Comments on: He had not absorbed Raeder’s strategic insight https://www.isegoria.net/2023/07/he-had-not-absorbed-raeders-strategic-insight/ From the ancient Greek for equality in freedom of speech; an eclectic mix of thoughts, large and small Thu, 28 May 2026 04:47:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.6.1 By: Bomag https://www.isegoria.net/2023/07/he-had-not-absorbed-raeders-strategic-insight/comment-page-1/#comment-3616423 Bomag Fri, 04 Aug 2023 14:22:48 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=50169#comment-3616423 Couple thoughts:

USSR on offence in 1942, without US help, would have been easily parried indefinitely by Germany.

The Suez Canal looks to be easily blocked by a few scuttled ships. Seems an earnest German effort could have gained the Middle East.

]]> By: Pelekesi https://www.isegoria.net/2023/07/he-had-not-absorbed-raeders-strategic-insight/comment-page-1/#comment-3616257 Pelekesi Wed, 02 Aug 2023 22:06:39 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=50169#comment-3616257 This supposes that the Soviets were going to stay out. It looks to me that they were planning on war since the previous year when they and the Nazis couldn’t agree on Romania. The Nazis couldn’t give up the Ploesti oil fields, and the Soviets couldn’t allow airbases which could shut down black sea shipping routes. There had been low intensity fighting between USSR and Romanian troops since those talks broke down.
It looks like the Soviets were planning on invading in September and to this end had marshalled lots of armor in the south to cut Romania off from Germany. They had constructed fifty airfields close to the front lines – which was well suited to keep up with an advance, but not very defensible.
Possibly they could have bought more time by ceding Romania, but if airfields in range of the black sea was and existential issue for the Soviets, how would they view the East Med falling into Nazi control?
In OTL El Alemain kicked off 1 Jul 1942. Rommels tactic of outflanking to the desert would no longer work, and when they leave the desert, infantry and fortifications would regain some of their relative power. The UK would pour in all kinds of colonial and regular trips into this front. I’m guessing it would have taken at least two months and probably longer to fight through the irrigated zone and breakout to the the canal. Taking Malta would improve their supply lines, but it would still be really long ways by truck, until the UK fleet abandoned the east med.

]]> By: Isegoria https://www.isegoria.net/2023/07/he-had-not-absorbed-raeders-strategic-insight/comment-page-1/#comment-3614585 Isegoria Wed, 12 Jul 2023 15:04:42 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=50169#comment-3614585 Alexander recommends coming from the other direction:

German forces could occupy French North Africa with or without Vichy France’s cooperation. From French Morocco, they could approach from the south the small strip of Morocco along the Strait of Gibraltar ruled by Spain. Spain would be forced to grant transit rights, or stand aside if German forces occupied the strip without permission. Spain could not resist for fear of a German attack into the heart of Spain from France. Consequently, German airfields and batteries could be set up along the south shore of the strait. This would close it to Britain—without an expensive military assault on the rock of Gibraltar.

Sealing the Strait of Gibraltar would force the British to abandon Malta, because they could not supply it.

]]> By: Cassander https://www.isegoria.net/2023/07/he-had-not-absorbed-raeders-strategic-insight/comment-page-1/#comment-3614584 Cassander Wed, 12 Jul 2023 14:54:37 +0000 https://www.isegoria.net/?p=50169#comment-3614584 How do you take Gibraltar without having Spain on your side (which Hitler tried, and failed, to get) or a navy that can stand up to the royal navy?

]]>