Challenge: Pick a realistic ALTERNATE WW2 command line up

Here's the challenge:

With a POD of no earlier than 1/1/1941, and with no major changes to the actual operational areas (ie, Torch still happens, but it doesn't have to happen the same way), propose a list of American generals to fill the slots of those who historically served as Army commanders and up, other than those who actually served.

The only other rule is that Marshall is still Chief of Staff.

Additionally, those who served in command slots historically can still be tapped for OTHER command slots, but they must be in another theater of operations.

It also has to make sense - you can't give a 3 grade promotion to Omar Bradley and have him replace MacArthur just on a whim, for instance.

Any takers?
 
Neither, necessarily. The main goal is to make alternate choices that MAKE SENSE given things like seniority lists, internal politics, etc.

Replacing Clark with, say, Ridgeway, would likely improve performance, but would hardly have been realistic.
 
Are we trying to improve US performance or worsen it?

If we want to worsen it, I would assume we want something like this:

Supreme Commander Allied Force of the North African Theater of Operations - Lloyd Fredendall (a rise similar to Eisenhower is not impossible IMO).
 
A less dire scenario that would seem interesting would have Joe Stilwell involved in the ETO and an alternative commander being selected for China. I don't know who that would be, however.
 
What if Fredendall got the Torch command, with Omar Bradley commanding 2nd Corps? Bradley should do fine in that role, and it would be an easy decision to tap him for 7th Army for the Sicily campaign, and then 5th Army in Italy. Fredendall by this point would have been sacked by Marshall and replaced with Joe Stilwell, who then moves to command the Italian Theater. Jacob Devers ends up in Stilwell's old role in China, while Dever's role as CO 6th Army Group is filled by....hmmmm. Perhaps DeWitt is pulled from his command in CONUS for this role.

Frank Andrews never dies in a plane crash, and is tapped for overall command in Overlord, with Mark Clark as 1st Army commander for the invasion, who is then moved up to 12th Army Group, replaced by Walter Krueger.

MacArthur is killed while evacuating the PI. As a result, there is no SWPA command, and Nimitz controls the entire Pacific. Dwight Eisenhower continues to work directly for Marshall in Washington, and is finally tapped as Walter Krueger's replacement at 6th Army.

What do you think? I still need replacements for Patton, Simpson, Patch, Eichelberger, and Buckner - I could just shuffle them around some, but is there a better way?
 
What do you think? I still need replacements for Patton, Simpson, Patch, Eichelberger, and Buckner - I could just shuffle them around some, but is there a better way?

With no Kasserine Pass, Patton might remain in divisional and rear-echelon commands, rather than replacing Fredendall and becoming famous.
 
True, but then who ends up commanding 3rd Army? I already have Bradley replacing him in North Africa and Sicily, but there will be a 3rd Army in Northwest France.
 
Leslie McNair beating out Ike for Supreme command...This would improve performance... McNair was more aggressive and had worked with Patton in the past; and knew what buttons to push to make him shut his mouth and behave himself; he would have no patience for flavorless and plodding officers like Clark and Bradley and would likely see them sacked in favor of younger, more aggressive generals

Also have Alexander Patch (A marshal favorite) replace Hodges in command of the first army... here also was someone who could deal with Patton and was far less ego driven than many allied generals

Terry Allen commanding the US II corps in Sicily... solid tactician, limited ego; lots of experience, more aggressive than Bradley
 
Have Patton not slap the soldier in Sicily and then go on to command the Italian front. Could see Ridgeway sent to the Pacific front and work his way up since he had experience in China and the Philipennes. MacArthur could be brought home after he is evacuated from Corregidor and put in charge of training command. Joe Swing takes command of the 101st after Bill Lee has his heart attack and works his way up in the ETO to 18th airborne command after the Battle of the Bulge.
 
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