On 15 April 1943 Patton was replaced as corps commander by Bradley, so that he could return to planning the American element of the invasion of Sicily. Under his firm guidance the corps soon became an excellent unit, and took part in the advance into Tunisia. On 6 March 1943 Patton was given command of the corps, with orders to improve its performance. Once the brief period of fighting in Morocco was over, Patton was left without an active command, until Fredendall’s II Corps suffered an embarrassing defeat at Rommel’s hands at the battle of Kasserine Pass in February 1943. He commanded the Western Task Force during Operation Torch, landing in Morocco on 8 November 1942. Patton was then appointed to the planning staff for Operation Torch, because he had previous knowledge of amphibious warfare. This then became the basis for the Desert Training Centre at Indio, California. In January 1942, after the US entry into the Second World War, Patton was given command of the 1st Armoured Corps. His new command performed well in the 1941 manoeuvres, although did trigger some controversy after carrying out a 400 mile night dash over country roads. He was promoted to two-star rank on 4 April 1941. He was soon promoted to major-general (1 October 1940) and given command of the division (January 1941), which became known as the ‘Hell on Wheel’s’ division. In July 1940 Marshall gave him command of a brigade in the new 2nd Armoured Division. Patton personally commanded some of the troops involved in the controversial move. In 1932 he was on MacArthur’s staff during the ‘Bonus Army crisis’, when the army was ordered to clear out veterans who were demanding the early payment of a bonus they had been granted for service in the war, but that wasn’t due to be paid until 1945. He served at the tank centre at Camp Meade, where he became a close friend of Eisenhower. He led the 304th Tank Brigade in the US Army’s tank brigade, and was wounded during the Meuse-Argonne campaign.ĭuring the inter-war years Patton served in a mix of command and staff posts. Patton led his new unit in combat where he was wounded, and won the DSC. Patton went to France in 1917, where Pershing assigned him to organise the new Tank Corps. During the expedition he served as an unofficial ADC to General Pershing and fought at the front, killing two of Villa’s men in what he claimed was the first motorized attack in history (rather ignoring the early stages of the fighting in 1914 where armoured cars were used). He took part in the ‘Punitive Expedition’ into Mexico in 1916, an attempt to capture Pancho Villa after his raid into New Mexico. In that role he helped design the Model 13 Cavalry Sabre, the last sword issued to the US Cavalry. He became the Master of the Sword at the Mounted Service School at Fort Riley (not the same post as the more famous Master of the Sword at West Point). Patton took part in the Modern Pentathlon at the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, where he came fifth. In 1910 he married Beatrice Ayer, who came from a similar background to Patton. After leaving the academy he was commissioned in the US Cavalry. He graduated in 1909, coming forty-sixth in his class. He attended the Virginia Military Institute for one year and West Point, graduating in 1909 (although not without some drama – he had to retake his first year, so entered West Point twice – the first time in June 1904, the second time in September 1905. Patton was born into a military family that included seven Confederate generals. General George Patton (1885-1945) was one of the most controversial, and most able, American generals of the Second World War, and played a major role in the breakout from Normandy and the defeat of the German Ardennes offensive, despite the occasion outburst that on occasion almost cost him his career.
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