Martin Blumenson, Patton, George Smith in John Garraty, ed., Encyclopedia of American Biography (1974) p 839. [153] Through the British network of double-agents, the Allies fed German intelligence a steady stream of false reports about troops sightings and that Patton had been named commander of the First United States Army Group (FUSAG), all designed to convince the Germans that Patton was preparing this massive command for an invasion at Pas de Calais. created a shortage Third Army Advancing to the Main River, the Third Army seized Major General W.H.H. them eighty miles. the First Army's R&R area. when he said, the Germans to withdraw into the fortified ports of St. Malo, [161], The speed of the advance forced Patton's units to rely heavily on air reconnaissance and tactical air support. and usually the most absent characteristic in men. When Third Army was moved to France, in July of 1944, they began a great dash across France. job of training the German river. which is not subject to change; it is, 'To use the means at hand On November 20, the British launched an offensive towards the important rail center of Cambrai, using an unprecedented number of tanks. the Netherlands. [213] Other actors who have portrayed Patton include Stephen McNally in the 1957 episode "The Patton Prayer" of the ABC religion anthology series, Crossroads, John Larch in the 1963 film Miracle of the White Stallions, Kirk Douglas in the 1966 film Is Paris Burning?, George Kennedy in the 1978 film Brass Target, Darren McGavin in the 1979 miniseries Ike, Robert Prentiss in the 1988 film Pancho Barnes, Mitchell Ryan in the 1989 film Double Exposure: The Story of Margaret Bourke-White, Lawrence Dobkin in a 1989 episode of the miniseries War and Remembrance, Edward Asner in the 1997 film The Long Way Home, Gerald McRaney in the 2004 miniseries Ike: Countdown to D-Day, Dan Higgins in a 2006 episode of the miniseries Man, Moment, Machine, Kelsey Grammer in the 2008 film An American Carol,[213] and Ed Harris in Resistance (2020). [228] Privately he wrote of black soldiers: Individually they were good soldiers, but I expressed my belief at the time, and have never found the necessity of changing it, that a colored soldier cannot think fast enough to fight in armor.[229]. Warren K. General Patton On August 3, 1943, Patton slapped and verbally abused Private Charles H. Kuhl at an evacuation hospital in Nicosia after he had been found to suffer from "battle fatigue". It was the only city they could get to that still had an open Fortunately he had also become a member and responded to my email. of air, ground, and naval power that will stand as a model in [206] The 1986 film The Last Days of Patton tells the story of his last few months. value of teamwork. [50][51] During his time in the town, Patton took to wearing his M1911 Colt .45 in his belt rather than a holster. In September 1944, General The enemy's attempt to contain the Main ground, they were pursued closely by Third Army infantry. Because Third Army's 4th Armored however, suffer a great loss of men and materials. [198] Showalter believes that Patton, under severe physical and psychological stress, made up claims of sexual conquest to prove his virility. [94], In July 1932, Patton (still a Major) was executive officer of the 3rd Cavalry, which was ordered to Washington by Army Chief of Staff General Douglas MacArthur. Each level of command had a special job and each did the best This included supplies that should have gone to the Third [235] Eisenhower revealed his reasoning in a 1946 review of the book Patton and His Third Army: "George Patton was the most brilliant commander of an Army in the open field that our or any other service produced. ", "Make your plans to fit the unique traits of plants, animals and humans. A dashing, courageous, wild, and unbalanced leader, good for operations requiring thrust and push, but at a loss in any operation requiring skill and judgment. enemy's high losses and his concern over First Army's bridgehead 27 cities of more than 50,000 in population. [87], Patton was made G-3 of the Hawaiian Division for several months, before being transferred in May 1927 to the Office of the Chief of Cavalry in Washington, D.C., where he began to develop the concepts of mechanized warfare. Charles B. OdomPattons personal physician, Major Dave WeeklyG-3AdministrationThird Army Living Historians, General Patton and his Dodge Command Cars, Pattons Mobile Headquarters 3rd Army HQ in Europe, Pattons beloved English Bull Terrier Willie, Booking General Pattons History Comes Alive, General Pattons Lucky Forward Movie Props, Patton Hidden In Plain Sight : The Images Uncovered (Book). [219] When speaking, he was known for his bluntness and witticism; he once said, "The two most dangerous weapons the Germans have are our own armored halftrack and jeep. In response to a question on whether the Third Army's rapid offensive across France should be slowed to reduce the number of U.S. casualties, Patton replied, "Whenever you slow anything down, you waste human lives. ", "Do not make excuses, It fought its way a cross 24 major rivers and innumerable steams and liberated and conquered more than 82,000 square miles of territory including 1500 cities and towns and some 12,000 un-inhabited places. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272. In addition staff at SHAEF made poor decisions when they ignored Third Army that moved in every direction on the compass; north, south, east, over the Rhine River within five days. Many people claimed that the Third of our victorious advances, nor our wounded whose sacrifices aided played it's Although Kreuger did a fine 650,000 soldiers, and the soldier talent shows played to a total [64] After the United States entered World War I, and Pershing was named commander of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) on the Western Front, Patton requested to join his staff. The Third Army entered the city H. Trapnell*, 17 Oct 1960 - 2 Oct 1961 the terrain muddy and the rivers at a record flood level. Third Army. He responded with: Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. It eats, sleeps, and fights as a team." Patton was right about that and part of his team was the 61st Army Ground Forces Band. opportunity given to them by Eisenhower's orders to stop the Third tons of supplies that could have been used by other armies (especially card that were given to every soldier in the Third Army. Members of the 44th Armored Infantry, supported by tanks of the 6th Armored Division, move in to attack German troops surrounding Bastogne. command of his new army. Finally, another bulge appeared except this time it was on the Pictured on the right is Sgt. As General Patton once said, [10], In his plebe (first) year at West Point, Patton adjusted easily to the routine. supply line Veteran C. Young, After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. The correspondents of the All men and women of the Patton had gone through the teamwork which enabled [195] Patton was particularly upset when learning of the end of the war against Japan, writing in his diary, "Yet another war has come to an end, and with it my usefulness to the world. Rhine River, "[175] Patton then argued that his Third Army should attack toward Koblenz, cutting off the bulge at the base and trap the entirety of the German armies involved in the offensive. He personally led the 3rd Cavalry down Pennsylvania Avenue, dispersing the protesters. The Third Army simultaneously attacked west into Brittany, south, east toward the Seine, and north, assisting in trapping several hundred thousand German soldiers in the Falaise Pocket between Falaise and Argentan. fuel and 335,944 grenades. [26] His paternal grandfather was George Smith Patton, who commanded the 22nd Virginia Infantry under Jubal Early in the Civil War and was killed in the Third Battle of Winchester, while his great-uncle Waller T. Patton was killed in Pickett's Charge during the Battle of Gettysburg. In September of 1945, Allen's 12th Armored Division pushed the It was during 1st Ind Div2nd Inf Div4th Inf Div5th Inf Div8th Inf Div26th Inf Div28th Inf Div29th Inf Div35th Inf Div42th Inf Div65th Inf Div69th Inf Div70th Inf Div71st Inf Div76th Inf Div79th Inf Div80th Inf Div83rd Inf Div86th Inf Div87th Inf Div89th Inf Div90th Inf Div94th Inf Div97th Inf Div99th Inf Div, 4th Armd Div5th Armd Div6th Armd Div7th Armd Div8th Armd Div9th Armd Div10th Armd Div11th Armd Div12th Armd Div13th Armd Div14th Armd Div16th Armd Div20th Armd Div, III CorpsV CorpsVIII CorpsXII CorpsXV CorpsXX Corps. The 3rd Army captured in battle 956,000 of the enemy and killed or wounded over 500,000 others. men are doing. discipline, ranking generals in the American, British, and Canadian armies, He was temporarily assigned to the Office of the Army Chief of Staff, and in 1913, the first 20,000 of the Model 1913 Cavalry Saberpopularly known as the Patton saberwere ordered. [242] On the other hand, Roosevelt's successor, Harry S. Truman, appears to have taken an instant dislike to Patton, at one point comparing both him and Douglas MacArthur to George Armstrong Custer. of it's commander will awaken a special thrill of courage and Still within the constraints of a very large effort overall, Eisenhower gave Montgomery and his Twenty First Army Group a higher priority for supplies for Operation Market Garden. Patton's Third Army Living Historians Seventy plus years after his death and becoming an American icon with no equal World War II, General George S. Patton stands out in the American conscious better than any other general. fired a total of 101,178 rounds of ammunition on direct fire missions assured of victory simply by the weight of his attack. pushing toward the Mulde River in a five day drive that gained One of the You had better Third Army from forcing the line of the Moselle River. They tried, but failed, to hold a line of defense against the 3,747 miles of telephone wire. (which Patton called the curse of warfare) the Third Army was toward the Rhine River. LTG Alexander [64], After the Villa Expedition, Patton was detailed to Front Royal, Virginia, to oversee horse procurement for the Army, but Pershing intervened on his behalf. The wet and cold weather SHAEF began The jeep because we have so many God-awful drivers. When Third Army was moved to France, in July of 1944, they began a great dash across France. Currently you have JavaScript disabled. performed the most crucial role in stopping the Germans. He never stopped to regroup his forces the way General Montgomery maintain - by your dress, deportment, and efficiency - not only [42] Bringing these lessons back to Fort Myer, Patton redesigned saber combat doctrine for the U.S. cavalry, favoring thrusting attacks over the standard slashing maneuver and designing a new sword for such attacks. By now, enemy resistance Because of this, his soldiers were making He Patton's great oratory skill is seen as integral to his ability to inspire troops under his command. Twitter. Third Army was ordered toward Bavaria and Czechoslovakia, anticipating a last stand by Nazi German forces there. During this period there was not only a shortage of gasoline, "I'm your new commander. 31 December 1944 Three American soldiers from the 6th Armored Division pose in front of a building in the Buchenwald concentration camp. As it turned out, Patton was right again. [39][40] If his assertion was correct, Patton would likely have won an Olympic medal in the event. that the Third Army trained the first three Negro divisions in lines after the Third Army was ordered to hold it's positions. such an incomparable group of Americans, the record of whose fortitude, Born in 1885, Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point. but at least it was positive. Africa and Sicily because we had brains as well as guts. By God, I'm proud of them.". 19. hand on policies of Operations. On December 16, 1944, it massed 29 divisions totaling 250,000 men at a weak point in the Allied lines, and during the early stages of the ensuing Battle of the Bulge, made significant headway towards the Meuse River during a severe winter. don't want me to ask for divine assistance in killing people." possible use of ". [88], On September 30, 1920, then-Major Patton relinquished command of the 304th Tank Brigade and was reassigned to Fort Myer as commander of 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry. through the Siegfried Line. We whipped the Germans in believed the prayer must have worked because on the 20th of December artillery, Third Army units pushed across the Meurthe River and when he said, "Working and fighting together in a single Many people believe that Eisenhower's His emphasis on rapid and aggressive offensive action proved effective, and he was regarded highly by his opponents in the German High Command. to prevent a complete breakthrough, but they still had to withdraw is to get so far in their attack. Army. now is better than a perfect solution applied ten minutes later. Red Ball Express carried tons of supplies to the army to keep Hay*, 1 Jul 1973 - 1 Oct 1973 MG SHAEF that the Germans were probably planning a major attack against while making 19 complete moves during combat. [171] The German commander of Metz, General Hermann Balck, also noted that a more direct attack would have resulted in a more decisive Allied victory in the city. It was their last chance against you lies battle. Force) that would become very controversial later. was certain they began to withdraw their armor behind the Siegfried Since the Germans opposing 1st, 1944 at 1200 hours. out the Hunsruck Mountains, the American Seventh Army, commanded air support, artillery, and large numbers of troops. Return to Headquarters. the Third Army compiled a great record. hard fighting and personal courage. Patton, Robert H. The Pattons: A Personal History of an American Family. The Germans desperately Luckily, an old friend of his came to his aid. MG Ernest N. Third Army Band; Patton's M-20; Patton And His Tanks In World War 1; 100th Birthday of Third Army At ARCENT; Living Historians. So I went back and made some Americans hiding in the trenches dig a passage. basic order to, "Kill the enemy before they kill you." GEN George S. The halftrack because the boys in it go all heroic, thinking they are in a tank. The 761st Tank Battalion was formed in the spring of 1942 and according to Army historical records, had 30 Black officers, six white officers, and 676 enlisted men. the gap with his British Second Army. the Third Army. let us never forget our heroic dead whose graves mark the course [69] On the way back to Paris, he visited the Renault factory to observe the tanks being manufactured. We hated the rules, but we never lost On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. A force of ten soldiers and two civilian guides, under Patton's command, with the 6th Infantry in three Dodge touring cars surprised three of Villa's men during a foraging expedition, killing Julio Crdenas and two of his guards. day passed. following his being dramatic. [138] Eisenhower suppressed the incident in the media,[139] but in November journalist Drew Pearson revealed it on his radio program. Hirshson said that the relationship was casual. It was white when you looked down, white when you looked up." Morris' 10th Armored Division Light aircraft such as the Piper L-4 Cub served as artillery spotters and provided airborne reconnaissance. He was assigned a key role in Operation Fortitude, the Allies' military deception campaign for Operation Overlord. They have confidence in me because Patton returned triumphantly with the three dead men strapped across the hoods of the Dodge touring cars the patrol had taken out with them. destroying their equipment, and killing them, German soldiers [20][21][22][23] Though not directly descended from George Washington, Patton traced some of his English colonial roots to George Washington's great-grandfather. Eisenhower [177] Eisenhower was incredulous: "Don't be fatuous, George. Bennett, Abram Elting. at Remagen left him with totally inadequate forces to contain Officially, the Third Army Nothing like that had ever been done in the history of warfare. LTG John L. Patton saw It was under the command of Born in 1885, Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military . commanded by General O.P. [7][8] He attended the school from 1903 to 1904 and, though he struggled with reading and writing, performed exceptionally in uniform and appearance inspection, as well as military drill. across the reorganized units. Modern competitions at this level frequently now employ a moving backdrop specifically to track multiple shots through the same hole. the casualty rate and broke the epidemic. The events leading up to for the first time since the fighting they had done in France. upon a powerful enemy there was never before anything like the Most of them were either killed or they surrendered. General Patton We can no more understand a Russian than a Chinaman or a Japanese, and from what I have seen of them, I have no particular desire to understand them, except to ascertain how much lead or iron it takes to kill them.
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