Manstein was one of the best commanders for Germany in WWII.

Manstein was wounded early in WWI and as a result became a staff officer for the remainder of that war. His career was not damaged by the fact that he was the nephew of Paul von Hindenburg.

His most memorable achievement was the adoption of his proposal for attacking France through the Ardennes instead of using a revised Schlieffen Plan in 1940. The decisive success of his plan catapulted his prominence and by the opening of BARBAROSSA, Manstein commanded 56th Panzer Corps in the Balic countries. He took command of 11th Army in July of 1941. He prepared that Army for an assault on Leningrad but with the Soviets' counteroffensive at Stalingrad, Manstein took command of the new Army Group Don and organized the relief the besieged 6th Army. Manstein launch a hasty counterattack with scratch forces that made surprising progress. Hitler's stubbornness however, prohibited the encircled 6th Army from attempting a breakout and Manstein's drive finally stalled. The last of the doomed 6th Army surrendered by the first of February.

Some of Manstein's reached the height of his career in early 1943 as he brilliantly commanded the recapture of Kharkov, but met defeat when leading the southern prong of the ill-fated Kursk attack. He ably withdrew the battered German forces, but was removed from command later in the year.

After the war, Manstein was convicted of minor war crimes, apparently to appease the Soviets, but was released in 1953 and died in 1973.

More Lost Victories: Stalingrad Counteroffensive

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Field Marshal Manstein
Field Marshal Zhukov
Axis Order of Battle
Soviet Order of Battle
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