Removed the Vichy French as a threat pretty handily too. From what I've heard that was a sore point between the British and the French for long years after the war. Is that a thing of the past now or is it still an incident that rankles?

Hey, I admire the hell outa ABC. He got the job brilliantly.
I wonder, why is it that the Brits have one giant shining star in Navy, and Army both? Monty and ABC ...

Oh I certainly meant no disrespect. I know for a fact that ABC agonized terribly over firing on the Vichy ships, and gave them every option to get out out of it. I was just curious whether that episode has faded into memory now or not.

I don't believe that anyone holds anything against Britain for destroying any toys of Vichy France, Hitler's puppet government. Considering how vengeful the French were towards any and all collaberators with the Germans, a Frenchman is perhaps more likely to praise the move than anybody else. Cunningham deserves full marks for his opperations in the Med and subsequently throughout the rest of the war.

The Italian Fleet was huge and yet accomplished almost nothing in World War II. I'd love to add an Italian commander, but how can you justify it? Two of the largest fleets were far less active throughout WW2 than they could have been. Russia at least has a decent excuse.

Ah but from what I remember when I was in Germany in the '70s the French did not see it as "toys of Vichy France". They saw it as the French Navy - which weren't toys as they included several battleships and heavy cruisers. There were still bad feelings at that time but it's been another 30 years since then now and I wonder whether the feelings are gone now or not. Perhaps still there but maybe only with the older generation.

Originally Posted by Charge_7

Ah but from what I remember when I was in Germany in the '70s the French did not see it as "toys of Vichy France". They saw it as the French Navy - which weren't toys as they included several battleships and heavy cruisers. There were still bad feelings at that time but it's been another 30 years since then now and I wonder whether the feelings are gone now or not. Perhaps still there but maybe only with the older generation.

Well that is incomprehensibly stupid! If you're going to publicly flog women who you are pretty certain slept with German soldiers, but get all bent out of shape and offended by the destruction of the actual weapons of war that absolutely were being used by the Axis against Britain ... eh, nevermind. I'm likely to say something that might offend someone from France.

I had to go with Raymond Spruance because he was the man who made the great decisions during the battles(and also ordered his ships lit on June 5th- at a much more perilous time of the war than 1944 but doesn't get the credit that Jocko Clark and Mitscher do.) I believe that one of the reasons that he fought the Battle of the Phillipine Sea in the manner that he did had to do with the disfavor that Kelly Turner had fallen into with the Marines for withdrawing the transports at Guadalcanal. Spruance could have ordered Turner to pull out, depriving the Japanese of their targets and operating more aggressively but I believe that he did not want Admiral Turner to be subjected to more criticism- not to mention the fact that he believed that he could win the Battle anyway that he fought.Much as I admire Admiral Nimitz, Midway was fought between Adms Fletcher and Spruance and Nagumo and Yamaguchi(who could have been the greatest Japanese Admiral had HE commanded at Pearl Harbor and or Midway) E-4 USMC JWC

Is yamamoto the admiral who ordered the attack on pearl harbor

Yes, he was

I hope this doesn't try anyone's patience but I believe that Admiral Nimitz is more comparable to Genera Eisenhower in terms of strategic planning and therefore is much more difficult to grade. The Battle of Midway was in one senseAdms Yamamota vs Nimitz on the strategic level- Yamamota's plan pitted againt Nimitz' counterplan- but it was fought by Adms Nagumo and Kondo and Yamaguchi vs Adms Fletcher and Spruance. No one seriously would suggest that the triumphs of Patton's Third Army should be credited to Eisenhower and I feel the same standards should also apply to the Naval arena. Ican only remember one instance where Adm Nimitz interjected himself into an actual campaign and that was at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. None of this is meant to belittle the accomplishments of Admiral Nimitz- it's just a further explanation and hopefully will encourage more debate on what I feel is an interesting thread.