Field Marshal Walter Model

 Walter Model liked to call himself “the F iihrer's fireman.” He proved
his capability to put out apparently unquenchable fires on many occasions.
He first came to Hitler's attention as a brilliant staff officer just
before the war. He showed his command ability by leading a panzer
division in the invasion of Russia. By early 1942 he had been promoted
to the command of an army, and continued to distinguish himself on
attack and in the defense.

Model lacked Manstein’s keen strategic genius, but was one of Germany’s
finest tacticians during the war. Even before Manstein was relieved,
Hitler had begun to use Model to take command of diflicult spots. Late
in 1943 he was promoted to command Army Group North, and checked the
Russian winter offensive toward the Baltic States. After the relief of
Manstein, Zhukov took advantage of the situation to break through the
front of Army Group South; Model was rushed to the front, and miraculously
plugged the hole and stopped the Russian drive. W’hen the Russians then
broke through north of the Pripet Marshes and headed toward Warsaw, Model
was again shifted, and again stopped the Russian advance.

Then, with the Western Front splitting apart, as the Americans and British
smashed their way out of the Normandy beachhead, Hitler called on Model to
take command in the West and to perform another miracle — which he did.
‘With the German armies apparently completely smashed in France, Model
nonetheless succeeded in establishing a new and firrn defensive line in Belgium
and eastern France. Later, with Rundstedt recalled to command in the West, Model,
commanding Army Group B, continued his brilliant defensive tactics in the bitter
winter months of battles in Belgium and the Rhineland.

Although Model was always loyal to Hitler, he was never a spineless “yes-man.”
He was one of the few soldiers who could give his frank opinions to the dictator.
Hitler took this from middle-class Model, while he would never take it from
equally outspoken aristocratic officers like Manstein and Rundstedt. When
he thought Hitler would refuse to permit withdrawals, Model simply acted, and
informed the High Command afterward. He maintained this independence of mind
to the very end; when resistance was hopeless in the Ruhr pocket, despite
Hitler’s orders to continue to fight, he ordered his troops to surrender, and
then committed suicide.

Germany's leading Panzer commander was Heinz Guderian, an outspoken tank force
soldier who did much to build up Germans armored strength before the war, and
who was in large part responsible for developing the armored role in blitzkrieg
tactics. He performed well in the command of large armored units in the invasions
of Poland, France, and Russia. In the latter invasion he bitterly protested Hitler’s
diversion of his tank units from the drive on Moscow to the Kiev encirelement.
Formerly a favorite of Hitler, his outspoken expression of opinion at this time,
followed by the later failure of his tanks to take Moscow, in December, led to
his abrupt dismissal from command.

In March, 1943, however, Guderian was called back as Inspector General of Panzer
troops, and was appointed acting Chief of Staff of the army in ]uly, 1944, following
the unsuccessful assassination attempt on Hitler. He was relieved again, following
an argument with Hitler, in March, 1945. Lacking the spark of exceptional genius of a
Manstein or a Rommel, Guderian was,nonetheless, one of the finest fighting soldiers of
the war; a worthy counter part of Americas Patton.