I think what most concerned the Germans about Monty was the fact that his Army Group was fighting on the Northern European Plain, while Patton and the other American Armies were on the Allied right fighting over the rougher terrain of the interior. While having Patton on the right flank spearheading the breakout from Normandy was effective, it led to Third Army being in a bad position for leading the way to Berlin. If I were a German general, I would be more concerned with the forces on the flat ground closest to my capitol than the ones in the south where the natural and man-made obstacles were greater. I have wondered what would have happened if Eisenhower had been able to somehow shift Patton to the north so that Third Army would have had better terrain for rapid movements with armored formations. “What if” scenarios like that will keep armchair generals occupied for centuries.
Yep. As a guy with the 42nd Division [our General Linden accepted the surrender at Dachau] we were anticipating that the Nazi redoubt would be in Bavaria. It wasn't, so the scenarios continue.
My regiment was in reserve so I did not get to Dachau, we went to Munich. The war was not over yet.
“Patton and the other American Armies were on the Allied right”
Patton’s U.S. Third Army and the 12th Army Group were in the Allied center position. The Allied right flank position was occupied by Dever’s 6th Army Group with the U.S. Seventh Army and French Army B (later First French Army).
So long as there were any British field armies involved in the military campaign, there was zero chance the left flank position in the region of the lower Rhine would be occupied by any other than a British army or army group performing its traditional role. This perforce left the traditional invasion route into Germany through the center position to an American army group using its traditional line of communications through Cherbourg, Bordeaux, and/or Marseilles. In this case it became Cherbourg and Marseilles.
Knowing these geographical constraints, Patton had prepared himself decades before the Second World War to command an army in France. He studied the military histories pertaining to military campaigns and invasion routes through France. He and his wife used their early automobile to tour through the Norman and other French countryside, so Patton could study the terrain, roads, and bridges for their future military value in the event of an American military campaign through Frrance and into Germany. It is this kind of personal preparation which made it possible for him to command the Third Army while other officers were still preoccupied with the uncertainties they faced using just the map studies and aerial reconnaisance photos. It is the reason why he was able to wade out in the river to demonstrate the water was low enough to ford while the officers of the maneuvering unit were stalled at the river and wasting time trying to figure out whether or not there was a safe place to ford the river in the face of German positions on the overlooking ridge on the other side of the river.