George S. Patton/Bio & Battles

"Sure, we want to go home. We want this war over with. The quickest way to get it over with is to go get the bastards who started it. The quicker they are whipped, the quicker we can go home. The shortest way home is through Berlin and Tokyo. And when we get to Berlin, I am personally going to shoot that paper hanging son-of-a-bitch Hitler. Just like I'd shoot a snake!"

- George S. Patton

George Smith Patton, Jr. was an officer in the United States Army best known for his leadership as a general during World War II. He also developed a reputation for eccentricity and sometimes controversial gruff outspokenness—such as during his profanity-laced speech to his expeditionary troops. He was on the U.S. 1912 Olympic pentathlon team and also designed the U.S. Cavalry's last combat sabre: the "Patton Saber". In 1916 he led the first-ever U.S. motorized-vehicle attack during the Mexican Border Campaign. In World War I, he was the first officer assigned to the new United States Tank Corps and saw action in France. In World War II, he commanded corps and armies in North Africa, Sicily, and the European Theater of Operations. In 1944, Patton assumed command of the U.S. Third Army, which under his leadership advanced farther, captured more enemy prisoners, and liberated more territory in less time than any other army in history. A German field marshal speaking to American reporters called Patton "your best" (as in, "your best commander").

Battle vs. Bernard Montgomery (by El Alamein)
Bernard Montgomery:

George Patton:

Bernard Montgomery rides his jeep into the field of battle with four British Eighth Army troops, bumping along the dusty road. Peering ahead into the distance, he spots another jeep approaching. Pulling his jeep to block the entire roadway, Montgomery steps out from the vehicle and signals it to stop.

The other jeep does not stop, and plows straight into Montgomery's jeep, throwing one of his troops out of the vehicle and killing him. George Patton leaps furiously from the passenger's seat of the other jeep and opens fire with his Thompson, spraying across the front of Montgomery's jeep and shattering the windshield. All of his shots manage to miss the British not more than 10 feet from him, though, and Montgomery returns fire smartly with his Enfield revolver, killing the American driver. His troops fan out and take cover on one side of the roadway while Patton's men do the same. They peek their heads over the roadside and fire sporadically before ducking again to avoid the wild fire zipping back and forth.

Patton yanks the pin out of his "pineapple" grenade and lobs it across the roadside. Montgomery picks it up and throws it back at Patton, who throws it back at Montgomery. The grenade explodes in Montgomery's hand and throws him into a tree, riddling one of his men with shrapnel. Montgomery straightens himself out and angrily throws a grenade back at Patton, who has his face blackened in the blast and also suffers a casualty. Patton charges out over the road and whips out his KA-BAR knife, avoiding the frantic British fire, and grabs a soldier up by his shirt collar, slaps him, and then plunges the knife into his chin. The second-to-last British soldier takes out his fighting knife while Monty potshots with his revolver at the Americans struggling to support Patton, killing them. He turns and finds his last soldier sprawled on the ground with a knife in his neck.

Patton stands and raises a fist, but takes a revolver shot to the face and falls. Montgomery shouts in victory and raises his hand in the air ---

"This is ridiculous." Eisenhower sits back in his chair and frowns at both generals sitting in front of him. "You're both being extremely childish." Folding his arms, he looks at Montgomery, who lowers his gaze. "That was a nice story, Montgomery, but that's not why we're here. Even if you don't like Patton, you are not going to fight him." Patton opens his mouth but Eisenhower gives him a sharp look. "I don't want to hear how you would kill him - I'm not interested. You're both grown men and you need to act like it. And this race to Berlin is unacceptable. You follow my orders. You don't make your own."

Patton raises his hand but Eisenhower's look makes him lower it. "Now get the hell out of here."

They both mutter, "Yes sir."

Expert's Opinion
George Patton may have had the superior weaponry but it was Bernard Montgomery's greater tactical mind that contributed to victory on the North African front, allowing for the rest of the Allied victories to take place. Simply put, his victory at El Alamein changed WWII and without that, Patton's victories could never have taken place.

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