Today in US Military History: Patton in World War I, and Gen. Smith's "Cannae"

Unto the Breach ^ | Aug 30, 2017 | Chris Carter

[fugazi]

1776: After a series of defeats by the British, the Continental Army conducts a strategic withdrawal of Long Island, and Gen. William Howe sends a letter to Gen. George Washington seeking a peace conference. Washington rejects the offer, forwarding the message to Congress instead. Diplomacy falls flat when the British refuse to recognize American independence on Sept. 11, and the British respond by capturing New York City four days later.

1862: Near Lexington, Ky., Maj. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith accomplishes the "nearest thing to a Cannae" (Hannibal's double envelopment of the Roman army - perhaps the greatest tactical achievement in military history) during the Civil War. The Confederates rout Maj. Gen. William "Bull" Nelson's inexperienced Union troops - capturing over 4,000 - in the Battle of Richmond.

1918: Southeast of Verdun, France, Gen. John J. Pershing's First Army moves into position at the Saint-Mihiel salient. Among Pershing's three U.S. (and one French) corps is Lt. Col. George S. Patton, Jr.'s newly formed 1st Provisional Tank Brigade, which will conduct the first tank warfare in American history in the upcoming Battle of Saint-Mihiel - the first independently-led American operation of World War I.

1963: After the United States and Soviet Union narrowly avoid war during the Cuban Missile Crisis, a "hot line" is installed between the Pentagon and Kremlin, providing the two nuclear-armed superpowers with instant communication in hopes of preventing another conflict. The U.S. sends "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog’s back 1234567890," and the Soviets respond with another message indicating all their teletype keys are functioning. The 10,000-mile secure cable connection still operates today, however it has been upgraded to a telephone system.

1995: NATO begins its first bombing campaign...

[fugazi]

My grandfathers were involved with nuclear weapons during the Cold War. It all seems so distant now, but to hear about all the close calls (especially for those serving in Europe at the time) and how dangerous the Cold War was from those who served during that time is fascinating to hear. Unfortunately, there is still a lot they can't talk about, and that has to be really interesting stuff.

[Jim W N]

Among Pershing’s three U.S. (and one French) corps is Lt. Col. George S. Patton, Jr.’s newly formed 1st Provisional Tank Brigade, which will conduct the first tank warfare in American history in the upcoming Battle of Saint-Mihiel – the first independently-led American operation of World War I.

"Give Patton a headline and he's good for another 30 miles", says General Omar Bradley in WWII.

Given the chance, Patton would have gone through Berlin like sh#t through a goose and gone all the way to Moscow. If it was doable, Patton would have done it.

As Michael Savage says, "We need more Pattons and less patent leather." Think we're on our way with Trump.

[Ancesthntr]

Thanks for posting this. We need MORE knowledge of History, so as to be able to avoid the mistakes that others have already made. Unfortunately, we seem to be well into one of those “let’s erase history, it doesn’t serve our purposes” moods in this country. We shall soon be making many of the same mistakes made by others.

Please keep up the good work.

[fugazi]

Thank you.

If protestors/rioters picked up a book instead of a black mask and melee weapon, maybe they would learn things like what fascism actually means, and realize that they are just useful idiots for the evil tyrants seeking to destroy our society.

[fugazi]

I guess we will have to wait and see.

With Obama, he was consistently governing contrary to American interests. Trump gets some things right, and some things wrong in my opinion. Hopefully he will get control of his administration and we can clean out the saboteurs like McConnell so we can return the government to one ruled by the Constitution.

[oldvirginian]

Patton was wounded in WW1. He took a machine gun round that entered his leg and exited his butt cheek.
In WW2 he would joke about being a “half assed General”.

[Jim W N]

return the government to one ruled by the Constitution

That's the goal my FRiend, and Trump is the first step in that direction.

The states need to follow by asserting their constitutional state sovereignty coupled with determined financial independence from the feds.

[WKUHilltopper]

Speaking of the Battle of Cannae, I always wondered if Paullus of Rome was a distant relative of Friedrich Paulus who surrendered the 6th Army at Stalingrad.

[Verginius Rufus]

Was Lucius Aemilius Paullus, killed in the battle of Cannae, related to Emily Dickinson? (Emily is the English version of the name Aemilia.)