Patton was hoping to lead the Allied invasion of Normandy, but he instead was given command of the fictitious force that is supposed to invade Pas de Calais, France, as a distraction for the Normandy invasion (George S. Patton).Once the Normandy Invasion happened, Patton was given the command of the Third army and led them in the late stages of Operation Cobra (Jones, Taylor). Operation Cobra consisted of the Third army simultaneously attacking West, South, East toward Seine, and North (Jones, Taylor). Patton also took a play, out of the Germans own playbook, the blitzkrieg tactic, and exploited Germans weaknesses and dashed across Europe (Jones, Taylor). With Patton moving across Europe so rapidly his army literally ran out of gas, because the supply lines couldn’t keep up with him, and the army also ran out of fuel next to the Mossele River, outside of Metz, France (Jones, Taylor). From October to November, there is a full on battle between the Germans and the Third Army, with heavy losses on both sides (Jones, Taylor). Finally, the town of Metz fell on November 23, to the American...
The award-winning novel by Stephen Ambrose, Band of Brothers: Easy Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest, discusses one of the greatest examples of mission command in the form of 1st Lieutenant Richard Winters and his role in the Brecourt Manor Assault. This battle is a textbook example of how to fight against a superior enemy force that outnumbered the unit by four times as much. Facing overwhelming odds with just 16 paratroopers against over 60 German Soldiers, 1LT Winters nevertheless prevails and succeeds in achieving his objective while minimizing casualties to just three Soldiers lost. Looking back further into the American Revolution, the Battle of Bunker Hill on the American side is one of the earliest examples of Mission Command under the command of COL William Prescott.
In order to receive a victory in the Battle of the Bulge, General Patton used Mission Command Analysis in order to understand how he can be successful for this mission. The first thing of understanding t...
George Washington was selected Commander in Chief of the Continental Army because of his courage and bravery, his ability to motivate and command respect from his followers, and his strategic ability in battle. His reputation as a daring and successful leader inspired confidence and loyalty in his followers. If it weren't for George Washington, it would be a different America today.
In the summer of 1944, General George S. Patton and his 3rd Army successfully broke through heavy German Forces resistance from the Normandy invasion. German forces were in total disarray by the end of August 1944. Patton pleaded with his boss, General Omar Bradley, that if 3rd U.S. Army could be allocated as little as 400,000 gallons of fuel, he could be inside Germany in two days. Time was crucial before the inevitable reaction by the Germans to shore up their defense, preventing Patton from advancing. General Bradley refused Patton's request for more fuel; Unfortunately, General Patton advanced to Germany. Morale ran high throughout Patton’s Army, and there was no sign of heavy resistance before the German border. Consequently, by early September, the 3rd U.S Army had ground to a virtual halt along the flooded Moselle River. In places, Patton's tanks and vehicles ran out of fuel on the battlefield and their swift momentum outran their supply lines (Fugate, 1999). Lack of logistics allowed the German forces to take advantage of Patton’s Army and initiate one of the largest tank battles of World War II, the Battle of Arracourt.
The history books should be re-written as to include Major-General James Wolfe as one of the founding fathers of our country. During the Seven years War he served as part of the British military and was the commander-in-chief of the British, American, and Highlander forces at the Battle of Quebec. His plan of attack up the Anse du Foulon to the Plains of Abraham was not only incredibly daring, but highly effective as it was this decisive move that allowed Wolfe’s army to capture the city of Quebec. He caught the French forces completely off guard and was therefore able to even out the numbers to almost completely even fighting forces. The question that lies ahead of me in this paper is to answer a two part question to the best of my ability with the research I have done. How was James Wolfe able to lead the English forces, which were outnumbered 4 to 1, to victory? Was this victory at the Battle of Quebec truly a victory of a madman?
Ulysses S. Grant was an American general and 18th president of the United States. Grant was born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, on April 27, 1822, the son of Hannah Simpson and Jesse Grant, the owner of a tannery. Taken to nearby Georgetown at the age of one, he was educated in local and boarding schools. In 1839, under the name of Ulysses Simpson instead of his original Hiram Ulysses, he was appointed to West Point. Graduating 21st in a class of 39 in 1843, he was assigned to Jefferson Barracks, Missouri. There he met Julia Dent, a local planter's daughter, whom he married after the Mexican War.
Do you know who was the general for the Second Battle of Bull Run? Everyone knows what the Second Battle of Bull Run is, but who was the general? Some people even know that the north won that battle. Most people do not know that General George Meade defeated General Lee at that battle. General George Meade accomplished much during wartime.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces during World War II, was close to not achieving commander status. If this had happened, a different person would have taken control over Operations Torch, Avalanche, and Overlord. Eisenhower, in fact, was the key component in the victory for the Allies. Had he not been assigned by George Marshall to a planning officer in Washington D.C., President Harry Truman might not have saw Eisenhower’s potential. Eisenhower’s past 30 years of military experience, his strong mental and social stature, and his ideas and tactics were all key factors for his triumphant victory in World War II.
Have you ever heard of General George Patton Jr. who helped stopped the Nazis from taking over the world? He has an interesting childhood, college life, and a diverse military career.
It began to emerge the differences in tactics. The question was whether to continue so far the Supreme Allied Commander of the Allied Forces Europe, General Eisenhower’s tactics attacking on a broad front, or due to problems of supply to take just one mighty blow. In that period Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery developed a new operation plan, which would include the use of 1st Airborne Army (Lieutenant General Lewis H. Brereton), actually 1st Airborne Corps (Lieutenant General Frederick Browning). The Corps comprised of 82nd US Airborne Division (Brigadier General James M. Gavin), 101st US Airborne Division (Major General Maxwell D. Taylor), and 1st British Airborne Division (Major General Robert “Roy” E. Urquhart) supported with, under his command, 1st Polish Independent Parachute Brigade (Major General Stanislaw Sosabowski). These units should be dropped along the roa...
In 2003, Roy Blount Jr. published the book Robert E. Lee through the Penguin Group Inc. This book is different then other books published about Lee due to the fact that this book looks behind the man in uniform, and shows how Lee became the legend that we know today. Blount brings an element of humor that some would not expect to find when writing about Lee. Through this type of writing, Lee transforms into the everyday person who we all can relate to.
Robert E Lee is very quick and smart. He knows how to improve the quality of troops and to nullify the Union’s advantage. Lee is willing to make bold and risky moves, and does not let his defeats hinder his performance. General Lee has great relations with his soldiers, and uses his engineering experience to his advantage.
Robert E. Lee was the best General for the South, and out witted every Union General that was put against him. To Southerners, General Robert E. Lee is like a god figure to them. He inspired southerners even when the North dominated on the battle field, and is still praised by some radical believers in the confederate states. To the North, Robert E. Lee was a traitor to the United States and even lost his citizenship. Although he lost the war, Robert E. Lee is still a major face in history.
George Patton Jr. is the man who introduced modern military strategy to the world. George Patton came from family with military experience, his father, whom he was name after, and his grandfather were in the military. So it was only destined that Patton would also serve in the military. Patton was an American general who took part in both world wars. Although he was a part of the first war, he is more known for his victories in the Second World War. This war is where he brought forth the new strategy of war. This strategy includes fast-paced and aggressive attacking and using a strategy now coined the term Battle Command. This fast-paced and aggressive war is called blitzkrieg. Battle Command is “the art and science of understanding, visualizing, describing, directing, leading, and assessing forces to impose the commander’s will on a hostile, thinking, and adaptive enemy” (usacac.army.mil). This idea was not officially defined in the military until in the 1990’s. He used these two tactics together to make a very efficient and masterful way of war. George Patton is arguably one of the greatest generals America has ever experienced. His revolutionary military strategy changed the way war is “played”.
His lack of aggressiveness, control of his subordinate commanders, and the failed staff work of Force 141 contributed to the poor planning of Operation HUSKY.11 Additionally, British General Alexander, second in command, unsuccessfully provided critical intent and competent direction in lieu of General Eisenhower’s shortfalls. General Alexander’s distraction with Tunisia only compounded senior leader intent. This lack of intent allowed General Patton, Seventh U.S. Army commander, and General Montgomery the Eighth British Army commander to subjectively plan and execute uncoordinated attacks along partisan lines. This contributed to a lack of Allied integration of attacks leading to the withdrawal of over 100,000 men and 10,000 vehicles North to Italy by the Axis forces further exacerbating mutual trust among the