Round Two

[borner]

Ike and I have started a new game, with me being Japan this time, and IKE trying his hand as the Allies. It should be interesting!

The game has just started, not much to report except bad weather, missed air attacks on allies subs, and a small unit landing at Gili-Gili.

[borner]

  Sorry for such a slow start to this ARR ya'll, but IKE will not give me any targets. I have not had so much as a sighting report in his CV's, and only one ship sighted at PM, an AP that was sunk by a small bombardment force I sent in. I am anxious to see if he pushes troops into PM for a big battle to try to hold it, or pulls everything out.

[borner]

It's 5-22-42. Ike is apparently happy staying out of my way for the most part. He has been running his subs close to my bases to lay minefields. I have a couple of ships that will get to make an early trip home, but that is about it. My ASW partols have been great at spotting his subs, poor at actually hitting much of anythig. [:@]
 
It's now time to wait for the KB to show up, and see what Ike decides to do at PM

[Ike99]

So far me and borner have not come into conflict. I have not interfered with his first months objectives and he has not interfered in mine.

Some pin prick bombing runs by bombers, a sub shot here and there but no serious commitment of forces. The Allies start with a serious naval disparity compared to the Japanese. This will change by the end of June.

The Man and His Mission

edit-Wow, the censor edited out pr!ck. [:D]

[tocaff]

Dugout Doug without his famed corncob pipe.  Notice how his vanity shows through as he's posed just so....

[borner]

To me, he was America's Montgomery -  Very over-rated. He won his battles due to having so much more firepower available than Japan in that area. He was very popular with the public though, and in 1942 keeping people inspired and confident may have been more important than actual battlefield skills. As things began to turn in late 42 and 43, it would have been a PR disaster to remove him.  

[Wirraway_Ace]

I also am not a big fan of MacArthur, though he was tenacious and charismatic.  Two key leadership traits. Competence would have helped, but as Meatloaf says, "Two out of three ain't bad."

[Ike99]

I also am not a big fan of MacArthur, though he was tenacious and charismatic. Two key leadership traits. Competence would have helped, but as Meatloaf says, "Two out of three ain't bad."

Patton is probably much more over rated than MacArthur.

June 6th, 42. Brians ships get bombed north of PM. First successful airstrike by the Allies against the Japanese.

[tocaff]

Patton had the problem of a huge ego (Doug too), both feet in his mouth, but he carried out his missions regardless of the problems he faced.  The 2 examples that come to mind: 
Africa he inherited a beaten army with a lack of dicipline and morale and he whipped them into shape and they accomplished their mission.
The Battle of the Bulge his 3rd Army was ready with a plan when called on to help out and it swung around and attacked in a new direction and advanced despite the bad weather.  Again he accomplished the mission.
Patton was a fighter while Dougout Doug was a showman and administrator.  In a fight I´d want Patton every time.

[borner]

As an Army commander Patton was good, though I do not think the best, not even in France at the time. I do think Bradly made a much better army group commander than Patton would have as well.
 
back to the game..... IKE's fighter cover around PM has been more more effcetive than expected. I am waiting for more CV's to show up, and then we will see he considers the base worth fighting over. No major convoys have been spotted moving in and/or unloading, so it will be interesting to see what kind of garrison is waiting for me there

[Ike99]

Patton had the problem of a huge ego (Doug too), both feet in his mouth, but he carried out his missions regardless of the problems he faced. The 2 examples that come to mind:
Africa he inherited a beaten army with a lack of dicipline and morale and he whipped them into shape and they accomplished their mission.
The Battle of the Bulge his 3rd Army was ready with a plan when called on to help out and it swung around and attacked in a new direction and advanced despite the bad weather. Again he accomplished the mission.
Patton was a fighter while Dougout Doug was a showman and administrator. In a fight I´d want Patton every time.

Pearl Handled pistoled, blood and guts Patton wasn´t a showman? Patton always had naval superiority, excellent supplies and supply lines, superior forces and at least air parity and more often than not total air superiority.

McArthur started with none of these things. In fact just the opposite. His march across the southern Pacific, with all the supply complexities and everything else it included rival anything Patton did in Europe and North Africa.

[tocaff]

Ah, but Doug had numerical superiority and vast supplies to draw on whcih the Japanese didn´t.  We won´t even get into the inferior equiptment of the IJA or the mistakes Mac made in the Phillipines.  All of this is subjective as Patton was fighting a beaten enemy in Europ.  Each of them had his own merits and drawbacks and the only thing the 2 of them shared was their huge egos.  

[borner]

Bottom line to me is they are the two most famous US commanders of the war, but far form the best the US had.

[tocaff]

So I´ll pose the question as to who was the best general and best admiral, in your opinion, the US has had and why.  This one is not intended to start a war, I just am curious as to what people think.

[Ike99]

So I´ll pose the question as to who was the best general and best admiral, in your opinion, the US has had and why. This one is not intended to start a war, I just am curious as to what people think.

Ike Eisenhower & Chester Nimitz. Eisenhower had the brillance to put it all together in Europe on the western side of things. Field commanders many times get the glory but the theatre commander is the real genius behind everything and driving it. Nimitz for the same reasons.

As far as field commanders, any side, Heinz Guederian by far.

[borner]

Now that is a good question.
 
Germany had a bunch. Manstein my vote for first from any nation, Guederian, and Kesselring close behind. Then Rommel. 
Russia - Zhukov.
Britian Cunningham and Alexander.
US. Hodges, Spruance
 

[tocaff]

This question was not intended to hijack your AAR, sorry.  The question was about US commanders, not limited to WW2.

[Sequoia]

I've always considered Winfield Scott's campaign to capture Mexico City the most brilliant ever conducted by an American commander.

[tocaff]

I wondered if anyone would mention the Mexican-American War of 1848.  Well led, under supplied and outnumbered troops versus poorly led troops.

[borner]

Ike's pesky and annoying sub-minelaying campaign continues. Hopefully my ASW patrols will start to get some hits before too long. A PC off shortland is the latest ship to find one. It's now helping to grow a nice coral reef in the area.