flawed elements by giving them the chance of becoming heroes." he is said to have remarked dryly between two cups of tea.
In fact, much of the winter uniforms given to the division does not come the US governement as promised but from private donations or uniforms of fallen axis soldiers and "recycled" by the initial group of volunteers.
The most determined segment of the Expedition, known as the Dragons, fights very well, your average Dragons could eat one of the inglourious basterds for lunch and that might well not be just a saying... Their level of brutality, hovewer, is something more than a few Soviet observers find disturbing.
They miss Stalingrad and Kursk but do get to participate in Operation Bagration and the battle of Berlin.
Hovewer, to the disappointment of some, because their commander is brilliant (even if slightly not sane), much of the Division comes back alive.
Disclaimer: More specific version of another thread.