Are We Closing in on the Third Army's Record?

[Tuckerfan]

During WW II, Patton’s Third Army set records for advancing into enemy territory. AFAIK, that record hasn’t been broken, with coalition forces advancing into Iraq and meeting little resistance, it seems to me that they might be on-course to break that record. Anybody know or have good guesses?

[Duck_Duck_Goose]

Well, yeah, I would guess that in terms of mileage per day, they’ll probably break the record. However, in terms of “area and people liberated” and “prisoners taken” and “bombs dropped” and “enemy equipment destroyed”, I would say that no, they probably won’t break the record. Those are some pretty formidable numbers.

http://www.arcent.army.mil/history/facts_figs.html

But, eh, Tucker, even if they did beat Patton’s distance record, I think it would amount to a large economy-sized “so what”. I mean, look at this…

http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/03/21/sprj.irq.war.main/index.html

‘Wave of steel’ surges toward Baghdad

…A convoy of Bradley fighting vehicles and M1A1 Abrams tanks and other vehicles from the 3rd Squadron of the U.S. Army 7th Cavalry Regiment, lead element of the 3rd Infantry Division, raced unopposed toward Baghdad in what CNN Correspondent Walter Rodgers described as “a huge wave of steel.”

Rodgers, who is accompanying the 7th Cavalry, said U.S. forces brushed aside resistance, destroying six or seven trucks and several tanks.

My understanding was that Patton had people actually shooting back at him, and with numbers, armaments, and motivations roughly equivalent to his own, which tends to slow you down.

http://www.pattonhq.com/textfiles/thirdhst.html

Third Army’s battle record began on August 1st, 1944 at 1200 hours. That was when the Third Army was officially operational as a combat army.

In nine months and eight days of fighting, the Third Army compiled a great record. Not only did the Third Army astonish the world, but it’s deeds, in terms of statistics, challenged the imagination. The Third Army gave a new meaning to fluid warfare.

< snip >

The history of the Third Army is a story of constant attack. They drove on in fair weather or foul, across favorable terrain or across mud, ice, and snow.

In comparison, Operation Iraqi Freedom so far looks like a sprint through the park.

It’s kind of like comparing speed records of people climbing mountains in the years before pitons and bolts, and people climbing mountains today with state-of-the-art mountaineering equipment.

[Philster]

They will ‘shatter’ it, is what I heard from whoever Fox’s military analyst is.

Wish I could cite, but was on TV.

There seemed little debate amongst the panel discussing advances into Iraq.

[David_Simmons]

I can’t answer the question but the data are probably available on line. I do, though, get tired of all the 3rd Army hoopla. Patton had a fine force and they accomplished much.

However, the US First Army commanded by Omar Bradley followed by Courtney Hodges (of whom most of you have probably never heard):

Landed at Omaha and Utah beaches.

Made the breakout from the Normandy Beachhead.

Was first across the Rhine River.

Was deepest into Germany at the end of the war, making contact with the Russians at the Elbe River.

I intend to continue to try for a little perspective on Patton.