I suppose von Mellenthin was aware that he was writing Panzer Battles for a largely American audience when he described one of his heroes, Manstein:
Manstein was faced with strategic problems of a magnitude and complexity seldom paralleled in history. He handled the situation with masterly coolness and judgment, shrewdly assessing the risks, and moving his slender reserves from point to point as the situation demanded. To find another example of defensive strategy of this caliber we must go back to Lee’s campaign in Virginia in the summer of 1864.
For a few years I lived in Harrisonburg, Virginia, the heart of the Shenandoah Valley. Close to my home was the battlefield of Port Republic. The battle of Port Republic — and Cross Keys, the previous day — had Stonewall Jackson totally stopping the Union forces. While my dog ran around I read the placards describing the battle. Good God, but Jackson was a genius of maneuver. The Wikipedia entry is a fine description of the battle, but nothing beats actually visiting a site, even if you don’t believe in ghosts.
When you see the huge rift in strategic and tactical skills between the various generals, you have to wonder, just what did they study at West Point, anyway?
Artillery and engineering.