George S. Patton
General George S. Patton was the most flamboyant and arguably most gifted American field commander of the war. His Third Army's breakout from Normandy in July 1944 and its rapid sweep across France demonstrated the potential of mechanised warfare when commanders were allowed to exploit speed and surprise. His relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge — turning his army 90 degrees north in 48 hours in mid-winter — was the logistical and operational feat of the western campaign. A man of contradictions — erudite and coarse, brilliantly intuitive and politically careless — he made enemies as easily as he won battles. He was relieved of command of the Seventh Army in Sicily after slapping soldiers he accused of cowardice; his flamboyant swagger and public anti-Soviet statements made him politically toxic after victory. He died of injuries from a traffic accident in December 1945, weeks after the war's end.
- Lived: 1885 CE – 1945 CE
- Nationality: American
- Roles: general, armoured commander
