Replies

Where did this garbage come from. What is the Chieftians Website?

Looks like a place for kiddies to play study of war and buy video games.

My father was attached to Patch’s Army and the 3rd Army and was camped accross a lake from Patton’s headquarters. His impression of Patton was not from some history book he was there and saw him regulary. Near Bad Tolz Germany & Bad Wiessee Germany.

He to this day has nothing bad to say about the “bull” Patton. And nothing good to say about the arrogant “Monty”.

At 19 my father carried a M1 across parts of Europe. He was an armorer, worked on Quad 50’s and Bofors.

At 87 he is still a tough cookie. We talk daily about the insanity of the Commie B_tards who are taking over our nation. The fire is still in his belly and his eye.

I can assure you that he would straighten you out about what George Patton WAS.

Sorry, my fault - I probably should have explained the source of this article better. World of Tanks was a tank simulator game that came out several years ago, one with a surprising eye for historical accuracy and research. Their official forums eventually became one of the largest websites on the internet dealing with the history of armored warfare. Eventually regular columns dealing with the history of tanks and armor tactics were added to the main website by the owners.

This particular column is written by an Army officer who served in armor for 15-years, and who works at a tank museum. The "Chieftain's Hatch" contains a great deal of in-depth research on tanks and armored warfare in the first-half of the 20th century, especially on obscure topics. Making sense of naming conventions of American vehicles? Experimental light tank designs of the 1950s? Information on why the US Army stuck with inadequate 75mm guns on M4s far into the later part of the Second World War?All of that and more, often complete with original documents from government archives.

“My father was attached to Patch’s Army”

My 93 yr old father also served in Patch’s Army, in a AA battery assigned to the Corp HQ. Actually dad also served under Patton until Alexander Patch took command of the 7th. Patch was a very good general. Little known because he didn’t cultivate the press, and the 7th Army’s campaign didn’t involve Normandy.

Dad has told me that the men he served with preferred Patch. Patton could be petty, for example ordering medical personnel to wear steel pots when they were far from the front. All that this accomplished was to make their job of attending to the wounded more difficult.

A family friend of ours had been a young German POW. At the end of the war Patton selected him out of a POW camp to clean his riding boots and perform similar chores. He was actually treated quite well by Patton, other than the time that Patton found some dirt remaining in the wedge of a boot heel and threw the boot at him. “Dirty!” Patton yelled.

Years later dad served with one of Patton’s sons, a Colonel, in Vietnam. He says the son was one of the finest officers he served with in his career in the Army.