most underrated military commanders
 

to copy the 'Most overrated military commanders' i decided to start a 'Most underrated military commanders'-thread.

my choice? Well, i guess it would be Colonel (Oberst) Birger Eriksen, commander of the batteries that sunk the Blücher in the Oslo Fjord

In my country it would be Maurice of Nassau. In almost all foreign books he is described as one of the originaters of the drill and volley fire, but here he is usually glossed over at the expense of his half-brother Frederik. I presume it is because of his dubious role in the Oldenbarnevelt case. Basically he is the one who secured the republic at what I think was the mos critical time, plus he had some nice military exploits. He captured Breda by a Trojan trick, got his army out of winter quarters a couple of times to capture scattered cities who of course werent suspecting it and a couple more things.

Another underrated (at least by the general public) is Slim with his Birma campaign.

In Finland, I would say Colonel Reino Hallamaa. Because of him, the Finnish radio intelligence was very effective and that saved a lot of Finnish soldiers. Red Army was very centralized and they used radio very actively and usually they did exactly what they were told to do in radio. In many occasions, Finnish Army also knew those plans and was able to make some preparations.

For example, during the Winter War, Finnish radio intelligence informed General Hjalmar Siilasvuo, who commanded one infantry division at that moment, that Russian 44th Infantry Division was jammed at Raate Road while 163rd Infantry Division occupied the village of Suomussalmi area. Siilasvuo first defeated 163rd Division and then attacked and crushed 44th Infantry Division.

Van Heutsz....

I definitley agree that Slim is underrated. In particular, his campaign of 1945 was a masterstroke of deception and manoeuvre and operational brilliance.

I would nominate General Sir John Monash, commander of the Australian Corps on the Western Front in 1918. Monash was the Allied commander who finally devised the successful offensive method that allowed the Allies to break the German lines. His "bite and hold" attacks at Hamel on 4 Jul 1918 and Amiens on 8 Aug 1918 were the blueprint used by the rest of the Allied armies for the remainder of the war. They are the first true modern combined arms attacks, integrating the use of close infantry-tank cooperation (the lack of which had been an important cause of the failure at Cambrai), flexible artillery barrages (most barrages in the past had been pre-programmed and the timetable couldn't be changed during the attack to match the progress of the infantry) and effective aerial reconnaissance which when innovateively combined with motorcycle despatch riders to relay the information gained directly back to his headquarters made Monash the very first general in history to control a battle in real time whilst not actually being directly on the field of battle (it was this system that enabled the flexible barrages).

The Amiens Offensive was the one that was famously labelled by Ludendorff as "the black day of the German Army", but I doubt many would be aware that Monash was its architect (and Ludendorff's ultimate nemesis).

Major-General Richard O'Connor, commander of the British/Commonwealth Western Desert Force during Operation Compass and responsible for the complete defeat of the Italian army in Libya. He was the guy that managed multiple encirclements in the desert, including the cutting off of the entire Italian 7th Army around the Libyan curvy bit, until Rommel was eventually transferred to Libya.

(I quote the wiki about him here describing the results of Operation Compass:
In two months, the XIII Corps/Western Desert Force had advanced over 800 miles, destroyed an entire Italian army of 10 divisions, taken over 130,000 prisoners, 400 tanks and 1,292 guns. At the cost of 500 killed and 1,373 wounded. A remarkable military achievement and a true British blitzkrieg. When Wavell and others congradulated O'Connor on this impressive feat, he responded in his usual modest, unassuming manner, "I suppose one could characterize it as a complete victory.")

He was captured by the Italians and spent two years in a prisoner of war camp for senior officers (A kind of 'Club Med' for senior officers) and was an avid escaper. He succeeded in 1943 and commanded multiple divisions in France. In my opinion, O'Connor is one of the most underrated generals of the entire war, given his accomplishments and tactical skill.

Ancient: I want to say Caesar. I know that the public is fascinated with him, but amongst serious military historians he too often gets dismissed as an OK general, brilliant politician. Truth is, he was an all around genius. IMO, up there with Sulla. Not quite as good as Marius, though.

Pre-Modern: Philip II, Augustus. So completely defeated the Germans at the Battle of Bouvines that the continent was quiet for over fifty years.

Early Modern: Radetzy. Greatest Austrian general in the 19th Century. Seems to be overshadowed by Austria's total defeat later on.

Modern: Manteuffel. Greatest of the German defensive generals.

John Singleton Mosby.

i knew you we're going to say that :rolleyes:

Why :D

But yeah, he realy is. He actually hampered the union advances during a long part of the ACW a great deal. Because of him entire brigades had to be diverted to defend railways, roads, towns and bridges while he had no more than 50 men on most occasions.

Commanding 50 men is hardly a justificication for not being underrated ;)

I'd have to say Davout, Marshal of the Empire. Overshadowed by Napoleon obviously, but the man could hold his own and kick major arse at the same time, case in point the Prussians. :D

Philip II of Macedonia. He developed many tactics (like the Phalanx) that would be used by his son Alexander the Great. :)

There wasn't an Italian 7th Army in Libya, it was the 10th Army. And not to take anything away from his achievement, but the "entire" Italian 10th Army wasn't cut of all at once. They were detroyed one part at a time: The first in Egypt around Sidi Barrani, another part in Bardia, one in Tobruk and one at Beda Fomm.

Whatever. I meant the Italian army that was there, I just couldn't remember the exact number, and thought I'd read it as 7th somewhere. Thanks for the info. In any case, he was responsible for the total destruction of the 10th Army, even if it was bit by bit. And the 7th Armoured's cutting off of the 10th Army by driving through the desert to take a shorter route while the Italians retreated along the coast was one of the main factors contributing to the 10th Army's final defeat, which is what I was referring to.

Ziggy Sprague, hero of Leyte Gulf


Spruantz, victor of Midway, overshadowed by Halsey.

Bloody terrorist. ;)

Namesake of Mosby Woods Elementary School. ;)

Italian General Ettore Baldassare, commander of Ariete Armoured Division from April 1941 - May 1942, when he was given command of the XX Motorized Corps. Mortally wounded by an Allied air attack during the battle of Mersa Matruh, he died at 14:00 June 26 after having surrendered command of the corps to General De Stefanis.
Utmost capable and brave, always leading from the front, he's hardly known today. Wasn't even in HOI2 last time I checked.

Philip of Macedonia didn't invent the phalanx, but apart from that I agree.

rgds/EoE

i would say Kirponos, given the constraints under which he was operating.
He may not have turned back the German tide during Barbarossa but i think his performance doesn't get enough credit.

http://www.generals.dk/general/Kirpo...iet_Union.html