Greatest military blunder of WWII

[Soren]

Operation Barbarossa was absolutely not a mistake, however declaring war on the US before having defeated the USSR was a big mistake.

Operation Market Garden was a huge mistake as-well, one made by a man who should've known better if what is said about him is true.

Operation Battleaxe is another big mistake.

The Battle of Kasserine Pass was also a huge failure.

 

[Njaco]

from the book "Military Blunders" by Saul David. Those listed for WWII:

General Percival and the Fall of Singapore
The Dieppe Raid
Arnhem (Market Garden)
Stalingrad
Crete
Kasserine Pass
Italy in North Africa 1940-41

 

[Lucky13]

Hitlers decision to start the second world war at all by attacking Poland in 1939.....

 

[syscom3]

General Percival and the Fall of Singapore

This would qualify, as if the Japanese had been held up for a few months longer, the outcome in Burma might have been far different. But aside from losing so many men to an inferior force, I dont see it altering how the war in the Pacific would have unfolded.

The Dieppe Raid

Not necessarly a blunder as the allies learned all the important lessons that they would put to good use in 1944.

Arnhem (Market Garden)

Not totally a blunder, more like a draw.

Stalingrad

Now this qualifies a major blunder as the war on the eastern front was changed because of the loss.

Crete

A defeat, but it didnt qualify as a war changing defeat.

Kasserine Pass

Same as Crete. In fact it forced a change in command structure that served the allies well for the rest of the war.

Italy in North Africa 1940-41

I dont know a lot about this, so I cant really comment on it.

 

[Gnomey]

It was "Il Duce's" attempt and some glory like Hitler had achieved and it failed badly (they also failed miserably in East Africa/Abyssinia)

Essentially the numerically superior Italian force got routed by the British. The Italian based themselves in so called forts which were isolated from one and other, the British attacked them one after the other forcing an Italian retreat all the way back to Tripoli which was prevented from being a complete rout by the arrival of the Afrika Korps.

More here:The Italian campaign in North Africa and the war in Greece during WW2

Italian Tanks at War - North Africa

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

I so wanted to put Market Garden down, from watching the movie, but I decided on Operation Barbarossa. Hitler turning on his ally was just plain arrogant, dumber than declaring war on the US in some ways, because the Japanese expected it of him since they were partners.

At least Market Garden didn't put us out of the war. But it was overeaching.......

 

[Njaco]

I think what might help is a definition of Blunder. Mistakes are made and situations go bad but blunders are harmful even though a good outcome may result.

An example I would think would be Montgomery and El Alamein. His attack was failing until the Australians and New Zealanders made gains around Tell el Aqqaquir. That was through sheer strength and not battleplanning. Blunder on Monty's part.

I agree with the Dieppe raid on a whole was not a blunder except for the execution, which was done poorly. Dieppe was meant only as a probing mission and learning experience but someone forgot to tell them about shore batteries.

The blunder of Market Garden was not relying on your recon. When you have intel that says tanks are there, I would tend to factor that into the mission.

Crete may have been war changing in the fact Hitler wa gunshy with paratroops after that. With that Malta soldiered on and used up serious resources of the Axis in the Med.

 

[Soren]

Market Garden was a complete blunder, esp, considering how Montgomery thought it would've turned out - the Allied forces were desimated. No'where near a draw !

The Battle for Kasserine Pass was an absolute failure for the US, complete disaster - one which prompted some emmidiate changes in command and structure for the US army.

The attack on Stalingrad wasn't a blunder - late in the struggle Göring's decision to drop the supplies the wrong place was however a big blunder.

Operation Barbarossa wasn't a blunder either, it was infact pretty good timing as the USSR was completely unprepared, it was besides highly likely that the USSR was eventually going to attack Germany, so Hitler decided not risk it and attack.

A true blunder, perhaps one of the very biggest of WW2, was Hitler deciding to bomb London instead of the British airfields - that was a war changing blunder for both fronts, east and west, for sure.

 

[Njaco]

Good one, Soren.Hhave to add London Blitz to my list.

 

[syscom3]

How about two blunders in one nights action at sea.....?

The First Battle of Savo Island, Aug 8/9.

The IJN inflicts a one sided defeat on the USN. A total whooping. Blunder by the USN for being caught flat footed and unprepared.

Then the IJN admiral changes course and leaves the area without attacking the unarmed and unprepared allied transports only 30 minutes away. Blunder by the IJN for forgetting what their mission was for.

If those transports were sunk, then the US would have lost Guadalcanal right then and there.....


Battle of Savo Island - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Marcel]

Market Garden was a major diaster from the dutch point of view. Holland went through a hunger-winter in which thousands of people died from starvation. Had Market Garden succeeded, or other strategies been followed, war would probably have ended much earlier, preventing these hardships.
But I also agree with Soren. The german command during the BoB changed objectives every time a stategy paid off. The blitz as the finest example. I would say, appointing Goering as head of the LW was the biggest mistake, 'cause it led to the german defeat during the BoB, GB fighting on and eventually leading to Overlord, 3 front war and total defeat of Nazi Germany. So maybe I should say, europeans owe a lot to Herr Hermann then

 

[Glider]

The greatest blunder in WW2 was when Stalin asked for terms and Hitler turned him down. Huge error, but I admit it was a political error not a military error.

For military I would suggest not finishing the British off in the Middle East before turning on Russia.

 

[Njaco]

Sys, thats a great one. Savo Island was definately a blunder for both sides. I've read about it and seen PBS specials and I can't understand how someone, somewhere could not have seen what was happening.

I think I'm gonna change my vote from Barbarossa to the London Blitz. Although not earth-shattering, it was a classic blunder in every sense of the word.

 

[Snautzer01]

How about not making a real axe and persuade Japan to attack Russia the same time Germany did. No Oeral factory's and a lot of raw materials.

Regards

 

[Negative Creep]

I;m thinking it might be the Battle of Britain. Ok, not necessarily the Battle itself, but the implications were massive.

In the short term, it guaranteed Britain's survival, and showed the Luftwaffe was not all powerful. It showed the USA the determination of Britain to fight on, and the peace movement within the UK (which had been quite prominent after Dunkirk) was all but silenced. Although it had little military effect early on, as Hitler left few troops in France after Barbarossa, it still left Britain as a thorn in his side. Later on of course, it would allow the US a base from which the invasion of Europe could be launched. So by not invading Britain, or at least forcing a negotiated peace, the Germans would end up fighting an unwinnable war on two fronts. America would have been unlikely to have entered the European war if Britain was out; they would have no forward base and Hitler would have gained little from declaring war on them.

It could also be argued that the Russians would have received little subsequent lend lease aid, and more Axis troops could have been committed to invading Russia. I'm not saying it would have resulted in an automatic German victory, but failure to deal with one opponent at a time would cost the Nazis dear

 

[HealzDevo]

Pearl Harbor as it failed to sink the American Carriers as it was planned to do, and brought the US into WW2, not something I think the Japanese were exactly planning on doing. In this respect Pearl Harbor was a strategic blunder by the Japanese with severe consequences for all the Axis...

 

[Maharg]

Operation Barbarossa itself wasn't a blunder. Changing direction before the initial objectives had been taken was a biggie.

Bombing London out of spite was another blunder. I gave the RAF some breathing space, and the rest is history.

We are lucky Adolf was running the show, otherwise we may have been in trouble.

 

[DOUGRD]

Pearl Harbor as it failed to sink the American Carriers as it was planned to do, and brought the US into WW2, not something I think the Japanese were exactly planning on doing. In this respect Pearl Harbor was a strategic blunder by the Japanese with severe consequences for all the Axis...

I voted for Barbarossa, as Maharg said, Hitlers biggest error was changing direction when he did. But I also wanted to interject something here about Pearl Harbor. Like Healzdevo said, it failed to sink the carriers. Interesting fact, why weren't the carriers in Pearl? Why were the West Coast battlewagons like the Arizona on temp duty based at Pearl until further orders? What I'd like to know is, has anyone else read "Day Of Deceit" by Robert B. Stinnett? It's sometimes hard, dry reading but there is some fascinating info here too. He alleges that not only did FDR and the USN expect an attack, it was deliberately provoked through an eight step program devised by the Navy. I'd like to know what other members take on this book is.

 

[HealzDevo]

I was thinking of it as a really great military blunder as it failed not only to sink the aircraft carriers but it also enraged the US to come swinging out of its pacifist policies and start swinging for Japan and Germany. In that respect it was bad for all the Axis powers. I think there was something about Prime Minister Curtin receiving coded hints from a moderate Japanese Diplomat in the documentary Curtin... Not sure how real those events are though as they are depicted...

 

[Soundbreaker Welch?]

Pearl Harbor was seen coming......by the radar detector.

I have heard rumors about FDR wanting Pearl Harbor.......sometimes alongside Dubbya Bush wanting 9/11.

But FDR probably was wondering if Japan would have to be fought......just like Dubbya Bush was wondering if Saddam Hussein needed a second pounding.