Discussion/ Debate - WW II Commanders

Discussion in 'General' started by History Buff, Jul 24, 2006.

  1. History Buff

    History Buff Junior Member

    If I may I would like to open a debate/discussion on WW2 Commanders ?

    Which commander do you think could be regarded as a 'great' leader ?

    I have numerous leaders that I could put forward, but in the first instance I would like to put forward a german general whom I feel would make it into my top five - Albert Kesselring!

    He did a sterling job in Italy, keeping the Allies pinned back for months with his strategy - if only he had been on our side :rolleyes:

    For those members whom may not be familiar with Kesselring here follows a short biography

    Albert Kesselring (August 8, 1881 - July 16, 1960) was a German Generalfeldmarschall who commanded Army Group C during World War II. One of the most respected and skillful German generals, he was nicknamed "Smiling Albert" or "smiling Kesselring".

    Kesselring was born in Marktsteft, Bavaria Germany, on 8 August 1881.
    He joined the German Army in 1904 and became an officer cadet in the 2nd Bavarian Foot Artillery Regiment at Metz. He served on various divisional and corps staffs in World War I. After various staff and troop assignments, he was assigned as administrative chief to the Reich Air Ministry. He became a Freemason during this time, and remained one until his death. Kesselring remained in this position until June 1936, when he was assigned as chief of the Luftwaffe (air force) General Staff.

    In the Polish campaign, Kesselring commanded 1st Air Fleet and later in 1940 2nd Air Fleet in France. During the Battle of Britain he almost succeeded in defeating the RAF. In December 1941, Kesselring was appointed as Commander-in-Chief South with command of all Luftwaffe units in the Mediterranean and North African theaters. In late 1943 he was redesignated as Commander-in-Chief Southwest with nominal command of all German armed forces in Italy, where he led a brilliant twenty-month-long campaign of defence up the peninsula. Kesselring was transferred to Germany as Commander-in-Chief West in March 1945, and later designated as Commander-in-Chief South. He was taken prisoner at Saalfelden on 6 May 1945.

    In 1947, the Allies tried him for the shootings of partisans by troops under his command. He was found guilty and sentenced to death. This sentence caused much controversy and protest, as the evidence of Kesselring's complicity in the executions was tenuous. In his memoirs Kesselring claims that many of these shootings were carried out by communist partisans in German uniforms, while others were carried out by the SS, over which he had no authority. Kesseling succeeded in keeping Rome an open city, avoiding the destruction of many artisticly important Italian cities, including Rome, Florence, Sienna and Orvieto. Kesselring was reprieved and released from prison in 1952 in consideration of his ill health.
    He died at Bad Nauheim, West Germany, in 1960 at the age of 79.
    His memoirs are entitled Soldat bis zum letzten Tag ("A soldier to the last day").

    If you have a commander in mind that you believe is worth mentioning please post your thoughts on them

    Hopefully we can make this thread an enjoyable read for fellow members ;)

    Kind Regards

    History Buff
     
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    No hesitation in nominating Viscount Alanbrooke (Alan Francis Brooke).
    In my opinion Second only to Churchill in securing the survival of Great britain and of absolutely primary importance in the continued cooperation between the allied powers.
    A magnificent CIGS from '41 onwards who had a calming and intelligent hand in almost every aspect of the Strategic planning for WW2, one of the few people who when barked at by Churchill could bark back, massively stressed by the job of CIGS he soldiered on, even when passed over for Command of the Nornmandy invasion in favour of Eisenhower.
    Of Churchill, who he found enormously difficuilt, he said:
    "Without him England was lost for a certainty, with him England has been on the verge of disaster time and again."
    Top Bloke.
     
  3. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    Field Marshal Viscount Bill Slim.

    He led the "Forgotten" 14th Army in Burma to victory over terrain, disease, lack of supplies, squabbling seniors, and the Japanese. With a whole corps surrounded at Imphal and Kohima, he didn't lose his nerve...or his common touch.
     
  4. mahross

    mahross Senior Member

    Have to agree with Alanbrooke and Slim. However, another British Army General who deserves recognition is Major General G P B Roberts. Roberts is considered to be possibly the best British armoured commander in the Second World War and achieved the distinction of being promoted from captain at the start of the war, to major general by the end. At 37 he was also the youngest British major general, and commanded the famous 11th Armoured Division 'the Black Bull' in North West Europe in 1944-45.

    Roberts was born in Quetta, India in 1906 and was educated at Marlborough College and the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He was commissed to the Royal Tank Corps in 1926. He was posted to Egypt with the Royal Tanks Corps from 1928-31.

    Roberts was an instructor at the Tank Driving and Maintenance School at Bovington, Dorset from 1933-37. He was again posted to Egypt from 1938-39.

    Roberts commanded the "Desert Rats" immediately after the war's end until their disbandment in January 1948. He then became Director of the Royal Armoured Corps and retired from the Army in September 1949. His book From the Desert to the Baltic is an account of all his wartime battles. He was probably the only British armoured commander who I think would have been at home commanding a Soviet Tank Army.

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    In terms of airmen I think Acting Air Vice Marsahl Broadhurst ranks amongst the best. Harry Broadhurst, known throughout the RAF as 'Broady', became one the 'characters' of the RAF in WW2 as well it's youngest Air Vice Marshal when he took command of the Western Desert Air Force. Having attended Portsmouth Grammar School from 1915, he left to become an articled pupil to a surveyor. In 1925, prevented joining the RAF by his father; a retired Army officer, he joined the Territorial Army. Here he was able to get his CO to sign his application for secondment to the RAF in October 1926, as he was still under age at the time. In 1931 he was 'Mentioned in Dispatches' for operations on the North West Frontier. Back in Britain he joined No 41 Squadron at Northolt flying the Bristol Bulldog, where his reputation began to grow with the excellent team and solo aerobatics displays he performed at the Hendon Pageants. He was also recognized as a fine marksman, winning the Sassoon Trophy (for air-to-air firing) three years in a row.

    Joining No 19 Sqn in 1934 he quickly continued to build his reputation as a great leader when he led the squadron's display team of five Bulldogs. In 1936 the squadron re-equipped with the Gloster Gauntlet and he continued to lead the squadron's display team with this latest aircraft. On 29 November 1939, Harry Broadhurst opened 111's WW2 score when he spotted an Heinkel 111 behind a cloud bank. Giving chase he closed to 500 yards when the bomber dived for cloud but Broadhurst maintained the chase, silenced the ventral gunner, closed to 150 yards and sent the Heinkel spiralling into the ground.

    Promoted to Wing Commander in early 1940 he was given command of the new fighter station at Coltishall in Norfolk. However, with no squadrons stationed there, when a call for experienced squadron commanders to go to France was put out, he volunteered and found himself dropping a rank in command of No 85 Squadron. Reporting to his Wing Commander, Wg Cdr Jack Boret, he found that the Wingco had suffered a nervous breakdown and therefore he found himself back as a Wing Commander in command of No 60 (Fighter) Wing. On his return from France, he was asked by ACM Sir Hugh Dowding to tour airfields in No's 12 and 13 Groups to talk to the pilots about the lessons being learnt over France, following which he was appointed Station Commander at RAF Wittering. He was heavily involved in the Battle of Britain often flying with the squadrons under his command, both day and night fighter units. Moving to command the Hornchurch Sector, he continued to fly on operations but on 4 July 1941, his WW2 career could have almost come an end. Leading 54 Squadron, he was involved in a number of skirmishes with Bf109's, downing two when he himself was hit and his aircraft badly damaged. Recovering from a spin at 1,000ft he decided to attempt the flight home but over Cap Griz Nez he was hit again, this time by flak. However, he managed to coax his Spitfire back to base executing a prefect belly landing. His final claims were made on 19 August 1941, bringing his total aerial victories to 13 destroyed, seven probables and 10 damaged.

    Further promotion to Group Capt saw him move to HQ No 11 Group as Deputy SASO, where he was responsible for fighter operations and training. During this period he was also sent on a liaison mission to the USA on behalf of his AOC, Trafford Leigh-Mallory. Late in 1942 he moved overseas to the Middle East, initially supernumerary to George Beamish but soon afterwards replacing Beamish as SASO of the Desert Air Force. Not long afterwards, he replaced his own commander, 'Mary' Coningham on the latter's appointment as Commander in Chief, Northwest African Tactical Air Forces. Whilst in the Desert he managed to commandeer a captured Fiesler Storch communications aircraft, which painted in British markings, he used for touring the units under his command.

    With the build up of forces for Overlord, he was selected as one of the Group Commanders for the newly formed 2 Tactical Air Force. As such he and his wings were amongst the first units of the AEAF to operate from the continent. He continued to use the Storch to visit his forward units taking full advantage of it's STOL capability. However, his personal means of transport came to a somewhat ignominious end in early 1945 when he suffered an engine failure on taking off from Evere. Trying to land the aircraft on the nearest available area, the roof of a hanger, his efforts were dashed when the roof collapsed, the hanger having previously been gutted by fire, resulting in the destruction of the Storch. Fortunately when the crowd of officers who had been seeing their AOC off arrived on the scene they found Harry Broadhurst uninjured and standing next to the aircraft.

    In 1956, with the introduction of the V-Bombers and the rapid response needed to effect a creditable deterrent, it was decided to staff Bomber Command with personnel having some ex-Fighter Command experience. Harry Broadhurst therefore found himself appointed AOC in C, tasked with creating a force capable of reacting rapidly in the event of a nuclear attack. In Oct 1956 it was decided to show off Britain's latest V-Bomber, the Vulcan, by sending one on a world tour. As AOC in C, Harry Broadhurst took part as the co-pilot. After a successful tour the aircraft, XA897, ran into fog on it's return to Britain, but instead of diverting to a different airfield, the pilot elected to attempt a landing at Heathrow where the reception party was laid on. Unfamiliar with Heathrow which was not the large airfield it is today, the aircraft landed short ripping off it's undercarriage. The pilot and Broadhurst were able to eject but unfortunately the remaining four crew members perished in the ensuing crash. A year later, Broadhurst was again in the co-pilot's seat of a Vulcan captained by Wg Cdr F L Dodd, OC - No 230 OCU. Taking off from Waddington at 2:30pm they touched down in Naples at 4:37pm having covered the 1,121 miles in 1 hour 50 minutes at an average speed of 615 mph. Another aspect of Broadhurst's tenure as AOC in C, was the introduction of the Quick Reaction Alert, in which V-Bombers were held at readiness and capable of being airborne within four minutes of receiving the 'scramble' signal. Just a little bit about this amazing airman who has been overshadowed by Conningham.

    Ross
     
  5. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    I'll agree with Pip Roberts...he wasan unknown but formidable commander.
     
  6. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    I would like to put forward Hermann Balck, described as one of Germany's finest Field Commanders. Starting the war as a major he fought under Guderianand was awarded a Knights Cross for holding a bridge north of Sedan in 1940. He fought on all fronts and quickly rose to commanding 48th Pzr Corps during the relief operation to break through to Stalingrad. His tactics of moving his men without a break even at night ensured that they were always capable of defeating Soviet Formations many times stronger than their own.

    He rose to command Army Group G in 1944 facing Patton and causing him some trouble around Metz.

    He fought on both the Eastern and Western Fronts and unlike many of his counterparts he was a success at all levels and fought as a major, Colonel and eventually General. He was indeed a formidable foe
     
  7. Wise1

    Wise1 There We Are Then

    Field Marshal Viscount Bill Slim.

    He led the "Forgotten" 14th Army in Burma to victory over terrain, disease, lack of supplies, squabbling seniors, and the Japanese. With a whole corps surrounded at Imphal and Kohima, he didn't lose his nerve...or his common touch.

    I agree with Slim, great character and leader.
     
  8. Gerard

    Gerard Seelow/Prora

    I would also concur that Slim was a brilliant and able commander. In fact I would go as far as to say that he was the British Army's finest General of the Second World War (obviously thats just my humble opinion of course!)
     
  9. Kiwiwriter

    Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member

    I would like to put forward Hermann Balck, described as one of Germany's finest Field Commanders. Starting the war as a major he fought under Guderianand was awarded a Knights Cross for holding a bridge north of Sedan in 1940. He fought on all fronts and quickly rose to commanding 48th Pzr Corps during the relief operation to break through to Stalingrad. His tactics of moving his men without a break even at night ensured that they were always capable of defeating Soviet Formations many times stronger than their own.

    He rose to command Army Group G in 1944 facing Patton and causing him some trouble around Metz.

    He fought on both the Eastern and Western Fronts and unlike many of his counterparts he was a success at all levels and fought as a major, Colonel and eventually General. He was indeed a formidable foe


    Balck was quite outstanding. Good choice.
     

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