Poll: Patton- hero or bully

The most over-rated general of all. In reality he was inept. If you strip away the Hollywood gloss, he was a pretty awful military leader.

He led his armoured column into the empty French Country side, areas devoid of all enemy, when he and his men were sorely needed to help close the neck of the bag at Falaise. (Where I served) He was requested to help by his American commander, but refused! even then, while chasing no one, he managed to run out of fuel, and was grounded.

Back at Falaise, the Poles Canadians and the British had their hands full trying desperately to stem the tide of desperate German units fleeing for their very lives.
Sapper

 

hey guys a little off topic where can i get these icons???

 

I believe many of them are smuggled out of the former USSR by unscrupulous antique dealers. Maybe you could use your influence....?

 

haha i mean the icons on ur top left corner withthe medals hanging down. where can i get these?

 

You need 100 posts to get hold of one.

 

Thanks Richard

 

Hello Gentleman, I would like to share the fact that I have recently met a tank mechanic and driver for the general who In World War II,led the Third Army's sweep across France and into Germany...."General Patton", now that doesnt happen every day!

 

Hello Frank and welcome!


Got anything to tell us about what the gentlemen you met told you perhaps?!

 

Back to the Patton question, he was a hero. I know he was hard on our troops but sometimes you have to be a little rough to get the job done.

 

Patton was a prima donna like Monty. He was a self centered bully, but he was a genius at power projection tactics. In a good army, you need a balance of Pattons, Bradleys, and Eisenhowers to control them. Patton would never make it past where he was as a general, but he understood tank tactics and when to push.

 

like jaeger has pointed out i would not say that monty was inflexibale, at mareth General Tucker went to see him and asked for 4th Indian to attack at night rather than the army group at dawn, Monty went for the idea and alot of the defences at Mareth were taken by 4th Indian before the main assault had even began, however he was a cautious man Knowing how hard it was for the british to replace men lost he did take caution a mind set i dont think the americans had as there are a damn site more bodies to be had at 'over there'. Patton to me is over rated but all that matters in the end is he got the job done. now if you want an inept overblown over rated american general you cant go much worse that old marky clark.

 

Or Ike, Or Dugout Doug.

Monty wasnt a Patton, though his Blitz across NE France & Belgium would be the equal of the 3rd Army, except the German defenders were thicker on the ground and he had to cross a much wider Seine