Praefectus Praetorio
R.I.P. Brother of the Quill
Very Good Point. It's like choosing the sexiest Cruxgirl, a minefield with no one answer.There are a lot of good Generals and Admirals. Bill Slim in Burma and Harwood in at the River Plate for example.
Some others were promoted beyond their competence, yes and all made mistakes.
Admiral Sir Bertram Home Ramsay was a genius who had been forced into retirement before ww2 and was put into Dover command in 1939 and thus was in position to command the Dunkirk evacuation. Without him it would have been a much greater disaster.
It is impossible to completely say one general is better then another. Consider Manstein he was considered by other German generals to be the best of them.
I mentioned Nelson's quote. At the time, the Admiralty's policy was, after a battle, to court martial and cashier the least performing Captain as an example to the the others. Nelson, before the Battle of the Nile, hosted his Captain's for dinner and made the statement. He said he would resign his commission before allowing any of his "Band of Brothers" who performed to that level, to be punished.