A Soviet fleet built around battleships and destroyers would present Germany with a concentrated surface threat in the Baltic. Fast capital ships, escorts, and land-based fighters make a purely submarine answer difficult. Germany would have to strengthen naval aviation and keep anti-shipping formations in the north. Those aircraft, weapons, crews, and maintenance resources could no longer be used in the Mediterranean or against other targets. Fliegerkorps X provides a historical example of a formation whose diversion would change pressure on British convoys and operations around Crete. A fleet can therefore affect distant theaters by forcing an opponent to reserve scarce capabilities against it.
Notable Point · 2:53:26-2:56:14
A Soviet Baltic fleet diverts German air power from other theaters
Battleships, destroyers, and land-based air cover in the Baltic force Germany to spend scarce aircraft and weapons on anti-shipping missions close to home.