The three best European admirals in history are...

jeroenrottgering · May 11, 2012

Give you view on it and tell me why.

To me the three best European admirals are

- de Ruyter
- Nelson
- Juel/Tromp (can't really decide

).

Young Guard · May 11, 2012

I think Nelson is the most successful admiral. Because he was the savior of Britain when France tried to invade Britain. He also clearly understood the tactics and strategies of Naval warfare. Sadly he died at the Battle of Trafalagar.

Earl_of_Rochester · May 11, 2012

Nelson - destroyed Franco Spanish Fleet as well as French ambitions and the French fleet in the Med at Aboukir.

Drake - Destroyed Spanish Armada with some help from the weather.

ABC Cunningham - took on the Italians and Germans in the Med in WW2, who had a far superior and modern fleet compared to our WW1 era battleships. Yet he won, which enabled Monty to win North Africa and the allies to land in Africa/Italy/S.France. Had the Axis taken Suez and the oil fields and thrown Blighty out the Med WW2 may have been a bit more difficult.

Honourable mention to Captain Walker for u-boat attack techniques and Hood and Rodney for duffing up the French again.

Apart from a few setbacks with the Dutch I don't think there's any other Europeans who've moulded the sea with major battles like the pesky Brits, even with unbiased hindsight.

As for Ancient History my knowledge is sketchy, but I think Lysander for defeating Athens and Themistocles for Salamis.

jeroenrottgering · May 11, 2012

Earl_of_Rochester said:
Nelson - destroyed Franco Spanish Fleet as well as French ambitions and the French fleet in the Med at Aboukir.

Drake - Destroyed Spanish Armada with some help from the weather.

ABC Cunningham - took on the Italians and Germans in the Med in WW2, who had a far superior and modern fleet compared to our WW1 era battleships. Yet he won, which enabled Monty to win North Africa and the allies to land in Africa/Italy/S.France. Had the Axis taken Suez and the oil fields and thrown Blighty out the Med WW2 may have been a bit more difficult.

Honourable mention to Captain Walker for u-boat attack techniques and Hood and Rodney for duffing up the French again.

Apart from a few setbacks with the Dutch I don't think there's any other Europeans who've moulded the sea with major battles like the pesky Brits, even with unbiased hindsight.

As for Ancient History my knowledge is sketchy, but I think Lysander for defeating Athens and Themistocles for Salamis.

We really were a torn in your side

. But that's all over now, now we are allies

.

whisper · May 11, 2012

Earl_of_Rochester said:
Drake - Destroyed Spanish Armada with some help from the weather.

It was Charles Howard who was in charge of defeating the Spanish Armada and Drake himself was defeated by the Spanish only a year later so I don't really see him as being a great admiral. And I don't think he ever achieved the rank of Admiral anyway.

Earl_of_Rochester · May 11, 2012

whisper said:
It was Charles Howard who was in charge of defeating the Spanish Armada and Drake himself was defeated by the Spanish only a year later so I don't really see him as being a great admiral. And I don't think he ever achieved the rank of Admiral anyway.

How come Drake's sword hangs in Dartmouth and not Howard's then?

whisper · May 11, 2012

Earl_of_Rochester said:
How come Drake's sword hangs in Dartmouth and not Howard's then?

No idea. Maybe they couldn't find Howard's sword?

Seems like a historical injustice either way.

jeroenrottgering · May 12, 2012

Earl_of_Rochester said:
Nelson - destroyed Franco Spanish Fleet as well as French ambitions and the French fleet in the Med at Aboukir.

Drake - Destroyed Spanish Armada with some help from the weather.

ABC Cunningham - took on the Italians and Germans in the Med in WW2, who had a far superior and modern fleet compared to our WW1 era battleships. Yet he won, which enabled Monty to win North Africa and the allies to land in Africa/Italy/S.France. Had the Axis taken Suez and the oil fields and thrown Blighty out the Med WW2 may have been a bit more difficult.

Honourable mention to Captain Walker for u-boat attack techniques and Hood and Rodney for duffing up the French again.

Apart from a few setbacks with the Dutch I don't think there's any other Europeans who've moulded the sea with major battles like the pesky Brits, even with unbiased hindsight.

As for Ancient History my knowledge is sketchy, but I think Lysander for defeating Athens and Themistocles for Salamis.

Btw lot of British guys. You can't honoustly think that you were the only ones who produced excellent admirals.

Kevinmeath · May 12, 2012

jeroenrottgering said:
Btw lot of British guys. You can't honoustly think that you were the only ones who produced excellent admirals.

True but from the mid-18th century ,that is 'modern era', the Royal Navy did dominate the world oceans.

maharbbal · May 12, 2012

Columbus
Doria
De Ruyter

Absolutely no discussion. Nelson comes fifth after a collective fourth position for the German high command during WWI who invented modern naval warfare. Hot in pursuit are Benedetto Zaccaria, Carlo Zeno, Pietro Loredan and Fuhas Rupinho.

Mosquito · May 12, 2012

In my opinion:

1.De Ruyter was best of all - defeating joined Anglo-French navies

2. Nelson recives second place ex aequo with French admiral de Tourville, the first secured England defeating French and Spanish navies, the second defeated English and Dutch navies allowing France to get control over channel and even invade England, however there was no invasion

3. The third place goes to the French admirals ex aequo: Jean Bart and Pierre André de Suffren

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The three best European admirals in history are...

jeroenrottgering

Young Guard

Earl_of_Rochester

jeroenrottgering

whisper

Earl_of_Rochester

whisper

jeroenrottgering

Kevinmeath

maharbbal

Mosquito

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