The Legacy and Leadership of General George S. Patton |
Advance Into Germany |
"Attack rapidly, ruthlessly, viciously, without rest, however tired and hungry you may be, the enemy will be more tired, more hungry. Keep punching." |
Advance Into Germany
With the bulge of the Ardennes Offensive flattened, General Patton set out towards the Rhine River. Once there, Patton hoped to quickly cross and take the fight into German territory. However, that task would not go to Patton, but instead to British General Montgomery's 21st Army. Patton's role would instead be purely defensive. This role did not suite Patton well at all, so he threatened to resign unless a more suitable role was given. General Eisenhower answered by allowing Patton to take a more aggressive approach. Patton then led his Third Army into Eifel in order to capture the main city of the region, Trier. To do so, he had to through dense forests, rugged terrain, and cross three rivers: the Moselle, Our, and Saur. Despite fierce resistance by it's defenders, Trier fell on March 1, and the Third Army continued on towards the Rhine River. On March 7, 1945, the 9th Armored Division of the 6th Army captured a bridge that crossed the Rhine at Remagen, and proceeded across to establish a bridgehead. Patton's Third Army reached the Rhine at Coblenz on the same day, but could not cross as all bridges were destroyed in the area. Army engineers quickly built up a bridge and on the night of March 22, a division from the Third Army crossed the Rhine. The next day, Patton triumphantly urinated in the Rhine River. Although Patton had wanted to be the first to cross the Rhine, he was satisfied that he crossed the Rhine a day before Montgomery was able to. Since January 29, Patton and his Third Army captured over 3,000 cities, towns, and villages such as Trier, Coblenz, Bingen, Worms, Mainz, Kaiserslautern, and Ludwigshafen. 6,400 square miles of territory were seized, and 140,000 enemy soldiers were taken prisoner. A further 100,000 were killed or wounded and the German 1st and 7th Armies were obliterated.
As Patton stormed through the minimal resistance given by the Germans, he recieved information that a prisoner of war camp in Hammelburg contained his son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel John Waters, who was captured in Tunisia earlier on during the war. He immediately discussed and hatched out a rescue mission to free Waters and the 5,000 other prisoners of war at the camp. Patton sent 306 men in half-tracks and 16 tanks under the command of Captain Abraham Baum to liberate the prisoners. The rescue force fought their way into Hammelburg, where the prisoner of war camp commandant surrendered. The commandant sent out a surrender party of four men, including Waters. However, a German guard fired upon the party, wounding Waters seriously. Baum immediately loaded up as many prisoners as he could onto his vehicles and sped off back to the main force, only to be ambushed by a larger German force along the way. Baum had no other choice but to surrender, and the entire force plus freed prisoners were sent back to the very camp the rescue force had liberated only moments earlier. The camp was liberated once again by the 14th Armored Division on April 5th. When reports about the failed raid reached Allied headquarters, General Eisenhower was enraged. Patton himself felt that he made a foolish mistake.
Patton continued on through southern Germany, where German resistance was minimal. 400,000 prisoners of war were captured in early April, and exceeded over a million prisoners by late April. The Third Army had captured more soldiers than any other Allied Army. During that month of April, Patton came face to face with the grim reality of the Nazi war crimes. Patton visited several concentration camps, such as Ohrduf and Buchenwald, where he was sickened by the sight. With an open route in front of him, Patton prepared to take on Berlin only to find out that the honor of capturing Berlin would fall in the hands of the Soviet Red Army. Patton would instead be sent towards Bavaria and Czechoslovakia, where the German final stand was expected to take place. On April 12, Patton received the news that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had died and that Harry S. Truman would take Roosevelt's place. This unexpected death complicated matters all across the battlefront. Two days later, Patton was promoted as a full general, earning his fourth star. Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30 as Soviet forces quickly approached the German command center. Defeat was imminent for the German Third Reich. On May 5, Patton reached Pilsen, Czechoslovakia where he was ordered by Eisenhower to remain, despite that Patton wished to capture the capital city, Prague, as a last prize for the Third Army. Guns across Europe went silent on May 8, 1945 when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies. The Third Army had been in combat for 281 days and captured 82,000 square miles of land, 1,500 cities and towns, and 956,000 enemy soldiers in battle as well as an killing or wounding an additional 500,000. General George Patton had become one of the most respected generals in the world, and a legend to all.
Patton continued on through southern Germany, where German resistance was minimal. 400,000 prisoners of war were captured in early April, and exceeded over a million prisoners by late April. The Third Army had captured more soldiers than any other Allied Army. During that month of April, Patton came face to face with the grim reality of the Nazi war crimes. Patton visited several concentration camps, such as Ohrduf and Buchenwald, where he was sickened by the sight. With an open route in front of him, Patton prepared to take on Berlin only to find out that the honor of capturing Berlin would fall in the hands of the Soviet Red Army. Patton would instead be sent towards Bavaria and Czechoslovakia, where the German final stand was expected to take place. On April 12, Patton received the news that President Franklin D. Roosevelt had died and that Harry S. Truman would take Roosevelt's place. This unexpected death complicated matters all across the battlefront. Two days later, Patton was promoted as a full general, earning his fourth star. Adolf Hitler committed suicide on April 30 as Soviet forces quickly approached the German command center. Defeat was imminent for the German Third Reich. On May 5, Patton reached Pilsen, Czechoslovakia where he was ordered by Eisenhower to remain, despite that Patton wished to capture the capital city, Prague, as a last prize for the Third Army. Guns across Europe went silent on May 8, 1945 when Germany unconditionally surrendered to the Allies. The Third Army had been in combat for 281 days and captured 82,000 square miles of land, 1,500 cities and towns, and 956,000 enemy soldiers in battle as well as an killing or wounding an additional 500,000. General George Patton had become one of the most respected generals in the world, and a legend to all.
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