Holman Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 I thought it might be interesting to hear from other board members about who they think were the worst -- in tactical or other terms -- in their respective fields in the Second World War. Any service -- infantry, air force, navy, heck, even propaganda -- is open. Any nation too, whether it is from the major powers or the minor. I thought the exploits of some of those who slunk tail-beneath-bollocks below their comrades, allies, and enemies in how they practised their craft would make for some good reading. And since I suggested it: Dutch SS 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeT Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 I have read some extremely bad things about Russian SS. Of course, I also read that they were recruited from prisons, so go figure. MikeT 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bboyle Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Originally posted by Martyr: I thought it might be interesting to hear from other board members about who they think were the worst -- in tactical or other terms -- in their respective fields in the Second World War. Any service -- infantry, air force, navy, heck, even propaganda -- is open. Any nation too, whether it is from the major powers or the minor. I thought the exploits of some of those who slunk tail-beneath-bollocks below their comrades, allies, and enemies in how they practised their craft would make for some good reading. And since I suggested it: Dutch SS Fredenhall 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Russian Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Dutch SS? That would certainly not include those serving with Wiking. The Russians considered Wiking to be the Best German Division on the Russian Front. And Wiking was full of Dutch SS. You must have a particular unit in mind other than the Dutch SS as a whole. Panther Commander 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dangerousdave Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 The follies of the Luftwaffe unit in charge of Stalag 13 are well documented. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Philippe Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 I seem to recall having once read part of a transcript of a late-war meeting between Hitler and some of his generals during which there was a discussion about the Indian SS unit stationed near Bordeau. Hitler apparently regretted having armed them because he considered it a waste of good (and increasingly scarce) equipment. Although it was probably just racism on his part, that unit doesn't seem to have been particularly distinguished compared to its Commonwealth counterparts (or even the INA, if memory serves), so I suppose this counts as a nomination for this category. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 In the summer of 1940 the Luftwaffe attacked and sank a destroyer in the North Sea/English Channel. What's wrong with that? It was a German destroyer! Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Dorosh Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 The British SS was composed mainly of mental midgets and opportunists. Adrian Weale recently published an update of his excellent book "Hitler's Englishmen" covering this unit. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
86smopuim Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Hitler made a boo-boo or 2. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Emrys Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Originally posted by 86smopuim: Hitler made a boo-boo or 2. Yeah, like starting the frickin' war. Michael 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gyrene Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 The Reising Model 50 sub-machine gun - The Chauchat of the Pacific. Gyrene 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Berlichtingen Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Originally posted by Martyr: Dutch SS By all accounts I can find, the Dutch SS were actually rather good... the French SS on the otherhand... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hans Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 The Bulgarian strategic bombing command. Pitiful really. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pinetree Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Mussolini. Pitiful really. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kanonier Reichmann Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Originally posted by dangerousdave: The follies of the Luftwaffe unit in charge of Stalag 13 are well documented. HOEEEEGAAAANNN...! :0 Regards Jim R. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave H Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 General Douglas Macarthur, who kept his B-17s parked in neat rows hours after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He squandered the United States' single strategic asset in the Pacific in the first hours of the war. Well done! The German commander on "The Rat Patrol". He captured various patrol members repeatedly, but they always escaped; he sent wave after wave of armor after them; he lost dozens of infantry to them every week; and somehow he stayed in command? If he couldn't defeat 2 jeeps with his unlimited resources, what chance did Germany have to win the war? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boo Radley Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 Originally posted by Dave H: The German commander on "The Rat Patrol". He captured various patrol members repeatedly, but they always escaped; he sent wave after wave of armor after them; he lost dozens of infantry to them every week; and somehow he stayed in command? If he couldn't defeat 2 jeeps with his unlimited resources, what chance did Germany have to win the war? What do you expect from a soap opera actor? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Jim Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 The Wehrmacht Katering Korps: "Ach nein Hans, we are having sausages AGAIN!" The famous German treatise on armoured warfare was originally titled "Achtung Wurst". By all accounts irritable bowel syndrome caused more casualties than the entire allied bombing campaign... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KenH Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 USN BuOrd, who for years ignored the reports from the Pacific of the faulty exploder on the Mk14 Torpedo. "You dont expect us to actually TEST them do you?? Do you know how much they cost???" Oy..... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Hapless General Posted May 5, 2004 Share Posted May 5, 2004 German Intelligence Services. Having almost all of their assets in Britain caught right as the war started and then having half of them turned against them... just an example of their ineptitude, especially when highlighted by the brilliant British Intelligence Service. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CombinedArms Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Many good suggestions above, but we shouldn't omit the great, or at least extraordinarily ample, Herman Goering...my candidate for "Worst Air Force Commander" among all the major combatants. Among fictional TV candidates, how about Capt. Stephen Peacock, really a corporal in the catering corps. My understanding is that he was sent to study Bulgarian field kitchens but failed to accumulate any useful knowledge because he was too busy preening and making off color remarks to the female kitchen staff. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holman Posted May 6, 2004 Author Share Posted May 6, 2004 What about Himmler? Not even mentioning the terrible atrocities for which he is responsible, we can say that he was a real doofus when given a field command late in the war. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkiviadis Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 The Bolten-Paul Defiant. A turreted single engine DAY-fighter? With no forward firing guns. Was successful once. Goering of course stands out, so to speak. Apparently, in '43, stung by criticism, He decided to personally intercept an 8th AF mission. They somehow shoehorned him into a 109 & off he went followed by a geschwader. Other units formed up with him until it was an huge cloud of Luftwaffe day-fighters. Unfortunately the gaggle was so big it was interpreted by Luftwaffe sound detection units as an 8th AF bomber formation (this was around the Bavaria-Austria Area). So more fighter units were vectored in only to joint the already immense formation, etc. The bombers got thru unintercepted, & Goering just intercepted himself. Also there was some Italian General on the Greek Front who spent most of his time composing elaborate musical scores to imaginary films, forgot his name. Adm. Gormley in The Pacific who abandoned the Marines on Guadalcanal. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holman Posted May 6, 2004 Author Share Posted May 6, 2004 Goering's uniforms, however, deserve a "best of" award of their own. Say what you will, the man dressed to impress! 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alkiviadis Posted May 6, 2004 Share Posted May 6, 2004 Originally posted by Martyr: Goering's uniforms, however, deserve a "best of" award of their own. Say what you will, the man dressed to impress! On the other hand Napoleon deliberately took the opposite approach, & thus stood out beside his glittering generals 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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