WM, I obviously wouldn't put him on the same level as a lot of the people we're talking about, but I think he does deserve more credit that you're giving him.

His success at Suomussalmi wasn't so much a tactical thing as it was reliant on his developing on the fly a fairly advanced operational concept -- akin to Daniel Morgan's "two volleys" at Cowpens, which completely changed the face of the American revolution. He understood the limitations of his troops, and employed them against a superior opponent in a manner in which those limitations were irrelevant. He also understood the psychological level of the battle in a way a lot of more conventional commanders don't.

I think he gets a bum rap for the 1944 Karelian Isthmus thing. He was facing an absurd concentration of Soviet artillery and armor. I don't think any commander could have done much better. I think (could be wrong) that he's one of the few, if not the only, non-Germans to lead an SS division during the war. Not really relevant but a fun tidbit.