Boroda:
"I also like you admitting US trade with Germany that was way more important then USSR trading raw ores that couldn't be processed by Soviet industry for machinery and military hardware including heavy cruiser. Significant share of German military industry was owned by US companies, and was in fact protected from "aerial offensive"."
Now get this:
Material trade between the USA and Germany after the start of WW2 untill Pearl Harbour was technically possible AFAIK. However practically impossible, since the Royal Navy blocked transport. Not the Red Navy, the RN actually spells out as the Royal Navy.
In the meantime, the RN had to fight zeh Germanz. And the Germans were trading with the USSR. The Germans and the USSR split up Poland between them and went on the business line while their plots went on.
So, for some time the Nazi empire only had one real enemy, and that was one fronted with a cigar-smoking person.
Ergo, - not much trade with USA due to transport problems, - but a lot of trade with USSR (and Hitler chuckled I am sure).
On we go, - speculations go on, as well as some educational parts, - after all, I belive I had a part in telling you about the Molotov-Ribbentropf pact etc....
"But the idea of Italian navy in the Black Sea is interesting. Next assumption will be Turkey involved. Red Navy blocking Black Sea straits, mine-field warfare a-la Baltic Sea 1914-1917, etc. Without Italian navy - USSR was superior to any other fleet in the Black Sea, with proper command and air support it could keep the status quo "
Of course USSR dominated anything IN the Black sea, but who held the plug? Yes, the Turks and the British. The British went far to keep a peace with the Turks, and the Germans were at the same time probably trying to get them to side on the Axis, - Turks kept on as neutral. So wonder and ponder if they would and could have stopped both the Kriegsmarine and the Italian Navy from entering the Black sea. With British as neutral, the Turks have a choice between USSR and anybody else put together.
As for proper air support, - again, with the British neutral, operation Barbarossa would have been somewhat earlier, and with some 2 or 3 times the Axis air-power. No German losses since 1940, full paratroop army (no Crete), and full Italian airforce strength, - which BTW was quite some in 1941.
Ergo: USSR Black sea ...boats... used for German target practise a-la Battlewagon. USSR ports and strongholds bombarded by Axis fleets, USSR ports submitted and docked, Axis naval artillery ranging 30 Km inland, Axis Paras grabbing important sites, all from the Black sea, at the same time as you have an opening on the western front and possibly in the far east as well. A situation like if the western Allied had invaded Normandy in 1941 with their force of 1944.
Would have been Zhukov's nightmare. Hitler's dream.
But there was zeh catch. Ein British plug.....