Most underated?

I have an unbelieveable amount of respect for Otto, but I hardly consider him unsung/unknown. Also it is true that Konev is overshadowed, but Doppleganger is 100% correct in that he can't be compared to the likes of Guderian. Plus Skorzeny was a major wasn't he? But speaking of Otto, how about the illustrious Josef “Sepp” Dietrich?
 
I go along with Dowding and Kiwi Air Vice Marshal Keith Park, commander of 11th fighter group, as often overlooked for their great effort in the battle of Britain.

But the Germans had next to no chance of invading, R.A.F. or no R.A.F.

Others that perhaps should get a mention....

Sir John Monash, of Australia.
Montgomery said he thinks he was the best allied commander of the first world war.

Charles X11 of Sweden.
Won battles against big odds against the Russians but, as others that followed, eventually succumbed.

King Adolphus Gustavus of Sweden.
Revolutionized military tactics in the 30 years war.

Vo Nguyen Giap of Vietnam.
He was a fighter who could go the distance, fighting almost non stop from the 1940's till 1975, and defeating France and the U.S.A.

Not a bad effort.
 
Other than the fact that I always forget his name, I think that Giap gets much of the credit he is due. Amazing guerilla tactician. Amazing across the board.
 
Sexybeast said:
Giap defeated U.S, not in term of causalties right?
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The NVA and VC took many many times more casualties. We lost Vietnam in the press room when the American media discovered that sabotaging American war efforts was a good way to make money.
 
My choice....Orde Wingate. Here is a real old ball. he helped defeat the Italians in North Africa and captured huge numbers of them. He also help in the formation of the LRDG. He went off to Burma and set up the Chindits to take the fight to Japanese. He was killed in a plane crash in Burma and is buried in Arlington Cemetery.
Next Bomber Harris.... Who reequipped the RAF bomber force and made them a real force to reckoned with and helped tear the heart out of Germany. Not only did he bring in area bombing, but he also brought in more pin point tactics, like sinking the Tirpitz, the Dam Buster raids, destroying the sub pens with tall boy bombs, and smashing many viaducts and tunnels with the same weapon. He got a force in the finish that could take out the walls of a prisons and release the the prisoners. Also the American General Lemay who took over the bombing campaign against the Japanese, took with him to this conflict many of bomber Harris tactics and used them well against the Japanese.
Another Great Leader must be Wellington, lets face it he never lost a battle. And what about Marlborough his actions leading a European force against the French was spectacular, there again he was Churchill's great, great grandfather.
 
Certainly of the WW2 era Sir John Monash and Orde Wingate fill this catagory nicely, Wingate in particular seems to have been overlooked by popular history.
 
Another one to think about is Bomber Harris who took over bomber Command [RAF] and made it a force to be reckoned with, now not every one would agree with his tactics but he did get the job done. Also his tactics where adopted by America when they started to area bomb Japan.
 
May i add to this neglected thread

"Mary" Conningham

and after reading about Gen. Alexanders work i N.Africa...well him.
 
Theoretician John R. Boyd, though he's become increasingly famous since 1997. I vote underrated because the Pentagon shunted him aside and tried to screw him over when possible.
 
Orde Wingate...Who did so much in North Africa with so little even when his troops were out numbered 30 to one. He then went off and set up the Chindits which gave the Japanese a right headache
 
But he was a bit of a nutter and the second chindit operation got a bit out of hand, trying to do too much and increasing to much in size
 
KC72.....General Stiwell took over that operation after Ord was killed in a plane crash. Now Stiwell may have been a good General but he did not use the Chindits as a fighting mobile force but had them set up defensives position in indefensible areas. Although they held the Japanese they never fought again as force
 
panzer said:
I agree with this choice, his defense of the Army Group South sector after the loss of Stalingrad is just one of the examples of his abilities as a commander.
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I believe Erich Von Manstein was the greatest Axis commander of the war. And the more I think of it, I suppose he has been largely under-rated by a large pool of military historians.

General Auchinleck is my choice for one of the most under-rated commanders of the war. Auchinleck along with Ritchie, made a gigantic blunder by leaving 35,000 men and a good amount of supplies and ammunition at Tobruk. Common sense dictated that the city should have been abandoned. But if Tobruk could hold out for a week or so, Rommel would expend a serious amount of supplies. ( Or so the theory goes.).

Rommel took Tobruk in one day and almost all the 35,000 Allied soldiers ended up in captivity.

But Auchinleck made up for this gaffe in spades. What is called the 1st battle of El Alemain was quite a surprise for Rommel. Auchinlecks forces beat the German and Italian forces so severely the Germans had to use paratroops, used as ground troops to save Rommel from a total retreat.

Unfortunatly the political situation had Churchill trying to rush his commanders into action, any action. Auchinleck knew he would need to husband his troops and tanks until further supplies and armour could be deployed. But Churchill demanded a counter-attack which The Auk gave him and of course it failed.

Churchill moved his officers around into different commands. But it was being sacked all the same. Churchill put Auchinleck in charge of Iraq and Iran and Allan Brooke in Cairo. The Prime Minister wanted General Gott in charge of the 8th army. Gott died in an accident and Montgomery took his place and the rest is history.

Note: Both Auchinleck and Brooke refused their appointments. These appointments then went to Henry Maitland Wilson and Harold Alexander.
 
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