Why do I have to provide links, Ken? Just read Weigley, Ambrose, D'este, Pogue, Blumenson, Eisenhower, Hastings, Kershaw, Brown and many I have failed to mention. I am not going to waste my time with websites on a subject I know thoroughly.
It's all common knowledge that Patton was put in a defensive position and Allies would run short of supplies once they crossed the Seine. You seem to be avoiding this issue like Superman avoids Kryponite.
There was this thing called the Transportation Plan the Allies employed in May 1944 to isolate the Norman battlefield. This destroyed bridges and railroads. As I mentioned, there was suppose to be an operational pause. Once they crossed the Seine they knew they were going to bog down, like all Armies do when the out race their abilities to supplies. Hmmm...funny how, you have not mentioned Crerar, Dempsay, Hodges and Truscott and their fuel situation. I digress...Patton refused to go on the defensive against order which exacerbated his problems. Again, there were plenty of fuel in Europe. The problem was one of distribution...and you can't distribute all that swell when you ain't got bridges or railroads.
The United States Army stripped its newly arrived mechanized infantry division of their trucks so, they could chase the Germans as far and as long as they could, knowing full well all good things come to an end. For Patton this was Lorraine, Montgomery, it was a bridge too far and Hodges met his match in the Hurtgen. Allies could not campaign without fuel getting to the troops...PLUTO was not cutting it with an expanding US Army. Hmmmm...Bomber Command, Fighter Command, Costal Command, 8th, 9th, and 15th USAA could fly with no restrictions on fuel.
The problem was port facilities. Cherbourg was small and did not open to September, Antwerp was taken early but Monty in his infinte wisdom decided it was in best interest to meet the reconstituted German Army in Holland rather than clear the Scheldt Estuary in Belgium. Marseilles was too far away for 21st and 12th Army Groups.
You have to have an operational pause to allow supplies to be accumulated. Do yourself a favor and read Glantz's "When Titans Met", this will give a working idea how all the big battles of Europe fought in WW II. Be it deep penetration, blitzkreig or mobile operations...it was run until you could run no more then wait as your supplies were replenished...I did mention the Oder and Vistula, didn't I. Patton could run no more in Lorraine, Hodges in a bloody forest and Montgomery at the Lower Rhine. BTW, when was the next Allied big offensive? September...no, October...no, November...no, December and January...See Battle of Bulge, February...yeppers. Where they went all the way to the Elbe, crossing at Barby in late March or early April...see 2nd Armor and 83rd ID.
Wanna tell me how Patton would have ended the war in 1944? You seem to be the Pattonophile.
Hmmmm...How's about that price on gasoline works thing? No comment,eh.
Last edited by wbtravis; 01/09/14 10:32 AM.
