Best soldier?

On which side?

Corpo Aereo Italiano - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If you can't join them, beat them :lol:

 

Just an honest opinion but, I think the Germans and the Japanese started the war as the best all around military's BUT, as the war progressed, the Americans, British and the Russians became great soldiers as ell. When I saw British, I also include UK troops. Also, the Ghurkas were great soldiers as well as the Senegalese. If I left out someone-sorry only a slip of the mind.

 

as Paul said it is unanswerable, with relatives fighting for both sides in the ETO and in the Pacific I can surely imagine what they would say if I posed this very question

maybe Luke as a suggestion is to take such a broad spectrum question as you stated and put it in a more specific light, example like which Allied or German division on land was the best overall...........still poses a serious almost what-if answer. But again even if you were here at the inception of this forum you still could not get the ultimate answer you seek

E ~

 

this is like starting a new thread entitled "american GIs have always been overrated."

 

Otto
I agree with you, as you mentioned no one was born with this knowledge as a newbie I will do a search around the net first then on here if it doesn't show up that doesn't mean the info isn't there it's probably just that I haven't phrased it right. I would be so pleased if some one told where to find the post. Another forum I asked a question and was told bluntly it had been already discussed it would have been less words for him to tell me the answer, I never did find out.
Sometimes I think there should be a beginners section so that a question can be asked and a pointer to the correct thread given that's if it has been asked before or the topic moved to the relevant section if not.
Sometimes the simplest of questions can be the most interesting.

Thanks
cruachan

 

Agreed. You can't just pin a label on an army and call them 'the best.' In what ways of 'best' are we talking about?

 

I don't see a right or wrong answer, either.
Pick both a green and an experienced soldier from every country involved. Now, line them all up in foxholes and have a neutral party start lobbing mortar fire at them. Who will stay and who will break and run for it?

Line the same up with identical rifles. Who will be the best shot? And as already mentioned, I wouldn't consider a soldier who's country fielded inferior equipment any less a soldier.

I don't see how you can pick a "best" soldier. Maybe the "best" soldier was one who made it out alive and in one piece.

 

Although, I am resisting the urge to say the British Tommy was the best...

This is just one of those 'best' threads that I hate so much! Couldn't it just be what is our 'favourite' soldier or something!

At least it's not to do with Sealion.

 

ok, the question worthy of respect. so here are my answers. the most impressive soldiering i've read about are:

1. the 40 russian defenders of the factory building at stalingrad
2. US marines at edson's ridge, guadalcanal
3. british paratroopers at arnhem bridge
4. 101st US paratroopers at normandy
5. hiroo onoda and his cohorts at lubang island

 

Agreed that it is a question that has too many possibilities mostly dependent upon the prejudice of the person answering.

However, I have to agree with the newcomers who are here to learn that sometimes when they ask what seems a simplistic question it is becuse they want to learn and directing them to threads or websites with information would be more profitable to all of us in the long run than zinging them.

Not everyone knows what to search for on the forum or on the internet. For beginners though, I would recommend finding a general world war II site and a book that gives an overview, then it would be easier to ask specific questions which will receive greater patience and instructive answers. I know I have so much more to learn before I can match knowledge with most on the forum.

 

Like I have stated earlier I have seen this question asked in almost every other forum I have seen or been on and it usually ends up the same way LOL. I can pretty much predict what the answers will be. Like all the other types of "Best" threads and questions it comes down to a poster's opinions,bias,nationality,ect. . Too many variables here. I have seen a similar thread with over 1000 replies and yet no one could agree with a "Best" LOL. The top contenders were always the US,Germans,Russians or British. But never a concensus and always for different reasons.

 

Any soldier that can get out of his nice safe slit-trench and advance through shot and shell to engage with the enemy is the best.
Whatever sapper/engineer that can build a bridge or lift mines under fire is the best.
Any anti-tank gunner that serves his gun against the advancing enemy tanks is the best.
Etc etc etc

And then they get battle-exhaustion and can't go on any more.
Are they still the best?
Of course they are , they've done it.

Whatever Nationality, Creed or Colour.

 

I think we are getting confused, are well comparing the troops, victoreis, defeats, traingin, equipment, support or what. What makes them the best?

 

Confused?
I'm not.
I think we are all actually taking this thread for too seriously.

 

Sorry WW that wasn't aimed directly at you but in general.

 

Both my late uncles were in in the Seaforths told my father when they joined up that they hoped to give a good account of themselves and on returning home, felt that they did so. I think getting back was a feat in itself.

 

What do you mean by "soldier"? Physical make-up? Equipment? Morale?

It's a given that you are talking about "in general", but other factors come into account...

 

I really was'nt thinking when i started this thread so ill let you guys figure it out, and i agree with all of you about you cant call anyone "the best". sorry about the confusion.

 

This is akin to the "which plane would win P-51 or Ta 152...with equally skilled pilots?" There are never, ever anything equal including pilots with the same training. The fact that "2 equally trained soldiers" or platoons will never be equal due to the fact that there are myriad maneuvers, movements, deployments and such that will work differently on different terrain, time of day when in differing sequences with other maneuvers.

The fact that one squad might "win" over another is meaningless since the next time the opposing squad might use a different defense and the outcome would be alltoghther different.