Remington 1858
Active member
For the American side, I nominate Major General Lloyd Fredendall, commander of the U.S. Second Corp in North Africa. Fredendall was responsible for the debacle at Kasserine Pass when he spread his units out so far apart that they couldn't support each other and had no overall commander so that each unit fought in isolation.
When his brilliant defensive plan was picked apart by Rommel, he panicked, came apart and had to be replaced. Fredendall was incompetent and a coward, at least in the view of his subordinates. He never went to the front lines and spent all his time in a headquarters built into solid rock that would have withstood a nuclear attack. His replacement was General George S. Patton, who everybody knew was crazy, but was at least an effective combat commander. So, we have that to thank Fredendall for, in that he advanced Patton's career.
Fredendall was sent back to the states to a hero's welcome, given a choice stateside assignment in charge of training, where he proceeded to train people in the wrong things and was even promoted to Lt. General before retirement.
Fredendall was a personal friend of General George C. Marshall ( Chief of Staff) and had been personally recommended for the Second Corp command by General Eisenhower.
Neither big names wanted to admit a mistake, and the public was not made fully aware of the nature of the defeat at Kasserine.
The battle was a blow to the morale of green U.S. troops in their first action and it took a while to restore confidence by the British in American troops. Patton started immediately to clean up the mess in his usual fashion.
When his brilliant defensive plan was picked apart by Rommel, he panicked, came apart and had to be replaced. Fredendall was incompetent and a coward, at least in the view of his subordinates. He never went to the front lines and spent all his time in a headquarters built into solid rock that would have withstood a nuclear attack. His replacement was General George S. Patton, who everybody knew was crazy, but was at least an effective combat commander. So, we have that to thank Fredendall for, in that he advanced Patton's career.
Fredendall was sent back to the states to a hero's welcome, given a choice stateside assignment in charge of training, where he proceeded to train people in the wrong things and was even promoted to Lt. General before retirement.
Fredendall was a personal friend of General George C. Marshall ( Chief of Staff) and had been personally recommended for the Second Corp command by General Eisenhower.
Neither big names wanted to admit a mistake, and the public was not made fully aware of the nature of the defeat at Kasserine.
The battle was a blow to the morale of green U.S. troops in their first action and it took a while to restore confidence by the British in American troops. Patton started immediately to clean up the mess in his usual fashion.
