Alternative attacks on Ploesti oil fields?

[special ed]

Most likely, no. Remember, the U.S. invaded for two years (1919,1920) with other nations on the side of the whites against the reds. The reds hadn't forgotten.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

The Black Sea was encompased by the Soviet Union except for Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey.

Not likely you're going to get Bulgaria or Romania to cooperate since they're Axis nations and Turkey was committed to being Neutral.

And the Romanians showed they'd defend the installations well with German assistance. It wasn't a milk-run.

 

[GrauGeist]

And the Romanians showed they'd defend the installations well with German assistance. It wasn't a milk-run.

The raids that crossed into Bulgarian airspace paid dearly, too.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

The raids that crossed into Bulgarian airspace paid dearly, too.

Right. This was no soft target.

 

[Dimlee]

The question is, would the Soviets allow a US military base in their territory?

They did allow ("Operation Frantic"). Would they allow it in 1942 is another question. And if allowed, how fast the base could become operative. In real history, the negotiations started in October 1943, locations were approved by Moscow in March 1944 and the first equipment arrived in April 1944. The Soviets would be probably more cooperative in 1942 but on the other hand, both the amount of lend-lease material and logistic capacity were much smaller.

Cooperation in the field would be easier than in the corridors of the Kremlin.
"In March the Soviets had promised two engineer battalions, each 339 soldiers strong, to help with the reconstruction of the bases. No one expected that the battalions would be largely female....The Red Army women were eager to outdo the men, especially American men. When they were told that the norm for a GI was to lay down ten yards of mats per day, they made sure to lay twelve...
The Soviets and Americans did their best to overcome differences of language and culture as they worked together. The language gap was not only a hurdle; it was an opportunity for the occasional prank. One of the US personnel taught a Soviet soldier guarding the entrance to headquarters to greet every American officer with the following words: "Good morning, you filthy son of a bitch. "
Plokhy, Serhii. Forgotten Bastards of the Eastern Front. Oxford University Press. Kindle Edition.