Patton at bay

by John Nelson Rickard

For General George S. Patton, Jr., the battle for Lorraine during the fall and winter of 1944 was a frustrating and grueling experience of static warfare. Plagued by supply shortages, critical interference from superiors, flooded rivers, fortified cities, and the highly-determined German army, Patton had little opportunity to wage a fast armored campaign. Rickard examines Patton's generalship during these bitter battles and suggests that Patton was unable to adapt to the new realities of the campaign, thereby failing to wage the most effective warfare possible. His use of massive bomber support, his disinclination to concentrate his combat power, his unwillingness to avoid enemy strength, and his somewhat odd inability to demand the most from subordinates are considered in this iconoclastic look at George S. Patton, Jr.