USSR WW2 aircraft industry

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Originally Posted by Danielmellbin

It is debatable whether or not western aid was critical to the Soviets - but it was a huge help. However the fact that the US and Britain could never have beaten Germany by invasion on their own is rarely talked about (And dont start talking about nukes over Europe )

Conversly if the West had not held out and most importantly the British capitulated when the Soviet German packed was in place, once Babarossa started the USSR would have been over run in very quick time.
With no threat in the West or middle East the Luftwaffe would not have been denuded at all in the B.O.B. The German war industry was never going to be under attack from the USSR it needed the west to strip out the German industial heart.

As for the west beating Germany on its own I believe it could have but it would have taken many years more. The submarine threat was beaten without soviet aid, the surface raider threat was very limited and amounted to a few notable actions but Germany was never geared up for fleet actions.
The Luftwaffe lost some of its ability to bring British industry & people to its knees in the BOB, (without soviet aid), and with the introduction of the USA on the scene not only did the allied airpower leap to unknown dimensions rendering the Luftwaffe roll far more defensive that offensive. The industrial might of the US was unstoppable.

eg the Sherman was not a very good tank but if you have 20 to your one Tiger whos for the chop you cant replace your Tiger as the RAF/RAAF/CAF etc is bombing the factory by night and the USAF is by day, while in the states another 15 Shermans roll unhindered from the factory to replace the 5 you lost getting the Tiger. The Japanese offence was turned to defence in a year without any Soviet assistance.
So could the West beat the Germans without the Russian front IMO undoubtedly yes, but the cost would have been horrific.
Much of this cost ended up being borne by the ordinary Russian grunt on the Eastern front to them we owe a big debt of gratitude.

[parsifal]

I dont think any single nation can lay claim to being the reason for the axis defeat. The secret of the the Allied victory was that it was a co-operative effort, a true form of coaltiion warfare to which each nation contributed vital pieces.

But to the british must go a special mention. Without their dogged determination from 1940 onwards, the determination never to give in, the grand alliance that was formed to defeat germany might never have happened. For this sacrifice, the british got virtually no spoils or thanks in the postwar carve up. It was a debt fully forgotten, and never repaid IMO