http://io9.com/the-8-worst-mistakes-made-by-the-allies-during-world-w-1472602177
This is probably a reasonable starting point, but some of the choices seem awfully obvious and a bit shallow.
I'm sure our Canadian brethren still have strong feelings over Dieppe, and rightly so. My own reading is that the Combined Operations Staff under Mountbatten wanted to test to see if their assumptions would work in a real invasion. One of those was that it was necessary, and possible, to seize a port right away. This proved totally unworkable, and was not part of the Overlord plan. A very expensive lesson, but if Cherbourg had been assaulted directly from the sea, I can only see a massive disaster and greater bloodletting.
In the Battle of France, there were more than enough mistakes made by everyone on the Allied side. The
French knew they could not be strong everywhere and believed the Ardennes would hold, even with the third line troops assigned. The fortifications, combined with the road net, convinced them that the Germans couldn't bring up the heavy artillery necessary to crack the defences. They did not anticipate the Stukas accuracy. What may have been their biggest mistake was in fighting the air war. It seems they had no plans more than the World War I patrol system.
My own sentimental greatest mistake, was letting Richard O'Connor be captured during Rommel's first offensive. He was growing, and he had a real understanding of armor. Considering the dismal succession of generals that the british tried in the desert following this, he had to do better.
About Dieppe...
It now appears that the real mission of Dieppe was a "pinch" raid to bag a new 4 wheel Enigma machine setup up by none other than Ian Fleming.
http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/books/2013/11/05/one_day_in_august_by_david_okeefe_review.html
Watched a TV show about this on the Nov. 11 weekend on History Channel Canada. Really powerful stuff after all the years of crap we've been fed about the operation.
Still a complete cluster f@%k but at least it had a real purpose.
EDIT: ACK! Should have read your entire link as this is pointed out in sub-links....
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6. FDR's Demand of "Unconditional" German Surrender
Sorry but, that was not a mistake, if Germany was allowed just stop, we might not have seen the end of Germany aggression like after WWI. Just like the unconditional Japanese surrender, it dismantled the existing class structure & ruling powers and gave more power/rights to the people. This is what we should have done in Iraq and Afghanistan, we going to have problems with them again because, the power/rights has not been filtered down to the people, the same class & power structures exists. Instead we just have some what less bad people in power.
my vote for worst blunder by the allies would have been Halsey vaingloriously pursuing the Japanese carrier force east of Luzon instead of staying fast by the Allied invasion force on Leyte. Had Sprague's destroyers and escort carriers not carried the fight to the Kurita's strike force with such tenacity and heroism, the allied landing force and its support ships would have been eliminated.
I'd go with Rossevelt and Churchill's decision acquiesce to Stalin's demands at Yalta.
Sending the Repulse and Renown without air cover to Singapore. Although Winny probably had no choice, with the Indomitable in dry dock and the need to bolster their allies in South Pacific (Australia and New Zealand).
Quote from: Jack Nastyface on December 24, 2013, 01:22:43 AM
my vote for worst blunder by the allies would have been Halsey vaingloriously pursuing the Japanese carrier force east of Luzon instead of staying fast by the Allied invasion force on Leyte. Had Sprague's destroyers and escort carriers not carried the fight to the Kurita's strike force with such tenacity and heroism, the allied landing force and its support ships would have been eliminated.
Hindsights 20/20. That, imho, was a very good Japanese ploy more then an allied mistake. Anzio and Dieppe were mistakes.
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And what changed that concept?
Oops my bad thanks eye biter.
Not sure star, would you mean the attack / raid on Ceylon ?
no, I'm wondering what changed to players from saving Force Z to not.
They stopped playing the game?
Quote from: Staggerwing on December 31, 2013, 05:23:14 PM
They stopped playing the game?
The Allies biggest mistake.
Now they're just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round...
Quote from: Staggerwing on December 31, 2013, 06:56:49 PM
Now they're just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round...
I hear that they really love to watch them roll.