User blog comment:Deathblade 100/World War II Strategists: Friedrich Paulus vs Bernard Montgomery/@comment-4661256-20150706033442

El Alamein's *breathes heavily* Edges:

 Close Range: Webley VI vs. Mauser C96:  The Webley's 6-round cylinder is much smaller in comparison to the Mauser's 20-round box magazine. On top of that, the Mauser's magazine will make it easier (and faster) to reload, and the fact that it can be converted to fully automatic gives it combat versatility (although that extremely high rate of fire will burn through a 20-round magazine in seconds). I do think that perhaps the Walther or Luger would have been a better choice for the Wehrmacht and Paulus, but either way, the Mauser gets the edge.

Edge: Friedrich Paulus

 Mid Range: Sten vs. MP28:  Again, you put a really weird weapons choice here, because in my opinion the MP40 was more commonly in use than this WWI-era submachine gun given to the Germans... but, anyway... both weapons have a 32-round box magazine and they both fire the 9mm round. However, the Sten's simpler manufacturing materials made it a significantly lighter weapon (at 3 kg, compared to the MP28, which weighed over 5 kg when fully loaded - that's 6.6 pounds vs. 11 pounds right there, quite a substantial difference for weapons designed to be lightweight and mobile). This will play out hugely in the factor of fatigue, giving the Sten the edge in an otherwise even weapons comparison.

Edge: Bernard Montgomery

 Long Range: Lee-Enfield No. 4 vs. K98k:  Both weapons have comparable range averages and both are simple bolt-action battle rifles. Now, while the Lee-Enfield has double the K98k's magazine capacity (with 10 rounds in the internal magazine vs. 5 rounds for the German weapon) I don't see this as especially signficant since both weapons are reloaded with 5-round stripper clips, making the reloading process fairly simple and painless. Also of note here is that both the British and the Germans had soldiers extremely proficient with these rifles (the British at long distances across the vast open fields in North Africa and again through Italy and France in urban combat, and the Germans at long distances in battles on the Soviet countryside and in urban combat in both Russian and German cities). I think that both of these weapons are so functionally similar that any small differences (the Lee-Enfield's larger magazine capacity or the K98k's slightly more compact barrel length) are negligible, making this comparison even.

Edge: Even

 Special Weapons: Mills Bomb vs. Flammenwerfer:  What a unique comparison we have here. To me, though, this is a no-brainer. The Flammenwerfer, while a very intimidating weapon in its own right, is very heavy (which can significantly slow down the user), has a relatively short range and is dependent on fuel tanks to function. On top of that, it's high-profile, which will call unwanted attention to the wielder and make them a priority target by soldiers who really really don't want to be burned to death. Also, if the tank is damaged severely enough, it could explode, killing the user and (possibly) other friendly troops near him. The hand grenade, on the other hand, is low profile, much lighter, has a farther effective range thanks to its ability to be thrown (and the blast radius), and multiple grenades can be deployed in a much faster succession, giving it an operational edge in an urban setting, where the confined spaces of buildings or rooms can amplify the effects of the blast, making it more lethal.

Edge: Bernard Montgomery

WINNER: BERNARD MONTGOMERY

All right... *takes deep breath*. Yes, I am biased. Obviously. But I think I have reason here, as well. Friedrich Paulus is no George Patton or Georgy Zhukov here. He was consistently outmaneuvered at the Battle of Stalingrad, and while it is very much arguable that it was a result of the Soviet winter or Hitler's meddling that defeated him, you must also remember that Paulus still began his offensive well in the summer and had to establish supply lines and other ways of transporting material and munitions long distances. Montgomery did this successfully in North Africa. He was battling the elements the whole time (the extreme heat of the desert day, extreme cold of the desert night, along with the sandstorms and other inclement weather patterns of the region), and was fighting Rommel (arguably one of the most successful German generals of WWII). If Montgomery could handle all of that and still beat someone like Rommel, a lower-status general like Paulus really shouldn't be much of a challenge at all. Yes, Paulus doesn't get as much credit as he deserves as a result of being inextricably linked with Stalingrad - but nonetheless, he is still responsible at least in part for that monumental disaster, which makes even Montgomery's Operation Market Garden look like a huge success in comparison.