Kill Patton! German Operation to Assassinate the Famous General

When the Germans discovered General Patton's new HQ in the French city of Nancy in November 1944, they determined to kill him using a special long-range weapon - the railway gun!
Dr. Mark Felton is a well-known British historian, the author of 22 non-fiction books, including bestsellers 'Zero Night' and 'Castle of the Eagles', both currently being developed into movies in Hollywood. In addition to writing, Mark also appears regularly in television documentaries around the world, including on The History Channel, Netflix, National Geographic, Quest, American Heroes Channel and RMC Decouverte. His books have formed the background to several TV and radio documentaries. More information about Mark can be found at: en.wikipedia.o...
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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.
Sources:
- 'The Shelling of Patton's Nancy HQ' by Jim Sulmeier & Jerome Leclerc, After The Battle, No. 176, 2027
- 'The Lorraine Campaign', Hugh M. Cole, United States Army in World War II: European Theater of Operations, Center of Military History, Washington DC, 1950
- 'Patton: A Genius for War', Carlo D'Este, (New York: Harper Collins, 1995)
Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Superx308

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

PATTON'S PISTOLS - I mistakenly called them 'Pearl-handled' when they were 'Ivory-handled'. I hope the more pedantic of you can forgive this small error and enjoy the video without tediously pointing this out ad nauseum. Many thanks!

[@Vongreimbf109]

"i ain't no pimp" - gen patton 😂

[@andysnyder4603]

We will always forgive you Dr. Felton. You are only human but what a human you are. I learn as Paul Harvey "the rest of the story" about WWII and other conflicts from you. Thanks again for a the moments of enjoy you give all of us here who follow your channel.

[@SIERRA-dx9wm]

Patton to rescue of French civilians injured in shelling Not something you hear about when talking about very high ranking military officers Show up after the events

[@augustuswayne9676]

I pointed out what Patton himself would have told you . I hit the like button on the video . I enjoy your videos very much and watch every one . Thanks .

[@HontasFarmer80]

One of the best lines in the movie Patton

[@Life_Is_Torture0000]

Dr. Felton is everything the History Channel should have been.

[@Henry_Jones]

Ha! Back around 2000 we called it the Hitler Channel cuz it was all ww2 lol

[@fredgarv79]

I just saw a video of Bill Maher trying to impress people because he does have a history degree, saying he watches the history channel religiously. I thought what? Bigfoot, UFO's, ancient aliens?

[@hlf_coder6272]

@@Henry_JonesYa it was 90% WWII back in the day, and we called it the Hitler Channel also, although they did some other stuff too. I remember some good revolutionary war and civil war shows. Old west too. But it was WAY better back then. Most pointless network on TV now.

[@Legitpenguins99]

It appears that Felton has a ego to rival Patton himself! The only favorites comments that praise him and I can't help but roll my eyes🙄

[@2011woodlands]

The History channel has been a real disappointment since ? maybe 2010, they could have had a series on the War of 1812 visiting the different battlefields and points of interest in North America from 2012 to 2014, hopefully the CBC did some kind of documentary for the Canadian audience.

[@66Bunn]

Calling the French he's trying to help "Frogs" is classic Patton. Hilarious.

[@gerardodwyer5908]

True, especially since his wife had French lineage, not to mention 12% of Americans.

[@GeorgeSemel]

Well, the French are very dear to us Americans, and we do-rag on each other with a kind of glee that is reserved for family. I prefer to use the term Le Baguette since they are a people and culture that is way into food. Patton was fluent in French.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

All in good fun though, Patton was agreat admirer of the French and all things French.

[@NoahSpurrier]

My grandfather was French Canadian. French was his first language. He served in France in WW2 in the American army. Apparently his Canadian accent gave him away and he got a lot of shit for this. He said, “Fucking frogs. We liberate their country and they treat me like shit.”

[@Wanderer628]

​@@gerardodwyer5908 Yes, which means he has an F card.

[@ghostmantagshome-er6pb]

Mark is going to be surprised how important that " pearl handle " thing is to Americans. Great channel.

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

I'm already getting an idea - I think I may walk into the sea....

[@ghostmantagshome-er6pb]

It's about the only channel I watch from beginning to end. My history class.

[@djzrobzombie2813]

Ivory handle

[@jbada17]

@@MarkFeltonProductions please don’t. You are too valuable, and it’s too dangerous with the u-boats lurking.

[@wcfbradenton4591]

😂😂

[@jbada17]

“Rommel, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!!!”

[@josephcooter5763]

I saw that in the movie. Although my favorite quote is "You job is not to die for your country. Your job is to make the Other (SOB) Die for his country."

[@mikebrown383]

Read Patton's quotes. We Defeated The Wrong Enemy. "BASTARD"

[@Manco65]

Another thing that movie got wrong..... Rommel wrote a book on improved infantry tactics.

[@ffjsb]

@@Manco65 Yeah, I wish they'd put more effort into being historically accurate, especially with the armor they used.

[@williampage622]

Rommel was an Infantryman. His book is Infantry Attacks.

[@ryanSLF]

More footage of WW2 that i am seeing for the first time. Thank you, Dr Felton.

[@urwrstntmre]

Just wait till you see Europa: The Last Battle

[@asdf9890]

@@urwrstntmregot a link?

[@orno8906]

my dad was wounded twice in the leg during the effort to retake Metz. thank you so much for this video and the footage of house to house fighting, which is how pop was shot. he was buried with both bullets in his leg.

[@StevenKeery]

Orno: Did he die during the battle, or after the war?

[@orno8906]

@@StevenKeery thank you for asking! he lived, and was sent home. I still have the purple heart and telegram that they sent my grandmother. He had a good life, lived to be 81 but he always walked with a limp. They wouldn’t take the bullets out as they were too close to an artery.

[@THATATECLIP.]

@orno8906 amazing story to hear about thanks for sharing

[@StevenKeery]

@@orno8906 : God bless him, I'm glad he lived to a ripe old age and had time to spend with his family. I'm sure your Grandmother must have been relieved to have him back home.

[@chessdad182]

My dad almost lost his lower leg in France when his army truck he was riding in back, hit a mine.

[@TM-yn4iu]

My uncle died on March 18, 1945 after crossing the Moselle. He received the Medal of Honor after his actions after crossing, posthumously. He is buried in Luxembourg along with Patton. I hope to visit next year or soon thereafter. Shared with dad, 93, a Korean veteran, another uncle serving in Pacific WWII. I am a veteran as well, shared on this Memorial Day weekend. Vote,, save democracy. Wish all good. Old Vet

[@jmage53]

I thank all your family for your service. I read your uncles MOH citation, he truly embodies what the medal stands for. It shows it’s not awarded just for taking life but for saving it as well.

[@TM-yn4iu]

@@jmage53 Thank you.

[@RoseSharon7777]

Wow, what a story! ❤

[@stevenc8140]

Patton was doom to to die with his men! Great Story and your family (though saddened) have some respite for your Uncles Actions! Congrats and God Rest His Soul🙏

[@dirtyhobo4252]

Whats your Uncles mame?

[@boomslangCA]

Don't think I've ever heard Patton speaking before so thank you for putting that film in. Not what I expected after hearing George C Scott. Kind of like that Finnish tape of Hitler speaking normally. Not what you expect.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Right, hearing the real Patton voice is a shock especially if you're used to George C. Scott's portrayal. The producers of the the film knew what the real Patton sounded like but correctly assumed audiences wouldn't accept an accurate rendition of Patton's voice. I'll tell you, Patton would have killed to have had a voice like Scott's!

[@gruntforever7437]

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 It is like pretty much everyone who has ever portrayed Lincoln. His voice was much like Pattons

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@gruntforever7437 Right, Lincoln's voice was reportedly high-pitched which led to a problem for the Disney people coming up with the "Hall of Presidents" pavilion for the New York World's Fair of 1964-1965. If the Lincoln voice for their audio-animatronic robot was too high pitched viewers would have found it a turn-off. So they used the voice of character actor Royal Dano (look him up) whose voice was a bit high-pitched but not too much, and had an interesting "crackle" to it you'd expect someone of Lincoln's background would have had. Having heard it first-hand I can tell you it worked! And I'll never forget one line of the speech that was made up of Lincoln quotes: "If destruction be our lot it will be of our own doing. As a nation of free men we must live forever, or die by suicide."

[@danielslocum7169]

Leave it to follywood to totally distort history in the worst ways possible.

[@lancerevell5979]

​@@wayneantoniazzi2706Royal Dano even bore a physical resemblence to Lincoln. He was an excellent character actor.

[@mitchmatthews6713]

My uncle served under Patton. Have a safe Memorial Day weekend. Cheers, Mark!

[@CaptainGyro]

I’ve been a WW2 buff for seventy years and never heard this deployment of Nazis railroad guns. Now thanks to Mark Felton I do. And so well presented with those esoteric pictures.

[@phillipchapman169]

You may be interested in looking up their other German railway guns Gustav the biggest ever, which had two railway tracks side by side specially built for it to run on and I recall was 800cm cannon! The mortar guns attached to railway bogies for transport, but that could manoeuvre when detached albeit very slowly had an 600 cm gun. I think these were given names Thor and Moser Karl. And I think they were used in the Eastern front on Sevastopol with success. The Germans used railway guns in the first world ward war also on or near the scale of the one in this video 280cm cannon and I think one was called Big Bertha. Happy hunting.

[@CaptainGyro]

@@phillipchapman169 Yes, familiar with those monsters in Crimea but not with these in France. Thanks anyway.

[@Comm4nd3rK33n]

@@phillipchapman169 Millimeters, not centimeters! ;)

[@totalkarnage3656]

@@phillipchapman169 The Karl mortar was a massive tracked mortar, wasn't a railway gun

[@Ken-fh4jc]

Same. Not 70 years more like 25 but I never heard this either.

[@hillbillyscholar8126]

Still the BEST history channel on KZbin. Thank you MFP!

[@matthewjay660]

Dr. Mark, I'm a French teacher and I would like to thank you for taking time our of your 🫵🏻British day to do your best to pronounce French names and places. 🇺🇸🤝🇬🇧

[@Breadfan1280]

My grandfather was in a SAW unit from the 9th Army Air Corps during the battle for Metz and his role was as a forward observer while carrying a BAR. It’s quite possible his unit was responsible for vectoring in those P47’s to attack the guns. Unfortunately he passed away in 2017 at the age of 94 and I’ll never know. Thank you Dr. Felton for sharing this story, at least it gives me something to ponder.

[@jakeziegler6503]

Whatever your personal opinion of Patton, there’s no denying he was an inspiring man and officer. My paternal Grandfather was an infantryman in the Western theater. He died before I was born but I found a small trunk of his forgotten in our old farm house years ago. Among the trinkets of Francs, Deutschmarks, and various German officer pins, there was a copy of Patton’s memoirs. I believe he took true pride in both of their roles of ending the tyranny of the Third Reich.

[@TheSaltydog07]

Letter home: "Tell Granpa we're over here with Patton. He likes him so." Bastogne, 1944

[@williamwhite2113]

George Patton, Old Blood and Guts "Our blood, his guts". Thanks for the video, Dr. Felton.

[@tankthebear]

That's what my dad used to say!

[@katemaloney4296]

I have had the blessing of meeting men who served under Parton. Every single man had nothing but nice things to say and said they would do it again. Ironically, when I met men who served under MacArthur, they couldn't say the same thing.

[@julianjeffbissette7238]

Hello from North Carolina. My Dad, Julian S. Bissette was a WW2 veteran who served in General Patton's 64th armored tank division as a combat medic!

[@jayrosen6663]

Thanks for posting, Mark!! "It didn't hurt America to have a General so bold, that he was dangerous"!!!!

[@johndilday1846]

Patton was one of a kind. To call him a colorful character is an understatement.

[@dw-bn5ex]

Sounds like a new mission for Mark. Whats left of those tunnels?

[@tsdocholiday8965]

Who else thinks George C. Scott played Patton perfectly in the movie? Even looks like him. Many people find that movie boring cause there’s little action but I love it cause I just love seeing this guy act like Patton.

[@willyboyw.5771]

Scott's voice was more masculine than Patton's--who had a surprsingly mousey voice.

[@thunderbird1921]

@@willyboyw.5771 Plus, Patton wasn't always gruff and stoic. He literally got nauseous seeing the concentration camps (and told Eisenhower he couldn't go in any more of the buildings without throwing up).

[@Alan_One1]

George C Scott's depiction of Patton is nothing more than fantasy.

[@MightyMezzo]

Patton’s family apparently wouldn’t allow any depiction of his personal life in the movie. However, they thought that Scott had captured the man perfectly.

[@scockery]

Scott was great. Better movie than the real man deserved, probably. Everyone walks away with a sympathetic view of that old warhorse, because they didn't want to show his racism and antisemitism. And the part about Germans being obsessed with him is dubious. The bit in the beginning about Arabs looting American dead is an invention.

[@MyTv-]

“The Luftwaffe was thin on the ground!” 😂😂😂 Thank you, I needed that!

[@stuartgmk]

😢😅😊

[@deniseroe5891]

Unlike their illustrious leader😂

[@MyTv-]

@@deniseroe5891 🤣🤣🤣

[@dustylover100]

From across the pond in the US and to all in the US, enjoy your Memorial Day and please remember those who died for the freedoms we have. Great Memorial Day gift from Dr. Mark Felton.

[@erichall7068]

I appreciate the film footage of Patton, including his meal with Eisenhower and Bradley, and his letter admitting he was really scared. Thank you Dr f for continuing to dig deep, with quality!

[@gonavy1]

My father served under general Patton and he liked him . But I wonder if my father would enjoy watching Dr. Felton's videos as much as I do. He didn't really talk too much about his time in the army during world war II until later on in life. Although he's passed over a decade ago.

[@noelmajers6369]

That seems to have been a common thing throughout the forces on most sides. My father was in the British Army Royal Corp of Signals in WWII and he was at Monte Casino. He really would only give out very very scant details about that and other aspects of the battles he was involved in. Sometimes it was just the funny stuff, like going fishing with German potatomasher hand grenades. He never would open up about anything grim.

[@StarlightEater]

As always, a real banger! Thank you so much doctor Felton! Much love from detroit usa!

[@AndyCigars]

Nancy makes me think of “Kelly’s Heroes”. That was the town that Big Joe and the unit were wanting to get to for some much desired r&r.

[@yesyesyesyes1600]

Big Joe: ...There's no booze, there's no broads, there's no action! Captain Maitland: That's another thing - don't fool around with the women. Their husbands carry guns. And don't forget, the penalty for looting is death. Big Joe: Loot what? There's nothing here to loot!

[@JRL6211]

“Nancy, Tell me about the hotels …” “There are three, two are defended by units of the …” “I DON’T WANNA KNOW ABOUT DEFENDERS! Which is the most comfortable?!”

[@AndyCigars]

@@JRL6211 …huhuhuh…so many positive waves in the comment section, babe. 👍🏻

[@d.s.archer5903]

Time to play the theme song from "Kelly's Heroes": "Buring Bridges."

[@AndyCigars]

Take it easy @@d.s.archer5903 …some of these guys have sensitive feelings. 😉👍🏻

[@dennisud]

I love these behind the scenes stories. Even I didn't know about this attempt, and I taught Middle school History for 35 years!! Nice job!

[@BrianMurfitt]

Another great video about one of WW2 most famous and infamous Generals, Thanks Dr Felton. 🤗

[@jsfbr]

(1) Thank you for another great video, Professor! (2) I believe that anyone who is minimally acquainted with Patton's biography, notwithstanding all that is or can be deemed as his character flaws, is always impacted when his image and sound is displayed on TV.

[@parksinthegarage]

“Ps I was really scared” when you’re scared and you don’t act like it that’s courage

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Patton did admit that nothing scared him as much as artillery fire. "I suppose I'll never get used to it." Any GI would have agreed. The worst part is some guy's shooting at you from miles away and you don't have the satisfaction of being able to shoot back.

[@JayJay-z4z2p]

​@@wayneantoniazzi2706 Às Napoleon said " Artillery is the queen of the battlefield"

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@JayJay-z4z2p Boney should have known, he was a cannon-cocker by trade!

[@MrXdmp]

Thanks Dr. Felton!

[@flashladderacrobat]

Dr.Felton amazes again!

[@toddewire13]

Thank you Mark for another wonderful episode

[@augustuswayne9676]

Pattons pistol grip was made of Ivory not pearl . He said himself that " only a pimp in a cheap whorehouse would carry a pearl handle pistol" .

[@ghostmantagshome-er6pb]

And it was 'nickel' plated not chrome. If I remember right.

[@JonathanNewman-ht5vn]

Correct he said a new Orleans pimp at that!

[@arostwocents]

Mark has had to put a post because of people like you tediously pointing this out ad nauseum 😂

[@66Bunn]

You beat me to it.

[@yaterspoon57]

@@arostwocents Calling us "pedantic" no less. Das glaube ich nicht Doktor.

[@LeveretteJamesClifford1955]

As usual, you are teaching me something I did not know. Thank you!

[@Texas-Chris]

Hi Dr. Felton, have you thought about doing a story on the relationship of Patton with the French People ? Of the history I have studied, General Patton had a special and unique relationship with the French more so than any other American Military Leader or Leader of State. I don’t know if it was the simple fact of his ability to speak the language or the fact that he had lived with the people for an extended period of time. I think it would be something interesting to explore. Thank you very much and God Bless you and your family !!!

[@ttnyny]

Thank you for including the extensive Patton quote between 10:04 and 11:07 in this feature. It helps humanize a man who, for many, remains something of a caricature.

[@SuperDiablo101]

The speech at the end with patton made me remember that he was in fact dyslexic but neither that or the Germans could stop him ( a topic for a possible future video )

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

There's a very good possibility Patton was dyslexic but at this late date there's no way to be 100% sure. But if he was it should only increase our admiration of the man for his ability to overcome the handicap and rise as far as he did.

[@SuperDiablo101]

@@wayneantoniazzi2706 exactly what I was trying to put our there..and he had allegedly had dyagraphia ( I think that's what its called ) but it basically means you have trouble reading signs...imagine how difficult it must've been in wartime Europe to read signs 🤯🤯

[@gusloader123]

@SuperDiablo101 ---> Doubtful that he was dyslexic. Where did you get that from? He said he could not pronounce the names of many German cities/towns. Who can, except for a German speaker?! Finding German words/placenames difficult to pronounce does NOT make a person dyslexic. Gen. G.S. Patton Jr. was a graduate of the U.S.A.M.A. at West Point, New York, a 4-year institution of higher learning with very high standards in the late 1800's / early 1900's. Most people could not get in, let alone graduate from West Point.

[@eamo106]

Dr Mark Felton, I think we all prefer these in-depth posts, as you did in early KZbin days! a great post concerning Patton, his comments on the Guns.

[@KOMET2006]

Hitler once referred to Patton as "that crazy cowboy general." My late father served in a segregated unit of the Third Army, seeing action from Normandy to Czechoslovakia. He was proud to have served under Patton.

[@michaelallen5505]

Marlene Dietrich at 5:00 is another interesting story. In the 1930s she was offered the chance to come back to Germany and be a big star for the Nazis. Instead she refused, stayed in America and began raising money for Jews and other refugees to escape Germany, including donating her own money from her films. She renounced her German citizenship and became an American citizen. She traveled through the European theater performing over 500 USO shows for the troops, as seen here. She slept in tents, had frostbite and pneumonia, nearly dying from it. She recorded anti-Nazi albums for the OSS to be broadcast over the radio. To the Nazis chagrin her songs were popular with their troops. By the end of war she was broke. Now her personal life iis a whole 'nother story that's definitely R-rated.

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

Great show today! There's little I can add except I found it VERY interesting the Germans used a large (for lack of a better term) cartridge case as a breech seal in those 28cm / 11 inch railway guns. An efficient way of solving the problem. Just to add a bit, MAYBE the long-range shelling of Nancy was an attempt to get Patton, maybe it wasn't. I suspect it was more an attempt to disrupt all the command and control located in Nancy rather than an attempt to get one man in particular. Killing Patton would have been an extreme example of good luck on the German's part. Quite a fascinating man George Patton. He's an American folk hero just like George Washington, Davy Crockett, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, and so many others I could name. He worked hard for and deserves his fame.

[@stubi1103]

Do not forget to mention "General von Steuben" under George Washington... and Admiral Chester Nimitz who spoke fluent German... 😂

[@wayneantoniazzi2706]

@@stubi1103 Certainly, so many to choose from!

[@bstemic3623]

Your presentations are always appreciated with your eye focused on accuracy and details. Many thanks.

[@MrPredators2001]

Great work as always, also quite a funny coincidence that I just came home from visiting relatives in Nancy and then stumble upon this video. I appreciate you shedding some light on an episode of my native city's history.

[@dumptrump3788]

1:20 "Old Blood & Guts"...the general the Germans feared the most, but some of his troops thought that it was rather a case of "Our blood...his guts"

[@sailordude2094]

They never talk about this history, thanks Dr Mark! BTW, a dozen railroad guns? That's like 1,000 tanks in materials and manpower. Crazy Hitler.

[@JRZ67]

My father, from Philadelphia, fought under Patton in France and Belgium- anti-aircraft artillery. Battle of the Bulge and Remagen.

[@C.Fecteau-AU-MJ13]

Recently rewatched the masterpiece film "Patton" and man what a performance by George C Scott. If there was ever an Oscar more deserved for a lead role than that, it's hard to think of one. Definition of "born to play that role" Masterpiece. And yet, the man turned it down because "the art of performance cannot be compared to another performance." A complicated man and master of his craft, you can see why he nailed the role of General Patton.

[@RoyJNg]

Anything with George C Scott I watch his scene. A sad shame he should have played as the captain of the Titanic in James Cameron's version then Bernad Hill.

[@StephenCole1916]

@@RoyJNg He did play Captain Smith in the Titanic mini series (1996) that came out right before James Cameron's Titanic.

[@M1903a4]

When I lived in Berlin I was living with a woman from the Czech Republic who took me to meet her family. In her hometown of Plzeň I was surprised to see a significant monument in the middle of town dedicated to Patton's army, with another monument nearby dedicated to the man himself. They celebrate VE day with a parade featuring men wearing WWII US uniforms and various US vehicles. They honor him because he saved them from the advancing Red horde at the end of the war. While he was eventually forced to withdraw back across the border, he saved them from the rapes and looting that happened further West in Praha (Prague).

[@ericcarlson3746]

I was just there a few weeks ago. There's also a Patton Museum organized by some Czechs and which has rec'd mementos and exhibits from Patton's family

[@Wideoval73]

Another great video. Very informative. Thanks

[@IBM29]

At 12:17 I noticed Kaiserslautern on the map. I was stationed at Kleber Kaserne from 1977-1978.

[@kevinfarris7915]

My father fought under Patton (90th Infantry, XX Corps, 3rd Army) and was wounded at Metz where he won a Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

[@DawnOfTheDead991]

One of Patton's famous quotes was how fixed fortifications were a testament to man's stupidity. Yet Metz's 19th Century fixed fortifications held him up for 2 months.

[@pucmahone3893]

The best historian of WWII. MY DAD was 101st 506 E company. Most notably Bastogne.

[@mattheww2797]

My grandfather served in the Third Army under Patton, he always said that if Eisenhower had cut him loose they would have driven straight to Berlin

[@alexandarvoncarsteinzarovi3723]

If FDR, Truman & Eisenhower were not doing back room with commies & the bankers Europe would be in the state that it is,

[@johndawes9337]

google operation unthinkable.

[@MaryamofShomal]

@@johndawes9337and Patton absolutely would have carried out that operation had the CIA not killed him

[@Jdsofar]

@@johndawes9337 Wow that's insane. No way Britain really thought they could take on the USSR themselves after defeating Germany hahah. And so crazy for them to consider that now and not before the lend lease was happening in the USSR which helped their war economy so much .

[@WALTERBROADDUS]

​@@MaryamofShomalLogistics say otherwise.

[@davidsnow2420]

I believe Patton was quoted that "only a New Orleans pimp would carry a pearl handled pistol." His Colt Single Action .45 LC, and Smith and Wesson .357 were fitted with ivory stocks. He carved two notches in the .45's ivory grip to mark his tally in a gunfight in Mexico. This episode of the railway gun attempt on his life would've been a cool addition to the movie since much of the narrative concerned the German reaction to the wild card that was GSP.

[@TheSaltydog07]

Dr.. Felton, can you please do a piece on the tragedy at Slapton Sands, England, where 749 Allied soldiers died while rehearsing for D-Day? The causes were friendly fire and attack from German E-boats off the coast of Devon. Thank you❤

[@MarkFeltonProductions]

Already have years ago

[@Outlier999]

War is hell. Many soldiers have died because their commanders were too cautious and hesitated too long out of concern for their men.

[@utpalbasu3353]

a great documentary , thanks Dr Felton

[@billbissenas2973]

MARK - If there’s one bright spot in the pendanticism, it’s that you know your subscribers are paying attention. 😊

[@otterinbham9641]

Gonna say it. The little flourish with the harp at the beginning of the newsreel footage is somehow funny to me.

[@bretthess6376]

My father-in-law was in the Third. He said every man in the Army knew it was a hit. They were afraid he would do the right thing, which they did not want, as they had a different money-making forever war programme.

[@olengagallardo8551]

Patton mentioned only a pimp would carry a pearl handled pistol😂 and about this incident i wonder why it was never in the movie wc iv watched literally hundreds of times, one of my all time favs.

[@dixiefallas7799]

Thank you Mark.🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇬🇧

[@kingcrazymani4133]

Greetings from Quincy, Massachusetts! Thanks, Mark…. Reminds me of recent local events. In 2009, I managed to get to Hamilton, Massachusetts, to Patton Park, where his command tank sat and is probably still there. Another bucket list crossout.

[@eekinelsa]

also, his IVORY handled pistol has two notches in it, representing two of Poncho Villa's banditos Patton had personally dispatched in a gunfight

[@billirvin9057]

My dad was in the USAF stationed at Etain, France from 1955-58. I was only 4 when we went and 7 (almost 8) when we left but I still have memories of the base and areas around it. I guess that's where my interest in WW2 started as I can remember visiting a number of battle sites and cemeteries, not only in our area of France but also Germany and Belgium.

[@jdg3275]

A reminder to those referencing the wonderful movie Patton in their comments. It's a Hollywood movie, not a documentary.

[@johndawes9337]

sadly so many people are Hollywood historians.

[@Barbarpapa1]

Only short notice. Video and photo of K5 gun, where the railroad catenary is visible, have been taken in northern Italy (maybe near Anzio) or western Slovenia (which was under Italian control after WWI). Such catenary is typical for Italian railroads and Italy electrified railroad on Slovenian territory to Postojna. At end of the war at least one K5 gun was abandoned in tunnel near Divača. Two of it’s propellant charge canisters are on display in museum of military history in Pivka.

[@douglasstrother6584]

GERMAN HIGH COMMAND: "Patton is in Nancy." UNKNOWN STAFF OFFICER: "We're gonna need a bigger gun."

[@frankgesuele6298]

🪖😂

[@russwoodward8251]

Another rare war story. Thank you once again Dr. Felton.

[@samsmith2635]

1:06 "Ivory! Only a pimp from a cheap New Orleans whorehouse would have pearl handed pistols" - George C. Scott the other George who played George.

[@pinchepeet4791]

My father was in the Fourth Armored Division in Patton’s Third Army. He participated in this operation

[@731trident]

Admiration of General Patton is actually cultist in some circles, particularly among veterans. He was a vibrant philosopher-warrior whose true story transcends any film portrayal. The speaking clip at the end shows so much personality and charm, yet ferocity and sorrow, that it is a wonderful reminder of the man. Thank you.

[@theotherohlourdespadua1131]

And those who hate him, especially those who survive his disastrous attempt of being a liberator with Task Force Baum...

[@731trident]

@theotherohlourdespadua1131 Grant lost 6000 men in half an hour at Cold Harbor. Guy deLusignan lost an entire Crusader Army. Harald Hardrada lost at Stamford Bridge. Varus lost in the Teutoborg Forest. Patton failed to capture Pancho Villa. Patton rolled on the 'Bonus Army'. He lost, he did questionable things. He was the 'man in the arena'.

[@FreddyDomenie]

Thank you Mark Felton.

[@Greg-q2r]

Patton the film is worth a watch.

[@intentionaloffside8934]

Fascinating as usual. Thanks Mark.

[@davidcarr7436]

As Patton is quoted as saying when asked about his "pearl handled" revolvers: "A pimp carries a pearl handled pistol, these are IVORY!"

[@alkitzman9179]

Wow Dr. Felton another amazing story I had no knowledge of. Anytime I see a new video from you I feel like I did as a child on Christmas morning. You know that feeling of I have to see whats in the box.

[@jamesgarman4788]

Very intriguing. I always look forward to your work and videos. Many thanks for posting Mark!!

[@guyh.4553]

How you get all of this historical documentation I will not know. But I am very glad that you do. Even when its a subject that I know quite well, I learn a lot more than before. I wonder if I was writing a doctoral thesis, if I could just put one footnote of "Mark Felton Productions" and use "et all" for the rest of my thesis if that would work? Hmmmmmmm... Great job sir!😊😊😊

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

Killing Patton: The Strange Death of World War II's Audacious General is a book written by bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard about the final year of World War II and the death of General George Patton, specifically whether it was an accident or an assassination. The book is the follow-up to Killing Kennedy, Killing Lincoln, and Killing Jesus and was published in September 2014 through Henry Holt and Company.

[@dbmail545]

Great book!

[@josephnardone1250]

My father, who was a tanker in the US Army during WWII and whose unit served under Patton at one time, told me that Patton was called, Blood and Guts, because it was his troops blood on his guts. As a Honorably Discharged Veteran of the US Army myself and from what I learned about Patton over the years, he was an unstable, arrogant personality and dangerous leader. In war, I guess that makes you special but not to the men and families who lost loved ones because of him.

[@robertcottam8824]

This is absurd. The Germans hadn't heard of Patton. The movie didn't come out until 1970... But in all seriousness, there are no mentions of Poltroon Patton in any contemporary German accounts or records. They really hadn't heard of him. He's simply the result of the 'Murcan press's need for a 'hero' which George - patently - wasn't.

[@zen4men]

While I am not a great fan of Patton, he had commanded in North Africa, Sicily, and France, so I find it hard to believe that German knowledge of the US Army excluded extensive knowledge of Patton. While I agree on the "need for a hero", surely Patton was what we ALL are - flawed human beings? What jumped out to me was Patton's number of 40,000 US dead as a result of his NW Europe operations. Whereas British commanders took the greatest possible care on casualties, perhaps Patton less so? / Many Americans attack Montgomery over Market Garden, due to the heroic failure at Arnhem, but forget that the advance did greatly improve the overall position. They also forget the huge US casualties in the Hurtgen Forest, and other operations, where care for one's own troops was not as high as it might have been? / Then the Ardennes Offensive demonstrated all that was wrong with the US Army. Given terrain previously used for a German attack, and a defender's dream, The US was caught with it's pants down, and panic at the highest levels. Montgomery's practiced eyes knew at once what was required, and instead of acknowledging this, it was, and is, resented. US casualties were horrendous, making Market Garden a walk in the park in comparison. British casualties are rarely mentioned. / There is no doubt that Patton thrived on challenges, and rose to the occasion in the Ardennes, while much of the US Army fought well, but it should never have happened. That it happened at all, is due to failures at multiple levels of all commands. / War is full of surprises, and the Germans were masters of war, achieving complete surprise. To do this, given allied air superiority, access to German ciphers, and the largest intelligence-gathering apparatus up to that time, is the measure of that achievement. /

[@markp8581]

As Patton said in the movie "Only a pimp uses a pearl handled pistol" I believe they were ivory.

[@Rusty_Gold85]

The supply problem goes back to the American Mulberry not being properly anchored like the British one and it was promptly destroyed in the 19Th June 3 day storm. If they only listened to advice

[@jenseninsulation2202]

Yes that was exactly what my father once said to me. He was RNVR fluent in German and as such jumped around all over the Normandy beaches listening in on radio signals.. He also had great respect for the amphibious DUKW vehicle.

[@howardhardardt815]

Dr Felton has done it again. What an interesting story.

[@vcv6560]

Fearless to all others but his wife to whom he was totally human.

[@chrishigbie8645]

My father was a tanker in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. He said that everyone hated George Patton because he got people killed unnecessarily. He thought that he was fragged!

[@anorthernsoul5600]

Patton the most feared Allied commander? The thing is Mr. Felton, the vast majority of German officers had never heard of him. Where did you get this information from? Seriously, I would like to know. At Metz he was utterly useless, Generaloberst Blaskowtiz though he was incompetent, throwing thousands of GI's at a heavily fortified city, resulting in heavy losses.

[@nickdanger3802]

Generalfeldmarschall Albert Kesselring said Patton had developed tank warfare into an art, and understood how to handle tanks brilliantly in the field. I feel compelled, therefore, to compare him with Generalfeldmarschall Rommel, who likewise had mastered the art of tank warfare. Both of them had a kind of second sight in regard to this type of warfare. 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." Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt stated simply of Patton, "He is your best."

[@Bullet-Tooth-Tony-]

@@nickdanger3802 What Von Runstedt actually said was this. Quote *Von Rundstedt: “Patton and Montgomery were the two best that I met. Field Marshall Montgomery was very systematic. That is also right if you have sufficient forces and sufficient time.” Blumentritt made a similar comment. After paying tribute to the speed of Patton's drive, he added "Field Marshall Montgomery never suffered a reverse. He moved like this." - Blumentritt took a series of very deliberate and short steps, putting his foot down heavily each time."* The German General's Talk, BH Liddell-Hart

[@josephosheavideos3992]

I don't believe this weekend is particularly special in Great Britain, but here in the US, it is Memorial Day weekend, with the holiday itself commemorated on Monday. The part of your video where Gen. Patton pays tribute to the 40,000 US soldiers who had died in France in the four months of fighting since D-Day is especially touching - and appropriate on Memorial Day. Memorial Day in the United States has its origins in the aftermath of our Civil War. One year after the Confederates surrendered in 1865, Union soldiers under Gen John Logan observed Southern widows laying wreaths at the graves of their husbands who had died in the fighting. This act impressed Logan. In 1868, in command of the Grand Army of the Republic (a veterans' organization), he ordered all Union soldiers to decorate the graves of their fallen comrades. Thus began Memorial Day in the United States. Since 1868, its significance has grown to include commemorating all our country's war dead. Until 1970, Memorial Day was always observed on May 30; since then, the holiday has been commemorated on the last Monday in May. Blessed Memorial Day to you Dr. Felton - and to all Britain's warriors who served, and died, with our warriors to make the world safe for democracy.

[@johndawes9337]

in the UK we have November 11th. when i was a kid the whole country would come to a standstill at the 11th day at the 11th hour 11th November for a few minutes. sadly now days they just squeeze it into the nearest Sunday.

[@josephosheavideos3992]

@@johndawes9337 November 11 is a holiday in the US as well, Veterans' Day. Originally, it was called Armistice Day to honor the "doughboys" who had served in recently ended Great War (WWI). After WWII, Congress renamed this holiday Veterans' Day to honor all servicemen and women.

[@MrNick-og4qm]

“We fought the wrong enemy” -General Patton after the fall of Berlin, and after seeing the communists Hitler was telling us about.

[@gregmiller9710]

it is a good Friday when Dr. Felton has a upload for us! :)

[@waltie1able]

Yes, we give Patton all due credit for what he was, but what would have happened if 67% of the German armies were not on the Eastern Front fighting the GD Russians.

[@brandonmoreland4392]

Hitlers fault...100%

[@gkindustrialmachine1]

Good mornig.... like watching this stuff in the morning while drinking my coffee

[@CaptainGyro]

Me too.

[@maloueddy4499]

I have family in Metz but never heard about this story, so thank you again Dr Felton! Just a little mistake: only the Mosel « département » (district) was annexed by Germany between 1871-1918 and 1940-1944, it was not the whole Lorraine region (consisting of 4 « départements » in total)

[@360Nomad]

>try to kill Patton with a train >gets killed by a car while waiting for a train instead

[@yesyesyesyes1600]

Austrians would say - that is for not pronouncing Austrian cities correctly 😁 Greetings from an Austrian in Austria.

[@longiusaescius2537]

friendly fire was on

[@longiusaescius2537]

@yesyesyesyes1600 fancy bavaria

[@lancerevell5979]

George Patton is the kind of general you really need and want during wartime, but who become an embarrassment to the staunch political order in peacetime. Dr. Mark, it would be fascinating to see a video documenting the events surrounding Lt. Commander Marcus Aurelius Arnheiter, captain of the USS Vance DER-387, during the Vietnam War. "Mad Marcus" was a..... character, for sure. 😅 His nephew was my shipmate and friend on my Navy ship in the early 1980s.