Patton's Third Army Activated August 1, 1944

79th Division Website ^ | John J. Pellino

[WhiskeyPapa]

PATTON'S THIRD ARMY

Pre-Operational Phase In Normandy

When the Third Army Headquarters landed on French soil, the first thing done was to insure absolute security. In accordance with the plan Overlord, the presence of the Third Army was to be kept secret as long as possible. The idea was to keep the German High Command guessing as to the where- about's  of General Patton.

During the first days in the  Allied invasion, the XIX Tactical Air Command, whose primary job was aerial support for the Third Army, established its own headquarters adjacent to the army headquarters. Their detailed planning then started with high hopes for quick destruction of the Germans.

The G-2 Section of the Third Army made an in-depth report on enemy capabilities. It was the immediate concern of Third Army Headquarters to receive and prepare their arriving troops, who were coming in via control pints established at the Utah and Omaha beachheads. During the month of June, over five hundred units of the Third Army were moving over the small roads of the peninsula.

With these troops arriving daily, Patton was in a hurry to get going. He was fearful that the war might be over before the could get into the battle, dice battle reports had indicated that First Army alone had, by July 7, taken 46,219 prisoners of war (POWs) and killed 4739 of the enemy.

On July 22, General Bradley issued a directive from Twelfth Army Group indicating that the Third could become operational by  July 24. Operational Cobra, Bradley's slightly changed version of Patton's breakout plan, was originally to start at 1300 hours on July 24,  with VIII Corps to join in at o5030 hours on July 25. In each case, the D-Day and H-Hours were advanced a full twenty-four hours due to bad flying weather, which prevented the scheduled aerial Bombardment.

Finally, champing at the bit, Patton was given verbal orders on July 28 that he would, indeed, assume operation control of the Third Army. As Acting Deputy Commander, Patton hit the enemy  with the VII Corps, quickly followed by the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions. Bring up the rear were the 8th and 79th  Infantry Divisions. The lightning quick blow thoroughly upset and hurt the Germans. They began a rapid retreat which would become the normal course of events for the next nine months.

The Forward Echelon of Third Army Headquarters, named Lucky Forward by General Patton, made their first of many moves to a position five miles west of Coutances.

Patton Third Army became operational

August, 1944

The Third Army became operational at 1200 hours on August 1, 1944, a warm, clear day. It was perfect weather for the type of mobile war that General Patton loved to wage.

Under Patton's command were the VIII Corps, commanded by Troy H. Middleton, the XII Corps, commanded by Gilbert R. Cook, the XV Corps, commanded by Wade H. Haislip, and the XX Corps, commanded by Walton H. Walker, one of Patton's favorites. Patton once said of Walker that  'He will apparently fight anytime, anywhere,and with anything that I will give to him.' That was the type of commander Patton liked.

 At the same time and day, the XIX Tactical Air Command became operational  under the command of General O.P Weyland.

the operations of August would develop into five distinct phases:

1. The conquest of Brittany.
2. Encirclement of the Seventh German Army at Argentan-Falaise.
3. The rapid advance to the Seine River, including the envelopment of enemy forces from Mantes Gassicourt to Elbeuf.
4. The enemy evacuation of southwestern France.
5. The chasing of the Germans across the Marne, Aisne, and Meuse Rivers.

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[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the post WhiskeyPapa.

I've wondered how things might have been different if Patton hadn't been reined in or if he was in charge of Market-Garden.

[bedolido]

Bradley was to cautious. You're correct in your assessment. Patton instinctively knew where to attack and how. That attribute has only been found a few times in war. The recent successful attack by the 3rd army in Iraq used Patton as a guide. Hit'um where they ain't.

[SAMWolf]

My recruiter promised me I could be a tanker. Lying SOB.

We must have talked to the same recruiter.

[bedolido]

I've wondered how things might have been different if Patton hadn't been reined in or if he was in charge of Market-Garden.

Patton wouldn't have been so dumb. Montgomery had brave men around him and was lucky at El Alamein, the proof of his bafoonery was his convoluted Market-Garden plan.

[You Dirty Rats]

My favorite portrayal of Patton wasn't in the movie Patton, but in the generally horrible "sequel". In that movie, Patton came across a German POW camp where the men and officers were trudging around, heads down, beaten and depressed. Patton called out the senior officer and castigated him for allowing his command to be in that state.

Later in the movie, Patton comes by again. The Germans are lined up in formation, neater, well-disciplined. The German commander snaps a salute at Patton, his face proud and respectful. Patton salutes back, and says under his breath:

"With these men ... and my Third Army ... I'll kick those Russians sons-of-bitches back to Moscow!"

He WAS a son-of-a-bitch, but he was OUR son-of-a-bitch!

[breakem]

My father said he and two others in his squad crossed the river into Berlin and were ordered over the radio to come back to the east bank, because they had to wait for the Russians to enter Berlin.

He told this to my son and I have a hard time getting him to open up, but some day soon.

[SAMWolf]

[colorado tanker]

Walt, being young and foolish and heavily influenced by MASH, I tried to get into Medical Service Corps or M.I. The Exec at our ROTC detachment told me I was getting Armor because I was a history major, a connection I never quite got. Maybe the idea was since Patton was a history buff all tankers should be history buffs.

Later, I found out Armor was the place to be. There's nothing quite like cruising with a lotta tons of steel wrapped around you. (Well, driving a jet fighter would be cool too, but my eyesight nixed that idea.)

[wtc911]

They were likely in different units since at the time Berlin fell my uncle was way south in the Sudetenland, in or near Czechoslovakia. He's the one of the three still living. They have an official "day" in his honor every year in his town. He never talked much either. What I know about his activities I heard from my dad and what I know about my dad's I heard from my uncle after dad was gone. The three brothers came home to Queens after the war and moved back into the same room they shared in 1941. The next year or so the house was full of nightly dreams about burning planes, dead and dying friends....you know. I learned this from another uncle who was just a kid then but remembers it well.

[Fiddlstix]

BUMP

[Mat_Helm]

Unfortunately, I think the Russians would've kicked our butts (we were close to having the bomb by then). We would've needed more than what we had there to beat the Russians. They were manufacturing tanks by the dozens by then in eastern Russia.

I don't think so. Airpower alone would have dessimated the Russians. There were enough P-47's operating from German airstrips to obliterate every Russian tank all the way back to Siberia. 8'th Airforce now had dozzens more bomber groups and on any given day 10,000 planes with escorts could take out those Russian factories. There Yak fighters were no match for Mustangs and Spitfires at altitude and we would have had air superiority. There were more than enough divisions and material staged or in the pipeline to take care of Russia easily but there was no political will to do so because we wanted to finish off the Japanese and not lose anymore lives in Europe. The Russians new this is well and this is why they did not press their hand or attempt to occupy any of western Europe which was in chaos at the time. Truman waited to long to stop Russia's grip on eastern Europe from taking hold as Churchill had earlier warned Roosevelt at the Malta conference concerning postwar Europe.

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for the ping SAM and the post Walt!

[Conservababe]

Oh my word, I am so happy you posted this speech.

I cried.

Then I had this thought that Rummy sounds a lot like Patton.

[Trajan88]

Speaking of the General, I helped build Stack (Bonfire for those that are uninformed) to the Patton motion picture soundtrack... it will motivate you at 1:00 am!

Hey Dr. Gates... here's my $0.02... get a safe Bonfire up and running and put it back where it belongs...Duncan Field.

Trajan88; TAMU Class of '88; Law Hall (may it R.I.P.) Ramp 9 Mule; f.u.p.

[Blessed]

The leader of the Ploesti raid got lost and took a wrong turn, didn't he? ;-). He still got the MOH. I saw where General Leon Johnson passed away recently at the age of 94.

My dad was in Gen. Johnson's group.They hit their target but had heavy AAA because the group that got lost hit their target first. Johnson got the Medal for going in anyway.If you have seen the picture associated with this raid that shows a B24 coming ot of the smoke with two smokestacks in the background, my dad always believed that was his plane.They made it away from target but had to jump and spent 18 months in a Rumanion POW camp.

[steppenwolffe]

My father was in Patton's third army. At the end of the war, dad was riding in a jeep. They passed some women and dad stood up like he was reaching out to hug the women. He fell out of the jeep and broke his wrist. Made it through the war with no injuries and then, that.

[SunkenCiv]

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[rvoitier]

"To recognise their bravery, 89 decorations were awarded to members of the raiding party, including five Victoria Crosses."

Called, "The Greatest Raid of All."

BBC video 58:37