Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only €10,99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Patton's Air Force: Forging a Legendary Air-Ground Team
Patton's Air Force: Forging a Legendary Air-Ground Team
Patton's Air Force: Forging a Legendary Air-Ground Team
Ebook674 pages8 hours

Patton's Air Force: Forging a Legendary Air-Ground Team

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

4/5

()

About this ebook

From the time the Third Army became operational on August 1, 1944, until the guns fell silent on May 8, 1945, Lt. Gen. George S. Patton's troops covered more ground and took more enemy prisoners than any other Allied army in northwest Europe. Brig. Gen. Otto P. Weyland's XIX Tactical Air Command (TAC) provided air support every step of the way. Their combined success is something of an anomaly; air-ground relationships are notoriously confrontational and plagued with inter-service competition. How did Patton and Weyland work together to achieve such astounding success? Drawing on exclusive access to official records, David N. Spires finds that this success was due to four key developments: the maturation of tactical aviation doctrine, effective organizational procedures, a technical revolution in equipment, and, above all, the presence of pragmatic men of goodwill who made the system work. He focuses on the highly effective personal relationship between Patton and Weyland -- men who respected, trusted, and fully relied on each other and their respective subordinates. This collaboration extended all the way down the chain of command: Patton's ground troops and Weyland's airmen trained together in England, and so by the time they entered combat, they operated together as a single unit. Contrary to conventional wisdom, air-ground relationships in the field can be cooperative rather than confrontational. Today's air and ground officers can continue to benefit from the amazing success of the Third Army and the XIX TAC.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 10, 2014
ISBN9781935623502
Patton's Air Force: Forging a Legendary Air-Ground Team

Reviews for Patton's Air Force

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5

1 rating0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words