WW2 divas: Patton vs. Clare Booth Luce

Posted By Thomas E. Ricks Friday, June 18, 2010 - 10:44 AM Share

Patton's diary, Dec. 6, 1944:

Congresswoman Luce made a very unfavorable impression on me and, I think, on everyone else. The whole crowd [of members of Congress] seemed to be below average and was looking for trouble. We had them in for lunch, gave them nothing to drink, and only fed them [GI] issue food, as they were the type who would go home and say we ate too well."

U.S. Library of Congress

EXPLORE:GENERAL PATTON, FUN STUFF, HISTORY

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JSINAIKO

4:22 AM ET

June 19, 2010

I can't believe...

that I find myself agreeing with Georgie.

JPWREL

2:27 PM ET

June 19, 2010

OK I’ll bite; there is

OK I’ll bite; there is something about Patton that I liked. During the breakout from Normandy (Operation Cobra) in the end of July 1944, Omar Bradley one of the slowest learners and least operationally astute senior commanders in World War 2 made a blunder that Patton recognized but was powerless to correct. Rather than exploiting the ‘Cobra’ breakthrough eastward across the German lines of communications Bradley stuck to the pre-invasion plan of attacking westward into Brittany. The commander of the US 4th Armored John Wood strongly objected to the order to head west understanding that pre-invasion planning was outdated and circumstances had changed. Wood (highly competent and should have been running a Corps not a division but was resented by Bradley for his obvious operational skill in contrast to his own unimaginative plodding) realized an aggressive pursuit of the Germans east was now called for. On August 1st Patton arrived to take command of the new 3rd Army and after consulting with Wood agreed that Bradley was dead wrong and that US forces should dispense with Brittany and do a hard left turn and proceed east to encircle the retreating German forces. However, Patton’s relations with Bradley were so poor (Patton was resented because he always out shown Bradley compounded by foot-in-mouth disease) that he did not feel that he could challenge the 12th Army Group commander and was forced to waste precious time and fuel with a thrust to the west. Had the slow-witted Bradley grasped the operational implications of his poor plan as quickly as Wood and Patton had then it is likely that the encirclement at Falaise would have been complete.

TOM RICKS

3:35 PM ET

June 19, 2010

OK, here is a contest

Try to guess the person I am going to list as someone Patton really liked. Winner can have a signed copy of any one of my books.
Cheers,
Tom

CEOUNICOM

4:12 AM ET

June 20, 2010

re: contest

Rommel?

It couldnt be that easy...

How about Genghis Khan? :)

WHISKEYPAPA

9:36 AM ET

June 20, 2010

Gen. Freyberg

Seems like Patton evinced respect for the New Zealand general Bernard Freyberg in his diary. Not going to try and find it in the "Patton Papers" though.

Walt

WHISKEYPAPA

9:58 AM ET

June 20, 2010

More on Gen. Freyberg

Okay, I pulled out my copy of the "Patton Papers" which is the 1974 Houghton Mifflin edition.

In volume II, I find this reference to Gen. Freyberg on p. 171:

"...Who started life as a dentist in New Zealand, got the Victoria Cross at Gallipoli and in two wars was wounded 18 times - quite a man, rather fat but with a fine mouth."

On the same page, Devers reports to Marshall:

"The appearance of the camps [under Patton] and apparent discipline of the soldiers, particlarly with regard to saluting, was outstanding in comparison to other camps visited."

MED

6:18 PM ET

June 21, 2010

Thomas "stonewall" Jackson

He was a huge fan of the Civil War Battles, Virginia, and Stonewall.

LONESTAR28

7:10 PM ET

June 21, 2010

If I remember correctly from the movie...

He was a big Montgomery fan. They went together like peas and carrots.

WHISKEYPAPA

9:48 PM ET

June 21, 2010

Marshall's Black Book

Gen. Marshall supposedly had a little black book of promising officers. In the book were men like Eisenhower, Mark Clarke (whom Patton grew to detest), Bradley, Eichelberger, Patton of course, Robert S. Wood, Frank Andrews and others. Most of the ones Marshall picked did okay in the war.

Gen. Marshall once named chief of staff, ordered that no officer over the age of 54 would deploy outside CONUS. Otstanding exceptions were Patton and Walter Kreuger.

Walt

UITERWYP

10:27 PM ET

June 21, 2010

Contest

His dogs, Tank and Willie.

JPWREL

8:04 PM ET

June 19, 2010

Tom, at least give us a hint.

Tom, at least give us a hint. Political, civilian or military? I know he liked George Marshall and in fact felt indebted to him. He had a love/hate with Ike but mostly love.

TYRTAIOS

11:19 PM ET

June 19, 2010

My SWAG

My guess is General John J. Pershing, whose knee George S. Patton’s young son, and namesake, bounced on as a small boy?

CEOUNICOM

4:10 AM ET

June 20, 2010

Is there something wrong about being an SOB?

I dont really get the Patton critiques...

He was a world class bastard, to be sure. But thats not exactly a rare thing. If people these days had to answer for every invective laden blog post they ever made, Patton would probably come off smelling like roses.

'Nice' people may be overrated.

NR2BB

11:14 PM ET

June 20, 2010

Contest

John S. Mosby

WHISKEYPAPA

9:56 AM ET

June 21, 2010

Mosby

Mosby would be a good guess as Patton actually met him; seems like he was a house guest when Patton was young.

Patton also held the shell fragment that killed his grandfather in the Civil War.

Walt

SAINTSIMON

11:25 AM ET

June 21, 2010

George clearly understood

George clearly understood what truly mattered in a democracy and it certainly wasn't its feeble minded and less than honorable politicians.

JPWREL

1:57 PM ET

June 21, 2010

Oh please, this statement is

Oh please, this statement is ludicrous George Patton had the political sensibilities of sand crab.

WHISKEYPAPA

3:16 PM ET

June 21, 2010

Patton as Diplomat

No, Patton did quite well when thrown into the political waters in North Africa. That was also in the report Devers sent to Marshall that I referenced above.

Walt

MARKUS64

6:27 PM ET

July 15, 2010

The commander of the US 4th

The commander of the US 4th Armored John Wood strongly objected to the order to head west understanding that pre-invasion planning was outdated and circumstances had changed. sazeniWood (highly competent and should have been running a Corps not a division but was resented by Bradley for his obvious operational skill in contrast to his own unimaginative plodding) realized an aggressive pursuit of the Germans east was now called for. On August 1st Patton arrived to take command of the new 3rd Army and after consulting with Wood agreed that Bradley was dead wrong and that US forces should dispense with Brittany and do a hard left turn and proceed east to encircle the retreating German forces.