European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A old blood and guts a i believe in the old and sound Rule that an ounce of sweat is Worth a gallon of blood by Bill Walkk staff writer when it. Gen. George s. Patton jr., nicknamed a old blood and guts a was ordered to Normandy in july 1944, the allies were still stuck in the a Day beachhead. Patton a assignment was to break out into Brittany of track overrun and overwhelm German defenders. Patton a 3rd army succeeded waging armoured Wai fare at a Speed one writer called Blitzkrieg plus Patton a army was activated aug. 1, one week after operation cobra had begun the assault on the German left flank in Normandy. His armoured columns began ripping off advances of up to 40 Miles daily. But his presence was not revealed Gay . Military censors still anxious to maintain the hoax that Patton would Lead an army against the heavily fortified Calais area. One congressman was not fooled however. Within hours after news of the Brittany offensive became Public rep. Andrew May d-ky., chairman of the House military committee said a i have a Hunch that old blood and guts is leading that steamroller offensive in Normandy and if so hell win it a at one Point in the breakout the 3rd army attacked simultaneously in four directions and it did so successfully xxx corps 1 South into Brittany Xiv corps East toward be mans Xii corps North to Widen the a ranches corridor and Viii corps West toward Brest one unit the 6th army div advanced 200 Miles in live Days to reach the port of Brest. Patton Sall out attacking philosophy was built from combat experience and his knowledge of War. He told his troops a i believe in the old and sound Rule that an ounce of sweat is Worth a gallon of blood. The harder we push the More germans Well kill and gentleman the More germans we kill the fewer of our own men will be killed. Pushing Means fewer casualties and i want you to remember  a in the 200-mile Advance of the 6th div for instance his unit saw 130 killed and 400 wounded exceptionally Low compared with earlier Allied operations. Patton told his troops a forget this damned business of worrying about our flanks. Some fool once said that flanks must be secured and since then son of a bitches All Over the world have been going crazy guarding their flanks. We done to want any of that crap in this army. Flanks Are something for the enemy to worry about not  p Atton almost did no to get to France. He slapped two soldiers he thought were malingering in hospitals in Sicily in August 1943, that led to his Relief As 7th army commander when the Sicily Campaign ended. He was ordered to England in january and Given command of 3rd army after supreme Allied commander Gen. Dwight d. Eisenhower resisted pressure to fire him saying a this emotional tenseness and his impulsiveness were the very qualities that made him in open situations such a remarkable Leader of an army. To Pursuit and exploitation there is need for a commander who sees nothing but the necessity of getting ahead the More he drives his men the More he will save their lives. He must be indifferent to fatigue and ruthless in demanding the last atom of physical  he finally got Back to the War when he was sent to France on july 6. In mid August when the news was released that Patton was in Normandy one reporter wrote a the gis knew it in France and most of the world has suspected for some time but now its official a it. Gen. Patton has been commanding the american armoured forces As they Rode hell for leather Over the German 7th army in one of the most Brilliant and daring operations of the  soldiers knew he was there because they saw it. Gen. George s. Patton or. Army i i ii lm1.a7r.u,n,.w. Ltd . Troops encounter sniper fire As 3rd army reaches outskirts of Brest in Brittany him in his distinctive immaculate Battle dress on the front line wearing the Ivory handled revolvers Riding boots and four rows of ribbons. He shouted at them with a fluency in profanity that shocked even old salts. He ate Beans with foot soldiers and he prayed with them. When tank columns jammed he directed traffic often relying on a simple Michelin Road map. He marched with the infantry walked through machine gun fire to keep troops advancing. Patton aroused intense loyalty among the soldiers of the 3rd, even As they complained about his concern with dress and discipline at All times. It is not unusual to hear a former 3rd army private or Corporal boast a i was with  nickname a blood and guts his soldiers not always Good natured retort was a Yea our us of amp  Vas probably a Plis quote from a talk Patton gave saying an armoured division needed blood and brains. Patton class of 1909 at West Point chose the e g ing tank corps in world War i and excelled in pre world War ii army Maneu vers with Brilliant armoured slashes one of them a 380-mile clash through Eastern Texas to take Shreveport la., from startled exercise defenders. War was his element. A commander wrote an efficiency report on Patton in 1928 to Quot at would have spelled the end of the line Tor most career officers. It stated a this o icer would be invaluable in time of War but is a disturbing element in time of  Patton s reply thank you sir. I regard your opinion As a great  As a lower ranking officer in the 1920s and �?T30s Tatton lived extraordinarily Well. His California family originally from Virginia was Well to do an e maintained a string of Polo ponies once a stars and stripes commemorative edition june 6, 1994