“The Battle of the Bulge is sometimes characterized as Hitler’s final desperate gamble, the last straw at which he grabbed. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Ardennes offensive was a major and carefully conceived maneuver, not merely to… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
“When the Battle of the Bulge ended the war in the west had only about 100 days left. But what a One Hundred Days they became in Patton’s career! During that period he mounted four full-scale campaigns and wound up,… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share Image
“There is only one tactical principle which is not subject to change. It is: ‘To use the means at hand to inflict the maximum… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share Image
“Patton was bombed, strafed, shelled—but he thrived on it. At the summit of a badly littered road over a hill he stopped to survey the scarred and scorched landscape of war—rubbish that used to be farms, fields in which the grass was burning, hundreds of stiff-legged, dead cattle. He threw out his arms as if trying to embrace the scene,… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
“The trouble was that most of the time Patton was playing the role of Lazarus at the big feast of the Allied war effort, receiving, like the Biblical beggar, merely the crumbs of the sumptuous meal. This is an important feature of his story in World War II and a puzzling sidelight of its conduct by Eisenhower. From the beginning… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
“The Battle of the Bulge is sometimes characterized as Hitler’s final desperate gamble, the last straw at which he grabbed. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Ardennes offensive was a major and carefully conceived maneuver, not merely to avert the defeat of the Third Reich, but also to administer a decisive blow to the Allies. It was developed… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
“While in the final analysis each of his campaigns was properly authorized in general terms (for not even Patton could free-lance in a world war), the sweep and success of each was triggered by some sly trickery Patton had to employ in certain psychological moments to gain permission, first to mount campaigns instead of conducting what were supposed to be… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
“He lavished his affection on the dog and even had Willie, sitting up on a chair, dine with him at his table. The dog… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share Image
“The striking circumstance,” Patton mused, “that, thousands of years later, necessity has again begat of invention identical solutions for identical problems is truly arresting.” — Ladislas Farago Copy Share Image
“One of his mechanics who despaired when he could not get spare parts for the tanks once announced casually that most of them were ordinary parts he used to order from Sears, Roebuck. Patton seized upon the remark. When it proved impossible to obtain the parts through regular channels—partly because of the red tape and partly because the Army simply… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
“Bradley gave several reasons for putting Third Army on “A” ration when Patton’s projected moves required more than the unlimited “C.” Vast quantities of gas were needed to supply liberated Paris, and not only to keep the wheels of the big city turning. Most of the diverted gasoline was consumed by the endless columns of trucks that carried an enormous… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
“When Patton now showed up on the Mary to welcome them, Sergeant Bill Pajewski punched Corporal Sam McCarthy in the ribs. “Man,” he whispered… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share Image
“Patton was sent on his long journey with the Psalm David had sung in the wilderness of Judah… O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee; my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. It was Patton’s own favorite Psalm,… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
“Eisenhower’s tragedy was that he permitted himself to be pushed into what turned out to be a trap. He had succumbed to General George C. Marshall’s suggestion that he take over the ground command in Europe and involve himself in the tactical conduct of the war, for which he was not actually suited. He took upon himself this enormous operational… — Ladislas Farago Copy Share
