OlafHelmsborg Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 Sadly I only very generally know of Patton, what do you guys consider his best achievements? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HeyYou Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 N. Africa Campaign in WWII. Didn't do so bad in Europe once he finished up in Africa either. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlafHelmsborg Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 Was it Patton who thought he was a reincarnation of Hannibal? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carah Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 I like Erwin Rommel. Not a general but worthy of an honorable mention is Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MalachiDelacot Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 Erwin Rommel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MajKrAzAm Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 When people talk of Patton, they are describing a myth. Patton was an aggressive panzer-general, but this does not equate to brilliance. In every campaign Patton took part in, the Germans were outnumbered, outgunned, and in the process of retreating. Here is the story of the Patton’s WW2 Europe campaign in a nutshell: Acute German shortages on the one hand, and on the other and tremendous Allied resources which could provide an overwhelming level of firepower and a unending stream of replacements that could compensate for the grossest tactical failures. Add skilled public relations and a press hungry for heroes, and you had the circumstance so favourable that even an average panzer-general like Patton could seem like one of history’s greatest commanders. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harbringe Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 When people talk of Patton, they are describing a myth. Patton was an aggressive panzer-general, but this does not equate to brilliance. In every campaign Patton took part in, the Germans were outnumbered, outgunned, and in the process of retreating. Here is the story of the Patton’s WW2 Europe campaign in a nutshell: Acute German shortages on the one hand, and on the other and tremendous Allied resources which could provide an overwhelming level of firepower and a unending stream of replacements that could compensate for the grossest tactical failures. Add skilled public relations and a press hungry for heroes, and you had the circumstance so favourable that even an average panzer-general like Patton could seem like one of history’s greatest commanders. Agreed . Have read quite a number of accounts from German Commanders who had fought on both the Eastern and Western Fronts .Against the Russians they would describe a situation where the Russians would launch an offensive and if you managed to halt it there would be a space of time where you would get to rearm and re supply and more importantly where your troops would get to sleep . While against the Allies and particularly the Americans it was like a never ending onslaught where German soldiers would be low on everything and have to fight for 2 - 3 days without sleep . Makes for a very haggard army. Rommel is a great general because despite being generally out manned , out gunned and out supplied managed to march all the way to Egypt before he lost (El Alamein , low supplies , lack of room to maneuver) , then manged to retreat 2000 miles roughly , thwarting every attempt of the superior British forces at over running and destroying him. Honestly we are lucky he was not there at D Day because he was the type of Commander that would have not hesitated to grab the armored divisions at Calais and thrown them into the battle at Normandy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OlafHelmsborg Posted May 3, 2014 Author Share Posted May 3, 2014 I'm not sure who said it, but apparently you can only tell a really great general by seeing his generalship in retreat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aurielius Posted May 3, 2014 Share Posted May 3, 2014 I'm not sure who said it, but apparently you can only tell a really great general by seeing his generalship in retreat."A good retreat is better than a bad stand"- Irish proverb Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kvnchrist Posted May 4, 2014 Share Posted May 4, 2014 Well, if we are going to post quotes about militry affairs, I've got one. The greatest general is the one who wins without fighting - Sun Tzu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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