Born into a proud military tradition, George S. Patton Jr. was a pioneer in tank warfare and one of the best known and most effective American generals of World War II. A brilliant battlefield commander and inspiring and colorful leader, Patton was admired by his troops for his great determination. In a series of masterful campaigns, Patton led American forces in World War II to decisive victories in the deserts of North Africa, the fields of Sicily and the plains of Europe. Ironically, this great warrior fought and survived the heat of battle in two world wars, only to die in a traffic accident at the height of his fame and accomplishment. 

 

Can you imagine that the U.S. Army had almost no tanks when America entered World War I in 1917? The tank was then a new weapon that had only occasionally been used in battle. When the U.S. Army decided to form a Tank Corps in late 1917, Captain George S. Patton volunteered to help create this completely new force. Patton learned all he could about tank design, operation and repair from the leading Allied experts and observed the first large-scale use of tanks by British forces at Cambrai, France, in December 1917. A quick learner, Patton soon set out to establish the first training school for U.S. tank crews at Langres, France. 
 

After founding the first U.S. tank training school, Patton was immediately presented with a major problem--he didn't have any tanks to train his troops with! The entire United States Army had only two tanks based on French designs; one of them powered by a steam engine. Finally, in February 1918, the French loaned the Americans 22 tanks for the school. Patton personally drove each one from the rail depot; there was no one else at the school who knew how to operate one! Once the tanks had arrived, Patton set about frantically training his troops on the new technology and preparing them for battle. 

 

The war had been raging in Europe for four terrible years by the time Patton's tank crews were ready to fight. A stalemate (fighting to a draw) had set in years before and soldiers on both sides were dug into trenches that ran for hundreds of miles along the front lines. Patton and his American tank crews fought in the battle of St. Mihiel and in the massive Meuse-Argonne offensive during September 1918; helping to achieve the ultimate Allied victory that November. Patton himself was wounded in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, and promoted to the rank of colonel.