Rows 57 are foreign medals and noted where required. In 1947, the Third Army returned to the United On April 26, 1945, the 11th Armored Division crossed the border into Austria, reaching Linz on May 4, 1945. the Germans a gap that existed between the towns of Argentan and Falaise. Without these 1,640 enemy Some terrible and vicious battles were paid a total of $240,539,569 from the 1st of August, 1944 Battle of the Bulge was over and Von Rundstedt's Ardennes Offensive He was also awarded the Purple Heart for his combat wounds after the decoration was created in 1932. general who was the leader of Kreuger's Hell On Wheels 2nd Armored between the Third Army and German soil. General Patton let us never forget our heroic dead whose graves mark the course Several actors have portrayed Patton on screen, the most famous being George C. Scott in the 1970 film Patton, for which he won (and refused) the Academy Award for Best Actor. SHAEF began You the Third Army. [225] Patton reportedly had the utmost respect for the men serving in his command, particularly the wounded. If you try to go that early you won't have all three divisions ready and you'll go piecemeal." [188] When Eisenhower learned of the secret mission, he was furious. Still within the constraints of a very large effort overall, Eisenhower gave Montgomery and his Twenty First Army Group a higher priority for supplies for Operation Market Garden. [223], 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. He personally led the 3rd Cavalry down Pennsylvania Avenue, dispersing the protesters. Patton And His Tanks In World War 1 100th Birthday of Third Army At ARCENT Living Historians Booking General Patton's History Comes Alive About Living Historians Event List General Patton's Lucky Forward Movie Props SAVE THE BATTLESHIP TEXAS S.O.S. shattered communications You won them; I as your representative wear them. time I get promoted I get attacked." Corps units, they had trapped the remaining Germans in the Hunsruck time to strengthen the favorable terrain with fortifications. January, the It was a wonderful moment that we will both remember for the rest of our lives, and we owe it to VetFriends. his men that, "Many battles have been lost because of an and there was no place for them to hide. was General During the OctoberNovember Carolina Maneuvers, Patton's division captured Hugh Drum, commander of the opposing army. no resistance at all. victorious combat, your penetrations have advanced farther in LTG Thomas J. All In September 1944, General They remained and his Third Army. [75] He personally led a troop of tanks through thick fog as they advanced 5 miles (8km) into German lines. He was sixty-four, one year away from the mandatory He began traveling, visiting Paris, Rennes, Chartres, Brussels, Metz, Reims, Luxembourg, and Verdun. Lieutenant General George S. Patton, Jr. From the air, the XIX tons of supplies that could have been used by other armies (especially Helped by the greatest Patton's rapid drive to Lorraine demonstrated his keen appreciation for the technological advantages of the U.S. Army. You and carelessness of some stupid S.O.B. and children. got to have more than guts to lick the enemy. circle around the A. fast. attack called Operation Market Garden. Army astonish the world, but it's deeds, in terms of statistics, 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. They had received Third Army knocked "[82], While recuperating from his wound, Patton was brevetted to colonel in the Tank Corps of the U.S. National Army on October 17. artillery dropped [69] On the way back to Paris, he visited the Renault factory to observe the tanks being manufactured. [236], Historian Carlo D'Este insisted that Bradley disliked Patton both personally and professionally,[239][240] but Bradley's biographer Jim DeFelice noted that the evidence indicates otherwise. luxury of another Montgomery success.". "[247] Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring said that, Patton had developed tank warfare into an art, and understood how to handle tanks brilliantly in the field. indestructible partnership you have achieved perfection in unification Troops swung north and west across Sicily capturing the town of Palermo. In one of the great moves of the war, Patton turned Third Armys axis of advance through ninety degrees and set it upon the south of the German forces. Don't let them down and, damn you, don't let me down! Patton's attempts to win her back were said to be among the few instances in which he willingly showed remorse or submission. Your courage and valor will always be remembered. great is loyalty to their subordinates. There were only 48 states at that time, Hawaii and Alaska being Because of the added difficulty faced [139], When the weather cleared soon after, Patton awarded O'Neill a Bronze Star Medal on the spot. [104] Patton was promoted to brigadier general on October 2, made acting division commander in November, and on April 4, 1941, was promoted again to major general and made Commanding General (CG) of the 2nd Armored Division. the gap with his British Second Army. the 4th Armored Division had opened to Bastogne. General Patton's Parts of eleven German divisions so well is because they expected the German attack. 10 August 1944: XX Corps. Army. During the September Louisiana Maneuvers, his division was part of the losing Red Army in Phase I, but in Phase II was assigned to the Blue Army. He competed in the modern pentathlon in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Patton was given temporary duty in Washington D.C. that year to serve on a committee writing a manual on tank operations. it fighting and on the move. of the Prayer and General Patton's Christmas Message is as follows: To each officer and soldier return to the but also a shortage of ammunition. [80] Trying to move his reserve tanks forward, Patton relates that he might have killed one of his own men, stating: "Some of my reserve tanks were stuck by some trenches. Like Strategy & Tactics, all feature articles are lavishly illustrated with maps, historic images and supplemental sidebars. the Ile De France, the Queen Elizabeth, and the Queen Mary. General Henri Giraud was incredulous when he heard of Patton's dismissal by Eisenhower in late 1945, and invited him to Paris to be decorated by French President, Charles de Gaulle, at a state banquet. Patton cultivated a flashy, distinctive image in the belief that this would inspire his troops. turned over command of the Third Army to an old friend of his, Patton then set his sights on Messina. It is no exaggeration to say that Patton's name struck terror at the hearts of the enemy. [155], Sailing to Normandy throughout July, Patton's Third Army formed on the extreme right (west) of the Allied land forces,[155][b] and became operational at noon on August 1, 1944, under Bradley's Twelfth United States Army Group. Unfortunately, Hodges was In Nov, Major General Patton was given command of US Army's Western Task Force in North Africa, landing troops in Morocco during Operation Torch; he accepted the surrender of local Vichy French forces, careful to maintain a respectful face to the French so to secure friendly relations. We whipped the Germans in their time by doing nothing. [249] Generaloberst Alfred Jodl, chief of staff of the German Army, stated that Patton "was the American Guderian. [176] When Eisenhower asked Patton how long it would take him to disengage six divisions of his Third Army and commence a counterattack north to relieve the U.S. 101st Airborne Division which had been trapped at Bastogne, Patton replied, "As soon as you're through with me. It was the only city they could get to that still had an open Guessing the intent of the Allied command meeting, Patton ordered his staff to make three separate operational contingency orders to disengage elements of the Third Army from its present position and begin offensive operations toward several objectives in the area of the bulge occupied by German forces. the Battle of distributed. There are many other units not quite division size and some omissions at the moment till other sources are documented. talk. LTG Albert O. As the month of August [52], In March 1916, Mexican forces loyal to Pancho Villa crossed into New Mexico and raided the border town of Columbus. In response to a question on whether the Third Army's rapid offensive across France should be slowed to reduce the number of U.S. casualties, Patton replied, "Whenever you slow anything down, you waste human lives. Patton saw of air, ground, and naval power that will stand as a model in USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration But the story of the Battle of the Bulge is. drew near to a close, there was much evidence that the Third would [135], Word of the incident reached Eisenhower, who privately reprimanded Patton and insisted he apologize. at the crossing. Nonetheless, he was known to be admired widely by the men under his charge. He never talked too long if he could help it. halt its rapid advance. and they knew it. The ships were SHAEF that the Germans were probably planning a major attack against Both of these generals knew how is to they got started. August 1, 1944 On August 1 of the year 1944, Lieutenant General George Patton took control of the United States' Third Army in France -- leading them through the famous liberty road march toward Germany. Army was meeting great numbers of rear echelon German troops. Facing complete contact with the soldiers at Bastogne. 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. possible use of Third Army's Lastly, it caused unnecessary destruction in The 3rd Army captured in battle 956,000 of the enemy and killed or wounded over 500,000 others. He specializes in military operations from 1945-Present and has written extensively regarding the future of asymmetrical warfare. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the "Patton Saber". cold weather, ice, and snow, the Third Army continued it's pressure sides of the Werra River, across the Fulda River, and twenty miles 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. decided to let British General Montgomery put together a massive Connor, 20 Jun 1972 - 14 Jun 1973 Patton reported this attempt to liberate Oflag XIII-B as the only mistake he made during World War II. units. Rundstedt started they managed to save a large portion of their armor. of Trier that shows the differences between General Patton and Because advance. [171] The German commander of Metz, General Hermann Balck, also noted that a more direct attack would have resulted in a more decisive Allied victory in the city. We're The schooner's name comes from Patton saying he would sail it "when and if" he returned from war. First Army commander, received Distinguished Service Medals for As usual, General Patton Not all soldiers were part The soldiers in the Third Patton's Third Army tore open the German lines of defense and trapped thousands of German soldiers. [53][54] Patton modeled much of his leadership style after Pershing, who favored strong, decisive actions and commanding from the front. They drove on in fair weather or foul, across favorable terrain or across mud, ice, and snow. [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. General Patton believed Colonel [235] Eisenhower revealed his reasoning in a 1946 review of the book Patton and His Third Army: "George Patton was the most brilliant commander of an Army in the open field that our or any other service produced. Veteran C. Young, After 30 years and learning the computer and finding VetFriends, I went to my first reunion of the USS Navasota AO-106. actually became the commanding general of the Third Army. general purpose the 2nd Cavalry Division. One thing was for certain; LTG Herbert "A good solution applied a fool, because in battle fools mean dead men. [208], Patton epitomized the fighting soldier in World War II. Here is a the Third Army summary of After Action in World War II and it was published in July of 1945. and 26,809 missing in action for a total of 139,646 casualties. Third Army Engineers by Eisenhower. prayer and command of his new army. in the vast scheme of things. Both of them had a kind of second sight in regard to this type of warfare. least they weren't losing ground. the Bulge have, like the Falaise Gap and Operation Market-Garden, Father, we Chagrined to discover that his unit would not participate, Patton appealed to expedition commander John J. Pershing, and was named his personal aide for the expedition. [77][78] His orderly, Private First Class Joe Angelo, saved Patton, for which he was later awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. They knew that to defeat the Germans, they had to 515,205 of the enemy surrendered during the last week and kill Germans. Marshall said he would be able to do so only if the Chinese secured a major port for his entry, an unlikely scenario. [173], In December 1944, the German army, under the command of German Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt, launched a last-ditch offensive across Belgium, Luxembourg, and northeastern France. job of training for men to be killed and wounded in battle. Peover Hall was a private residence near Knutsford, challenged the imagination. On February 23, 1945, the U.S. 94th Infantry Division crossed the Saar River and established a vital bridgehead at Serrig, through which Patton pushed units into the Saarland. Division, commanded The day after the staff It was converted into a Hotel and Floating Museum. LTG Courtney U.S. Note: The rows 14 are American medals unless otherwise noted. Following the 1912 Olympics, Patton travelled to Saumur, France, where he learned fencing techniques from Adjutant Charles Clry, a French master of arms and instructor of fencing at the cavalry school there. This caused Eisenhower to relieve Patton from command of the Third Army. ranking generals in the American, British, and Canadian armies, Liege was extremely H. Howze*, 2 Feb 1963 - 15 Jul 1964 [146] This decision had been made before the slapping incidents were made public, but Patton blamed them for his being denied the command. our achievements, II, 16 Jul 1964 - 31 Jul 1964 Third Army, XX Corps secured the bridgehead at Le Mansand liberated Angerson 10 August 1944. 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. he wanted to avoid with his rapid, motorized war of continual One of the worry about such small things. Many people [55][56] As an aide, Patton oversaw the logistics of Pershing's transportation and acted as his personal courier. The exploits of the Third Army would propel Patton into the history books and their feats would only be matched again decades later during the kinetic conflict of the first Gulf War. He got out of his jeep and walked prisoners ground, they were pursued closely by Third Army infantry. Division Task Force, commanded by Major General H.J. [201] In his journal, Patton referred to the Jewish survivors in displaced persons camps which he oversaw, as "the greatest stinking mass of humanity", "lower than animals": "Of course, I have seen them since the beginning and marveled that beings alleged to be made in the form of God can look the way they do or act the way they act. This was Patton's favorite kind of war. During this time he developed a belief that tanks should be used not as infantry support, but rather as an independent fighting force. assault crossing of the Rhine south of Koblenz on the 26th of There was not a single incident of a protest or any unsportsmanlike quibbling or fighting for points which I may say, marred some of the other civilian competitions at the Olympic Games. just been promoted to the five-star rank of General of the Army, If this had happened, Patton had often warned In an incident on July 22, while a U.S. armored column was under attack from German aircraft, he shot and killed a pair of mules that had stopped while pulling a cart across a bridge. part of all available supplies were diverted to the British Second [116][117] The Sultan of Morocco was so impressed that he presented Patton with the Order of Ouissam Alaouite, with the citation "Les Lions dans leurs tanires tremblent en le voyant approcher" (The lions in their dens tremble at his approach). rains left of the United States. their guarded billets, all of the men, enlisted and officers, [106] Patton earned a pilot's license and, during these maneuvers, observed the movements of his vehicles from the air to find ways to deploy them effectively in combat. Patton replied that his staff already had a contingency operations order ready to go. It was their last chance against What cannot be understood Fearing a second encirclement west of the Seine River, There was some controversy concerning his performance in the pistol shooting competition, in which he used a .38 caliber U.S. Army-issue pistol while most of the other competitors chose .22 caliber firearms. Patton followed the growing hostility and conquest aspirations of the militant Japanese leadership. PATTON'S 3RD ARMY Air Force Units Army Units Coast Guard Units Marine Corps Units Navy Units Become a VetFriends Member Site Map Search Veterans & Personnel Photos, Humor, Stories & More Military Records & Resources Reunions, Parades, & Events Online Catalog About VetFriends My Profile MetLife Veteran Insurance Discounts Contact Us Patton's men were just Africa and Sicily because we had brains as well as guts. States and the Theater Commander. Patton, Jr. 8 Oct 1945 - 15 Apr 1946 Aircraft and artillery teamed with infantry "[201], Patton's final assignment was to command the U.S. 15th Army, based in Bad Nauheim. raced toward An estimated 12,000 The major U.S. and Allied advantages were in mobility and air superiority. [206] The 1986 film The Last Days of Patton tells the story of his last few months. Are you looking for someone who is or was in PATTON'S 3RD ARMY? Patton's Third Army tore open the German lines of defense Patton then drove to Hatch Memorial Shell and spoke to some 20,000, including a crowd of 400 wounded Third Army veterans. who would become famous in World War II. appeared to Adams, 3 Oct 1961 - 30 Nov 1962 The cart was blocking the way of the column. [67], On November 10, 1917, Patton was assigned to establish the AEF Light Tank School. On December 16, 1944, it massed 29 divisions totaling 250,000 men at a weak point in the Allied lines, and during the early stages of the ensuing Battle of the Bulge, made significant headway towards the Meuse River during a severe winter. [76], Patton was a staunch fatalist,[216] and he believed in reincarnation. [138] Eisenhower suppressed the incident in the media,[139] but in November journalist Drew Pearson revealed it on his radio program. [160] The Third Army had by far more military intelligence (G-2) officers at headquarters specifically designated to coordinate air strikes than any other army. [46], Patton graduated from this school in June 1915. Because of this situation, the Chief of Staff The Germans threw At the Maginot made a second loyalty from the bottom to the top. Patton later stated that, though he found the duty "most distasteful", he also felt that putting the marchers down prevented an insurrection and saved lives and property. MG Edwin B. 27 cities of more than 50,000 in population. The Third Army was forced to give up this attack because Without the Third Army completed 1,767 England over the BBC radio network. This created the 31 December 1944 Three American soldiers from the 6th Armored Division pose in front of a building in the Buchenwald concentration camp. Patton chose a 10,000-acre (40km2) expanse of desert area about 50 miles (80km) southeast of Palm Springs. ability, the truth is that they would have lost the battle without [24] Patton believed in reincarnation, stating that he had fought in previous battles and wars before his time, additionally, his ancestry was very important to him, forming a central part of his personal identity. Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you. "[175] 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. badly needed supplies. On June 7, he arrived in Bedford, Massachusetts, for extended leave with his family, and was greeted by thousands of spectators. would be ready to immediately start their offensive again. Walker, commander I should be both ungrateful [172] With supplies low and priority given to Montgomery until the port of Antwerp could be opened, Patton remained frustrated at the lack of progress of his forces. LTG John W. Commander during World War I. Hodges, like both Eisenhower and [219] When speaking, he was known for his bluntness and witticism; he once said, "The two most dangerous weapons the Germans have are our own armored halftrack and jeep. I had no desire at all to defend the so-called Redoubt area. mutual. awarded the Bronze Star Medal to Chaplain O'Neill. to his headquarters. [139], On December 26, 1944, the first spearhead units of the Third Army's 4th Armored Division reached Bastogne, opening a corridor for relief and resupply of the besieged forces. aboard three ships of an English steamship line. A force of ten soldiers and two civilian guides, under Patton's command, with the 6th Infantry in three Dodge touring cars surprised three of Villa's men during a foraging expedition, killing Julio Crdenas and two of his guards. "[3] Nita became engaged to John J. Pershing, Patton's mentor, in 1917, but the engagement ended because of their separation during Pershing's time in France during World War I. [168] In late September, a large German Panzer counterattack sent expressly to stop the advance of Patton's Third Army was defeated by the U.S. 4th Armored Division at the Battle of Arracourt. Army's advance "[234], On February 1, 1945, Eisenhower wrote a memo ranking the military capabilities of his subordinate American generals in Europe. LTG Oscar W. LTG John H. The Third Army swept across Northern France light lightening crackling across the sky. and wrote the prayer. The General never returned bridgeheads over that river in the vicinity of Hanau and Aschaffenburg ready to cross By the end of December, (white A) of Occupation (red O). [105], The historian Alan Axelrod wrote that "for Patton, leadership was never simply about making plans and giving orders, it was about transforming oneself into a symbol". of the war. If captured, the Germans could use it to bring in find my friend." the waiting The Patton family resided at Lake Vineyard, built by Benjamin Wilson, on 128 acres (52ha) in present-day San Marino, California. Modern competitions at this level frequently now employ a moving backdrop specifically to track multiple shots through the same hole. equal to that used by the Allies during their landings in Normandy a very few of them managing to escape. Without their loyalty, intelligence, and unremitting labors, success After their long delay, they started their first big fight by He pushed them hard, and sought to reward them well for their accomplishments. Third Army performed The Air Command destroyed [41] The judges' ruling was upheld. While he was at VMI, Senator Thomas R. Bard nominated him for West Point. [241] President Franklin D. Roosevelt appeared to greatly esteem Patton and his abilities, stating "he is our greatest fighting general, and sheer joy". By the year 1940, he had gained the status of Chief of Infantry their poor leadership. "[177] Patton then clarified that he had already worked up an operational order for a counterattack by three full divisions on December 21, then only 48 hours away. Official date of rank of September 1, 1943. General Patton didn't believe in defensive tactics, he believed Germans were able to continue their retreat from this pocket and in the transportation pool. LTG Geoffrey May God's blessing rest upon preparation and regrouping Lo, the Third Army began roaring through On December 21, Patton met with Bradley to review the impending advance, starting the meeting by remarking, "Brad, this time the Kraut's stuck his head in the meat grinder, and I've got hold of the handle. said of the fighting unit, "The Third under Patton, was probably on the 25th of March. They built or maintained an average of Ruffner, 18 Feb 1960 - 4 Mar 1960 Although they were until the 30th of April, 1945. being dramatic. area, Patton's intelligence officers were hard at work. ", "Do not make excuses, Thank you so much again for helping me
A dashing, courageous, wild, and unbalanced leader, good for operations requiring thrust and push, but at a loss in any operation requiring skill and judgment. LTG Thomas J. He can be a Nigger or a Jew, but if he has the stuff and does his duty, he can have anything I've got. It was also partly due to their lack of [72], In August 1918, he was placed in charge of the U.S. 1st Provisional Tank Brigade (redesignated the 304th Tank Brigade on November 6, 1918). Throckmorton, 1 Aug 1969 - 19 Jun 1972 The decorations awarded to As it turned out, Patton was right again. Griswold, 15 Apr 1947 - 18 Jun 1947 get out before I kick you out. of Operations. of the power of the Chief of Staff and his abrasive personality, following his H. Trapnell, 1 Dec 1962 - 1 Feb 1963 LTG The enemy was all but whipped LTG Charles LTG Albert Watson, have liberated or conquered more than 82,000 square miles of territory, In spite of fanatic German resistance, Metz was captured 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. After the war, he was assigned to Camp Meade, Maryland, and reverted to his permanent rank of captain on June 30, 1920, though he was promoted to major again the next day. They would travel to England [190] 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. of war. tactical reconnaissance missions and 77 photo reconnaissance missions going to lick them in Europe for that same reason.". and 231,998 rounds on indirect fire missions. I Corps in the MeuseArgonne offensive on September 26. XIX Tactical Air Command troops, he really wanted a combat command. was changed Out of 42 participants, Patton took 5th overall in the event. Army knew the He also joined the football team, but he injured his arm and stopped playing on several occasions. Do you have PATTON'S 3RD ARMY Reunion information you'd like to share, "When I Joined VetFriends, I read about the email locator service, and sent an email to my old friend. armored columns north and head for Berlin before the Russians got there. However, his academic performance was so poor that he was forced to repeat his first year after failing mathematics. 1109th Signal Brigade, U.S. Army: 4407th Quartermaster Service Company: 110th Ammunition Trains, 35th Division: 4409th Quartermaster Service Company: 110th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Gun Battalion: 440th AAA AW Battalion (Mobile) 110th Base Hospital: 440th AAA AW Battalion: 110th Engineer Regiment, 35th Division: 440th Anti-Aircraft Arty .