Would you have served with George S. Patton?

My Uncle's AT(Anti-Tank) UNIT consisted of four guns attached to the regimental HQ and deployed to support infantry. Their 57mm
towed AT guns were overrun by counter attacking Panthers and supporting German infantry. The range a 57mm could penetrate a panther's frontal armor was very, very close. They did disable two and kill three panthers with Flanking shots but others rolled right over their position. The Nazis raked what was left of them with MG and small arms fire. I guess they were in no mood to take prisoners.

The two survivors must have been left for dead.

Hope this explains the situation lwd.

 

It explains it with regards to the size of the unit and what happened to it. It would be interesting to know just how this action fit into the bigger picture of the battle.

 

What I wrote is about all I know of the Uncle Jimmy's war. FWIW, it certainly seems to me, that he and his buddies did their duty.
Good enough epitaph for any member of the US Militray.

 

If I had the muscles I would loved to have served with him, he was one of my childhood heroes. But sadly, being the skinny intellectual type, I doubt I'd be considered the "prime" infantryman.

 

Do you have any more information on what unit it was (regiment, divisioin, etc)? That might allow us to put it in a better perspective.

I certainly agree. The question is how this relates to Patton as a commander? Without the context of the bigger picture we can't really make much of evaluation one way or another.

 

I wouldn't like to be a private in his army.

 

Sure you would. Draftees, especially in mid-1944 came in all shapes, sizes and intellects. Especially for the infantry. Warm bodies were needed in a bad way so you'd be scooped up and possibly be assigned to the I & R squad. Either that or be an ammo bearer for the LMG team.

 

I might have too if I wasn't allowed in the AAC but I've heard that even though his troops deeply respected him, he had a horrible temperament

 

My dad was in the Third Army and told me the men loved him.
He also said he had a high squeaky voice and that, "George C. Scott was more Patton than Patton was."

While I'm rambling, dad hated the scene in the movie where he shot the mules (or maybe donkeys?) on the bridge. He said all those men could easly have moved them out of the way.

 

Our guts, his glory I believe was the old saying of the men.

 

Sure. My father served with him, that's good enough for me.....

Might not have cared to actually serve under Patton, but I'm sure there were many others I would have liked or disliked just as much, but at least with Patton I would have liked the company.

 

Not as a frontline officer/trooper in any armored or infantry unit. But as a staff officer or general sure....He saw potential of mobile warfare and men who drive like that more than anyone.

 

My dad served in the 5th Infantry Division of the 3rd Army.....he had very mixed feelings about Patton. He told my brother once that Patton would destroy an army if it got him a newspaper headline. But then dad also talked with pride about his service in the 3rd Army....and at times defended Patton....so like I said he had mixed feelings.

 

I'm thinking of a Bill Mauldin cartoon where there was a list of fines, for things like "windshield up" and "no shave" and Willy tells the MP "We'll be late on account of a thousand mile detour." That would be me. I'm not very GI, I let my beard go at work and such things. So maybe not.