Best Generals(s) Ww2

Discussion in 'General' started by spidge, Aug 10, 2005.

  1. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    I had not come across this topic with a quick browse however many members would have an interesting opinion. Some from first hand experience, to most who have read and studied many from different countries.

    This does include all of that rank name of General or the country equivalent or higher. (eg Field Marshall etc)

    It may or may not be Monty, Patton or Rommel but someone you personally admire for a particular reason or someone that was outstanding who died or was killed early in the conflict.

    Look forward to some interesting views.


    Geoff
     
  2. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    I like Bill Slim...bulldog tough, spoke the six languages of his polyglot army, got along with incredible personalities like Mountbatten, Stilwell, Chennault, Chiang, and Wingate, rose from the ranks, defeated the Japanese with the "Forgotten Army."
     
  3. Dac

    Dac Senior Member

    I think General Richard O'Connor doesn't get the recognition he deserves. With only a corps of around 30,000 men he defeated an Italian army of 250,000 in Nov 1940. If not not for his capture in North Africa in 1941, he probably would have gone on to much greater things.
     
  4. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    I like Bill Slim.

    AKA Uncle Bill Slim.

    it was once said of him that he never forgot the smell of a soliders boots, which caused him to ensure that his troops at every level he commanded had the best equipment and more importatly training.

    My choice is Slim and Wingate

    There is also, Dorman-smith, a great military thinker and who started the idea to attack individual Italian units, he also drew up the plan for El Alamain which Montys staff dusted off and rewrote.

    Sadly, he fell foul of the army establishment aidded by Churchill and ended his days a lt Col after being busted from his rank of Lt gen
     
  5. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    On the Allied Side I would also choose Slim for the reasons given above. People tend to forget about the campaigns in Burma but Slims rebuilding of the army and his fight against the Japanese is admirable.

    Hugh Dowding would also be another commander I admire, especially for the way he led Fighter Command during England's Finest Hour.


    On the Axis side I would nominate the General whose name I chose for my Avatar, Gotthard Heinrici. Although not a general to garner headlines he was a master of Defensive Tactics and his leadership of the 4th Army in Dec 1941 was brilliiant.

    Kesselring for his defense of Italy for 2 years deserves mention too.
     
  6. TheRedBaron

    TheRedBaron Junior Member

    I agree with Slim... One of Britains most forgotten generals.

    On the German side...

    Kurt Student for the remarkable work he did in founding the Fallschirmtruppe and imbuing its sense of 'Esprit Du Corps'.

    Heinz Guderian for his work in panzer development.
     
  7. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    My vote goes to Slim also.

    There is a difference between leadership and management. The leader and the men who follow him represent one of the oldest, most natural and most effective of all human relationships. The manager and those he manages are a later product with neither so romantic nor so inspiring a history. Managers are necessary, leaders are essential.
    Field Marshal, Sir William Slim
    Australian Army Journal, November 1957


    Field-Marshal, The Viscount Slim, KG, GCB, GCMG, GCVO, GRE, DSO, MC.
    Slim was the epitome, or if you like the quintessential professional soldier. His charisma and energy for the job at hand was admired by those who fought with and for him.

    Commissioned as an officer (2nd Lieutenant) in the Royal Warwichshire Regiment in 1914, he was badly wounded at Gallipoli and fought in France & Mesopotamia.

    He commanded all levels from platoon to army group in combat with the exception of battalion. His career was one of selfless service and devotion to duty.

    In the early days of WW2 he was always leading the action commanding the 10th Indian Infantry Brigade against the Italians in Eritrea and the Sudan (1940-1941), then the 10th Indian Division against Iraqis and Vichy French in Syria (1941).

    He was appointed commander of Burma Corps, and then XV Corps. Slim assumed command of the Fourteenth Army in February 1944 with an offensive toward Arakan. By June 1944, Slim's "Forgotten Army" had decisively won the Imphal / Kohima battle restoring allied prestige, and proceeded to recaptured Burma. At war’s end, Slim was commanding Allied Land Forces, South East Asia.

    His humble background, and lead from the front attitude inspired his troops and gained him unreserved respect. His Military career was fulfilled when his appointment in 1948 as Chief of the Imperial General Staff, the first Indian Army officer ever to serve as the professional head of the British Army.

    He was also Governor General of Australia whilst still being a serving Field Marshal and a Knight.
     
  8. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    Hugh Dowding would also be another commander I admire, especially for the way he led Fighter Command during England's Finest Hour.


    I would agree with that. i used to like keith park, but after his handling of the muntiny at Seletar in 1845, then any respect for him was lost.
     
  9. Gnomey

    Gnomey World Travelling Doctor

    Originally posted by morse1001@Aug 11 2005, 08:24 PM

    Hugh Dowding would also be another commander I admire, especially for the way he led Fighter Command during England's Finest Hour.



    I would agree with that. i used to like keith park, but after his handling of the muntiny at Seletar in 1845, then any respect for him was lost.
    [post=37630]Quoted post[/post]


    Would that not be 1945 morse?

    I agree Slim was a great General and I have great admiration for Hugh Dowding who masterminded the RAF's 'victory' in the Battle of Britain. Then there were others who had most of the attention such as Patton, Eisenhower, Monty, Zhukhov (sp?) and Rommel who all had an impact on the course of the war and it would have been different if they hadn't have been there to shape it. Also not to forget Yamamoto who masterminded Pearl Harbour. Most of the belligerents in WW2 made great Generals who are widely respected in their own countries but not so much elsewhere.
     
  10. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    Would that not be 1945 morse?

    nemo mortalium, omnibus horris sappit! yes its 1945!
     
  11. Gibbo

    Gibbo Senior Member

    When I saw the title of this thread I thought that I'd come on to it & be really original by nominating Dowding & Slim rather than the more obvious candidates. However, I'd not allowed for the depth of knowledge on this forum.

    Dowding would be my no. 1. He had to fight a new type of battle & devised the system as well as implementing it superbly. There was little scope for him to get away with any mistakes & he doesn't seem to have made any. He had enough resources to win but only just enough. He commanded the respect & admiration of his men because of his ability & actions rather than as a result of flamboyant gestures or an extrovert personality; he was very reserved & nicknamed "Stuffy" by his peers.

    If general means land forces commander then I can only reiterate Spidge's comments in favour of Slim.

    Since I've named a soldier & an airman, I'll also nominate a sailor, namely Chester Nimitz. He adapted quickly to major changes in the way that naval warfare was fought & succesfully integrated submarines, aircraft & surface ships. He was a skilful diplomat, which was necessary in WW2, especially when he had to co-operate with MacArthur.
     
  12. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Originally posted by Gibbo@Aug 12 2005, 09:01 PM
    When I saw the title of this thread I thought that I'd come on to it & be really original by nominating Dowding & Slim rather than the more obvious candidates. However, I'd not allowed for the depth of knowledge on this forum.


    If general means land forces commander then I can only reiterate Spidge's comments in favour of Slim.

    Actually Gibbo I did mean land forces and "General" in that context however I omitted the word Land.........my apologies.

    My intention was to run it through in series ...Land... Sea... Air as I also feel there are some good responses to be gleaned from the members here.
     
  13. ham and jam 1

    ham and jam 1 Member

    Ive always liked Admiral Sir William Tennant

    Andy
     
  14. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Originally posted by ham and jam@Aug 13 2005, 04:28 AM
    Ive always liked Admiral Sir William Tennant

    Andy
    [post=37670]Quoted post[/post]

    Yes good choice. The "Saviour" at Dunkirk and the "Logistics Angel" for DDay.
     
  15. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    There is also Sir Arthur Harris who was described as being the best general britain never had in ww2
     
  16. colinhotham

    colinhotham Senior Member

    Once again, Montgomery and Patton. They got the job done!
     
  17. spidge

    spidge RAAF RESEARCHER

    Originally posted by morse1001@Aug 13 2005, 05:28 PM
    There is also Sir Arthur Harris who was described as being the best general britain never had in ww2
    [post=37681]Quoted post[/post]


    He was given a job to do and did it thoroughly, albeit at enormous cost to aircrews, civilians and aircraft.

    In hindsight the loss of over 57,000 aircrew was a devastatingly high ratio. While in excess of 600,000 civilians died, the german war machine and their ability to manufacture was also devastated.

    A proportionately higher number of allied ground forces would have been killed as the war IMHO would have definitely gone on for a longer period of time.
     
  18. morse1001

    morse1001 Very Senior Member

    n hindsight the loss of over 57,000 aircrew was a devastatingly high ratio.

    The rate dropped after Harris took over command , even as a group commander, he did what he could to help his aircrew survive. To this end, he got a much better gun mount made fot the hampdens and latter when he was AOC, he got better turrets fitted to all bombers.
     
  19. bigd

    bigd Junior Member

    Originally posted by colinhotham@Aug 13 2005, 03:22 AM

    Once again, Montgomery and Patton. They got the job done!
    [post=37684]Quoted post[/post]

    montgomery gets pops for rejecting
    the dieppe invasion as a bad idea. patton for beating montgomery in sicily.
     

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