Patton A Genius For War

[UncleEd]

Patton's concept of tank warfare in WWII
was dated. He saw tanks as infantry
support with anti-personnel firepower.

In fact, a lot of the Army's thinking ignored
the concept of tank against tank
warfare where anti-armor firepower was
needed.

The British modification of the Sherman
in their "Firefly" concept seemed to elude
the thinking of some U.S. Army leaders
including Patton.

Thankfully the U.S. started to arm its
Shermans with the 76mm rather than
the old standby 75mm cannons near the
end of WWII.

 

[NYlakesider]

Patton's concept of tank warfare in WWII
was dated. He saw tanks as infantry
support with anti-personnel firepower.

In fact, a lot of the Army's thinking ignored
the concept of tank against tank
warfare where anti-armor firepower was
needed.

The British modification of the Sherman
in their "Firefly" concept seemed to elude
the thinking of some U.S. Army leaders
including Patton.

Right you are, the Brits did pretty good after we saved their butts again.

Disclosure, My mother was English which makes me half English.

 

[UncleEd]

Right you are, the Brits did pretty good after we saved their butts again.

Disclosure, My mother was English which makes me half English.

Your mother should have spanked you more.

 

[NYlakesider]

Your mother should have spanked you more.

She never did and I sure deserved it a few times. She did worse she made me sit on a chair and not move. Considering she was a descendant of Brit General Thomas Gage she could have been much harsher!

 

[Ghost Magnum]

Patton's writing style is just like mine. I make almost the same exact mistakes he does.
Reading when I was younger was extremely hard for me. I was home schooled. I can only imagine how Patton felt in his days.

 

[FredBart]

Another interesting book is "Patton on Leadership: Strategic Lessons for Corporate Warfare", by Alan Axlerod, 1999. This book covers the wisdom ofPatton, first giving quotations, then information on how to apply these extended quotes in a business setting. Not a biography, but it gives great insight to Patton's leadership style.

 

[akoda]

I haven't seen it mentioned but I recall reading many years ago when I researched Patton that he was believed to be dyslexic. He couldn't read until he was 12 and was kicked out of VMI, apparently horses don't go down stairs well?

 

[mrmike7189]

I read "Killing Patton" and it was a quick read. Enjoyed it. General patton lived for a while in Hamilton,MA about 4 miles from my home. There is a Patton homestead,and a public park named after him , and a big green sherman tank . Patton was an equestrain,as are many in Hamilton. It is a " horse town". The Myopia Hunt Club runs polo matches every Sunday open to the public. if ever north of Boston,check it out. The tank in photo below

 

[Injunbro]

One of my uncles was a tank commander under Patton, he had great respect for him. He was fearless, took good care of his men & was brilliant in battle. He was also very strange... believed he was Alexander the Great reincarnated. :? Other generals & politicians were scared to death of him... they couldn't control him. Was he assassinated? Eisenhower got what became the CIA going to eliminate those who couldn't be controlled or convicted, think about it. Other uncle was a paratrooper in Ardennes forest who Patton rescued, say anything bad about Patton in either uncles (both highly decorated) presence & your life was in danger.

 

[akoda]

My father was chasing him across Europe trying to keep them supplied

 

[jdlii]

These photographs are of General Patton at Camp Forrest, TN during maneuvers that cover Middle TN from the Northern boarder of AL to the Southern boarder of KY.

 

[Absalom]

Was he assassinated? Eisenhower got what became the CIA going to eliminate those who couldn't be controlled or convicted, think about it....

If Eisenhower would have had anybody assassinated, it would have been Montgomery.

A book recommendation occurred to me. Terry Brighton's triple biography of the three generals who attained fame as allies, rivals, and enemies, and still can spark discussions today, gives pretty good insights into their strengths and weaknesses, but also the things they had in common. Worth checking out.

 

[S-W4EVER]

While I have always admired Gen. Patton's strong leadership, my stepmother's father was a 3rd Army Chaplain and he detested Patton.

I know he was indeed a 3rd Army Chaplain as he showed me the Bronze Star citation he received during the Battle of the Bulge (when I returned home from the Army).

We all know Gen. Patton was a complicated man. I do believe (as BigBoy99 said) he'd never make it in today's Army. He probably wouldn't have made it in his Army if WW2 hadn't come along.

 

[Kurusu]

We all know Gen. Patton was a complicated man. I do believe (as BigBoy99 said) he'd never make it in today's Army. He probably wouldn't have made it in his Army if WW2 hadn't come along.

He might have been a "complicated" man. But his career even before WWII was quite alright.

I just noticed that I am now 3 years older than he was when he died.

 

[PALADIN85020]

Patton was actually a very religious man. Prior to D-day, in England, a woman who was touring his quarters saw a bible on a table next to his bed. She asked Patton if he actually read the bible.

His reply: "Every ********** day."

John

 

[Ghost Magnum]

I would love for a new Patton movie that gives us the real complicated Patton. I loved the 1970 Patton movie. But that's not the real Patton. In some ways. It glorified Bradley.

 

[Injunbro]

Note that everyone is familiar w/ Patton... Eisenhower because he became President (& advisor to Kennedy although of opposing parties), MacArthur because of clever words when he got kicked out of SE Asia, Bradley is all but forgotten (for good reason), Montgomery only because he had royal connections, McAuliffe because his tenacity in Adrienne Forest, Rommel for his strategy in Africa (before Patton spanked him) & a few dozen other unknown generals... but Patton is well-known everywhere.

 

[Univibe]

Some gents here seem willing and
ripe for conspiracy theories.

Exactly how did an accident that
didn't kill Patton outright be
manufactured into a diabolical
way of finishing him off while doctors
and nurses attended him?

Awful lot of conspirators--the doctors
and everyone else around him. Hopefully
to keep the secret all those were
murdered to save the higher-ups
involved in getting rid of Patton.

I'm convinced.

Like the idea that Kennedy's autopsy was faked by conspirators.

Jackie decided where the body would go, and she didn't decide until they were in the air. The Conspiracy would have had to place teams of conspirators in every hospital, military base, and ME office in the DC area.


Or the idea that the Clintons have killed 47 people who were inconvenient. The ground in Arkansas and around DC is littered with shallow graves. But how about the bevy of women that antagonized Bill? To this day they're still breathing.

But this stuff sells tinfoil.

 

[PALADIN85020]

My next door neighbor when I was a boy was Moe, a WWII veteran of the battle of the bulge and the Hurtgen forest. He took this picture of Patton and a few other notables when they came to visit his area. The camera he used was quite tiny and took tiny pictures. His widow, who is still living in the same house, let me photograph the picture.

John

 

[Kurusu]

My next door neighbor when I was a boy was Moe, a WWII veteran of the battle of the bulge and the Hurtgen forest. He took this picture of Patton and a few other notables when they came to visit his area. The camera he used was quite tiny and took tiny pictures. His widow, who is still living in the same house, let me photograph the picture.

John

Ah! For someone who was so hard on a soldier's appearence. The General's pants are improperly bloused.