>>18128860
Anon most of these people are literally retards with zero knowledge.
They will never understand basic logic that the Mediterranean obviously wasn't a convoy route after Italy joined.
You don't even need to be an expert on ww2 to understand this, just look at the fucking map and use common sense. Sicily blocks the entire sealane.
Capturing Gibraltar at best gives German submarines access to the Mediterranean, and it will severely weaken Malta since the western approach was many times used for emergency supply.
That's the plus for the Axis.
Now comes the negative:
1. Malta can still be supplied from its eastern approach, and this was the main route IRL. Axis also lack amphibious doctrine and capability to capture such a fortified position, hence why it never happened.
Majority of Italian capital navy ships is still crippled due to fuel shortage just like IRL. Captured Gibraltar doesn't change this. Cunningham will still have a superior position in the Mediterranean.
2. Now that Spain is in the war, Royal Navy will likely immediately seize Canary Islands and close the Gibtaltar straight from the western end.
3. Now that Spain is in the war; having been completely reliant on British and US food imports for her mere survival IRL duringthe war, will now have to rely on food and fuel imports from Germany to sustain its entire state and military. Being bankrupt, underequipped (virtually no mechanized divisions or airforce) and rural economy, Germany will have to shoulder Spains defences and military deficiency just like with Italy, in order to prevent any allied foothold and suppress Spanish partisans
In the end, none of this solves Hitlers problems. He cannot wage war against the British empire without oil, and the food recieved by trade with Stalin wasn't enough. And even if he went all-out on war with Britain, Stalin will use the opportunity to strengthen his own position, industrialize the state and expand the army, an existential threat to Germany.