Who was the most respected German general of ww2?
Erich von Manstein
Erich von Manstein, original name Erich Von Lewinski, (born Nov. 24, 1887, Berlin, Ger. —died June 11, 1973, Irschenhausen, near Munich, W. Ger.), German field marshal who was perhaps the most talented German field commander in World War II.
Who was Nazi Germany’s best general?
Field Marshal Erich von Manstein
Field Marshal Erich von Manstein is widely regarded as the greatest of the German generals in the Second World War. He was not widely known in the West for his battles were almost exclusively fought on the Russian front.
Who fought against USSR in ww2?
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany invading the Soviet Union in Operation Barbarossa, June 22, 1941. For the campaign against the Soviet Union, the Germans allotted almost 150 divisions containing a total of about 3,000,000 men.
Who helped Germany invade USSR?
The Invasion
Three army groups attacked the Soviet Union across a broad front. These groups included more than three million German soldiers. The soldiers were supported by 650,000 troops from Germany’s allies (Finland and Romania). These troops were later augmented by units from Italy, Croatia, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Who was Hitler’s right hand man?
Himmler
Himmler managed to use his own position and privileges to put in place his racist views across Europe and the Soviet Union. Serving as Hitler’s right-hand man, Himmler was a true architect of terror during World War II.
Who was Hitler’s most successful general?
Erwin Rommel
Erwin Rommel, called “the People’s Marshal” by his countrymen, was one of Adolf Hitler’s most successful generals and one of Germany’s most popular military leaders.
Who was the best Soviet general in ww2?
Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov
Georgy Zhukov, in full Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, (born December 1 [November 19, Old Style], 1896, Kaluga province, Russia—died June 18, 1974, Moscow), marshal of the Soviet Union, the most important Soviet military commander during World War II.
Who were the top German generals in ww2?
Nazi Germany (1933–45)
| Name | Date of promotion | Branch |
|---|---|---|
| Hermann Göring (1893–1946) | 4 February 1938 | Luftwaffe |
| Fedor von Bock (1880–1945) | 19 July 1940 | German Army |
| Walther von Brauchitsch (1881–1948) | 19 July 1940 | German Army |
| Albert Kesselring (1885–1960) | 19 July 1940 | Luftwaffe |
Who was the most feared soldier in World War II?
SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Otto Skorzeny was one of the most celebrated and feared commandos of World War II. Daring operations such as the rescue of Italian fascist dictator Benito Mussolini and missions behind enemy lines during the Battle of the Bulge made him known as “the most dangerous man in Europe.”
Who was the most decorated German soldier of ww2?
Hans-Ulrich Rudel
Hans-Ulrich Rudel was a German ground-attack pilot, and the most decorated German serviceman of World War II, being the sole recipient of the Knight’s Cross with Golden Oak Leaves, Swords, and Diamonds. Post-war, he was a prominent neo-Nazi activist in Latin America and West Germany.
Did Patton ever face Rommel?
In real life the two were never involved together in a major confrontation, as Rommel was wounded in 1944 and later forced to commit suicide (due to his association with the anti-Hitler conspirators of the July 20 plot), before Patton had command in large-scale land operations.
Who shot Rommel?
Richard Rohmer RCAF At 5:05 p.m. on July 17, 1944, while leading a section of four Mustang fighter aircraft on a low level reconnaissance, General Rohmer caught Field Marshal Rommel in his staff-car southeast of Caen and called in Spitfires that shot up Rommel’s vehicle, seriously injuring the Field Marshal, taking him …
Where was Rommel on D Day?
“ And June 6, 1944, day of the invasion, Rommel is not in Normandy, but he celebrates in Germany the birthday of his wife. During the day, he returns to his command post at La Roche-Guyon and tries to repel the forces landed at sea, but he knows it is already too late.
Why didn’t the Germans use tanks on D-Day?
In early 1944, Rommel wanted to position Germany’s elite Panzer tank divisions as close to the French coastline as possible to repel an infantry attack. Hitler disagreed, choosing to keep most of the Panzer divisions close to Paris, and spreading the rest along the southern French coastline.
What was Hitler’s reaction to D-Day?
Hitler was not angry, or vindictive – far from it. He seemed relieved. Goebbels thought the German leader looked as if a great burden had fallen from his shoulders. He had earlier said Normandy was a possible landing site, for one thing.
Did Germans have tanks on D-Day?
Germany had roughly 1,400 tanks in theater at the beginning of the Normandy invasion.
Could Germany have stopped D-Day?
German troops could not travel on roads by day for fear of being strafed by omnipresent Allied fighters. The French rail network had been shattered by months of Allied bombing. German reinforcements that should have taken days to reach the front took weeks.
How good was the German army in ww2?
The firepower of a German infantry division far exceeded that of a French, British, or Polish division; the standard German division included 442 machine guns, 135 mortars, 72 antitank guns, and 24 howitzers. Allied divisions had a firepower only slightly greater than that of World War I.
Did they drop dummies on D-Day?
On the night of 5-6 June, as part of Operation ‘Titanic’, the RAF dropped dummy parachutists to simulate an airborne invasion and draw German forces away from key objectives. The Allied deception strategy for D-Day was one of the most successful ever conceived.
What does D-Day stand for?
In other words, the D in D-Day merely stands for Day. This coded designation was used for the day of any important invasion or military operation.
How many regular troops were needed for D-Day?
73,000 American (23,250 on Utah Beach, 34,250 on Omaha Beach, and 15,500 airborne troops), 83,115 British and Canadian (61,715 of them British) with 24,970 on Gold Beach, 21,400 on Juno Beach, 28,845 on Sword Beach, and 7,900 airborne troops.
What happened to the inflatable tanks from ww2?
In one operation in September 1944, the British deployed 148 inflatable tanks close to the front line and around half were “destroyed” by fragments from German mortar and artillery fire, and by Allied bombs falling short. Dummy tanks were used in Operation Fortitude prior to the landings at the Normandy Beaches.
What made German tanks better?
The Germans developed a gun with a high muzzle velocity and an effective armor-piercing projectile. To do this they sacrificed space in the tank, for they had to increase the size of the shell and thus could not stow many rounds.
What is the Ghost Army in ww2?
Activated on January 20, 1944, the 23rd Headquarters Special Troops, known as the “Ghost Army,” was the first mobile, multimedia, tactical deception unit in US Army history. Consisting of an authorized strength of 82 officers and 1,023 men under the command of Army veteran Colonel Harry L.
How many Allied troops cross the Channel on D-Day?
160,000 troops
The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 with the Normandy Landings (D-Day). A 1,200-plane airborne assault preceded an amphibious assault involving more than 5,000 vessels. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on 6 June, and more than two million Allied troops were in France by the end of August.
Was D-Day a good plan?
Military history is rife with D-Days—but none like the one that took place 77 years ago on June 6, 1944. Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, began the liberation of Western Europe. The operation was an unsurpassed masterpiece of planning, as several historians have noted.
Who planned the Normandy invasion?
General Dwight D. Eisenhower was supreme commander of the operation that ultimately involved the coordinated efforts of 12 nations. After much deliberation, it was decided that the landings would take place on the long, sloping beaches of Normandy. There, the Allies would have the element of surprise.
What is the biggest single amphibious landing the world has ever seen?
The Allied invasion of Normandy, France, on June 6, 1944, was the largest amphibious invasion in history. The scale of the assault was unlike anything the world had seen before or will most likely ever see again.
Was Okinawa invasion bigger than Normandy?
Some 545,000 U.S. troops, backed by 12,000 aircraft and 1,600 ships, stormed Okinawa, an island in the south of Japan, in the last major battle of World War II. The invasion was considerably bigger than the one at D-Day, and it marked the beginning of the planned assault on Japan.
Were there any Marines at D-Day?
During the 6 June 1944 Normandy invasion, Marines, renowned as expert riflemen, played a vital role reminiscent of the days of the sailing Navy when sharpshooters were sent to the “fighting tops.” Stationed high in the superstructures of the invasion fleet, Marine riflemen exploded floating mines in the path of the …