In OTL Hitler was not enthusiastic about having Italian participation in Operation Barbarossa based on what had happened in North Africa and Greece. Nevertheless there was an Italian Expedition Corps (CSIR) consisting of two semimotorized divisions and the 3rd Cavalry Division. This corps was assigned to Army Group South. It ended performing better than the Germans expected (for one thing Messe was one of the few competent Italian generals). As a result Hitler in 1942 demanded a larger Italian contribution which became the Eighth Army.
My WI is twofold. The first is Hitler is a little bit more positive at the beginning and as a result gets a CSIR that also includes the other two Italian cavalry divisions. The second divergence that it is sent to Army Group North not Army Group South. As a (somewhat) mobile force I see it being subordinated to Fourth Panzer Group. Now I am usually highly skeptical of Dash to Leningrad Scenarios (their chance of success being slightly higher than Sea Lion) but now Hoepner has 11 not 6 mobile divisions to play with. In the dense forests and swamps of the Baltics cavalry would often prove to be more mobile than the Great Almighty Tank (all bow before the Great Almighty Tank!). I would see Hoepner moving the CSIR to the right to provide the needed flank protection leaving the rest of the panzer group to concentrate on thrusting through Pskov-Luga-Krasnovardiesk.
Yes there are still the formidable logistical problems that the Dash to Leningrad entails.
My WI is twofold. The first is Hitler is a little bit more positive at the beginning and as a result gets a CSIR that also includes the other two Italian cavalry divisions. The second divergence that it is sent to Army Group North not Army Group South. As a (somewhat) mobile force I see it being subordinated to Fourth Panzer Group. Now I am usually highly skeptical of Dash to Leningrad Scenarios (their chance of success being slightly higher than Sea Lion) but now Hoepner has 11 not 6 mobile divisions to play with. In the dense forests and swamps of the Baltics cavalry would often prove to be more mobile than the Great Almighty Tank (all bow before the Great Almighty Tank!). I would see Hoepner moving the CSIR to the right to provide the needed flank protection leaving the rest of the panzer group to concentrate on thrusting through Pskov-Luga-Krasnovardiesk.
Yes there are still the formidable logistical problems that the Dash to Leningrad entails.