Worst General of WWII?

[GrauGeist]

I was just in a discussion were we were trying to determine who may have been the "worst" General of WWII (Europe specifically) may have been.

Several Generals were debated, but my suggestion of General d' Armée Maurice Gamelin of France weighed in at the top of the list.

His ineptitude and inability to act in a timely manner as well as failing to take advantage of several mistakes Germany made in September 1939, directly led to the fall of France.

Was my choice correct?

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I was just in a discussion were we were trying to determine who may have been the "worst" General of WWII (Europe specifically) may have been.

Several Generals were debated, but my suggestion of General d' Armée Maurice Gamelin of France weighed in at the top of the list.

His ineptitude and inability to act in a timely manner as well as failing to take advantage of several mistakes Germany made in September 1939, directly led to the fall of France.

Was my choice correct?

I won't say it was incorrect, but I think any general in his position would have lost because French communication were catastrophically disrupted. With very, very few radios for the command net, orders were distributed by phone, which broke down in the north as the Germans charged.

This meant that runners were often needed for distro. With the roads clogged with refugees, it was often up to two days from an HQ decision to the unit receiving it, which by that time the orders were hopelessly out of date. I don't think any other general would have fared any better.

My own list would include Schorner, Fredendall, and that Japanese asst cmdr on Okinawa who insisted on mounting charges in the face of lethal arty, which losses ruined their ability to defend Shuri Castle.