Effective Generals.

U.S.

The Americans had a few, but Fredendall tops the list of combat failures. Gen. J.C.H. ("Jesus Christ Himself") Lee ran Com Z and the Services of Supply for Ike in Europe, and did a lousy job. He filled up Paris with paperchasers, so the dogfaces couldn't get a hotel room when on pass. Lee ran Com Z as a personal and incompetent empire that did not get supplies to the troops...but did get him fresh oranges by C-54 from Algiers every morning. Universally hated.

So J.C.H. Lee is my least favorite.

Also Ghormley (overwhelmed by Guadalcanal), Callaghan (brave but a lousy tactician), Lucas (lacked fire), and Clark (gigantic flying ego).

British:

Cunningham, Ritchie, Percival, Mackesy, Lumsden, Anderson.

Australian:

Gordon Bennett

German:

Paulus (he was NOT a "von"), Sepp Dietrich, Keitel, Kummetz, Goering, Beppo Schmid, Von Roenne.

Japanese:

Kurita, Nishimura.

Soviet:

Budyenny

 

I´ve seen mentions about Monty and Allan Brooke as very good cammanders. No disrespect but what did they do to deserv that? Jsut looking at the prelude to Dunkirk both didnt perform very well and if im not remembering completly wrong they insisted on a plan that would have left the brittish with a front compeltly open. Sure they did some things good but what can be seen as really great?

Ps. Yes Monty turned the tide in North Africa but manu could have don that at the same high casualty rate. And this against a foe with little supply and understranght units.

 

I believe that Monty's reputation was marred by failures such as Market Garden....

The Book "armageddon" totally trashes his reputation as a general however, as well as many other of the allied commanders.

 

Best:
UK - Field Marshal Lord Slim (i know he aint a General)
US - General Marshall
Germany - Field Marshal Karl Rudolf Gerd von Rundstedt
Russia - Major-General Mikhail Ivanovich Zabelin


Worst:
General Mark Clarke (i hated him even then )

 

an excellent choice Owen and indeed ol' Konstantin was a very lucky bugger. He was imprisoned during the purges and this came to the fore later on when he was transferred from the main point of attack on Germany as Stalin did not want him leading the Red Assault on Germany.

 

Best:
UK - Field Marshal Lord Slim (i know he aint a General)



Worst:


Always thought he was a good general until I read about his attitude towards the Chindets.

 

but he seemed to have one aspect of the Alanbrooke style, an ability to select proteges and put them in the right place at the right time

Like, The U.S. commander in Europe, Lieutenant General Frank M. Andrews

Andrews was a strong and vocal proponent of the heavy bomber and advocated the purchase of the Boeing B-17 in large numbers. The Army General Staff disagreed with him and the purchase of limited numbers of B-17s in 1939 and 1940 became known as "Andrews' Folly." The Army believed large numbers of light and medium bombers (in particular, the Douglas B-18) could do a better job than smaller numbers of heavy bombers. The B-18 proved to be an inferior aircraft and by the beginning of 1941, the Army was procuring large numbers of B-17s.

Andrews was assigned as Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations in the summer of 1939, the first airman to head a War Department general staff division working under Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall. In 1941, the general became the theater commander of the Caribbean Defense Command in charge of defending the southern approaches to the United States including the vital Panama Canal. Andrews was also the first airman to command a joint forces overseas command in 1941-42, creating the model for later commands in the Middle East and Europe.

In 1943, he became theater commander of U.S. forces in the European theater of operations, responsible for direction of the American strategic bombing campaign against Germany and planning the land invasion of occupied western Europe.

On May 3, 1943, while on an inspection tour of his command, his B-24 crashed while attempting to land at the Royal Air Force Base at Kaldadarnes, Iceland. Andrews and 13 others were killed in the crash. Only the tail gunner survived.

 

British:
Cunningham, Ritchie, Percival, Mackesy, Lumsden, Anderson.


While it would be hard to argue that both Cunningham and Ritchie didn't fail as GOCs 8th Army, I find it a bit hard to include them both in a list of bad British commanders.

Though off course a matter of opinion but I have always thought that Cunningham conducted himself excellent in East Africa, and while some will argue that it was against the Italians, I think that his resources and logistical problems should be taken into considerations, and then I think that he performed very well. As I said he did fail as GOC 8th Army, but I have always felt that his superiors Auchinleck and Dill/Churchill must take their share of the blame for Cunningham failing. Cunningham was forced into an offensive, which were already in preparation when he took over the command, and so he had little chance of familiarise himself with a new theatre and enforce his own authority and ideas on the plan. This was naturally very different from the circumstances that another general encountered when he took over the command almost exact a year later.

Regarding Ritchie I think it is a bit unfair to judge him on his command the 8th Army (if you do?). There is in my mind no doubt that Auchinleck promoted him above his ceiling, but he turned out to be a very competent corps commander in NW Europe.

Regarding Alanbrook I can only agree with what Owen D and Von Poop has already said. In my opinion he was the most formidable soldier of WW2. Beside what has already been said about his period as CIGS, one should not forget his period as CinC Home Forces in the most crucial period of the British Army's history. I know that is wasn't a frontline command, but his work here did play an important part in the British success 1942 and forward.

Regarding Montgomery then it has sadly become very popular to take a stab at him and Market Garden is constantly brought up. This plan had it flaws like any other plan, but I fail to see how this can be used to discredit his whole successful career. I do whish critics would take the time to take a closer look at his complete ww2 career and not just only short periods, and then I think that they would become convinced of his enormous contribution to the Allied war effort.

Best
Russia - Major-General Mikhail Ivanovich Zabelin


I am a bit puzzle by what qualifies the CoS of 20th Guards Rifle Corps to be include here????

Always thought he was a good general until I read about his attitude towards the Chindets.


How does his attitude towards the Chindits disqualify him as a good general?

 

How does his attitude towards the Chindits disqualify him as a good general?

it does in my book, before it he could do no wrong but he made a muck up and promotoed the wrong person. He also changed his story after the war for his book.

 

it does in my book, before it he could do no wrong but he made a muck up and promotoed the wrong person. He also changed his story after the war for his book.

Sorry - who are you refering to?

 

So which Military commander of General Rank and above, axis or allied made the greatest contribution to their nations war effort?



Any service?

For me, after reading alot about the air war in SE Asia and Burma, Air Chief Marshal Sir Richard Edmund Charles Peirse, for amazing handling of the extremely scarce resources made available to the RAF during most of the war.

Unfortunately, mucked up his career a wee bit by eloping with Auchinleck's wife (oops).

R E C Peirse_P

 

Sorry - who are you refering to?


Field Marshall Lord Slim of Burma

 

I am a bit puzzle by what qualifies the CoS of 20th Guards Rifle Corps to be include here????

so am i actually, i couldn't think of many Russian generals so i just selected a random one. I think his career was quite good though...

 

For me there is the greatest candidate, that is Monty. Not popular. but a great tactician. and completely ruthless. Anyone in any doubt as to his ability should have come along with me as we travelled up through the Falaise pocket. There were all the signs of an utterly ruthless and bloody clever general and one that took Normandy ten days ahead of schedule.
Sapper

 

Field Marshall Lord Slim of Burma

Sorry - I meant who was the wrong man that he promoted?