Posted on 12/23/2021 8:29:29 PM PST by max americana
This is odd because the 3rd Army was in Bavaria, heading for the Czech border. Nowhere near Berlin.
Your dad is confused
Patton was despite his flamboyant media personage, a guy who was noted to ALWAYS do his homework, and always be well prepared. He was also a guy who could get the most out of his subordinates. That said, he could also be rash and he had a few shameful episodes like diverting a significant force that could have been better used elsewhere to liberating a POW camp in which his son in law happened to be a POW. He was no strategist and was not suited for more than Corps Command.....but he was a damn good Corps Commander.
My Dad served in Patton’s Army. Dad loved the man and he told me that others he knew felt the same. Although he said he seemed arrogant, but that is what was needed to keep the drive on.
ping
According to biographer Carlo D’Este, there were TWO slapping incidents, both in hospitals. D’Este did not record what one vet told me, who was in one of the hospitals, that the patients there applauded. D’Este also submits that Patton himself was likely suffering from battle fatigue, having driving himself to incredible lengths to take Messina.
He was also a guy who could get the most out of his subordinates.
***I worked under a guy who was one of Patton’s drivers. He said Patton had many more personal drivers than any other General. He found out why: Not only was it personal vanity, but Patton used his drivers as a form of recon. They never were allowed to take the same route to him to deliver messages, and were often sent down roads which were unsecured.
My boss said one day that several drivers had a bitching session about Patton after 2 of the drivers had been killed. They had thought being a driver was gonna be a cushy job, and the sergeant basically called them out as p*ssies, that Patton was allowed to use his drivers however he saw fit.
There was a slapping/punching incident
in Tunisia. Lloyd Fredendale had the good sense to get all the principal’s in his office. Patton apologized and shook hands
The corporal observed in battle stress does things. Fredendale said this ends here. He could have sacked Patton. He didn’t and Patton never hat an I’ll word about man who became a byword for command failure.
He’s gone now , so I can’t discuss it with him. But, in North Africa, Dad recalled that Patton was nowhere around until after a battle and then showed up with a gaggle of reporters in tow.
The great Duke of Marlborough did the same with his aides. It was no sinecure but good for a young officer’s career.
Very possibly. The corps commander there was out of his depth.
He also said that the German military knew Patton could kick their butts.
During the war he had no accidents except putting some kind of liniment on his frozen face during the Battle of the Bulge.
And the media then was just as ridiculous as now.
Remember the scene when Patton said he was going to Malta, and the smarmy reporter then asked, “Will you be slapping any soldiers there, sir?” You could tell Patton would have thought nothing of pulling out his Ivory-Handled revolver and shooting that son-of-a-bitch, instead of just quietly walking away.
Amen to him making amends for his personnel choices. I also want him to get a billion tons of even with the swamp for what they did to him, and to us after they cheated him out of a second term.
one incident was on Aug 3, 1943, the other Aug 10, 1943
I’ve heard the same from others.
That’s literally the only such claim I’ve ever seen. Patton was always near the action, but of course, the fronts in modern wars are wide, so he wouldn’t have been able to be everywhere at once.
Patton followed the advice, better an adequate plan executed immediately than a perfect plan executed when its ready. It must have been frustrating for him to serve under the hold-him-back plodding of command made up of former subordinates.
I agree as the media then and now have/had no idea about the topic. Just the same blah blah BS! Patton pissed off a lot of people just like Trump. Just like the commies in NYC who are still pissed about the Rosenbergs or commies in London who still hate Churchill, they’ll never live down Patton’s success!!!
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