The Eight Worst Mistakes Made by the Allies in WWII

[Locutus]

George Dvorsky on io9

Hindsight is 20/20, especially when it comes to second guessing the harrowing decisions that have to be made during wartime. But sometimes we have to be critical, if we hope to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past. With that in mind, here are the most egregious blunders made by the Western Allies during the Second World War.

A few caveats before we get started. I'm not going to include the blunders made by the Western Powers leading up to the war, nor am I going to include the mistakes made by the Russians (who were technically part of the grand alliance). Those both deserve lists of their own.

Also, I don't mean to pick on the Allies, here. Axis forces were equally blunderous — if not more so — than their enemies, especially after Hitler took command of the German army in December 1941. But as already noted, it's still worthwhile to be critical of the victorious forces.



article: ​The 8 Worst Mistakes Made by the Allies During World War II

 

[WLDB]

You didnt need hindsight to recognize some of these as mistakes. #1 was a big one. Declaring war then sitting back and doing nothing for about 8 months wasnt too smart. When they actually did start fighting it was only because the Germans attacked the allies. Attacking Germany while it was tied up in Poland and was unprepared for an assault from the west could have made a huge difference.

#2 I partially agree with. They could look to WW1 and saw how the Germans had come through the low countries before. Placing most of their forces along the Maginot line didnt make much sense. It was already well defended and there is no way the Germans would have tried to cross it.

I strongly agree with #6. The demand for unconditional surrender only prolonged the war. Why not listen to some potential terms if it can end it sooner? If the allies didnt like the terms all they had to do was say "No" and keep going. Refusing to even listen to potential terms was a waste.

 

[MHz]

The link is pretty much wrong on every point, if the truth is at all important.
Benjamin Freedman's 1961 Speech at the Willard Hotel Complete) - YouTube

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Biggest mistake was America getting involved in the European war.

 

[Blackleaf]

Biggest mistake was America getting involved in the European war.

You really need to wake up and smell the coffee, instead of keep coming out with romantic claptrap.

Germany declared war on the United States (which you always seem to keep forgetting) and after they did so they started torpedoing Yank ships in Yank waters, even within sight of cities such as New York and Boston.

Between April and May 1942, German U-Boats sank 348 Yank ships in Yank waters, with the Yanks only managing to sink two U-Boats.

In fact, this represented a QUARTER of all wartime sinkings - 3.1 million tons.

The Yanks weren't helped by the fact that their naval commander, Admiral Ernest King, was an anti-British racist who ignored British recommondations that the Yanks introduce naval convoys to protect their ships, so the Yanks just kept losing ships.

The US Navy did not possess enough suitable escort vessels anyway, so they had to rely on British and Canadian warships stationed off their east coast. So the Yanks can thank the British and Canadians for not losing even more ships.

So it was in very much American interests to fight Germany. Germany had declared war on America then started attacking America on its own doorstep.

The Canadians also had an interest in fighting the Germans, due to the fact that German agents kept landing in Canada and the fact that the Germans also attacked Canadian shipping in Canadian waters.

To say that America, and Canada, should not have taken part in the war against Germany is just historically inaccurate, romanticised cobblers.

The Germans were attacking the Americans and Canadians just as they were attacking Europeans.

. Declaring war then sitting back and doing nothing for about 8 months wasnt too smart.

Again, that's not true. As early as December 1939, the British and New Zealanders were defeating the Germans in battles such as the Battle of the River Plate off the coast of Argentina and Uruguay, the first naval battle of WWII and the only part of the war to take place in South America.

The battle saw three Royal Navy cruisers - HMS Exeter, HMS Achilles and HMNZS Ajax (part of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, which later split from the RN and became the New Zealand Navy) - sustain critical damage to the Admiral Graf Spee. The battle saw 72 British Empire sailors killed and 36 German sailors killed, but it was a British victory.

The Graf Spee after the Royal Navy had finished with it during the Battle of the River Plate, the first naval battle of WWII, December 1939

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

You really need to wake up and smell the coffee, instead of keep coming out with romantic claptrap.

Germany declared war on the United States (which you always seem to keep forgetting) and after they did so they started torpedoing Yank ships in Yank waters, even within sight of cities such as New York and Boston.

Between April and May 1942, German U-Boats sank 348 Yank ships in Yank waters, with the Yanks only managing to sink two U-Boats.

In fact, this represented a QUARTER of all wartime sinkings - 3.1 million tons.

The Yanks weren't helped by the fact that their naval commander, Admiral Ernest King, was an anti-British racist who ignored British recommondations that the Yanks introduce naval convoys to protect their ships, so the Yanks just kept losing ships.

The US Navy did not possess enough suitable escort vessels anyway, so they had to rely on British and Canadian warships stationed off their east coast. So the Yanks can thank the British and Canadians for not losing even more ships.

So it was in very much American interests to fight Germany. Germany had declared war on America then started attacking America on its own doorstep.

We could have made peace with the Germans simply by stopping supplying Britain. Better if we'd never started, especially since you declare that you didn't need it.

 

[Blackleaf]

We could have made peace with the Germans simply by stopping supplying Britain.

Yeah? You really think so? You really believe that's why the Germans declared war on you, because you were supplying Britain?

The Germans declared war on America because America attacked Japan after Pearl Harbour. The Germans did so to honour the Tripartite Agreement. As long as America was fighting Japan, then the Germans would have carried on attacking the Americans. Stopping supplies to Britain would not have stopped German attacks on America.

Hitler had been hostile to the US since the early 1930s. He saw the USA as a racially mixed, and therefore inferior, society. This was the opposite of his view of Britain. The British are mainly a Germanic race and therefore the Nazis admired the British and saw them as a superior race.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Yeah? You really think so? You really believe that's why the Germans declared war on you, because you werre supplying Britain?

The Germans declared war on America because America declared war on Japan after Pearl Harbour. As long as America was fighting Japan, then the Germans would have attacked the Americans. Stopping supplied to difference would not have stopped Germans attacks on America.

Hitler had been hostile to the US since the early 1930s. He saw the USA as a racially mixed, and therefore inferior, society.

So what? The Germans couldn't get here. Especially since you claim that a school football side from Brixton could have mopped up the Germans in a weekend (which kinda makes a body wonder why they didn't).

 

[Blackleaf]

So what? The Germans couldn't get here. Especially since you claim that a school football side from Brixton could have mopped up the Germans in a weekend (which kinda makes a body wonder why they didn't).

What do you mean the Germans couldn't get to America? They sank 3 millions tons of Yank shipping in Yank waters. You had to call on the British and Canadians to bail you out.

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

What do you mean the Germans couldn't get to America? They sank 3 millions tons of Yank shipping in Yank waters.

I mean they couldn't have arrived in sufficient military force to do us significant damage.

I calculate the Germans woulda been happy to make peace if we agreed to stay out of the war, including stopping Lend-Lease and supplying Britain. Which is what we should have done.

 

[Blackleaf]

I mean they couldn't have arrived in sufficient military force to do us significant damage.

Apart from sinking so many of your ships in your own waters that they made up a quarter of all the shipping tonnage lost in the entire war.

I calculate the Germans woulda been happy to make peace if we agreed to stay out of the war, including stopping Lend-Lease and supplying Britain. Which is what we should have done.

Staying out of the war? The Americans tried that and Pearl Harbour was the result. How could you possibly stay out of a war when a country taking part in that war attacked you and declared war on you?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

Apart from so many of your ships in your own ships in your owns waters that they made up a quarter of all the shipping tonnage lost in the entire war.



Staying out of the war? The Americans tried that and Pearl Harbour was the result. How could you possibly stay out of a war when a country taking part in that war attacked you and declared war on you?

By agreeing to stop supplying Britain. For the third time.

 

[Blackleaf]

By agreeing to stop supplying Britain. For the third time.

How could you stay out of a war when a country attacked you? Do you really wished that America had instead been seen as cowardly by the world by still refusing to do anything even after the Japanese destroyed 19 American warships, 188 American aircraft and 2,402 American military personnel? The Japanese did that and you still think America should have stayed out of the war?

Also, why do you have such a desire for the Americans to have stopped supplying their British allies? Are you a neo-Nazi who has still not got over the fact that Adolf failed in his attempt to impose a Thousand Year Reich over Europe?

 

[Tecumsehsbones]

How could you stay out of a war when a country attacked you? Do you really wished that America had instead been seen as cowardly by the world by still refusing to do anything even after the Japanese destroyed 19 American warships, 188 American aircraft and 2,402 American military personnel? The Japanese did that and you still think America should have stayed out of the war?

I said "staying out of the European war." If you don't understand "European," I can't help you.

Also, why do you have such a desire for the Americans to have stopped supplying their allies British? Are you a neo-Nazi who has still not got over the fact that Adolf failed in his attempt to impose a Thousand Year Reich over Europe?

Because I think the U.S. should have stayed out of Europe's troubles entirely, and let the continental Germans and the offshore Germans settle their family feud on their own.

 

[taxslave]

yeah? You really think so? You really believe that's why the germans declared war on you, because you were supplying britain?

The germans declared war on america because america attacked japan after pearl harbour. The germans did so to honour the tripartite agreement. As long as america was fighting japan, then the germans would have carried on attacking the americans. Stopping supplies to britain would not have stopped german attacks on america.

Hitler had been hostile to the us since the early 1930s. He saw the usa as a racially mixed, and therefore inferior, society. This was the opposite of his view of britain. The british are mainly a germanic race and therefore the nazis admired the british and saw them as a superior race.

roflmao

 

[Locutus]

One of the more often overlooked battles was at Tanagra, between the forces of Darmok and Jalad. The later conflict at El-Adrel was equally significant.

 

[Sons of Liberty]

One of the more often overlooked battles was at Tanagra, between the forces of Darmok and Jalad. The later conflict at El-Adrel was equally significant.

Do you go conventions dressed up as a Borg?

 

[Locutus]

;-)...

 

[Blackleaf]

I said "staying out of the European war." If you don't understand "European," I can't help you.

As I said. It was never going to happen. As long as you were fighting the Japs you also had the Germans to put up with, too.

Because I think the U.S. should have stayed out of Europe's troubles entirely, and let the continental Germans and the offshore Germans settle their family feud on their own.

They were also your troubles, too, and had been since Pearl Harbour was bombed. The Germans had a Tripartite Agreement to abide by.

roflmao

You think this period of history is funny, do you?

 

[taxslave]

As I said. It was never going to happen. As long as you were fighting the Japs you also had the Germans to put up with, too.




They were also your troubles, too, and had been since Pearl Harbour was bombed. The Germans had a Tripartite Agreement to abide by.



You think this period of history is funny, do you?

Your version of it certainly is.