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Subject: Best Allied General of WW II
buzzard    7/13/2007 11:24:59 AM
Now in my opinion, the best generals of WW II are German. They did some amazing things which what they had at their disposal.

However I am curious as to whom people think were the best allied generals. Mind you I am specifically naming generals since allowing admirals in would broaden things more than I like. So who's your pick?

While I am a fan of Patton, I doubt he merits this title. I imagine a good case could be made for General Slim in Burma. This would be one example where the allies didn't have a massive material advantage.

buzzard
 
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CJH       7/14/2007 1:16:53 AM

Now in my opinion, the best generals of WW II are German. They did some amazing things which what they had at their disposal.

However I am curious as to whom people think were the best allied generals. Mind you I am specifically naming generals since allowing admirals in would broaden things more than I like. So who's your pick?

While I am a fan of Patton, I doubt he merits this title. I imagine a good case could be made for General Slim in Burma. This would be one example where the allies didn't have a massive material advantage.

buzzard
I would have said Gen. Slim.
But I would credit Patton much. Too often, generals lack aggressiveness even though aggressiveness goes with what they do. General Montgomery would be an example of this lack of aggressiveness. Then there was the general in charge of the forces which had landed at Anzio. He chose to dig in and wait rather than to attack.
 
What is the saying quoted by Paul Carrell - fortune favors the bold?
 
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CJH       7/14/2007 1:19:56 AM
Then there was DeGaul. Was not his book on warfare used by the Germans?
 
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Herald1234       7/14/2007 9:35:59 PM

Now in my opinion, the best generals of WW II are German. They did some amazing things which what they had at their disposal.

However I am curious as to whom people think were the best allied generals. Mind you I am specifically naming generals since allowing admirals in would broaden things more than I like. So who's your pick?

While I am a fan of Patton, I doubt he merits this title. I imagine a good case could be made for General Slim in Burma. This would be one example where the allies didn't have a massive material advantage.

buzzard
Zhukov, Rostossevskiiy, Konev, a few others from the eastern front. Richard O'Connor  for the British, Vandergrift and Holland Smith from the US Marines. Eichelberger, Collins, Patch,  Ridgeway for the US Army. If there were Air Force generals, nobody could touch Spaatz, Doolittle, Kearney , or the mad bomber, himself , Curtis LeMay. Dowding for the RAF and Chennault for the USAAF also deserve mention.

Too bad admirals are excluded, The USN has a galaxy of them; Spruance, the best commander of WW II, PERIOD, Clifton Sprague the second best admiral of WW II, PERIOD. Nimitz, Turner, Barbey, Lee, Oldendorf,  Kincaid, Fitch, Forest and Freddy Sherman , Mitscher, McCain, and the often ignored Charles McMorris. Many of them were better than the usual run of the mill Western admiral. The British had Frazier, Tovey, Cunningham, and Vian, all vastly overrated, but their best naval commander, a true genius, Sir Max Horton, never received the honors he truly deserved.

Neither did the Canadian, Leonard W. Murray.

Picking among the Australians is tough, Vessey, Herring, Mooreshead. I know something about these men, but I don't know enough to have a qualified opinion. Potts?, here was a Australian general I believe unfairly sacked for his successful.actions along the Kokoda trail.  

You want the worst Allied generals of the Second World War.

Famous ones? Bernard Law Montgomery.
Neville Ritchie.
Frederick Fredendall
Douglas MacArthur, when he listened to that son of a bitch, Sutherland
Grigory Kulik of the Soviet Union and Leslie McNair of the US were particularly awful though.

Herald
 
 
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Clackers       11/12/2007 5:23:41 AM
For underperforming Allied generals you might want to add Mark Clark, Herald !  
 
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CJH       8/17/2008 1:00:20 PM
I heard the name Spaatz mentioned as among the best generals.
 
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forvalour       8/18/2008 7:33:29 AM
depends what you want, to stop allies killing each other ike, for armoured manouvere warfare patton, for attrition monty. but overall i agree with slim, little material, few men, apaalling conditions, fanatical enemy and little public support.
 
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