Patton
PattonWhen people thing of World War II many things come to mind: Gas Chambers, Nazis, "Japs", and General George S. Patton. George S. Patton is one of the most controversial issues of World War II. People have called him a great and heroic man, while others called him a pre-madonna. No matter which view you have of Patton one thing is true, Patton played a significant part in the Second World War.
George Patton was a descendent of a wealthy Virginia family. [Patton R.] Patton was born in 1885, in San Gabriel, California. In 1909, He graduated from West Point. It was afterwards that he started his career in the military. In 1916, He was an aide to General. Pershing during the punitive expedition to Mexico. [Biography] In 1917, Pershing and Patton travel to France where they learned how to use the newest weapon of war, the tank. [Biography] This would play a major significance in the up coming war.
The American's first battle with Rommel, the desert fox, was a disaster. The American forces needed a leader who could whip the troops into a fighting machine. That man was Patton. Patton took control of the Second Armored Division, in January 1942. [Biography] When he learned, that Rommel's forces were going to ambush his troops, through an intercepted message, Patton staged his own ambush. This was the first American victory in Northern Africa. The Allied forces, Gen. Montgomery, and Gen. Patton, had divided and destroyed the German North African Core. Patton recommended a plan used by the Ancient Greeks for the invasion of Italy.
Patton wanted to lead the attack on Sicily. This plan was rejected. Montgomery would lead the invasion on Sicily. The goal was to capture Messina Patton, In charge of the seventh Army, and Omar Bradley in charge of the second Armored Division would cover Montgomery's flank. Montgomery ended up taking Patton's road due to resistance. This allowed Patton to capture Palermo. After Patton captured Palermo, he received a message telling him not to take Palermo. [Bluemenson] Patton Respond, "Ask them if I should give it back" [Bluemenson] Patton now was run a race to see who would take Messina first, Patton or Monty. Along the way, Patton almost ends his career. He slapped a solider with "battle fatigue". [Biography] He informed the solider that he would not have a yellow belly discresasing his tent of honor. Patton was forced to apologize to the solider he slapped, the doctors involved, and to the...
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