what did george patton do in ww2

The major U.S. and Allied advantages were in mobility and air superiority. Patton enjoyed military history in particular, especially books about the American Civil War, a conflict in which his grandfather and great-uncle had been killed while fighting for the Confederacy. He believed that he might have been a military leader killed in action in Napoleon's army or a Roman legionary in a previous life. [100] This supposed affair distressed his wife and nearly resulted in their separation. He commanded the United States Fifteenth Army for slightly more than two months. [95], 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. "[258] In an interview conducted for Stars and Stripes just after his capture, Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt stated simply of Patton, "He is your best. Patton had accepted the post because of his love of history, but quickly lost interest. Patton's father, who graduated from the Virginia Military Institute (VMI), became a lawyer and later the district attorney of Los Angeles County. To this day, Patton is remembered as an exceptional General. [228] His attitudes were likely cultivated from his upbringing and family roots in the Confederate South. [203] D'Este agrees that Patton's "behavior suggests that in both 1936 [in Hawaii] and 194445, the presence of the young and attractive Jean was a means of assuaging the anxieties of a middle-aged man troubled over his virility and a fear of aging. L ocated near the German border, the city of Metz had a population of about 100,000 in 1944 and was an important transportation, communication and administrative center. The apogee of Pattons career came with the dramatic sweep of his Third Army across northern France in the summer of 1944 in a campaign marked by great initiative, ruthless drive, and disregard of classic military rules. In peacetime, though, he would remain a colonel to remain eligible to command a regiment. 10 Things You May Not Know About George Patton | HISTORY Once located, the armored infantry would attack using tanks as infantry support. Addressing the 761st Tank Battalion Patton also said: Men, you are the first Negro tankers ever to fight in the American Army. George Patton - Death, WW2 & Military Career - Biography [235], On a visit home after the war he again made headlines when he attempted to honor several wounded veterans in a speech by calling them "the real heroes" of the war, unintentionally offending the families of soldiers who had been killed in action. [169] Equally important to the advance of Third Army columns in northern France was the rapid advance of the supply echelons. He was originally intended to return to the 15th Cavalry,[47] which was bound for the Philippines. As a 26-year-old Army cavalry officer, Patton was selected to compete in the first-ever Olympic modern pentathlon at the 1912 Summer Games in Stockholm. [220], Patton's colorful personality, hard-driving leadership style, and success as a commander, combined with his frequent political missteps, produced a mixed and often contradictory image. [69] On the way back to Paris, he visited the Renault factory to observe French tanks being manufactured. Patton (1970), a film biography directed by Franklin Schaffner and starring George C. Scott in the title role, won seven Academy Awards, including one for best picture. [119] Patton oversaw the conversion of Casablanca into a military port and hosted the Casablanca Conference in January 1943. Corrections? There, he met Army Chief of Staff George C. Marshall, who was so impressed with him that Marshall considered Patton a prime candidate for promotion to general. Top Image: General George S. Patton, Jr., one of America's greatest battlefield commanders died on December 21, 1945, in an Army hospital in Heidelberg, Germany. Advance elements of the Third Army reached Bastognes tenacious defenders on December 26, and additional reinforcements followed over subsequent days. His father was a successful lawyer who served as the Los Angeles County district attorney, and his mother was the daughter of Benjamin D. Wilson, the first elected mayor of Los Angeles and a wealthy landowner. [216], Patton spent most of the next 12 days in spinal traction to decrease the pressure on his spine. [102], Patton had a personal schooner named When and If. [59] His initial combat experience came on May 14, 1916, in what would become the first motorized attack in the history of U.S. warfare. In response, the U.S. launched the Pancho Villa Expedition into Mexico. The raid was a failure, and only 35 men made it back; the rest were either killed or captured, and all 57 vehicles were lost. (Linda Davidson/The Washington Post) Article Army officer George S. Patton Jr. was pinned down by German machine gun fire. He ordered more landings on August 10 by the 3rd Infantry Division, which took heavy casualties but pushed the German forces back, and hastened the advance on Messina. Patton then returned to Saumur to learn advanced techniques before bringing his skills to the Mounted Service School at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he would be both a student and a fencing instructor. [120], On March 6, 1943, following the defeat of the U.S. II Corps by the German Afrika Korps, commanded by Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel, at the Battle of Kasserine Pass, Patton replaced Major General Lloyd Fredendall as Commanding General of the II Corps and was promoted to lieutenant general. Lieutenant General George S. Patton, commander of the Seventh United States Army, in 1943. He was promoted to the temporary rank of colonel and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for bravery under fire. [3][229], Patton developed an ability to deliver charismatic speeches. [50][51] During his time in the town, Patton took to wearing his M1911 Colt .45 in his belt rather than a holster. "[112] It was around this time that a reporter, after hearing a speech where Patton said that it took "blood and brains" to win in combat, began calling him "blood and guts". Under his command, the Third Army rapidly advanced across France in the days following August 1 eventually playing a huge role in the Battle of the Bulge in December of 1944. [217] He began bleeding from a gash to the head, and complained that he was paralyzed and having trouble breathing. He would not work so I hit him over the head with a shovel". U.S. Navy salvos explode on the plains north of Gela. His emphasis on rapid and aggressive offensive action proved effective, and he was regarded highly by his opponents in the German High Command. Patton in World War I - HistoryNet Patton, who had been told he had no chance to ever again ride a horse or resume normal life, at one point commented, "This is a hell of a way to die." [170], Patton's offensive came to a halt on August 31, 1944, as the Third Army ran out of fuel near the Moselle River, just outside Metz. [227] Patton also cultivated a stern expression he called his "war face". However, such accusations tend to rely on circumstantial evidence, and no definitive proof of any conspiracy has emerged. [13], Patton graduated number 46 out of 103 cadets at West Point on June 11, 1909,[14] and received a commission as a second lieutenant in the Cavalry branch of the United States Army. [234] Another controversy occurred prior to Operation Overlord when Patton spoke at a British welcoming club at Knutsford in England, and said, in part, "since it is the evident destiny of the British and Americans, and of course, the Russians, to rule the world, the better we know each other, the better job we will do." Patton was a control officer during the testing of a newly mechanized United States Army. Eisenhower called a meeting of all senior Allied commanders on the Western Front at a headquarters near Verdun on the morning of December 19 to plan strategy and a response to the German assault. While recuperating from his wound, Patton was brevetted to colonel in the Tank Corps of the U.S. National Army on October 17. The 15th Army at this point consisted only of a small headquarters staff working to compile a history of the war in Europe. "[180] 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. [106] Although he garnered a reputation as a general who was both impatient and impulsive and had little tolerance for officers who had failed to succeed, he fired only one general during World War II, Orlando Ward, and only after two warnings, whereas Bradley sacked several generals during the war. In addition to his other Asiatic characteristics, the Russian has no regard for human life and is an all out son of bitch, barbarian, and chronic drunk. He was very bold and preferred large movements. "[258] Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring said that, Patton had developed tank warfare into an art, and understood how to handle tanks brilliantly in the field. While Eisenhower and Marshall both considered Patton to be a skilled combat commander, they felt Bradley was less impulsive and less prone to making mistakes. Patton was an Olympic athlete. [141] Patton apologized to both soldiers individually, as well as to doctors who witnessed the incidents,[142] and later to all of the soldiers under his command in several speeches. This failed to materialize, and he was instead made the military governor of Bavaria, a political position for which he was ill-suited by training and temperament. [103], Following the German Army's invasion of Poland and the outbreak of World War II in Europe in September 1939, the U.S. military entered a period of mobilization, and Colonel Patton sought to build up the power of U.S. armored forces. [106] He repeated the exercise with his entire division of 1,300 vehicles the next month. In December 1940, he staged a high-profile mass exercise in which 1,000 tanks and vehicles were driven from Columbus, Georgia, to Panama City, Florida, and back. [104] As Chaffee stepped down from command of the I Armored Corps, Patton became the most prominent figure in U.S. armor doctrine. In December 1944 the Germans launched a massive surprise counterattack in the Ardennes Forest, encircling the U.S. 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne, Belgium. The cart was blocking the way of the column. Three great U.S generals that led the Allies to victory in Europe during WWII. [11] He excelled at military drills, though his academic performance remained average. Erwin Rommel credited Patton with executing "the most astonishing achievement in mobile warfare". By Duane E. Shaffer The road to Fort Driant began for the United States Third Army when it landed on Utah Beach at 3 pm on August 5, 1944. During the demobilization that followed World War I, Patton reverted to the permanent rank of captain. Patton struggled academically, possibly because of undiagnosed dyslexia, but he graduated in 1909. The official cause of death was pulmonary edema and congestive heart failure. "[133] Bradley refused Patton's suggestions. Through his charisma, exemplified by a flamboyant and well-publicized image, he stimulated, better than any other high-ranking U.S. army commander, American troops to an aggressive desire to close with and destroy the enemy. 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 saber"were ordered. [201] 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. He continuously moved throughout the command talking with men, seeking to shape them into effective soldiers. Patton's attempts to win her back were said to be among the few instances in which he willingly showed remorse or submission. Omissions? He was reportedly appalled to learn that the Red Army would take Berlin, feeling that the Soviet Union was a threat to the U.S. Army's advance to Pilsen, but was stopped by Eisenhower from reaching Prague, Czechoslovakia, before V-E Day on May 8 and the end of the war in Europe. He pushed them hard, and sought to reward them well for their accomplishments. [34] Patton had a high-pitched voice and worried that this would make it impossible for him to inspire his troops. [245], On February 1, 1945, Eisenhower wrote a memo ranking the military capabilities of his subordinate American generals in Europe. His early years were marred, however, by difficulties in spelling and reading, which has led some historians to speculate that he suffered from undiagnosed dyslexia. [254], One possible exception was Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery who appears to have admired Patton's ability to command troops in the field, if not his strategic judgment. Patton's War for Sicily's Beaches - Warfare History Network [150] In September, Bradley, who was Patton's junior in both rank and experience, was selected to command the First United States Army forming in England to prepare for Operation Overlord. [196] In mid-May, Patton flew to Paris, then London for rest. Later he rallied a force of disorganized infantry and led it forward, behind the tanks, under heavy machine-gun and artillery fire until he was wounded. Associated Press, "Patton Fails To Get Task in Orient". Patton followed the growing hostility and conquest aspirations of the militant Japanese leadership. [167] Its attached close air support group was XIX Tactical Air Command, commanded by Brigadier General Otto P. Weyland. Patton left this office in 1931, returned to Massachusetts and attended the Army War College, becoming a "Distinguished Graduate" in June 1932. Observing derelict cars along the side of the road, Patton said, "How awful war is. During this time he developed a belief that tanks should be used not as infantry support, but rather as an independent fighting force. An award-winning biographical film released in 1970, Patton, helped popularize his image. Patton flew to France a month later, and then returned to combat command. Patton saw his first combat soon after leaving Fort Riley. Patton never seriously considered a career other than the military. In this speech he aroused some controversy among the Gold Star Mothers when he stated that a man who dies in battle is "frequently a fool",[199] adding that the wounded are heroes. Patton rather caustically replied: "Have taken Trier with two divisions. Patton spent time in Boston before visiting and speaking in Denver and visiting Los Angeles, where he spoke to a crowd of 100,000 at the Memorial Coliseum. A number of books and films have advanced conspiracy theories suggesting that the outspoken Patton was actually assassinated on orders from either Washington or Moscow. Courtesy of The National Archives and Records Administration. The San Gabriel, California native was fond . Official date of rank of September 1, 1943. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [195] Later that month, Patton, Bradley, and Eisenhower toured the Merkers salt mine as well as the Ohrdruf concentration camp, and seeing the conditions of the camp firsthand caused Patton great disgust. When Coningham dispatched three officers to Patton's headquarters to persuade him that the British were providing ample air support, they came under German air attack mid-meeting, and part of the ceiling of Patton's office collapsed around them. No official action was taken against Patton for any complicity in the massacre. For his leadership of the tank brigade and tank school, he was awarded the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the citation for which reads: The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Army Distinguished Service Medal to Colonel (Tank Corps) George Smith Patton, Jr. (ASN: 0-2605), United States Army, for exceptionally meritorious and distinguished services to the Government of the United States, in a duty of great responsibility during World War I. Other armored units would then break through enemy lines and exploit any subsequent breach, constantly pressuring withdrawing German forces to prevent them from regrouping and reforming a cohesive defensive line. An example of Patton's sarcastic wit was broadcast when he received orders to bypass Trier, as it had been decided that four divisions would be needed to capture it. [105] Patton was promoted to brigadier general on October 2, made acting division commander in November when Charles L. Scott assumed command of I Armored Corps, and on April 4, 1941, was promoted again to major general as Commanding General (CG) of the 2nd Armored Division. Patton spent a year at the Virginia Military Institute and then transferred to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York, where he was forced to repeat his plebe (freshman) year because of poor grades. I Corps in the MeuseArgonne offensive on September 26. There he competed against military officers from around the world in the modern pentathlon, an event that included swimming, pistol shooting, running, fencing, and riding. George S. Patton Jr. [194] On April 14, 1945, Patton was promoted to general, a promotion long advocated by Stimson in recognition of Patton's battle accomplishments during 1944. On November 20, the British launched an offensive towards the important rail center of Cambrai, using an unprecedented number of tanks. [164] The Third Army typically employed forward scout units to determine enemy strength and positions. Patton's hard-driving personality and lack of belief in the medical condition of combat stress reaction, then known as "battle fatigue" or "shell . Among the opinions of Patton's abilities. Born, San Gabriel, Calif. . [243], In spite of his views, Patton called heavily on the black troops under his command. GEORGE S. PATTON JR.'S fame rests primarily on his deeds on the battlefields of World War II: the Operation Torch landings in North Africa in November 1942; resurrecting American prestige and fighting . [253] 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. [158] 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. [212] Patton decided that he would leave his post at the 15th Army and not return to Europe once he left on December 10 for Christmas leave. Patton (film) - Wikipedia The idea was that more experienced soldiers would help instruct the replacements, but there was no time for that . [184] Within a few days, more than 133,000 Third Army vehicles were rerouted into an offensive that covered an average distance of over 11 miles (18km) per vehicle, followed by support echelons carrying 62,000 tonnes (61,000 long tons; 68,000 short tons) of supplies.[185]. The armada was hampered by wind and weather, but despite this the three U.S. infantry divisions involved, the 3rd, 1st, and 45th, secured their respective beaches. His sending the doomed Task Force Baum to liberate his son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel John K. Waters, from a prisoner-of-war camp further damaged his standing with his superiors. I would never have asked for you if you weren't good. Following General Dwight Eisenhower's return to the United States to become the Chief of Staff of the US Army, Patton was appointed interim commander of US Army Europe on November 11th, 1945. September 1 Patton re-entered as Cadet, U.S. Military Academy. [129] A third landing was completed on August 16, and by 22:00 that day Messina fell to his forces. Developed originally by General Elwood Quesada of IX Tactical Air Command for the First Army in Operation Cobra, the technique of "armored column cover", in which close air support was directed by an air traffic controller in one of the attacking tanks, was used extensively by the Third Army. "There is a very Semitic influence in the press," he wrote. When Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa led an attack on the border town of Columbus, New Mexico, in 1916, Patton joined the staff of Brig. They had been slaughtered" Patton is reported to have said: "Try the bastards. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the "Patton Saber". Such a feat was made possible in large part by Pattons intelligence officer, Col. Oscar Koch, who had predicted the German offensive on the basis of a shrewd analysis of enemy troop strength and disposition. [122] During this time, he reported to British General Sir Harold Alexander, commander of the 18th Army Group, and came into conflict with Air Vice Marshal Sir Arthur Coningham about the lack of close air support being provided for his troops. In the meantime, on April 5, he removed Major General Orlando Ward, commanding the 1st Armored Division, after its lackluster performance at Maknassy against numerically inferior German forces. [233] His public image was more seriously damaged after word of the slapping incidents broke. [179], At the time, Patton's Third Army was engaged in heavy fighting near Saarbrcken. [55][56] As an aide, Patton oversaw the logistics of Pershing's transportation and acted as his personal courier. 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". His academic performance improved, and, after graduating in June 1909, Patton was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the cavalry. He ordered Jews to share living quarters with former Nazis. [54] Patton was promoted to captain on May 15, 1917, and left for Europe, among the 180 men of Pershing's advance party which departed May 28 and arrived in Liverpool, England, on June 8. For other uses, see, Denazification controversy and antisemitism. The Tragic Death Of General George S. Patton Galerie Bilderwelt/Getty Images By Eric Meisfjord / Aug. 13, 2020 4:45 pm EST George Smith Patton Jr. a four-star general at the end of his career was one of the preeminent military figures of World War II. "[232] During the Battle of the Bulge, he famously remarked that the Allies should "let the sons-of-bitches [Germans] go all the way to Paris, then we'll cut them off and round them up. He lay in a shell hole for hours before it was safe to evacuate him, but he refused to be taken to the hospital until he had reported to his commander. Patton's maternal grandfather was Benjamin Davis Wilson, a merchant who had been the second Mayor of Los Angeles. "[201] Unhappy with his position and depressed by his belief that he would never fight in another war, Patton's behavior and statements became increasingly erratic. There he was embroiled in controversy after he slapped two shell-shocked soldiers, and was temporarily removed from battlefield command. I did not form any high opinion of him, nor had I any reason to alter this view at any later date. [260] Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, chief of staff of the German Army, stated that Patton "was the American Guderian. He fought in World War I as part of the new United States Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces: he commanded the U.S. tank school in France, then led tanks into combat and was wounded near the end of the war. [243], In addition to all that, the one man Patton spent the most time with during World War II was his aide and personal valet, Sergeant Major William George Meeks, an African-American career soldier, and personal confidant and friend of General Patton.[244]. Monty was commanding the British Eighth Army and Patton the American Seventh. On March 1 those forces took Trier, precipitating one of the most famous exchanges of the war. [157] As a result of Operation Fortitude, the German 15th Army remained at the Pas de Calais to defend against Patton's supposed attack. General Bradley and the Army Air Forces General Carl Spaatz shared the number one position, Walter Bedell Smith was ranked number three, and Patton number four. Many military officers claim inspiration from his legacy. The incident almost forced Patton out of active service, but a six-month administrative assignment in the Academic Department at the Cavalry School at Fort Riley helped him to recover. [140], Word of the incident reached Eisenhower, who privately reprimanded Patton and insisted he apologize. [19], The Patton family was of English, Irish, Scots-Irish, Scottish, French and Welsh ancestry. "[206], Patton, in his new role, oversaw the displaced persons camps in Bavaria, which contained a majority of Jews who had survived Germany's concentration camps in the Holocaust. FUSAG was in reality an intricately constructed fictitious army of decoys, props, and fake radio signal traffic based around Dover to mislead German reconnaissance planes and to make Axis leaders believe that a large force was massing there. [26] George Patton, Jr.'s 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 leading the 7th Virginia Infantry regiment during the Battle of Gettysburg. Laterwhile attending the Mounted Service School in Fort Riley, KansasPatton was designated an instructor of swordsmanship and received the title Master of the Sword. George S. Patton slapping incidents | World War II | Britannica The Third Army claimed to have killed, wounded, or captured 1,811,388 German soldiers, six times its strength in personnel. [197] Fuller's review of Third Army records differs only in the number of enemy killed and wounded, stating that between August 1, 1944, and May 9, 1945, 47,500 of the enemy were killed, 115,700 wounded, and 1,280,688 captured, for a total of 1,443,888. Third Army logistics were overseen by Colonel Walter J. Muller, Patton's G-4, who emphasized flexibility, improvisation, and adaptation for Third Army supply echelons so forward units could rapidly exploit a breakthrough. "[133], Two soldiers were tried for the Biscari massacre, both of whom claimed in their defense that they were acting under orders from Patton not to take prisoners if enemy combatants continued to resist within two hundred yards of their position. Prior to the Normandy Invasion, he was publicly placed in command of the First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG), a fictitious army whose supposed marshaling in eastern England helped to deceive German commanders into thinking that the invasion would take place in the Pas-de-Calais region of France. He was the first Army officer to be designated "Master of the Sword",[43][44] a title denoting the school's top instructor in swordsmanship. [202] Showalter believes that Patton, under severe physical and psychological stress, made up claims of sexual conquest to prove his virility. 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. The German commanders believed this was because their counterattack had been successful. Over the next months he organized, trained, and even designed the uniforms for the new tank units; he was also promoted to lieutenant colonel. [168], In its advance from Avranches to Argentan, the Third Army traversed 60 miles (97km) in just two weeks. Patton competed in the 1912 Olympics in the pentathlon event, finishing fifth overall. They then repulsed counterattacks at Gela,[126] where Patton personally led his troops against German reinforcements from the Hermann Gring Division. George Patton, in full George Smith Patton, Jr., (born November 11, 1885, San Gabriel, California, U.S.died December 21, 1945, Heidelberg, Germany), U.S. Army officer who was an outstanding practitioner of mobile tank warfare in the European and Mediterranean theatres during World War II. A chronology of key events in the life and career of General George S. Patton (1885-1945), army officer and author. George Patton Facts | Britannica [72][74] Patton commanded American-crewed Renault FT tanks at the Battle of Saint-Mihiel,[75] leading the tanks from the front for much of their attack, which began on September 12. [258], Referring to the escape of the Afrika Korps after the Battle of El Alamein, Fritz Bayerlein opined that "I do not think that General Patton would let us get away so easily. Cushing's Disease And Gallbladder In Dogs, Articles W