My two cents
Assuming Hitler delayed Barbarossa until 1942 (the most he could accept given his goal), Germany would have had more power to fight harder in the Western theaters.
Great Britain: the battle in the air would have continued, further weakening and depriving the Luftwaffe, especialy its skilled and experienced crews.
The fighting in North Africa wouldn't have been much different, with logistic limited by the harbours' capacity in Italian Libya.
Hitler would have lauched attaks against Malta and Gibraltar. The former would probably have succumbed quickly and somehow facilitated the supply of the AK and the Italian Esercito, but not so much for the reason mentionned above.
The capture of Gibraltar would have required Franco's help, which meant offering him French Morocco and the Oran region, which is a
casus belli for the Vichy governement or, at least, for Noguès, leading the entire French Empire to go back to fight against Axis. In addition, Great-Britain would have landed in Portugal and seized Canarias islands, as well as obtaining bases in Madeira and the Azores. A very bad deal for Berlin. Doing that would have diverted even more ressources from the future Barbarossa. So it's unlikely, but let's assume Hitler made this choice. Gibraltar would have fallen, but several big units are stuck against British-Portugese forces and French were fighting in Northern Morocco and knocking on the door in Western Libya.
One can imagine that Rommel would have been a little more lucky and succeeded to invade Egypt as far as Alexandria and Cairo but was blocked by the Nil River. It's unlikely and the situation is probably as IOTL.
The USSR was not well prepared and wouldn't have lauched an offensive in 1941. But the peace with Japan in Far East would have allowed it to prepare actively. The best time would have been the winter 1941-42, taking advantage of the firm soils and better preparation of soviet units to the extreme cold, the objective being to invade Poland before the rasputitsa (even if less disabling than in Ukraine or Belarus).
Taking advantage of the Japanese attack on PH and the entry into the war of the United States, the USSR would have likely obtained benefit of the Lend Lease as for IOTL.
In early 1942, Torch would have been a gentleman's agreement as soon as British stayed out of FNA (
Mers-el-Kébir oblige). The game between De Gaulle and Noguès or Giraud would have been more chalenging for the former.
In late 1941, the situation is as follow:
- The BoB is over but the LW lost twice as many planes and crews as IOTL.
- The Allies take advantage of the Azores to have an air cover troughout the whole convoy routes reducing the efficiency of the Uboots.
- In Portugal, the combat rages and Lisbon is threatened but the weakeness of the railroads and roads limits the operations.
- USA and Canada stopped all supplies, especially petrol, to Spain putting the burden on Germany.
- Gibraltar has fallen into German-Spanish hands.
- In Morocco, French are slowly gaining the upper hand over the Spanish and are approaching Ceuta and Mellila after seizing Tangier.
- In Tunisia, there are no real fighting but lots of Italian troups must stay on the border.
The rest as IOTL.
In December 1941, Zhukov launch its offensive against the Germans but failed to surprise them and the front holds firm, even in Hungary or Romania, despite the huge Soviet numerical superiority. Ploesti oil fields are heavily bombed. German counter-attacks make some progress and Russian units are encircled or destroyed. On the Finnish theater, it's a stalemate. The air superiority is highly disputed.
January see the "Dunkirk on the Tage", reembarkment of the BEF in Portugal.
In March 1942, the Germans advance in Soviet Union, seizing Riga, treatening Minsk and Kiyv, was blocked on the Staline Line. On the Southern front, they didn't cross the Prut river. All operations went gradually to a stop as the thaw made the roads impassable.
Operation Torch takes place in February and in April the French and the American launch a big attack on Libya from Tunisia. US units didn't achive much, but on the southern side of the front, French encircle Italian and the race for Tripoli was on. With the threat on his rear, Rommel has to retraite from the Gazala line.
At the end of May, the Red Army and the Wehrmacht resume their operations...
