Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2

Matrix Games Forums

Forums Register Login Photo Gallery Member List Search Calendars FAQ

My Profile Inbox Address Book My Subscription My Forums Log Out

Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2

Page: [1] 2 next > >>

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/12/2017 1:22:26 PM

Rising-Sun

Posts: 2082
Joined: 11/5/2009
From: Clifton Park, NY
Status: offline

Would like to add that who is your favorite and your worst characters in World War II. You can pick three of each and explain why you like or hate about them.

My favorite would be...
1)Yamamoto
2)Ozawa
3)Rommel

1)Isoroku Yamamoto was interesting character for the Imperial Japanese Navy and important development of naval aviation. Yamamoto did opposed the invasion of Manchuria back in early 1930's and apologized for sinking the American gunboat in Shanghai. He knew what the Americans are capable of and know that Japan cannot compete with USA industrial output on the long runs. The Japanese Army didn't like Yamamoto much, the hot headed Tojo and other officials that wanted to invade China. After what happen to Nanking, really upset him. So he did his best rule out any possibilities that may comes in the future. Attacking Pearl Harbor was a bold move, but necessary. If the USA were going to cut off the resources and supplies they needed, Japan knew it would have to look elsewhere and after what was going on in China. So it had to be done, to put USN out of the war for sometimes. He wanted those aircraft carriers, he knew they are the key for offensive operations in the Pacific.

2)Jisaburo Ozawa was an impressive officer, spent most of his years in the Japanese Navy. He also was one of the leading naval aviation for the Imperial Japanese Navy. Excellent commander for any roles in the Navy. Cant believe he is six foot and seven inches tall, they gave him a nickname "The Gargoyle".

3)Erwin Rommel is respectable tank commander, skills like the Blitz, etc. He is also very careful what he choose and how to deal with it, esp for his men. He gotten the nickname "the Desert Fox" in North African Campaign. Asked for supplies and reforcement from Hitler, but refuse. Leaving behind so many men, really upset him. When things gotten bad for Germany, he wanted Hitler to stand down. Many german officers tried to take Hitler down and Hitler manage to survive five assassination attempts.

Most hated characters...
4)Tojo
5)Hitler
6)Stalin

4)Hideki Tojo, he was a general of the Imperial Japanese Army, then later became Prime Minister of Japan. He was responsible for planning and attacking Pearl Harbor. After the Marco Polo Incident, that started wars with the Chinese, Tojo ordered to attack on the Hebei Province and moving in regardless. Believe he was responsible for allowing the Japanese Army to commit rape and murder in Nanking, but the Japanese official deny it.

5)Adolf Hitler did well grabbing those lands around Germany before the war, but he gone too far. He manage to get the people of Germany to get around problems, such as Great Economy Depression and be smarter. Most didn't know that where they are heading before it was too late. Having huge amount of military hardware building up, support Spain's Revolution, etc. He did well for awhile then started making some bad moves. He was heavy into politics, didn't like the way things are in Germany, esp Communist States and he hated the Jews. So he wanted to conquer the world, when things started to go downhill, many tried to find a way to put him down. So this character happen to kills so many lives than anyone else during World War II.

6)Joseph Stalin was a strange man, involved in a gang member when he was young. He was arrested so many times, helping others and harming others. When he heard about Hitler grabbing those extra free lands, he was curious how he manage to do that. He wanted to do the same thing as well. After meeting up with Hitler, about taking on Poland, "I was take half, you take the other half"! The Russians manage to kill or murders many poles and bury them somewhere so others don't find it. He snag some minor countries toward Finland and really didn't care about his people in Russia much. After the Operation Barbarossa, he panic and wasn't expecting be attacked by the Germans. He really didn't do anything until the Germans started to go in deeper into Russia. Surprise to see those industrial complexes been moved from the front lines to Ural Mountains, but still he needed the supplies and resources to continue. During all this time, he still dress like a poor, thud looking character. Remember reading a statement from Churchill, when he visit Stalin, after he mention on his act and dress, Stalin heard what Churchill said about him in his room and made him mad lol. Anyway he have pushed so many Russian People out there to prevent the Germans from marching deeper into Russia. Regardless who or what they are, many have died though. But he couldn't figure out what else to do.

_____________________________

Post #: 1

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 5:00:50 AM

warspite1

Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline

This is a nice idea but having only three of each is a little limiting bearing in mind that Hitler and Stalin - the two biggest mass murderers of the 21st century - take up two. It then becomes a case of pick one from a handful. Tojo? (don't know much about him) Mussolini? (he was part evil but also part buffoon) or maybe Heydrich or Himmler (both of which were pure evil)? But then if you don't just include evil - but include more normal reasons for simply disliking someone then others come into the equation. However putting these in above the likes of Hitler seems wrong. I am thinking of the likes of Goring, Petain, Gamelin or Ichiki.

Favourite characters? Equally difficult but for other reasons. Churchill and Roosevelt have to be considered. Nimitz and Eisenhower have to be up there, as does Monty, Slim and Bradley. Spruance, Mitscher, Cunningham, Fraser, Rawlings, perhaps Dowding or Brooke. Difficult.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

(in reply to Rising-Sun)

Post #: 2

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 7:29:16 AM

Rising-Sun

Posts: 2082
Joined: 11/5/2009
From: Clifton Park, NY
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

This is a nice idea but having only three of each is a little limiting bearing in mind that Hitler and Stalin - the two biggest mass murderers of the 21st century - take up two. It then becomes a case of pick one from a handful. Tojo? (don't know much about him) Mussolini? (he was part evil but also part buffoon) or maybe Heydrich or Himmler (both of which were pure evil)? But then if you don't just include evil - but include more normal reasons for simply disliking someone then others come into the equation. However putting these in above the likes of Hitler seems wrong. I am thinking of the likes of Goring, Petain, Gamelin or Ichiki.

Favourite characters? Equally difficult but for other reasons. Churchill and Roosevelt have to be considered. Nimitz and Eisenhower have to be up there, as does Monty, Slim and Bradley. Spruance, Mitscher, Cunningham, Fraser, Rawlings, perhaps Dowding or Brooke. Difficult.

I tho Mussolini was a joke, wasn't much of a threat. Most others pretty much neutral to me and yes there are some heroes out there will great skills and care about others, but only can pick three.

_____________________________

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 3

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 11:41:21 AM

warspite1

Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline

Your OP mentioned worst characters and why you hate them. It didn�t say they had to be ranked by evil. I mentioned Mussolini because, as per your criteria he is one of those characters from World War II that I have hatred for. You called him a joke and I called him a buffoon - I don�t see what the difference is.

No, Mussolini�s Italy was not much of a threat (but their entry into the war certainly made things more difficult for the Allies initially). He had no regard for the Italian people that he was supposed to lead � yes he got his �few thousand Italian dead� to take to the peace table � and what did that get Italy?

I hate Mussolini because he was such a revolting character. He was violent (including toward women) he was lazy, whatever intelligence he possessed seemed to be consumed by his gonorrhea-induced madness (or whatever term one wishes to use when describing his ever increasingly erratic mood swings).

He plunged Italy into a war that, in his sane moments, he knew they were not ready for. He wanted to make Italy great (fair enough) but he chose riding on the shirt tails of Adolf Hitler as the way to go about it. He wasn�t inherently anti-semitic (and thankfully neither were the Italian people and Italy was relatively safe for Jews as a result) but he still went down that path in terms of laws passed to impress his Austrian dream-boy.

Was he in the same league as Hitler and Stalin in terms of number of deaths, in terms of willingness to commit mass murder and genocide? No, but he�s still pretty detestable as a human being.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

(in reply to Rising-Sun)

Post #: 4

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 11:56:52 AM

Rising-Sun

Posts: 2082
Joined: 11/5/2009
From: Clifton Park, NY
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Your OP mentioned worst characters and why you hate them. It didn�t say they had to be ranked by evil. I mentioned Mussolini because, as per your criteria he is one of those characters from World War II that I have hatred for. You called him a joke and I called him a buffoon - I don�t see what the difference is.

No, Mussolini�s Italy was not much of a threat (but their entry into the war certainly made things more difficult for the Allies initially). He had no regard for the Italian people that he was supposed to lead � yes he got his �few thousand Italian dead� to take to the peace table � and what did that get Italy?

I hate Mussolini because he was such a revolting character. He was violent (including toward women) he was lazy, whatever intelligence he possessed seemed to be consumed by his gonorrhea-induced madness (or whatever term one wishes to use when describing his ever increasingly erratic mood swings).

He plunged Italy into a war that, in his sane moments, he knew they were not ready for. He wanted to make Italy great (fair enough) but he chose riding on the shirt tails of Adolf Hitler as the way to go about it. He wasn�t inherently anti-semitic (and thankfully neither were the Italian people and Italy was relatively safe for Jews as a result) but he still went down that path in terms of laws passed to impress his Austrian dream-boy.

Was he in the same league as Hitler and Stalin in terms of number of deaths, in terms of willingness to commit mass murder and genocide? No, but he�s still pretty detestable as a human being.

I agreed, that why I call him a joke. Esp to get some Italian dead to get them attention. If he tried to get Italy great by admiring his people, he is doing it wrong. So he failed! Saw what the locals did to him, after he was captured. Then again, wont make it out of the cell this time. Hanged by death along with his wife. Dunno if the wife should be hang or not, don't know much about her. Sadly when someone did something bad or piss someone off, they go after that person and the relatives as well.

_____________________________

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 5

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 4:25:27 PM

Chickenboy

Posts: 24520
Joined: 6/29/2002
From: San Antonio, TX
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Favourite characters? Equally difficult but for other reasons. Churchill and Roosevelt have to be considered. Nimitz and Eisenhower have to be up there, as does Monty, Slim and Bradley. Spruance, Mitscher, Cunningham, Fraser, Rawlings, perhaps Dowding or Brooke. Difficult.

Oi! Where's Patton?

_____________________________

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 6

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 5:04:17 PM

warspite1

Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Favourite characters? Equally difficult but for other reasons. Churchill and Roosevelt have to be considered. Nimitz and Eisenhower have to be up there, as does Monty, Slim and Bradley. Spruance, Mitscher, Cunningham, Fraser, Rawlings, perhaps Dowding or Brooke. Difficult.

Oi! Where's Patton?

warspite1

As per the task set by the OP, one element of this thread is about favourite characters. How one defines a favourite is of course up to them, it could be personality, warrior-like ability, political nous, a combination of those things, or indeed anything else. I have my reasons for naming those named, and once I have worked out how to whittle them down to three(!) I will say what they are. But one thing is certain, Patton wouldn't make my list of personal favourite characters.

Equally, although he is not one of my favourites, he does not trouble the scorers in respect of those I dislike either.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

(in reply to Chickenboy)

Post #: 7

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 5:36:02 PM

wings7

Posts: 4591
Joined: 8/11/2003
From: Phoenix, Arizona
Status: offline

My big 3 +2 would have to be by importance (I know, I know):

1. Franklin D. Roosevelt
2. Adolf Hitler
3. Joseph Stalin
4. Winston Churchill
5. Hideki Tojo

< Message edited by wings7 -- 8/13/2017 5:53:40 PM >

_____________________________

Please come and join and befriend me at the great Steam portal! There are quite a few Matrix/Slitherine players on Steam! My member page: http://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197988402427

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 8

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 7:29:08 PM

Aurelian

Posts: 3916
Joined: 2/26/2007
Status: offline

Claus Philipp Maria Schenk Graf von Stauffenberg And all who came before him.

Sophia Magdalena Scholl

Hans Fritz Scholl.

Worst: Every freaking one who had a hand in the Holocaust.

_____________________________

If the Earth was flat, cats would of knocked everything off of it long ago.

(in reply to wings7)

Post #: 9

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/13/2017 10:45:35 PM

Blond_Knight

Posts: 1031
Joined: 5/15/2004
Status: offline

Personally I think Montgomery is an obnoxious and previously unmentioned character.
Always slow to act, to divine disaster if plans werent made to suit him, and quick to take credit for others accomplishments. Eisenhower said long after the war "The man is a psychopath! Everything he has ever done is perfect."

(in reply to Aurelian)

Post #: 10

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 12:21:35 AM

demyansk

Posts: 2840
Joined: 2/20/2008
Status: offline

Worst - many of them, here's a few - Dirlewanger, Hans Frank, Keitel, Ribbentrop, Heydrich, Fegelein, the Japanese unit that experimented on prisoners and the allies who allowed them to get away with it!!!!

Many to admire but reading the Brett Baier book on Eisenhower, really a good book on Ike, the right man at the right time.

(in reply to Blond_Knight)

Post #: 11

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 3:22:33 AM

Neilster

Posts: 2890
Joined: 10/27/2003
From: Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
Status: offline

A less well known favourite of mine is the brilliant British scientist Dr R.V. Jones. He was personally instrumental in foiling several German developments that would have been very nasty, like radio beam guidance bombing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Victor_Jones

I randomly picked up the book pictured below in a second hand bookshop years ago and it's an absolute cracker. The only thing really missing is the Enigma code-breaking, as that was still secret when it was published in the mid 70s.

It became the basis for the excellent 1977 series The Secret War (which has a whole episode on Enigma). What's great about it is that it assumes you know what went on in WW2 and by today's standards, it's really fast paced. Definitely worth checking out.

In episodic form it's here...

http://www.dailymotion.com/playlist/x2r1lq_waja100_the-secret-war/1#video=x123i1g

And this appears to be the entire series in one hit...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJCF-Ufapu8

Cheers, Neilster

Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Neilster -- 8/14/2017 3:24:26 AM >

(in reply to demyansk)

Post #: 12

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 8:03:02 AM

Rising-Sun

Posts: 2082
Joined: 11/5/2009
From: Clifton Park, NY
Status: offline

Interesting, keep bringing in more!

_____________________________

(in reply to Neilster)

Post #: 13

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 11:02:57 AM

HunterICX

Posts: 90
Joined: 6/6/2014
From: Spain
Status: offline

Uff...just 3?

Well if that has to be the case then here's my Favorites with brief summary of why:

1) Omar Bradley - being polite and courteous and never forget never known to issue an order to anybody of any rank without saying please first.
2) George S. Patton - Being a bastard the complete opposite of Bradly, bold moves and getting the job done.
3) Rommel - being a Soldier's General, his quick thinking and strategies.

Now for the ones I dislike:

1) Ernest King - For allowing the Germans have their second happy times by not listening to the advice to implement the convoy system asap when war was declared by Germany.
2) Bernard Montgomery - While he stood firm and did well in Alemein, his offensives and plans after that where a disaster at the costs of many lives without gains which he usually liked to blame onto others instead of himself.
3) Heinz Lammerding - Leader of the SS Das Reich Division, think I said all that's needed to know about that piece of work. Actually having been to Oradour-Sur-Glane twice has left quite the impression on me.

I've listed them in no particular order and the top does change but mostly these do stand out when the question is asked to me.

(in reply to Rising-Sun)

Post #: 14

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 2:57:00 PM

Jagdtiger14

Posts: 1686
Joined: 1/22/2008
From: Miami Beach
Status: offline

Warspite1:

quote:

This is a nice idea but having only three of each is a little limiting bearing in mind that Hitler and Stalin - the two biggest mass murderers of the 21st century - take up two.

How about Mao? He killed more humans than Stalin and Hitler combined.

I would not even put Hitler in the top three as I consider Himmler worse, and even Beria.

For me (worst):
1. Mao
2. Stalin
3. Himmler
co-third: Baria

Best:
1. Rommel/Stauffenberg/Schindler, and frankly any German family that put themselves at risk disobeying the NAZI law of assisting Jews.
2. Churchill
3. Nimitz
co-third: Patton

< Message edited by Jagdtiger14 -- 8/15/2017 3:43:12 AM >

_____________________________

Conflict with the unexpected: two qualities are indispensable; first, an intellect which, even in the midst of this obscurity, is not without some traces of inner light which lead to the truth; second, the courage to follow this faint light. KvC

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 15

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 4:32:52 PM

Chickenboy

Posts: 24520
Joined: 6/29/2002
From: San Antonio, TX
Status: offline

Best:

1. Patton
2. Nimitz
3. Churchill
co-3rd: Guderian

Worst:

1. Heydrich
2. Stalin
3. Hitler

< Message edited by Chickenboy -- 8/14/2017 4:33:36 PM >

_____________________________

(in reply to Jagdtiger14)

Post #: 16

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 4:34:36 PM

Chickenboy

Posts: 24520
Joined: 6/29/2002
From: San Antonio, TX
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Blond_Knight

Personally I think Montgomery is an obnoxious and previously unmentioned character.
Always slow to act, to divine disaster if plans werent made to suit him, and quick to take credit for others accomplishments. Eisenhower said long after the war "The man is a psychopath! Everything he has ever done is perfect."

+1. Entirely overrated.

_____________________________

(in reply to Blond_Knight)

Post #: 17

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 4:55:16 PM

warspite1

Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

This is a nice idea but having only three of each is a little limiting bearing in mind that Hitler and Stalin - the two biggest mass murderers of the 21st century - take up two. It then becomes a case of pick one from a handful. Tojo? (don't know much about him) Mussolini? (he was part evil but also part buffoon) or maybe Heydrich or Himmler (both of which were pure evil)? But then if you don't just include evil - but include more normal reasons for simply disliking someone then others come into the equation. However putting these in above the likes of Hitler seems wrong. I am thinking of the likes of Goring, Petain, Gamelin or Ichiki.

Favourite characters? Equally difficult but for other reasons. Churchill and Roosevelt have to be considered. Nimitz and Eisenhower have to be up there, as does Monty, Slim and Bradley. Spruance, Mitscher, Cunningham, Fraser, Rawlings, perhaps Dowding or Brooke. Difficult.

warspite1

To get around the problem I have decided to make it a top 1. One politician, one senior military man and one fighting man.

So my top three (best) are:

1. Winston Churchill (UK) � toss-up between Churchill and Roosevelt. Churchill gets it because he came first and so set the scene for Roosevelt to step in stage left and do what needed to be done. But without Churchill there was no guarantee the war would be continued after the fall of France and no guarantee that the Germans, with a free hand, would not have defeated the Soviets - a truly frightening thought. Churchill is hugely frustrating (I love Brooke�s comments about him) but the fact was, for all he got wrong, he understood the big picture � the need to defeat Hitler and the need to get the US on-side � for that the world owes him a debt.

2. Chester Nimitz (USA) � Montgomery comes a close second and Eisenhower is deserving too. But Nimitz gets the nod because of what he achieved and what actions he took when backs were to the wall � not just when the Allies were in the ascendancy. When cool heads were needed after the disaster of Pearl he stepped up to the plate, picked the right men, gave them his trust and let them get on with it. A hugely impressive character. Talk about the right man in the right place at the right time....

3. Charles Upham (New Zealand) � This Kiwi, a humble sheep farmer by profession, (I sincerely hope) needs no introduction. Twice winner of the Victoria Cross (and the only combat soldier to gain a bar to his Bronze Cross) and, after capture, a thorough-going pain in the arse to his Axis guards. Story has it when he was liberated he volunteered to fight with the Americans who's liberated him! What an inspiration � what a hero.

Top three (worst)

1. Adolf Hitler (Austria) � Others have made the point that Stalin or Mao killed more. Well that depends of course on how you measure it. Given what the Allies were willing to offer to avoid war, there is only one man responsible for starting World War II. A conflict that led to well in excess of 50 million deaths. Evil does not begin to cover it. And to those that say he wasn't directly responsible for those deaths, just look at the plans - laid out at Wannsee - for the destruction of every single European Jew, look at the liquidation of Poland, look at his plans for the Slav 'Untermensch' had the Germans won. So how many millions was that? We forget what Nazi Germany was about at our peril - and Hitler was at its rotten core.

2. Reinhard Heydrich (Germany) � speaking of evil� The Butcher of Prague, this was the man responsible for putting the Final Solution into operation - mass murder on a truly industrial scale that required the full apparatus of the Nazi state to implement - and he was Hitler's appointed executioner who relished the challenge of ridding the world of millions of men, women and children - simply on the grounds of their faith. If Hitler re-wrote the definition of evil, Heydrich was its hideous twisted bastard love-child.

3. A Twat (All countries - some considerably more than others) � By its very nature, war is hideous. Bad things � that we would prefer to think didn�t happen � happened, and people from all sides were capable of carrying out such acts. Where these were carried out in the confusion and tumult of battle (and perhaps its immediate aftermath) they can be at least understood. But this award goes to those individuals for whom no such excuse was needed, but for whom barbarous cruelty - whether toward their fellow fighting man, or civilians � was seen as not only acceptable, but was seen as the right thing to do, or even something to be done just for fun. Evil finds it difficult to take root without willing tools like these. Hopefully they got theirs in the next life.

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 8/16/2017 6:09:59 AM >

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 18

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 5:02:34 PM

aaatoysandmore

Posts: 2848
Joined: 9/11/2013
Status: offline

Favorite was Audy Murphy

Least Favorite: Patton

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 19

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/14/2017 5:07:46 PM

warspite1

Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: HunterICX

Now for the ones I dislike:

1) Ernest King.

warspite1

Lol

I couldn't put him in the dislike category because that would be grossly unfair considering who occupies those spots and why. But yes, he was a pretty nasty piece of work.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

(in reply to HunterICX)

Post #: 20

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/15/2017 6:14:45 AM

warspite1

Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Neilster

It became the basis for the excellent 1977 series The Secret War (which has a whole episode on Enigma). What's great about it is that it assumes you know what went on in WW2 and by today's standards, it's really fast paced. Definitely worth checking out.

And this appears to be the entire series in one hit...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJCF-Ufapu8

Cheers, Neilster

warspite1

Thanks - I don't recall ever seeing this - I will give it a go.

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

(in reply to Neilster)

Post #: 21

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/16/2017 7:16:18 AM

IslandInland

Posts: 891
Joined: 12/8/2014
From: YORKSHIRE
Status: offline

1. Churchill/FDR - Giants of the age the likes of which we are sadly lacking today.

2. Monty - instilled believe in the British Army that the Germans could be defeated. The right man in the right place at the right time.

3. Lt Gen Brian Horrocks - Possibly the best British corps commander. Arguably the best Western Allied corps commander.

Honourable mentions to Air Chief Marshal Hugh Dowding, Oskar Schindler, Lt Col John Frost, Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, Field Marshal Alan Brooke, Alan Turing, Lt Gen Bernard Freyberg and last but not least General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower.

Number one should be all the people who fought on the Allied side during the war but the OP asked for individuals. While the (in)famous names resonate down the ages history is truly made by those who actually lived it and, in the case of WW II, fought in it.

1. Hitler - No explanation necessary.

2. Himmler - As above but also a more contemptible historical figure is hard to imagine.

3. Leon Degrelle - A proxy for all the collaborators and quislings during WW II and also for all the writers since the war who have glorified the Waffen SS and the German armed forces in general.

Dishonourable mentions to all of the Nazi hierarchy, William Joyce ("Lord Haw-Haw"), Oskar Dirlewanger, Juan Peron for sheltering Nazis after the war.

< Message edited by XXXCorps -- 8/16/2017 9:11:42 AM >

_____________________________

War In The East 2 Beta Tester and
War In The West Operation Torch Beta Tester
XXXCorps

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 22

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/16/2017 8:28:22 PM

MrsWargamer

Posts: 1655
Joined: 6/18/2014
Status: offline

Yawn. You guys pick all the boring easy choices.

I'm going with

Kay Summersby, Douglas Bader and Audie Murphy.

Worst is Benito, over rated blow hard. Stalin, more dangerous than history seems to realize and Goering who was all that was bad about his party.
I can't think of any worst examples of schmucks.

_____________________________

Wargame, 05% of the time.
Play with Barbies 05% of the time.
Play with Legos 10% of the time.
Build models 20% of the time
Shopping 60% of the time.
Exlains why I buy em more than I play em.

(in reply to IslandInland)

Post #: 23

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/17/2017 5:17:21 AM

warspite1

Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrsWargamer

Yawn. You guys pick all the boring easy choices.

warspite1

Yawn? Well no less than 66% of your picks have been mentioned previously above and a third of them have been chosen. But this is about personal choice of best and worst characters - its not about not picking them because they are boring or easy (whatever that means) - or a game to see who can be the most different.

You've picked your personal choices and that's fine, but it would have been nice if you'd done what the OP asked and wrote why you picked the ones you did. I mean what was it that makes Eisenhower's driver/secretary interesting to you? I suspect most people here haven't read her memoirs - and the only reason we have even heard of her is because we saw her on the definitive WWII documentary series - The World at War back in the day. I take it from the fact you picked her you have read about her so it would be good to hear. Is it the female angle (in a world dominated by men) or something more specific that makes her so interesting to you?

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 8/17/2017 6:07:25 AM >

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

(in reply to MrsWargamer)

Post #: 24

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/17/2017 9:51:06 AM

IslandInland

Posts: 891
Joined: 12/8/2014
From: YORKSHIRE
Status: offline

I remember watching Lee Remick as Summersby in a film when I was a kid. It must have been this.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077721/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_23

_____________________________

War In The East 2 Beta Tester and
War In The West Operation Torch Beta Tester
XXXCorps

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 25

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/17/2017 11:36:51 AM

MrsWargamer

Posts: 1655
Joined: 6/18/2014
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: MrsWargamer

Yawn. You guys pick all the boring easy choices.

warspite1

Yawn? Well no less than 66% of your picks have been mentioned previously above and a third of them have been chosen. But this is about personal choice of best and worst characters - its not about not picking them because they are boring or easy (whatever that means) - or a game to see who can be the most different.

You've picked your personal choices and that's fine, but it would have been nice if you'd done what the OP asked and wrote why you picked the ones you did. I mean what was it that makes Eisenhower's driver/secretary interesting to you? I suspect most people here haven't read her memoirs - and the only reason we have even heard of her is because we saw her on the definitive WWII documentary series - The World at War back in the day. I take it from the fact you picked her you have read about her so it would be good to hear. Is it the female angle (in a world dominated by men) or something more specific that makes her so interesting to you?

Oops you are correct.

Kay, I have her book.
Douglas, to be able to fly without legs, awesome.
Audie, to think no one even wanted him when he tried to enlist.

The bad guys, I just picked three off the top of my head. I had no reasons, but I needed three bad guys.
I don't tend to like bad apples.

_____________________________

Wargame, 05% of the time.
Play with Barbies 05% of the time.
Play with Legos 10% of the time.
Build models 20% of the time
Shopping 60% of the time.
Exlains why I buy em more than I play em.

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 26

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/18/2017 10:14:43 AM

rico21

Posts: 2990
Joined: 3/11/2016
Status: offline

The Goods
Jacques who was black market to feed his family, lived a long time
Matilde who was passing from the courier for resistance, disappeared
Paul, named as hostage, saved from execution but not his son
The Bads
Fernand, proud to enter the Militia, shouted "Vive la France" by being shot
Victor, worked in Germany to manufacture shells
Wilfried, forcibly enrolled in the Das Reich, taken prisoner by the Americans

At the moment, they are all equal ...

(in reply to Rising-Sun)

Post #: 27

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/18/2017 11:42:01 AM

terje439

Posts: 6813
Joined: 3/28/2004
Status: offline

Surprised that people like Barbie, Mengele and H�ss has been mentioned as worst. But if we are to go with more top-tier people, I suppose Dugout-Doug is a candidate in my book. A good thing he did not get his will in Korea about using nukes...

_____________________________

"Hun skal torpederes!" - Birger Eriksen

("She is to be torpedoed!")

(in reply to rico21)

Post #: 28

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/18/2017 6:23:21 PM

warspite1

Posts: 41353
Joined: 2/2/2008
From: England
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: terje439

.....people like Barbie, Mengele and H�ss....

warspite1

terje ol' son are you taking this seriously? I mean Josef Mengele I can understand but Hoss? seriously? And what's Barbie done?.... okay tour-guide Barbie was a little racey back in the day, but nothing sinister - just a bit of clothes ripping when Ken got her all angry....

Attachment (2)

< Message edited by warspite1 -- 8/18/2017 6:25:13 PM >

_____________________________

England expects that every man will do his duty. Horatio Nelson October 1805

(in reply to terje439)

Post #: 29

RE: Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2 - 8/18/2017 8:03:12 PM

terje439

Posts: 6813
Joined: 3/28/2004
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

quote:

ORIGINAL: terje439

.....people like Barbie, Mengele and H�ss....

warspite1

terje ol' son are you taking this seriously? I mean Josef Mengele I can understand but Hoss? seriously? And what's Barbie done?.... okay tour-guide Barbie was a little racey back in the day, but nothing sinister - just a bit of clothes ripping when Ken got her all angry....

Hoss - that hat secures him the spot
Barbie - those lashes are just too long

_____________________________

"Hun skal torpederes!" - Birger Eriksen

("She is to be torpedoed!")

(in reply to warspite1)

Post #: 30

Page: [1] 2 next > >>

All Forums >> [General] >> General Discussion >> Favorite and Worst Characters of WW2

Page: [1] 2 next > >>

Jump to:

New Messages	No New Messages
Hot Topic w/ New Messages	Hot Topic w/o New Messages
Locked w/ New Messages	Locked w/o New Messages

Post New Thread

Reply to Message

Post New Poll

Submit Vote

Delete My Own Post

Delete My Own Thread

Rate Posts

1.422