The Round Tablette



The Round Tablette

September 2008

Volume 17 Number 1

Published by WW II History Roundtable

Edited by Jim Gerber

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Welcome to the September meeting of the Dr. Harold C. Deutsch World War Two History Roundtable. This marks the beginning of our 22nd year of presenting outstanding speakers and veterans of World War Two. We welcome to the program tonight, author and historian, John Nelson Rickard. Our program is on operations across northern France in the fall of 1944.

2008 – 2009 Programs

September 11 The operations across northern France in the fall of 1944.

September 25 Four years of German occupation in Normandy

October 9 Operation Downfall – Invasion of Japan

November 13 The Dr. Harold C. Deutsch Lecture: Interrogation of the Nazi Leaders at Mondorf Luxembourg

December 11 The Alamo of the Ardennes – Attack on the center of the Bulge

2009

January 8 The Battle of Moscow

February 12 The OSS

March 12 Air to ground attacks

April 9 Invasion of Okinawa

May 14 The Glider operations in WW II

Why Should We Study World War Two?

Over the years we have heard the question, “Why do you study WW II ?” . Isn’t it just old memories and how does this affect us today? The answers to these questions are many. First, WW II inflicted a terrible human cost on Europe and the entire world. It was total war and no element of society was left untouched. Between 1937 and 1945, 55 million people died and millions more were wounded or simply missing. Participants came from every part of the world and it was fought on all of the oceans and seas and continents. It was the largest event in human history.

WW II fundamentally altered the international system. It led to the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as world superpowers and ushered in the Cold War. It began the nuclear age. Those of us who were born in the 1950’s and 60’s know about the effects of the nuclear age and how it affected how we grew up. WW II led to the decline of Europe in geopolitical and economic significance. It led to the rollback of European colonial empires and the rise of national liberation movements in the “Third World” during the 1950’s and the 1960’s.

Because of the far-reaching effects of WW II, we should study and remember it. We need to learn from the participants before they are all gone. We need to learn how this monumental event affected them and through them ourselves here and now. WW II: study it and apply its lessons.

Patton’s Third Army

The United States Third Army was officially created on November 15, 1918. On July 2, 1919, Third Army was deactivated and its units and personnel were renamed American Forces Germany. The original job of the Third Army gave rise to the design of its shoulder patch. The patch is a white A on a round, blue background with a red circle around it. The meaning of the patch was originally Army (white A) of Occupation (red O). In 1932, Third Army was reactivated within the continental US.

On January 1, 1944, the alert was sounded. Third Army was ordered to prepare for overseas movement to the European Theater of Operations. Upon arrival in England, General Patton began the organization of the Third Army expecting to participate in the D-Day landings at Normandy. They did not participate in the initial landings and were sent to France in early July. The immediate concern of Third Army HG was to receive and prepare arriving troops, who were coming in via control points at the Utah and Omaha beachheads. During this time, over 500 units of the Third Army were moved over the small roads of the peninsula. While the troops were arriving, Patton was in a hurry to get going. He was fearful that the war might be over before he could get into the battle. General Bradley issued a directive that Third Army would become operational by July 24 for Operation Cobra, the breakout from Normandy. Finally, champing at the bit, Patton was given verbal orders on July 28th that he would, indeed, assume operation control of the Third Army. He quickly hit the enemy with the VII Corps, quickly followed by the 4th and 6th Armored Divisions. Bringing up the rear were the 8th and 79th Divisions. The lightning blow thoroughly upset and hurt the Germans. They began a rapid retreat which would become the normal course of events for the next nine months. General Patton and the Third Army were on the move.

Further Reading On Tonight’s Topic:

Patton At Bay; The Lorraine Campaign,1944

By John Nelson Rickard - tonight’s speaker

Brassey’s Inc.

Dulles, VA 2004

Breakout and Pursuit

By Martin Blumenson

Dept. of the Army

Washington, D.C. 1961

The Lorraine Campaign

By Hugh Cole

Center for Military History

Washington, D.C. 1984

Patton’s Third Army

By Charles M. Province

Hippocrene Books, Inc.

New York, New York 1992

Gasoline To Patton; A Different War

By Albin F. Irzyk

Elderberry Press

Oakland, Calif. 2005

Patton’s Best; History of the 4th Armored Division

By Nat Frankel

Hawthorne Books, Inc.

New York, New York 1978

Lucky Forward

By Robert Allen

Vangard Press

New York, New York 1964

Next month there will be a book sale.

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