Favorite WW2 Commander-Vote Dammit :)

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#41

Then Slim relates at one critical point in the retreat in a jungle clearing he came across a unit which was in a bad way. “I took one look at them and thought “My God, they’re worse than I supposed.” then I saw why. I walked round the corner of that clearing and I saw officers making themselves a bivouac. They were just as exhausted as their men, but that isn’t my point. Officers are there to lead. I tell you, therefore, as officers, that you will neither eat, nor drink, nor sleep, nor smoke, nor even sit down until you have personally seen that your men have done those things. If you will do this for them, they will follow you to the end of the world. And, if you do not, I will break you.”

This is why he is one of the best.

#42

That quote should be read by all officers every single morning.

#43

Another one I would suggest is Omar Bradley, I understand tha he was very much liked by his soldiers for his modest ways.

Jan

#44

How about Cpt Johnny Walker, It’s easy to forget that the longest and most decisive engagement of WW2 was the battle of the Atlantic (1939-1945)
Mjr Orde Wingate DSO, a commander who really knew how to think outside the box. Operating with niether front line or rear and with re-supply by air only. His opperations in Burma may not have led to stregic gains but the effect on the moral of the Japanese soldier was a turning point in the far east.

#45

Slim, now he sounds like a really good cammander. Not following the usuall tactics of the time, he created his own unique offensive, his plans worked almost perfectly.

more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Slim%2C_1st_Viscount_Slim

#46

Edited the poll so it will be continous. Rommel won the first round.

#47

rommel rules

#48

Patton defeated Rommel with green troops, the American military had not been in combat since November 1918. Rommel had been fighting through North Africa and had the elite Afrika Korps behind him. Not to mention Rommel didn’t have to deal with the Sherman tank. And after all Patton’s army made the fastest largest advance in all of history. And Patton killed two of Pancho Villa’s guards with a Colt SAA, after his men had all missed with their Springfields.

#49

I wil have to vote for guderian. The whole reason why ww2 was filled with tanks was because of him. He also gave germany all their tank tactics.

#50

Montgomery and Patton both had very good PR and were both their own greatest fan. Personally this puts me off. Montgomerry’s greatest achievement was El Alamain (sp?) he waited until he had built up enough reserves and logistics so that he could not have failed. This was commendable as he managed to stave off political pressure to attack when most other commanders would have bent. However in Normandy I think he was not exaclty too cautious but to deliberate and attritional. Patton on the other hand was more opportunist and aggresive and this paid off in France and at the Rhine. Having said that if Patton had commanded the 8th Army in Africa he probably would have attacked too early and come unstuck.
I think Slim will always be the British Army’s favourite General.

Romel was agood general but Guderian, Manstein and Kesslering (who was air force btw) were all better than him IMHO.

#51

I knew Kesselring was in the Air Force but why was he commanding troops in Italy??? Dont get me wrong it was a wise decision. He was probably one of the best defensive Generals the Germans had.

#52

I think one of the best naval commanders of the war has to be Yamamato. Yamamato(i hope i’ve spelled this right) knew he couldn’t win the pacific war with japan’s navy even though it was good it had some vital flaws those being lack of supplies for one. Even though all this hindered him the attack on pearl harbour was (unfortunately) very well planned and was apple to disable part of the 7th fleet for a while giving him enough time to achieve some successes before the full weight of the American industrial complex could be brought to bear.

#53

And then he was shot down by a squadron of P-38’s while in his transport plane…

My favorite naval commander was long dead by WWII, Lord Horatio Nelson :stuck_out_tongue:

#54

Well of course Nelson, the greatest naval commander to have lived. And just to show off he beat those damn frenchies with only one eye, one arm and whilst dying. Top form! :smiley:

#55

Ok, pedantry time, but I’m a major Nelson fan.
He always had two eyes.
He was blinded in one (the right) but never lost it. Wore a shade on occasion, never a patch.
And trivia time too :)…he lost his arm and his sight in land battles, not at sea.

(edit for spelling)

#56

Ok, pedantry time, but I’m a major Nelson fan.
He always had two eyes.
He was blinded in one (the right) but never lost it. Wore a shade on occasion, never a patch.
And trivia time too :)…he lost his arm and his sight in land battles, not at sea.

(edit for spelling)[/quote]

Sir, I apologise for my most gevious errors in my facts regarding Nelson. I shall self-flagellate myself and resign my commission(once i get it) forwith.
yours,
Student-scaley KFS, TLA, MIA(bar), Order of the dirty Bath, Lazy student order 1st class, Queens medal for actions against her enemies(ironman)1

#57

Steady lad, steady, you’re in danger of becoming a parody of a parody. :lol:

#58

I have two eyes :roll:

#59

Indeed. Yamamoto - inspired by the British, no less (their 1940 action at Taranto) was certainly very gifted, must have known as soon as he knew the “score” from Pearl Harbor that Japan was, sooner or later, going to get well and truly shafted by the US. When the IJN hit Pearl, they caught lots of ships in port, but not the ones they really wanted - the three fleet carriers stationed there: not one of the three carriers was in port at the time! Instead, they got around a dozen warships, scores if not hundreds of aircraft and a couple of thousand men. A terrible blow to the US, but not the one the Japanese needed.

Given the near irrelevance of the Battleship in the Pacific in WWII, for much more than NGFS, sinking battleships at Pearl wasn’t the knock out blow that sinking the carriers could have been. One does wonder if this was purely good fortune on the part of the Americans, or if more than luck was at play…

But perhaps that’s one for conspiracy theorists rather than right minded people such as ourselves.

#60

Indeed. Yamamoto - inspired by the British, no less (their 1940 action at Taranto) was certainly very gifted, must have known as soon as he knew the “score” from Pearl Harbor that Japan was, sooner or later, going to get well and truly shafted by the US. When the IJN hit Pearl, they caught lots of ships in port, but not the ones they really wanted - the three fleet carriers stationed there: not one of the three carriers was in port at the time! Instead, they got around a dozen warships, scores if not hundreds of aircraft and a couple of thousand men. A terrible blow to the US, but not the one the Japanese needed.

Given the near irrelevance of the Battleship in the Pacific in WWII, for much more than NGFS, sinking battleships at Pearl wasn’t the knock out blow that sinking the carriers could have been. One does wonder if this was purely good fortune on the part of the Americans, or if more than luck was at play…

But perhaps that’s one for conspiracy theorists rather than right minded people such as ourselves.[/quote]

I find it odd that no one has voted for him yet.