Armored Conquest: How General Patton Built the Ultimate Tank Force During WW2

[@tonylittle8634]

I studied Patton all through my school years. The one question I’d ask anyone, “would a young Patton even be allowed to serve in today’s army??”

[@garythomas3219]

Certainly wouldn't have reached the rank he did in a modern army

[@Kruppt808]

Great people in history would be so in any age. Would his family history be so shaped by the Civil War from the South? Obviously not, change one thing, other things change. 🙄

[@tonylittle8634]

@@Kruppt808 awesome point. My narrow view (I’m being honest), was more like pulling him out of the early 1900’s and placing him in todays army. Because I’m retired military myself I know how alpha males are treated.

[@stephenmccartneyst3ph3nm85]

One would hope not. He was a poor General, happy to get men killed for his own ego projects. Patton's ineptitude and poor grasp of logistics have been well studied. Go to the US Army Defence Technical Information Centre and read their study of the Lorraine campaign.

[@tonylittle8634]

True, no argument. All things considered, men were far more tougher than men today. I was mentored by that generation. ​@@stephenmccartneyst3ph3nm85

[@robertsansone1680]

"I have always been amazed at how rapidly the Americans adapted to modern mechanized warfare. I attribute their success to a huge practical and material sense, and a lack of useless theories". Erwin Rommel

[@chrismair8161]

Most of the 7th Tank Brigade have a portrait of Erwin Rommel in their Ride. He was accused of sedition and committed suicide. By far the most brilliant mind for Mobile Warfare. To be "Nic" named (The Desert Fox) says a lot about how he did more with less but there is a limit. Given the recourses? He would have invaded Egypt and taken the Suez Canal. Money talks and Bull Shit walks.

[@davecopp9356]

They had many prussian military teachers before WW2 even started.

[@robertsansone1680]

@@davecopp9356 The U.S. had West Point & The British had Sandhurst. They studied & had theories. I bet Fredendall knew many theories. Please name the Prussians though. I am not familiar with any since Von Steuben.

[@billballbuster7186]

@@robertsansone1680 The truth is the US Army was very under funded in the Inter-War years. In 1939 it had barely 80,000 troops on strength. It was still the old 1919 army with antiquated equipment! It was not in any sense a modern army with modern ideas. The US Army did expand 1940-45, but it was never well led, the Generals had no experience at all. There were serious reality issues, like Marshall and Eisenhower's proposal of invading France in 1942! American top brass was very resentful at supplying (selling) much material for the war effort. But having to listen to the much more successful British for war strategy and planning.

[@garykarr3948]

Nah we're just fast learners,logistical experts and had the best production abilities the world has ever seen. Yeah we weren't there for the beginning of the war but we definitely did big things with that ending didn't we😅😅

[@historybuff9276]

I love this channel it's my new favorite panzer/WW2/ European theater of war channel. There's only one thing I would add,the Hurtgen Forrest battle (AKA The Death Factory) that ended just before the Bulge started.

[@thomaslinton5765]

The 2nd Armored Division was formed at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), Georgia on 15 July 1940, by reorganizing and redesignating the Provisional Tank Brigade (the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks), 67th Infantry Regiment (Medium Tanks), and 68th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks)). It was originally commanded by Major General Charles L. Scott, with Colonel George S. Patton Jr. in charge of training. Scott was promoted to command the I Armored Corps in November of that year, which put Patton, now a brigadier general, in command of the division. The division, which in February 1942 [before combat], passed over to the command of Major General Willis D. Crittenberger. It served with the First, Seventh, and Ninth Armies throughout the war.[2]

[@randallrobbins4960]

Arguably the best general America had in WWII.

[@billballbuster7186]

Not a high hurdle, he took over from Fredendall in North Africa, probably the worst US General ever to wear uniform.

[@garythomas3219]

Arguably the worst general the Americans had . There where better American commanders that could actually follow orders.

[@Kruppt808]

MacArthur is the best of ww2 for the USA. Patton is the best in the European theater.

[@billballbuster7186]

@@Kruppt808 OMG MacArthur was a real weirdo nut job, having is mother trailing round after him from post to post. MacArthur screwed up in the Philippines, caught with his pants down despite prior warnings. Thousands more troops and Philipinos died because of his "i will return " shit, the Philippines should have been bypassed. Also what qualifications did he have to command a USN Fleet. No he came from a blue-blood family with political connections keeping him in power.

[@garythomas3219]

@@Kruppt808 . Patton wasn't the best commander in his own 3rd army.

[@paullyon-vv9tb]

Not saying he wasn't a good general. But one big reason the 3rd army was able to move fast was due to British, Canadian, and US 1ST ARMY and others taken on the bulk of German armor. The 3rd army got far less tanks too take on plus easier ground to move tanks at better speed .At the end of the day it.means it was all ALLIES WHO FOUGHT great🇺🇸🇬🇧🇨🇦💥👍

[@PeterOConnell-pq6io]

Suspect Patton's risk taking, aggression, an skilled suborndinate commanders helped. (some of the latter joked that Patton knew more about horses than tanks).

[@thomaslinton5765]

No example of Blitzkrieg in Kasserine campaign. Patton as the originator of all positive strategy and tactics is pathetic rubbish. "Mets" C-

[@personnelente]

No discussion about how Patton transformed armored warfare.

[@davidforbes7772]

Maybe because he didn't. He was an overblown blowhard.

[@nicholaswoof88]

Some accounts from the 506th PIR of the 101st airborne mentioned that they don't need to be relieved at Bastogne by the 3rd Army. They can still fight the enemy.

[@billballbuster7186]

Yes, the 101 Airborne did a magnificent job holding the town of Bastogne on their own for the first 10 days of the battle. But the US narrative focused on Patton as the big hero saving the day.

[@garythomas3219]

Your correct the 101st airborne didn't need to be relieved they had been resupplied the day before Patton's army reached Bastogne also the Germans had retreated as they were out of fuel and ammo.. so much is written about Bastogne as the town was being used as an R&R base as such there was a lot of journalists embedded with these soldiers. In the North around St Vith where the main battle raged there were no journalists.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Bastogne was a secondary periphery battle. The Germans largely bypassed it and moved on. The Ardennes was won and lost in the north and west of the salient. Bastogne is akin to Rorkes Drift in the 1879 Anglo-Zulu War. It gets all the headlines and fame but nowhere near the most important part of the battle as a whole. The focus remains on Bastogne because Montgomery was in command everywhere else and the American are loath to admit Montgomery commanded the majority of the American forces in the Battle of the Bulge.

[@garykarr3948]

McCauliff was told he had to hold for 3 days bare min😮imum 4 would be wonderful. He gave them 10 days. They performed magnificently and were never again happier than they were when they saw those big 4th armored division Sherman's rolling in.

[@billballbuster7186]

@@garykarr3948 101st got re-supplied by Monty, by the time Patton got there they wern't needed, read their history.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Patton was a capable military commander, but he did not understand US political aiming beyond its participants in WW2. criticized the US about Germany ...died in suspicious car accident view

[@thomaslinton5765]

@garykarr3948 I was not there. I doubt that you were. So "history" - examining the record. Did Patton command the 2nd AD during our official participation in WWII? Did he found the 2nd AD? Was Patton the CO of any AD during our official participation in WWII? Look it up.

[@larryconnerjr1835]

Lucian Truscott was the best US general in Europe

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

He was a good general, but he recieves too much credit for things, the breakout in Operation Cobra for example was in fact Bradley and Monty's success. They were the army group commanders doing the planning at the top, whilst Patton was sitting in England with a fake army taking orders from his superiors. I don't believe he turned the tide either, by the time he got involved in North Africa the Germans were already on the backfoot after being pushed back from El Alamein. Pattons greatest success was the 90 degree wheel towards Bastogne but it was against the flank of a German army that was running out of fuel and the US 1st army had already halted the German advance long before his Third army showed up.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Spot on post. Rommel had left North Africa after losing for the 4th time to Montgomery at Medanine. In Normandy, 3rd Army wasn't activated until August 1st. Normandy was long decided by then. In the Lorraine he was in a secondary theatre facing largely a poorly equipped and badly trained German Army. In the Bulge he was on the southern periphery, nowhere near the heaviest fighting. In his advance to the Rhine and across Germany again he wasn't where the Germans were defending at their most stubborn. That was way to the north. Patton never once faced a premier Waffen SS panzer division or Tiger battalion.

[@garykarr3948]

Okay defeated for the 4th time says it all. Wouldn't o e and done be best. He was facing an army that had 6 years experience on us. And flanking an enemy where he's weakest is just basic. So I guess he was a better general than you.

[@garykarr3948]

And again, he was an officer, his job was not to face the enemy but to outthink his enemy.

[@johnalvis6505]

Pm​@@lyndoncmp5751

[@davidforbes7772]

The only thing I can say about this channel is that facts are ignored.

[@issacfoster1113]

Better than most Nazi General for sure

[@thomaslinton5765]

Preposterously inaccurate word salad.

[@thomaslinton5765]

And "how" was that?

[@thomaslinton5765]

ED: And what "tank" division did he command in WW II? None ever. In war, he commanded a corp-sized collection of units, Second Corp, and two armies 7TH, 3RD). It's "O ran;" NOT "or in".

[@garykarr3948]

Untrue he built and commanded the 2nd A.D. prior to America joining the Allies. I served in H.O.W. '85-87 and I know it's history. I trained at Ft.Knox home of the Patton museum so I have an idea who he was. All I can say is there was a reason Eisenhower kept him around in spite of all his issues. He just knew that the easiest way to win the war was to keep Patton around.

[@thomaslinton5765]

@@garykarr3948So he commanded an armored division BEFORE we officially entered WWII. Was it "WWII's Most Formidable Force"?

[@garykarr3948]

@@thomaslinton5765 yessir, and it was the second armored division. I would say b%$&# here normally, but it hinders my growth as a decent human being.

[@garykarr3948]

@@thomaslinton5765 and not only commanded but formed it first. We were the only division to wear our division insignia on our chest because Patton decided it would be the nearest and dearest thing to our hearts. Look it up there Limey. I already know, I lived it.

[@thomaslinton5765]

@@garykarr3948 The 2nd Armored Division was formed at Fort Benning (now Fort Moore), Georgia on 15 July 1940, by reorganizing and redesignating the Provisional Tank Brigade (the 66th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks), 67th Infantry Regiment (Medium Tanks), and 68th Infantry Regiment (Light Tanks)). It was originally commanded by Major General Charles L. Scott, with Colonel George S. Patton Jr. in charge of training. Scott was promoted to command the I Armored Corps in NOVEMBER of that year, which put Patton, now a brigadier general, in command of the division [FOR THEE MONTHS]. The division, which in February 1942 passed over to the command of Major General Willis D. Crittenberger, served with the First, Seventh, and Ninth Armies throughout the war.[2]

[@stephenmccartneyst3ph3nm85]

What a terrible piece of nonsense this is. The narrative is all over the place, and it once again ignores Patton's stalling in Tunisia, Sicily, Brittany and Lorraine. Patton was a terrible General, and this just trots out the usual myths.

[@thomaslinton5765]

He made mistakes, as did Montgomery, Eisenhower, Bradley, MacArthur, Rommel, Manstein, and most Generals. (Maybe not Heinrichi.) "Terrible" - as a general - seems as inaccurate as this hagiography.

[@stephenmccartneyst3ph3nm85]

​@@thomaslinton5765he stalled every time he hit a solid defence. His armour was never concentrated into a solid spearhead, rather it was spread through his infantry heavy divisions. Worse, he disobeyed orders in Sicily, allowing 100,000 enemy troops to escape to the mainland. All for a photo op in Palermo. He did the same in Normandy, basically ignoring the deep water Brittany Ports and Quiberon Bay. This led to his logistics problems in Lorraine, where he was utterly stuck for three months. He was, in every way, a terrible General. He would have made a good Regimental commander. Perhaps.

[@thomaslinton5765]

@@stephenmccartneyst3ph3nm85 The decisions about port seizures and logistics were not made by Patton. Set aside your bias and look at facts. Otherwise, your are as much an example of Idée fixe as the "Patton was God" crowd.

[@stephenmccartneyst3ph3nm85]

​@@thomaslinton5765Patton only gave scant forces to the task of clearing those ports, and Middleton didn't push because he wanted to part of chasing Germans across France. So the Brittany Ports were ignored, and operation Chastity aborted. Patton gets a free ride on this because Bradley let him get away with it, but when Monty takes six whole weeks to clear the Scheldt, all the American historians think he's an idiot?!?

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@@stephenmccartneyst3ph3nm85 Patton strikes me as someone better suited to corps or division command, and leaving the logistics and strategy to someone else.

[@jimmyhillschin9987]

A bit hagiographic for my liking.

[@garykarr3948]

You must be British or German. He never faced ANY enemy soldier. You see he was an officer and the U.S. Army they get paid to outthink the mucketymucks in the enemie's army. Maurice Rose was the only American General killed in combat in Europe for a reason. But yeah they were fighting Rudstedt? Model Manstien? Guderian Rommel et. al. daily.

[@RonaldReaganRocks1]

Wow: the Russian bots trying to take down Patton are out in full force in the comments serction.

[@Fuxerz]

😂 Exactly. Or jealous British😂 The German's thought he was the best general that the Allies had. Germans believe that and said so. I'm going to believe that. It's what your enemy thinks.

[@garythomas3219]

@@Fuxerz. Source ?

[@Fuxerz]

@@garythomas3219 Just google who did the germans think was america's or the allied's best general. I just Google did it again and they said Patton. I would cut and paste a link for you, but I won't do it. Just Google it, my friend. Ask that question and you'll have your answer. Have a great night.

[@garythomas3219]

@@Fuxerz .pure myth . What did Patton do to justify the title? In a movie maybe not in reality

[@Fuxerz]

@garythomas3219 I guess the History Channel lies. You know better. That's why they had a fake army and a fade with Patton's army. Remember the air balloon army where they had balloon tanks trucks other vehicles. The Germans were sure Patton would be leading the Normandy invasion. The reason they believed it was because he was the Allied's best general. How do you explain that?

[@MrSimplyfantabulous]

A souffle of a video.

[@ClimateScepticSceptic-ub2rg]

This sounds like a PR puff for Patton. Hec dd not

[@ClimateScepticSceptic-ub2rg]

Fat finger trouble. Patton did not invent combined arms warfare. He did not single-handedly occupy Sicily. And his impetuousity was constantly irritating Eisenhower in the fighting in Europe. He resembled Montgomery in being brilliant, vain, clever, reckless, and occasionally very foolish. Eisenhower was the true hero of victory in the West.

[@billballbuster7186]

Yes indeed Patton's 3rd Army was tank-heavy, but at a time when he was fighting the Lorraine Campaign, were enemy tanks were not the problem. No matter how you cut it, Patton was never involved in any major tank battles in WW2. In North Africa Patton took command in the closing weeks of the 2 year long campaign, and had no influence on events. In Normandy the tank battles were around Caen, fought by the British. Few tanks were left by the time 3rd Army entered the fight. Even at Bastogne, most German armour had left by the time he arrived. Patton fought only minor tank v tank skirmishes were he vastly outnumbered the Germans.

[@Idahoguy10157]

Tanks are a part of an army in the field. Patton used all of the parts of his armies. Patton’s use of tanks are the biggest part of our memory of him. At the beginning of the army buildup up too 1945 Patton was the best American armor general

[@billballbuster7186]

@@Idahoguy10157 My point was in this glowing endorsement of Patton, the "Tank General", there were no facts. Patton was a US propaganda star. He never actually fought a tank battle. The only Allied General that did was Monty, who destroyed 7 Panzer Divisions of Army Group West, around Caen July-August 1944. But never took the credit for it.

[@garythomas3219]

​@@Idahoguy10157. Patton's Lorraine campaign against a defeated German army is text book on how not to conduct a campaign

[@billballbuster7186]

@@garythomas3219 Could not agree with you more. Patton lost 26,000 dead and 85,000 wounded for land nobody wanted, during the Lorraine-Metz Campaign.

[@garythomas3219]

@@billballbuster7186 . Heavily castigated in a pentagon report.

[@davecopp9356]

We defeated the wrong enemy. George S. Patton He knew it and because he said it, he was killed.

[@widesthosrimora538]

✋

[@oldgysgt]

NO, Nazi Germany WAS the RIGHT enemy!!! Yes, the USSR was also a problem, but it was Germany who started the War in Europe, (albeit with the help of the USSR), so defeating Hitler's Germany was Job 1. If you think Hitler's Nazi Germany was not just as evil as Stalin's USSR, you need to educate yourself about pre-WWII history. Hitler and Stalin were both total jerks, but when America entered WWII late in 1941, Hitler was definitely the greater threat, and to say General Patton didn't thing that at the time is pure Hollywood inspired BS. Try reading the book, 'The Patton Papers', and you'll realize the George C Scott 1970 movie 'Patton' was far from the truth.

[@davecopp9356]

@@oldgysgt If you read and learn only from the fake media, fake news and Hollyweird, I can understand why you would come to your conclusion. What is history than a fable agreed upon. Napoleon The fact that I can´t even name a few documentaries here without my comments get deleted, should tell you how one sided the whole history about WW2 is. Who ever is behind the suppresing of free speech about this topic, does not even want you to hear the other side of the story.

[@garykarr3948]

No it was the right enemy. The USSR was just the next enemy Patton and every captured German General and anybody alive and with a brain could see that.

[@thomaslinton5765]

National Specialist Germany was "the wrong enemy"?

[@hannibalbarca9643]

In the annals of military history, there are few names as legendary as General George S. Patton? Hannibal, Napoleon, Alexander the Great, Caeser all greater names than this overrated hypejob

[@Swellington_]

No general or whatever is never as good/great as they think they are but theirs no doubt about it,Patton was a good military leader,maybe not the best tactician or whatever and he damned sure wasn’t good at diplomacy, but he knew how to lead men and men would follow,albeit they had little choice in those days but still, he had a knack for leadership

[@billballbuster7186]

Correct, Patton was better than bumbling Bradley, but what did he actually achieve, nothing but propaganda headlines in Stars & Stripes!

[@garythomas3219]

In the list of the greatest generals of all time ,he doesn't make the list .

[@garythomas3219]

​@@Swellington_. Obviously not relieved of command in Sicily, don't be fooled by the slapping incident.

[@billballbuster7186]

@@garythomas3219 In Sicily Patton just missed charges of war crimes for his troops murdering Italian POWs in several incidents known as the Biscari Massacres. The troops who did the crimes were excused because Patton had told his troops "not to take prisoners" in a speech prior to the invasion of Sicily. A US board of enquiry of course found him not guilty.

[@lyndoncmp5751]

Most overrated and underachieving major commander of WW2. Never was in the thick of the major battles of the western front, never faced a premier Waffen SS panzer division or Tiger battalion. He mostly faced second rate German rabble in periphery sectors.

[@Fuxerz]

You're smoking meth, right? 😂

[@garykarr3948]

My reply was for you. Sorry don't know what happened

[@elkrumb9159]

Major cope wehraboo

[@lyndoncmp5751]

@@elkrumb9159 Converse in English please. I don't understand bollocks.

[@elkrumb9159]

Dear@@lyndoncmp5751 You constitute a severe case of Germanic Technological Fanaticism that is represented in the comment above, consider not following terrible ideologies in the future. Regards, Krumb

[@markmulligan571]

Am I alone in finding Patton and Trump remarkably similar? Physically, true (same cut of jib, same mannerisms; but also behaviorally. Both guys are either beloved or hated by one and all, with no in-betweens. Both are dyslexic, ADHD and power-hungry ego maniacs. Patton differs from Trump in that he recruited the best and brightest to be on his staff, provided they enslaved themselves to him. I don't think Trump tolerates really bright people in his inner circle, the same way Napoleon didn't. Fatal weakness, thank God. If you are looking for people who want to hurt people with no remorse, you have found them both. If you want justice, or truth, or just common sense leadership, look somewhere else.

[@davecopp9356]

Patton told the truth when he said: We defeated the wrong enemy. That´s why he got killed.

[@billballbuster7186]

Rubbish, what did Patton actually achieve - Nothing. His Lorraine / Metz campaign was a total disaster, 26,000 dead and 85,000 wounded fighting a German army a quarter 3rd Army's size!

[@stephenmccartneyst3ph3nm85]

​@@davecopp9356he said that *after* he'd witnessed, first hand, the horrors of the death camps. Think about that for a moment, because it reveals the racist piece of garbage that Patton truly was.