...like shit through a tin horn.

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[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 28, 1943

    Cleaned up desk and signed many papers ... Tomorrow we start the first lap of the next journey.  I feel very confident especially as I saw some pictures of the [hostile] beach taken recently and it looks better than I had hoped.  "Man proposes but God disposes."

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Diary, June 27, 1943

     Went to communion ... very high church but I like it.

     Spoke to officers and warrant officers of the 45th Division.  Had to make two speeches as the groups were about 15 miles apart.  I did not repeat myself ... I believe this division will do all right, but as in the case with every division, the first fight may find the young officers lacking in drive.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 22, 1943

     Commanders and staffs went to hear the very secret G-2 estimate by the British.  The man who gave it knew a lot but succeeded in keeping it to himself...

     Then we all asked questions about what the Air would do and gradually forced them to promise quite a lot.  Here it was that Ike missed being great.  He could have faced the issue but sat mute...

     So ended a very momentous conference.  Had it taken place six weeks earlier, it would have saved much misunderstanding and made a better attack...

     Alex said that it was foolish to consider British and Americans as one people, as we are each foreigners to the other.  I said that is was so and the sooner everyone recognized it the better.  I told him that my boisterous method of command would not work with the British no matter how successful with Americans, while his cold method would never work with Americans.  He agreed.

     I found out that he has an exceptionally small head.  That may explain things.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 21, 1943

     Alexander opened the proceedings...

     Eisenhower than talked for ten minutes - rather badly I thought - acting as an associate rather than a commander.

     Captain Brownrigg of the British Navy gave the general naval plan which is terribly complicated but well thought out.

     Admiral Hewitt was then called on ahead of the time he thought he was going to speak, with the result that his map did not arrive until half the conference was completed.  The map was then put on the board with the result that it was not properly connected.  His speech was not conducive to confidence.

     Ramsey gave the British naval plan with charts and spoke well...

     Tedder slept through the entire performance.  Conyngham came on for the air and talked and talked and made no definite statements ... Air Commodore Beamish ... talked for forty-five minutes at the rate of five words and three ah's every minute.

     Tea for thirty minutes, after which [Patton's] force, for the first time denominated Seventh Army, came on.  We stole the show by using the War College method at Keyes' suggestion.  I made a six-minute talk on the general mission and plan, and was followed by [the principal staff members] ... The total presentation of the group took longer than we had rehearsed it for ... Ike was pleased and, for a change, said so.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 20, 1943

     Went to church with Gay.  We had a new preacher, at my insistence, who was good.  He preached on the willingness to accept responsibility, even to your own hurt.  That ability is what we need and what Ike lacks.  But I do feel that I don't.  O pray daily to do my duty, retain my self-confidence, and accomplish my destiny.  No one can live under the awful responsibility I have without Divine help.  Frequently I feel that I don't rate it.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 19, 1943

     I started to write my order of the day ... Went out to shoot my weapons.

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Diary, June 13, 1943

     Went to church and heard a most incoherent sermon.  I have the trots.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 9, 1943

     I am going to see Ike tomorrow.  Keyes advises that I just appear happy and ask for nothing.  It should have a good effect on Ike, who is run to death.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 8, 1943

     For some reason I am, if possible, too confident, yet at times I fear I am not doing all I should.  A feeling of being a chip in a river of destiny pervades me, but while it is good for self-confidence, it is bad for my activity.  Yet I can't see anything I can except be mentally and physically alert.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 7, 1943

     I got Lucas well indoctrinated in what we need and told him to say it was his idea and not mine.  He was particularly impressed with the necessity of having the 9th Division immediately available for reinforcement...

     Lucas too feels that Ike is just a staff officer and not a soldier.  Too bad.  When Lucas came over [to Africa], General Marshall said to him, "The situation at AFHQ is not satisfactory, or I should say it is very dangerous."  Myself, Bradley, or Keyes could do the job.  Personally I don't want it.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 5, 1943

     Huebner, Cannon, and a couple of British air officers came and we argued for hours as to what air-ground forces we should take ... If we took all that the air wants, we should have no soldiers left with which to assault the beach.  If we don't take some air-ground troops, the [air]fields can't be repaired [after capture].  Also, the Navy has suddenly pulled out 4 LST's to lay mines.  I suppose we will also have losses before we start and during the trip.  On the other hand, I think that we will get some local surprise, at least as to the strength of our attack, as the Boches don't know about the duckws we could not land with such a big force.

     Bradley, Terry Allen [and others] came over for me to settle some arguments.  Terry wanted the paratroopers to land on his left instead of his right.  They can't, due to terrain.  Next, he wanted to open fire at 2300, D minus 1 [the evening before the assault].  No.  Then he wanted some self-propelled guns.  No.  He thinks that the 1st Division is the only unit in the show...

     There are a lot of starry-eyed State Department boys busting to raise the living standard of Arabs who should be all killed off ... No State Department people should be permitted in a theater of war, nor at the peace treaty.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Letter, June 5, 1943

     In view of your long experience and demonstrated ability, I have certain diffidence in writing this letter; nonetheless ... I would be remiss in my duty if I failed to express my views and outline as briefly as may be, certain points in the conduct of operations which I expect you to observe.

     There is only one sort of discipline - perfect discipline...

     Discipline is based on pride in the profession of arms, on meticulous attention to details, and on mutual respect and confidence.  Discipline must be a habit so ingrained that it is stronger than the excitement of battle or the fear of death.

     Discipline can only be obtained when all officers are so imbued with the sense of their lawful obligation to their men and to their country that they cannot tolerate negligence.  Officers who fail to correct errors or praise excellence are valueless in peace and dangerous misfits in war.

     Officers must assert themselves by example and by voice.

     The history of our invariably victorious armies demonstrates that we are the best soldiers in the world.  Currently, many of you defeated and destroyed the finest troops that Germany possesses.  This should make your men proud.  This should make you proud.  This should imbue your units with unconquerable self-confidence and pride in demonstrated ability...

     There is no approved solution to any tactical situation.

     Never attack [enemy] strength [but rather his weakness]...

     You can never be too strong.  Get every man and gun you can secure provided it does not delay your attack...

     Casualties vary directly with the time you are exposed to effective fire ... Rapidity of attack shortens the time of exposure...

     If you cannot see the enemy, and you seldom can, shoot at the place he is most likely to be...

     Our mortars and our artillery are superb weapons when they are firing.  When silent, they are junk - see that they fire!

     Battles are won by frightening the enemy.  Fear is induced by inflicting wounds upon him.  Death and wounds are produced by fire.  Fire from the rear is more deadly and three times more effective than fire from the front...

     Few men are killed by bayonets, but many are scared by them.  Having the bayonets fixed makes our men want to close.  Only the threat to close will defeat a determined enemy...

     In mountain warfare, capture the heights and work downhill...

     Never permit a unit to dig in until the final objective is reached, then dig, wire, and mine...

     Never take counsel of your fears.  The enemy is more worried than you are.  Numerical superiority, while useful, is not vital to successful offensive action.  The fact that you are attacking induces the enemy to think that you are stronger than he is...

     A good solution applied with vigor now  is better than a perfect solution ten minutes later...

     IN CASE OF DOUBT, ATTACK! ...

     Mine fields, while dangerous, are not impassable.  They are far less of a hazard than artillery concentrations...

     Speed and ruthless violence on the beaches is vital.  There must be no hesitating in debarking.  To linger on the beach is fatal.

     In landing operations, retreat is impossible...

     Weapons will be kept in perfect working order at all times...

     Vehicles will be properly maintained in combat as elsewhere...

     We can conquer only by attacking...

     Continued ruthless pressure by day and by night is vital...

     We must be particularly emphatic in the ruthless destruction of the enemy.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, June 1, 1943

     Ike called up late to say that “My American Boss will visit you in the morning …”  I asked him, “When did Mamie arrive?”  Man cannot serve two masters.  “My American Boss.”

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Address, May 30, 1943

     We must remember that victories are not gained solely by selfless devotion.  To conquer, we must destroy our enemies.  We must not only die gallantly; we must kill devastatingly.  The faster and more effectively you kill, the longer will you live to enjoy the priceless fame of conquerors.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, May 28, 1943

     On inspecting the troops, I found the officers looking on, and the concommissioned officers doing the drilling.  I put a stop to this.  I then gave various groups of men some pep talks with [good] effect ...

     The authorities at AFHQ and the Fifth Army do not realize that a trained soldier and an enlisted man are two different animals.  To them a man is man.

     In spite of the fact that Ike and Wayne have both cussed the other to me, there is still some sort of an unholy alliance between them.  I should not worry as I seem to be doing nicely, but I do worry.  I am a fool - those two cannot upset [my] destiny.  Besides I owe each of them quite a lot, but don't know to what extent they have undercut me.  The next show must be a success or a funeral.

[georgespatton-blog-blog]

Diary, May 26, 1943

     Admiral Hewitt came to spend the night.  He ... did all the things we asked him after a little patting on the back.  All you have to do to get him is to tell him how great he is.

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Diary, May 25, 1943

     We took Alexander and Richardson on an extended inspection of all the various forms of training.  They were very much impressed ... The boasts came in firing mortars and under fire themselves ... The men then land and ... using both high explosives and white phosphorous attack up a valley and eventually capture a pillbox with the use of a flamethrower.

     The tactics on the part of the infantry were perfect except that the men were too slow in getting out of the boats and did not have their bayonets fixed ... Alex was loud in his praise ... as he should have been.  We then ... ended up with ... the street-fighting instruction.  This is really very terrifying to watch, and he was duly impressed.