More quotes from "An Army At Dawn" about Patton.
First a description of Patton's action when his favorite aide, Captain Richard Jenson was killed at El Guettar, Tunisia.
Patton stood on the portico of the Gafsa gendarmerie as Jenson's body arrived in the rear seat of a jeep. He drove immediately to the town cemetery, where 20 other dead boys lay wrapped in a mattress covers awaiting burial. New crosses and Stars of David were stacked in a nearby tent. Tears coursing down his cheeks, Patton uncovered Jenson's face, kissed him on the forehead, and snipped a lock of hair, which he save for the dead man's mother. After kneeling to pray, Patton rose and without a word drove back to his office.
Now a few more of General Patton's quotes recorded by those who served with him or his diary.
General Ward commanded the 1st Armored Division and the 1AD could not force a break through the German lines(remember this was only a few weeks after the defeat at Kasserine."
"Get me General Ward" Patton yelled into the phone.
When Ward called, Patton asked "Pink, you got that hill yet?" He listened for about 1 minuted and then replied: "I don't want any g--d---- excuses. I want you to get out there and get that hill. YOu lead the attack personally. Don't come back 'til you've got it" and slammed down the phone.
Privately, Patton commented, "Now my conscience hurts me for fear I have ordered him to his death".
After the attack byt 1AD, General Ward received a slight shrapnel wound across his eye. He returned to Gen Patton's tent with blood all over him---Patton and Bradley were shocked to see him this way. Patton wrote his wife: "I think I have made a man of Ward."
When I saw the scene in the movie "Patton" where the Germans tanks and infantry advanced along the desert in neat rows while the Americans fired at the from the ridege, I scoffed at that scene. No way they would advance in broad daylight across a flat field like that. But it did happen that way.
The Americans had known that German 10 Panzer Division planned to attack at Keddab Ridge and Hill 336. General Roosevelt took position on Hill 336 with the 18 Infantry Regiment and was amazed that he could see the entire Amercian front line from one end to the other. They expected the Germans would cancel their operation and Patton was ordered to advance. But he didn't have to, as the Germans carried out their orders. Roosevelt described the terrain in front of Hill 336 as "brutally open, offering little cover other than tuft grass and a few olive trees". After the first assault was repulsed, General Patton joined Gen Roosevelt.
Patton exclaimed: "I want to fight the champ. If you lose, you've lost to the champ and it's no disgrace. If you win, you're the new champ." The second assault began. One described it as "The men walked upright, moved slowly, and made no attempt at concealment or maneuver. We cut them down at 1500 yards. It was like mowing hay." As the ranks began to break up and take cover, the artillery used timed fuses with devasting effect against the reverse sloops. "The battalion broke from cover and started to run for another wadi in the rear, but our artillery crucified them".
Patton's comment: "My God, it seems a crime to murder good infanty like that."
Then there was the scene in the movie where Patton jumped out of a window and fired his pistol at a German bomber. The real story behind that was that the Americans complained about lack of air support, which was under the command of British(New Zealand) General Coningham. Gen Coningham said the Luftwaffe did not have control of the skies and while trying to defend his air forces, he insulted Patton. Gen Coningham attempted an apology. A meeting was called at Patton's HQ to discuss air support with the two top commanders of the Mediterranean Air Force. In the middle of the meeting a lone Messerschmidt made a low-level strafing run. On his second pass he dropped a few bombs and a piece of shrapnel knocked a piece of chunk out of the wall and it landed on the floor next to the Air Force generals who were cowering under the desk. Patton ran outside and fired his pistol at the departing fighter-bomber.
The Air Force generals remarked, "Who arranged that welcoming for us?" At which Gen Patton said: "I don't know, but if I knew who that sonofa was, I would give him a medal.
So that part of the movie was accurate; except Patton may not have jumped out of the window.
Steve
(I could not finish my quotes as I had an emergency last night. My commode tank blew up.)