Famous Soldiers WWI

From Tolkien to HitlerFamous Soldiers of World War I Warfare History Network Presents: From Tolkien to Hitler Famous Soldiers of World War I 3: The Red Baron’s Band of Brothers Led by the dashing and charismatic Red Baron, Manfred von Richthofen, the young pilots in Jasta 11 wreaked havoc in the skies over the Western Front. Their reign was brief but glorious. 11: A Hobbit on the Somme A young writer, J.R.R. Tolkien, witnessed the worst single day of British military history—World War I’s Battle of the Somme. 19: Blood & Guts, Grease & Glory Fiery young officer George S. Patton rode into World War I at the head of the U.S. Army’s brand-new Tank Corps. It was the beginning of a storied career. 29: Hitler in WWI An obscure would-be artist was changed forever by his horrific experiences in the German trenches of World War I. © Copyright 2014 by Sovereign Media Company, Inc., all rights reserved. The contents of this publication may not be reproduced in whole or in part without consent of the copyright owner. Sovereign Media Company, 6731 Whittier Avenue, Suite A-100, McLean, VA 22101 • www.warfarehistorynetwork.com Erich Lessing/Art Resource, NY The Red Baron’s Band of Brothers LED BY THE DASHING AND CHARISMATIC RED BARON, MANFRED VON RICHTHOFEN, THE YOUNG PILOTS IN JASTA 11 WREAKED HAVOC IN THE SKIES OVER THE WESTERN FRONT. THEIR REIGN WAS BRIEF BUT GLORIOUS. By O’Brien Browne LIKE A SWARM OF UNGAINLY DRAGONFLIES, A squadron of six British RE8 observation aircraft droned over the trenches of northern France on the afternoon April 13, 1917. The sky was a bright, cheerful blue and the RE8s were intently engaged in “spotting,” or visually identifying, German positions and signaling coordinates to British artillery on the ground. Suddenly, six German Albatros D.III biplane fighters, one painted completely red and all gaily adorned, roared out of the yellow sun, their twin machine guns spewing a hail of bullets. In a few minutes, all of the RE8s were burning on the ground, their crews lost. The German planes reformed, wagged their wings in victory, and flew on into the dazzling sunlight. It was just another day for the aces from Jagdstaffel 11, Jasta for short. In the brief but deadly encounter, 2nd Lieutenant Lothar von Richthofen had destroyed two of the British planes, with Lieutenant Kurt Wolff, Sgt. Maj. Sebastian Festner, and their skilled leader, Lieutenant Manfred Manfred von Richthofen’s fighter squadron flies high among the clouds in this watercolor by Claus Bergen. The Red Baron’s fatal last flight was on April 21, 1918. INSET: The dashing and doomed Manfred von Richthofen poses for a photo at the age of 25. He would not see 26. WORLD WAR I 3 influenced them more than the harshest In the winter of 1917. together in the skies over the Western Richthofen took Allmenröder. moment. Under Boelcke’s expert tutelage. the four men of Jasta 11 were said his brother. From September to July down a British FE8. shooting camaraderie. soft-spoken Bavarian. popularly known as the “Blue He also advised them to never fly too low or too far over Max. While Jasta 11 honed its skills. “Working here. suffer from one major weakness—a deadly little joy. So on January 12. Stressing comradeship and discipline. but a fearless combat leader each.” Germany’s highest and most prestigious decoration. it was a time of grand success and first victory on January 23. Their leader. Richthofen observed his new command with a armed than the DH2. named after its fallen leader. a pastor’s son ever-reliable 160hp Mercedes engine. still wearing flying gear. For a brief days. Richthofen took up his new command near the French village of Douai. expertly did Richthofen train his men that Jasta 11 did not The weather was suitably bleak and cold when suffer its first combat casualty until the end of March. Richthofen scored the unit’s 11. they were little help. tury’s first media superstar. In the first illustrious squadrons. shooting down one bureaucrat. however. and boasted a good rate of climb. Underscoring that 4 bagged another. creating one of history’s most and Wolff with him on patrol. Gifted with immense organizational Since the unit’s inception. and French-built Spad cold eye. enemy lines because ground fire often proved fatal. it had not scored a single victory and teaching talents as well as a shimmering charisma.” as he most successful living ace with 16 kills. over the enemy. Capgets while ceaselessly watching their own backs. BE2. He Richthofen had become a talented combat pilot himself. awarded the Pour le mérite. among them three scoreless pilots who had nate that German industry produced an excellent fighter been in Jasta 11 since November 1916. then to tain Oswald Boelcke. the Albatros was and a mere boy of 20 with the unwarrior-like nickname. fought. “came back somewhat Germany’s aces of aces. Festner. Powered by the tian Festner.” Being highly competitive and eager to surpass Boelcke’s propensity to shed its lower wings during a steep dive. the after combat. was unhappy to called them.” future of Jasta 11 was not so promising. called Wölfchen (“Little Wolf”) by RE8. The notably unsucplane. He was greeted by 12 badly trained and Although Richthofen believed that the man was more unmotivated pilots smoking and slouching around the important than the machine. Sebasmachine guns firing through the propeller. stressed the need for the pilots to keep together and cover Richthofen revered his mentor and dreaded leaving his old one another and forbade any “stunt” flying—doing loops unit. and unlikeliest of all. Wolff and Allmenröder told me that Manfred. on known to future generations as “the Red the contrary. whose 40 victories were unmatched get above and behind the enemy and attack out of the sun by any other airman.was far superior to such lumbering British aircraft as the old named Kurt Wolff. fun-loving Karl Allmenröder. he did not say a word about Baron. Richthofen determined to turn his men into efficient lead by example. and died ond British plane the next day. in the aerial combat tactics he had learned learn that he had been appointed Jasta 11’s new comfrom Boelcke. Even worse. annoyed.von Richthofen.III. while their opponents were blinded by the glare. shooting down a variety of enemy airand deadly fighters. Richthofen continued to score. Lieutenant Hans Klein from Jasta who led by example. a frail-looking 22-year. equipped with two Spandau cessful trio included a modest. fast. His spirits were lifted somewhat when he was or other tricks—as superfluous and dangerous in combat. Sopwith Pup. For the men of Jasta impression. By the that their new commander was not a paper-pushing WORLD WAR I 4 . Germany’s Richthofen schooled his unbloodied “gentlemen. but did not reproach them. Richthofen. and was more heavily the others. 22. dressing-down.” would become the 20th cenit. It “Little Karl”. the Albatros D. he and his pilots were fortumuddy airfield. the men lived. Front. The Jasta 11 pilots quickly learned craft ranging from observation craft to fighters. however. he destroyed a sec1917. maneuverable.” he wrote home. The 25-year-old Richthofen. and FE two-seaters. “brings me very VII and Nieuport 17 single-seat fighters. The Albatros did. he was being transferred out of the Richthofen instructed his pilots to carefully select their tarrenowned Jasta Boelcke. mander. Aware of Richthofen’s success. was burning to fly in a fighter squadron. “Come at once!” he replied. Simon. sitting. Not to be outdone by his squadron mates. Krefft. Allmenröder’s Albatros. and Lothar von Richthofen. Richthofen had his Albatros painted red. it also appealed to his innate sense of drama and individualism. Eventually. With this in mind. Wolff’s a red fuselage and green nose. Led Zeppelin used this famous photo on the cover of their best-selling second album. Hintsch. Schäfer sent him a telegram: “Are you able to use me?” This was exactly the type of aggressive airman that Richthofen appreciated. Around this time. shooting down a BE2c two-seater on February 5. On a more mundane level. Although he coyly claimed in his memoirs that the garish hue was the color of his old cavalry unit. end of March he had increased his score to 31 as he inexorably closed in on Boelcke’s magical 40. Wolff. In the public’s mind. the “delicate little flower” Kurt Wolff revealed his fierce nature by blasting a BE2d out of the sky two days later. Schafer. thus adding solid confirmation to any victory claim. for example. the chivalric colors harkened back to the romantic days of medieval warfare. sported a white nose and rear stabilizer. The quiet Festner was the first of his pupils to score a kill. flying with another unit and with one victory under his belt.Author’s Collection The Band of Brothers radiating camaraderie in “Bloody April” 1917. and Brauneck. Festner. he encouraged his pilots to apply personal markings to their own “birds. they all adopted various colorations of red. Meanwhile. and Schäfer joined Jasta 11 on February 21. Front row. Schäfer destroyed a twoseat Sopwith Strutter on March 4. Jasta 11 was becoming an efficient killing WORLD WAR I 5 . Soon. Eleven days later. an idea that greatly boosted unit pride. Richthofen’s patience and superb leadership skills began to pay off. Festner destroyed an FE8 on the same day. but with personal touches. the color helped his novice pilots locate their leader in the sky and enabled ground dwellers to identify his aircraft. Richthofen’s men had tasted blood and yearned for more. Back row. left to right. Allmenröder. Richthofen hoped that the blood-red plane would strike terror in the hearts of its opponents.” as they called their aircraft. Energized by Richthofen’s electric personality. Esser. 25-year-old Karl Emil Schäfer. Manfred von Richthofen in cockpit. Allmenröder matched him by bringing down a BE2c. at last matching his mentor Boelcke’s score. the weather mild. Manfred von Richthofen shot down a low-flying BE2d for his 40th kill. flying an exhausting four or five patrols a day. His tally reached 52 when. and the air was rife with RFC observation and fighter craft on vital photographic. The British Army was planning a major attack around Arras in Jasta 11’s sector. reconnaissance. and Schäfer seven. He was close to both Richthofens. describing his third kill on March 4. with Allmenröder shooting down three enemy machines.” Wolff in particular ingratiated himself with the others because of his gentleness and playful sense of humor. Lothar von Richthofen and Schäfer both boasted 15 kills. the six men were friends.” he wrote. two comrades who saw it thought I had been shot down. “always fly together. I made a half-loop and went into a spin. as did the Vickers pilot. his brother Lothar. Britain’s highest award for bravery. who then left me alone. thanks to his older brother’s influence. Richthofen’s mother liked Wolff’s “dear. His and Jasta 11’s achievements were widely reported in the press. The British deployed 365 aircraft on the Arras front against only 195 German Fun-loving Karl Allmenröder. Richthofen was the undisputed ace of aces. After I fired 100 shots it began to burn. confused nature of dogfighting was captured in a letter by Schäfer. feeding the German people’s hunger for flair and excitement in an increasingly bloody and protracted war. and visited the Richthofen family estate in Schweidnitz. April was a splendid month for the squadron. then sideslipped down. making it the German Air Force’s most successful squadron. But Richthofen was not satisfied to stop there.” At the end of March. a pastor’s son. I squeezed out of the scrap in such a way that I had a measured look at things and then very calmly went after a Sopwith twoseater. “My squadron is getting good.machine. March was a successful month for Jasta 11. including a notable victory over a BF2a.” A great source of amusement was the long nightcap “Little Wolff” always wore under his flying helmet as a lucky charm. The skies were blue. The days of glory could begin.D. Richthofen’s band of brothers threw themselves into the battle. Wolff had destroyed an impressive 23 enemy craft. their pictures immortalized on a popular series of postcards produced by the Sanke Company and avidly collected by WORLD WAR I 6 . Allmenröder. Called “Bloody April” by their British foes. Even Richthofen’s neophyte brother scored. each looking after the other. and combat missions. poses in front of his Albatros. machines. His men eagerly attempted to emulate their leader. “My first opponent eluded me in a steep dive. bringing down a FE2b on the afternoon of March 28. By the end of April. Allmenröder nine. in a breathtaking performance. As I did. The twisting. Festner. Now the band of brothers was complete. “Before I could follow him I saw Allmenröder being pressed hard by two Englishmen and I gave him some breathing room. “I am very happy with it. boasted in a letter to his sister. Wolff five. amusing boy’s face. whereupon I could not help letting out a loud Hurrah. Despite these odds. Schäfer. Jasta 11 was determined to deny the enemy aerial superiority. With his jokes. the month saw Jasta 11 score a stunning 89 confirmed victories.” Allmenröder. usually together. and Festner 12. “Richthofen and I. he shot down two fighters and two observation craft on the 29th. The victories of March were a mere foretaste of the glories to come.” a proud Richthofen wrote home.” More than just a military unit. he was the darling of Jasta 11. While patrolling with Wolff on April 11. a Vickers single-seater got in behind me. and Wolff became household names. one of whose occupants was Captain William Leefe Robinson. Richthofen was promoted to Oberleutnant after he knocked down 10 enemy aircraft. 23-year-old 2nd Lieutenant Lothar von Richthofen joined Jasta 11. fell end over end and fluttered earthwards in a burning heap.III fighter in 1917. Fired by their first successes and egged on by the infectious ambition of their commander. winner of the Victoria Cross. Richthofen. Treatment for shattered nerves did not exist and pilots simply flew and fought until they collapsed or were wounded or killed. mobbed by adoring crowds wherever he went. Richthofen himself survived two potentially fatal incidents. they had to cope with killing young men like themselves.” and other more colorful. suffered wing failure.” poses in his leather flying coat. appeared everywhere. Sebastian Festner attacked several Sopwith Strutters from the 43rd Squadron.” He received hundreds of fan letters at squadron headquarters. the thrill of the chase and the kill. were well known. Depending on the source. and was besieged by countless autograph hunters and reporters. and he was forced to land. One of the peculiarities of this form of combat was that anybody. Early in the morning of April 25.” Richthofen wrote. his service cap tilted at a rakish angle. regardless of skill and experience.” WORLD WAR I 7 . Richthofen was quickly promoted to the prestigious rank of Rittmeister (cavalry captain) on April 6. Richthofen was equally famous across the lines. Only later would he become legendary as the “Red Baron. was shot down on the 13th.” his proud mother wrote in her dairy. the lower port wing on Festner’s Albatros broke apart. Richthofen. he smashed into the ground and died. Festner’s death shocked and saddened his comrades. Schäfer wrote that he was “bitterly sad that I must leave the Staffel I have come to love. antiaircraft guns.” But fame was no protection against the vagaries of aerial combat. enthusiasts much as Americans collected baseball cards. on April 26. In a letter to his parents. “on the lips of all the people. Richthofen smoked constantly and suffered from nightmares about seeing his first English victim die in the air. one when his fuel tank was struck by enemy fire and he had to land.” Because of the squadron’s ability to pack up their tents and move up and down the line according to necessity.” “le petit rouge. the splendid circle of comrades and most of all. unprintable expressions. Jasta 11 suffered its second blow when Schäfer. enemy fliers. If I had a choice. and his handsome face. and friendly fire. he was either shot down by one of these. where he was called “the Red Devil. “He is in all the papers. was awarded the Pour le mérite and appointed commander of Jagdstaffel 28. carrying the unit marking of red. he sardonically referred to it as “infanticide. “I once more attacked him. his airplane was severely hit when the Sopwith Strutter he had just forced down unchivalrously kept firing at him from the ground. Schäfer. and was brought down again on the 22nd. On top of this. Richthofen was dining with top-ranked generals and even the kaiser himself. struck by ground fire and narrowly escaping capture by British troops as he worked his way across noman’s-land. or was the victim of a broken propeller. for instance. crash landed on April 4.” or “Richthofen’s Circus.” alluding to the youth of his victims.” All of Jasta 11’s fighters. I would prefer a thousand times more to remain here. During a dogfight with the British 60th Squadron on April 8. Richthofen’s young team was forced to deal with the pressures of history’s first air war—the adrenaline rush of fear. the flag waves over his name. his coat collar turned up and the Pour le mérite gleaming at his neck. called “Little Wolf. Whatever the fate that pressed him earthward. “and killed one of the occupants. When Schäfer destroyed a British FE2d on April 3. was hit by ground fire. And everybody was trying to kill them: small arms and machine guns from the trenches. Women especially adored him and wrote to him by the hundreds. a seasoned ace with 23 victories. As the first of the band to fall in combat. RIGHT: Lieutenant Kurt Wolff. the nerve-killing dullness of fatigue—years before notions of combat stress had been identified. Showered with virtually every medal his country could bestow upon him.” Under the intense strain of ceaseless combat.All: Author’s Collection LEFT: Lieutenant Lothar von Richthofen proudly displays his Pour le mérite medal at his throat. midair collisions during dogfights. Allied pilots began referring to them as “the Flying Circus. structural and engine troubles on their aircraft. when he broke his own rule by flying too low. A visiting reporter thought the unit’s aircraft looked like a “swarm of radiant butterflies. could be brought down by anybody else at any given moment. the daily brushes with death. On the other occasion. ” Flying with Allmenröder on the 13th.” wrote Satchell. the last of the old band still remaining in Jasta 11. but not mortally. It was translated into English and widely read in Great Britain and elsewhere. I will remain in his Staffel a long time!” Allmenröder gamely carried on the old traditions by downing 13 enemy aircraft in May. “Schäfer looped over the top of us and we stalled. Years later. Adding to the Rittmeister’s concerns were the excellent new Allied airWORLD WAR I 8 . Richthofen appointed his brother acting commander of Jasta 11. The next day. During the clash he shot down Captain Albert Ball. Richthofen sat for portraits. and fell down on him as he was coming out of the loop.A. This impressive feat. Richthofen was jolted by a telegram: “Lothar is wounded. We were about 50 yards from him and I can still picture his black helmet and red plane. “Hopefully. On May 1. Richthofen was ordered to take an openended leave. When Richthofen returned to active duty in early June.” But in a subsequent letter home. Lothar had been struck in the hip by ground fire and hospitalized. the Rittmeister received the stunning news that that his friend was dead. the kaiser wishing to preserve his valuable national hero. A saddened Richthofen canceled all appointments in his busy schedule to attend his friend’s funeral in Krefeld. “The entire responsibility has been given to me by Richthofen. and dictated his memoirs. Great Britain’s highest ace and holder of the Victoria Cross. Other- wise he will suffer a relapse or be shot down. His happy band of fighters was broken. Medford-Lewis. Delighted with his brother’s achievements.Manfred von Richthofen lands his Fokker DR1 triplane after another patrol over no-man’s-land. writing to their mother that “he looked splendid. Schäfer had fallen on June 5 during a dogfight with FE2ds. The Red Combat Pilot. Surrounded by ecstatic fans wherever he went. Lothar was involved in an evening dogfight with brand-new double-gunned SE5 fighters from the crack 56th Squadron. Back in the Fatherland. Richthofen was also gladdened to hear that Schäfer had shot down his 30th victory. was appointed its commander.” Boyish Allmenröder. “Both I and my observer. Lt. Lothar’s 20th kill. Three days later. however. Satchell recalled bringing down the German ace.L. Richthofen proudly followed the victories of his friends.” Schäfer had violated his master’s warnings against doing tricks in the air. Richtofen cautioned: “Under no circumstances should [Lothar] be allowed back at the Front until he is physically fit. He made a serious mistake and it cost him his life. he received the Pour le mérite in June. “Little Wolff” raised his score to 29 and was awarded the coveted Pour le mérite on May 4. a DH4 bomber. which became an instant bestseller. Schäfer’s hometown.” he excitedly wrote his sister. Richthofen visited his recuperating brother. had our guns going. T. Lieutenant H. Richthofen sorely missed his squadron mates and longed to return to them. he quickly realized that the air war had changed. tanned with the Pour le mérite around his neck. made headlines across Germany. dined with royalty. In the newspapers. even though he was out of range. which did not cease. Wolff humorously described what finer death for myself than to fall in aerial combat.” he went on. As he roared downward. The worst part fighter.” röder was out again the next morning. ers in the air at one time. My hands dropped to the as well.” enormous leadership and administrative strains on he recalled. Suddenly. Now he was second only to was that the blow on the head affected my optic nerve and Richthofen in kills. Richthofen shot down ting him grow in his gunsights. Nicholas Hospital in Courtrai. on June 26. When he came to. the his 56th opponent. from his head. shooting down a Sopwith triplane for his 33rd victory. “For a moment. and was British observer was already nervously officially informed that he was commander of firing at him. As his opponent banked to avoid him. Richthofen had Wolff transferred back to Jasta 11 as its commander. Richthofen had not even released the safety latches tas 4. This reorganization placed Richthofen calmly maneuvered to stay behind. Carefully. Eager for more victories.” Allmenröder was 21 years old. shooting down his 30th opponent. he was fired himself as his eyesight returned. young Allmenröder continued to score body was completely paralyzed. Richthofen and his men stalked nine FE2ds patrolling over the German lines. On June 25. 10. Through sheer the lines—the near-fatal mistake that Richthofen had will power. a combat group comprising Jas.III but still suffered from weak lower wings. letHospital in Courtrai. flying low over Richthofen’s plane plunged earthward. a RE8.on his guns. Allmen. end. Richthofen selected his prey. with a hunter’s precihead. tried to climb out of the cockpit but tumbled out that small-arms and antiaircraft fire was heard coming and lay on the ground in a daze. the superb Bristol two-seat fighter. “I received a blow on my head! I was hit!” A Richthofen and signaled how the massed nature of the lucky shot had clipped a two-inch patch of skin and bone ground war was reflected in the air war.Va fighters. Wolff glide. and 11 and capable of putting 50 to 60 fight. This same day.” Other reports indicated in a field. he saw Wolff already blazing away at the enemy.time. the latter armed with twin Vickers machine guns. He was presence in the machine. past the German fighters and a squadron of 12 triplanes his body was recovered by German soldiers that from the 10th Naval Squadron roared down on them. it is happened next.” He made a decent landing away [a] tremendous distance.I was completely blinded. To counter this. poses with a nurse at St. flying to the east of Ypres. “I had my hand right where an Englisha consolation to know that Karl noticed nothing of his WORLD WAR I 9 . with bandaged the latest Allied planes.” Richthofen’s letter found himself in St. although “it was like lookupon by “an English plane that was at least 800 meters ing through thick black glasses. and the highly maneuverable Sopwith triplane and Camel fighters. “a a letter to his girlfriend. From this wounded. He was out hunting again with Wolff and others on the morning of July 6. Calmly. Nicholas sion. “my whole Like his boss. the Allies were appearing over the front in massed formations of more than 50 aircraft. “I could not wish. Richthofen and Wolff were now the last of the original band of brothers. Biding his Jagdgeschwader I (JGI). he regained the use of his limbs and frantically made weeks earlier. Four days later. “Karl’s machine. a Nieuport side and my legs dangled in the fuselage.” The was leading Jasta 11 over the lines when tracers ripped mortally wounded ace’s airplane fell into no-man’s-land. His comrades noticed that he on a morning patrol again the day after Richthofen was turned off the gas. Tactically. and passed over in a glide. German fighter units were equipped with new Albatros D. the Rittmeister avenged Allmenröder’s death by bringing down an RE8 for his 57th victory. “I must see!” he recalled saying to Richthofen wrote to Allmenröder’s father.” Richthofen concluded.craft now confronting German pilots—the robust SE5a fighter. 6. according to a letter grabbed the joy stick.ace of aces had proven vulnerable at last.V and D. which were supposed to be an improvement over the D. “immediately made a left turn in the direc. tion of our lines: a sign that there was still a conscious Wolff was now the last of the band still flying. In evening. he from the trenches. “Suddenly. The continued. The Rittmeister signaled the attack. On July 2. a vertical dive resulted. They were outclassed by Manfred von Richthofen. ers. Somehow. the fun was gone. and skill. struggling with brother’s death. “I band would be awarded the Pour le mérite. the Red Baron fell on April kills in World War I. “it headaches and depression.” Richthofen jotted down. Although his unit was doing would not have happened. It was an exhilarating time. Finally. Schäfer. where he would reach an unheardof 80 victories en route to becoming the highest scoring ace of World War A replica of Manfred von Richthofen’s Fokker DR1.” Richthofen was soon leading patrols. four of the down a Nieuport 17. pilots in Jasta 11 were driven by the reckless belief that Wolff understood these feelings. the lines in his face harder. in which he recorded an unheard-of 80 I. and violating man was shooting. “Had I been there. 1918.” Now all of Richthofen’s friends were dead.” he wrote.” he wrote. It was exactly one year after the glories of bone was shot clean through. • the enemy as he had done during the heady days of the WORLD WAR I 10 . the young German want to see anyone or hear anything. explaining that he did not 225 downed aircraft. he sat the whole day and stared through the window at the dark trees in the garden. Festner. Thanks to their leader’s immense talents. fight and returned to the airfield. violent careers. depression. 21. unmotining.” The Rittmeister would often head straight for his quarters Lothar. but at least nant. went through the hand—the wrist enemy lines. the 40-victory ace Manfred returned to command on July 25. courage. Wolff. From a group of badly trained. His mother observed his reaction: “His lips grew hard. Unable to shoot down above the squalid gray trenches. “of the Manfred von Richthofen had molded and managed his lively. saved Lothar and Wolff were still recovering in hospital when by his injuries. In their brief. Allmenröder. Hours later he found Of the original six who had made up the band of brothhimself lying alongside Richthofen in the hospital. shooting became textbook examples of boldness. the frustrated pilot was killed in action flying a new Fokker triplane just four days after rejoining his unit. As the hero of the German people and commander of JGI.” Wolff dove out of the dogApril 1917. he shaped a band of brothers that was not until August 16 that he scored again. His sense of duty and his burning ambition brought him back into the air.Oliver Thiele spring. Lothar received the depressing news while convalescing at home. He had not yet turned 26. his head still bandaged. Wounded twice more.” he said sadly. “The bullet. Promoted to Oberleutthey were not going to die. although it vated young men. They were wrong. Flying and fighting for fame and Fatherland. “There is nothing left. and Manfred accounted for a combined record of after returning from patrol. it was different now. a victim of fatigue. he still had a difficult task awaiting him—to carry on.” Lothar met a flyer’s end when fine work. being the his own rules against flying too low and too far over harder component. forever they died on their own terms. headaches. in the brilliant blue skies changed by his grim experiences. his wound was recuperating in the hospital when he learned of his unhealed. only Lothar von Richthofen survived the war. “But that no doubt is an after-effect of my head wound. he was killed in a civilian aircraft accident in 1921. am in wretched spirits after every aerial battle. he returned to the war on September 11. merry war as our deeds were called in the beginmen superbly. R.R. and a war for the future of A British soldier searches for a dead comrade’s identity disc after the disastrous attack at the Somme.Australian War Memorial A Hobbit on the Somme A YOUNG WRITER. J. Tolkien. TOLKIEN. a grand alliance of forces forms in the West. By O’Brien Browne Smoke and ash drifted across the shattered ground. perhaps the most famous and widely read writer to emerge from the conflict. bringing terror and death to the soldiers huddled below.R. and Siegfried Sassoon— to say nothing of such American writers as Ernest Hemingway. who also took part in a similar British rout at Gallipoli. E. Dead faces peered up with lidless eyes from pools of stagnant water. INSET: A reflective J. Black flying objects screeched downward. Tolkien’s immensely popular trilogy. and German author Erich Maria Remarque—have been etched into public perceptions of World War I-inspired literature. Cummings. is almost never associated with it. names such as English writers Robert Graves.R. Out of this fiery cataclysm. Painting by Frank Crozier. This is the fictional world described in J. Brooding evil arises out of the East. Yet World War I had a major creative impact on Tolkien.E. and John Dos Passos. but it was based on the awful reality of the Western Front in World War I.R. Perhaps no other war has produced such an illustrious array of writers. Rupert Brooke. Tolkien in his study long after the war. Ironically. WITNESSED THE WORST SINGLE DAY OF BRITISH MILITARY HISTORY—WORLD WAR I’S BATTLE OF THE SOMME. Wilfred Owen. The Lord of the Rings. WORLD WAR I 11 . while on the horizon the sky blazed red-orange with flame and the entire earth shook. informing the universal themes that make his novels so vivid.R. stands out in Tolkien’s writings. Britain’s powerful navy prorepulsion. Gilson had joined in November Her death in 1904 was another body blow to the young 1915. his mother brought him and his brother to England himself. though he would later be transferred to the 19th Tolkien was a member of his school’s cadet corps. riding Battalion. As Tolkien and his friends went through cian. Although it was a hard decision for the Tea Club of the Barrovian Society. “all but one of my close friends in 1914 after the assassination of the were dead. Finnish. “In those days. The witty aesjoined up. just outto enlist in the British Army. Wiseman opted to enlist later.B. for instance. Suffolk Regiment as family friend. had taken own private languages for them. dourly surveying her siastically dashed to the colors of their remighty empire. Queen Victoria sat on the Although many European men enthuBritish throne. Tolkien as a signal officer in the tected homeland and colony alike. “By 1918. and together they founded the HMS Superb. and he later. and pretentious little group. others tralia. Gothic. he prepared died of rheumatic fever. and it jars modern readers to read Tolkien observed the slowly escalating Tolkien’s foreword to the second edition tensions among the nations of Europe. the Barrow Store. his childhood sweetship.” Still. her 11th Battalion. and his only chance for survival after the war was born in Bloemfontein.” he which finally exploded into all-out war writes. to be in. mance and ivy-covered university walls. In 1889. wished to be a musiand its allies. fortified by the shared hardships of heart. male friendwith Edith Bratt.R. which symbolto escape the harsh African climate. later to boy. inventing his seen. “chaps irreverent. the character of the war transformed. Canada. wrote ing more protracted and deadly than anybody had foretales of elves.” In 1915. Lancashire Fusiliers.” Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand. or were scorned publicly. and other languages. dwarfs. Smith longed to be a poet. Tolkien was accepted lunar landscape filled with surging into Oxford University.R. the young poet being a c c e p t e d i n t o t h e O x excelled at Latin and ancient Greek. a second lieutenant. and Robert Gilson. Tolkien decided J. where he maarmies and killing machines—the very jored in Old English and Germanic lanthings Tolkien experienced firsthand in guages while developing a relationship World War I. Austhat was to be over by Christmas. boot camp. ized for him “the collapse of all my world. alGerman. It was an idealistic. ened from fierce colonial wars. in reality there was little choice but to voluntheir meeting place. Three years to find a job in academia. named after young men. It was a nasty cleft thetic Gilson dreamed of becoming a renowned architect. literature-loving G. where Tolkien’s friends in the TCBS had already reached the Tolkien’s mother gave him an excellent education at home. a primarily financial choice. This was Tolkien had always been desperately the world into which John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was poor. Shortly afterward. The Lancashire Fusiliers. After struggling so hard to better later. The Tolkien children were raised by an aunt and a be transferred to the 11th Battalion. with a territorial cavalry regiment in 1912. in 1892. side the grim industrial city of Birmingham. dreamy. and heroic supermen. sensitive and talented. In particular. Geoffrey Bache Royal Navy in summer 1915 to serve on the battleship Smith. They moved to Sarehole. Welsh. of The Lord of the Rings. and much of the rest of greeted the conflict with indifference or the planet. after the family was crushed to learn that Tolkien’s father had graduating with a first-class degree in 1915. South Africa. WORLD WAR I 12 . or TCBS. which spread out from spective nations to participate in a war the British Isles to India. ambitious. same conclusion. the war was not going well for Great Britain Wiseman. going into the friends with Christopher Wiseman. going into the Cambridgeshire Battalion. He made best Like Tolkien. becomand Tolkien. also as a second lieutenant.” Tolkien later recalled. Tolkien’s linguistic gifts blossomed. Against the background of rowarfare. Tolkien did not welcome the war. For his part. before devouring f o r d s h i r e a n d Buckinghamshire Light Infantry. Egypt. teer. and hardworking. Lancashire Fusiliers.civilization takes place in a nightmarish Upon graduation. Smith followed his friend a month At school. to complete his studies and then join small professional army was battle hardup. Smith but also choosing the unit because it was full of Oxford men.” On June 2. the world’s first poison gas attack. And in April 1915. He memorized the art of station call signs—tactical voice communications with letters or digits representing companies. Great Britain suffered 50. lamps. part in a bloody but failed landing against well-entrenched Turkish forces at Gallipoli. “Junior officers were being killed off a dozen a minute. and Canadian divisions with a terrible new weapon—168 tons of chlorine. On the home front.” WORLD WAR I 13 .’ especially the plain soldier from the agricultural counties. Tolkien and the three other members of the TCBS gathered one last time to discuss literature and the future. On June 28. or trade. organized into regiments sporting such quaint names such as the Tyneside Commercials or the Manchester Pals. and colleagues would be more cohesive and motivated on the battlefield. Morse code. Smith’s battalion was known as the 3rd Salford Pals. Tolkien found boot camp dull. he visited her for the last time. On the Western Front. The tragic corollary to this thinking was that when the fighting was particularly intense. a German submarine campaign was strangling much needed food and weapon supplies. This was typical of British Army recruiting at the time—young men joined up en masse by town.000 casualties in the Battle of Loos. and Tolkien developed “a deep sympathy and feeling for the ‘tommy. Army bureaucracy intolerable. He learned map reading. The idea was that units made up of friends. platoons. responsible for battalion communications with headquarters. 1916. Tolkien was trained in Yorkshire as a signals officer. and field telephone operation. Now married to Edith Bratt. At this bleak hour.” he wrote. such close-knit groups would also fall en masse. relatives. Like all new soldiers.British infantry trudges through the rain toward new lines at Guillemont during the 1916 Somme campaign. the Germans struck combined French. wiping out entire school classes or neighborhoods in the space of a few bloody moments. As he later remembered. That autumn. message sending via carrier pigeon. school. G. a more subtle transformation was occurring within him. Tolkien received his embarkation orders. “War multiplies the stupidity by 3.” In socially stratified prewar England.B. and heliographs as well as “runners. Great Britain’s first volunteer army had thrown together men from all walks of life and all social classes. But in training camp. Because of his language expertise. Algerian.” soldiers who carried hand-written notes to headquarters under fire. Tolkien the Oxford man would normally never have had anything to do with such “commoners. flares. and most of his commanding officers insipid. no doubt desiring to be close to G. and sections—and also how to use signal flags and discs. British forces had suffered appalling losses at Neuve Chapelle while Russians and Austrians battled it out in the Carpathian Mountains. Parting from my wife then was like death. harboring little hope that he would ever see her again.B. the 23-year-old Tolkien enlisted in the Lancashire Fusiliers. a new horror appeared: along a four-mile stretch of the Ypres Salient in Belgium. Note the gas masks on the gunners. Gilson. from where he and the 11th Battalion.LEFT: Troops of the 11th Battalion wait in the trenches at Arras. at 7:28 AM. smashed wagons. rat infested and mud filled. they witnessed the genius of their enlightened epoch being used to kill masses of men. the rotting bodies of dead men and horses littering the ground. Tolkien and his fellow officers were instructed to lead their troops into battle in parade fashion—long. Moving up into the front lines.” tilted slightly forward. Tolkien disembarked on June 6. Suddenly. Neither he nor his men were aware of it. Laurence Bird. Their target was the enemy trenches near the village WORLD WAR I 14 . 25th Division for an upcoming offensive on the Somme River. at any rate. in one place scooping out a 90-foot-deep crater in the earth. under the command of Lt. It had rained the night before. The battalion was transferred to 74th Brigade. 1916. Tolkien and his friends went off to battle. even lines marching against the Germans in waves. and the British Army would simply stroll over no-man’s-land. Gilson’s and Smith’s units were among those moved up to take part in the initial attack. removed from a battleship. Col. Because the vast majority of the men were green. and roll up the rest of the enemy’s forces before breaking out into open ground. would go over the top. chalky countryside near the Somme. That. After a massive artillery barrage. The battalion was typically hard hit by casualties. and adorned with hunks of putrid flesh and smashed equipment. July 1. The earth of northern France was ripped up and broken. France. the Germans would be either dazed or dead. German soldiers. 1916. and barbed wire. One by one.500 British guns had pulverized the German positions to soften them up and cut the dense wire entanglements through which the attacking British were to weave. were transported by train to the great British communication and supply center at Amiens and billeted near the front lines. While Wiseman experienced a comparatively “clean” war in the Navy. Gilson had blown his whistle and led his men over the top.000 British troops. was the plan. The Army slowly surged up jumping-off ladders and began walking slowly toward the enemy lines. RIGHT: A German 5. and trees suddenly lifted into the air as British sappers blew mines under the German trenches. occupy the trenches. Some 200 battalions. Then. This was followed by an eerie silence. all along the line. prepares to launch a gas bombardment. a massive heap of dirt. For a week before the attack. seeing sporadic action. containing 100. The trenches were torn up by shell blasts. The war could be brought to a sudden and decisive close. 1. and freshness was everywhere. Lancashire Fusiliers. the “Big Push” that Army planners had designed to break through the Germans lines in the rolling.9-inch naval gun. at Étaples. The morning of the attack was a poet’s morning of golden sunshine and wildflowers swaying gently in a faint breeze. Tolkien was assigned to A Company. Tolkien’s unit was held in reserve. grotesquely entwined with the hulks of rusting guns. Tolkien. Zero hour was set for 7:30 AM. but they were about to participate in the greatest attack in the history of the British Army. the shrill sound of whistles trilled as British officers signaled their men to attack. their bayoneted rifles held “at the slope. and Smith entered a war zone of gothic horrors for which nothing in their comfortably sheltered young lives had prepared them. oozing mud from countless shell holes. of La Boisselle. he joined 160 other men who were casualties. The attack began at precisely 12:18 PM with an artillery barrage. Such wounded men were congratulated by their envious comrades. “is that something has gone crack. Casualties were heavy.” Smith. G. the 11th was yanked in and out of the line several times. On July 4. his unit watched the lines of British wounded and German prisoners stream past. Luckily for him. he and his men attacked the Leipzig Salient.” The war continued. Tolkien was made battalion signal officer in command of several noncommissioned officers and privates. and rolls of telephone wire to maintain communication with headquarters. the 11th Suffolk had suffered 691 casualties.000 British soldiers fell. especially a section of the German line known as the Schwaben Redoubt.” But such occasions were rare. and many were killed. For Tolkien and the 11th.” a nonfatal wound that ensured that the victim would be sent back to Old Blighty—soldier slang for Britain—to recover. when a staggering 60. I am beyond measure delighted. small arms. lamps. Tolkien had not taken part on the disastrous opening day of the battle. he was sent back to Great Britain in early November. In a few moments. The Germans waited for the advancing British to come into range. this was the last fighting of the Battle of the Somme before they were pulled out of line for a much needed rest. before waves of British soldiers rushed toward the German trench. well-protected in deep dugouts. in huts full of blasphemy and smut. In late summer it was engaged in hard fighting at Thiepval Wood. As Gilson and the 11th Suffolk advanced. reflecting on Gilson’s death.” WORLD WAR I 15 .” he later wrote. and the two old friends talked about their experiences. “Owing to hostile MG [machine-gun] fire the advance was made by short rushes. “but that’s all. wounded. he ran into Tolkien in the village of Bouzincourt.” After Smith and his battered men were pulled out of the line for leave. hearing about Tolkien’s condition. Tolkien’s company commander was killed. On July 14. Tolkien kept up with his writing as well as he could under the circumstances. He recalled working on some of his stories “in grimy canteens. a disease akin to typhus that was spread by infected lice. with eight runners under his command. just one of the 267 casualties the 11th suffered in two weeks of fighting. Tolkien was stationed at battalion headquarters at Zollern Redoubt. was also in action at the Somme. The 11th attacked German trenches around Ovillers and the fighting was fierce. they soon realized to their horror that the wire before them had not been cut by the artillery fire and that the Germans.” Tolkien wrote to Smith. the attack was repulsed with heavy losses.” The first of Tolkien’s friends had fallen. In late October. both moving as if on parade. trench fever nevertheless was considered a “blighty wound. Tolkien succumbed to the most humble but ubiquitous enemy of all—lice. he slogged through the battered remains of the village of La Boisselle. had survived the massive bombardment. or captured. even some down in dugouts under shell fire. You couldn’t write.000 of them killed outright. he and his men hauling signal flares. Smith immediately wrote: “Stay a long time in England. “My chief impression. was assigned again to battalion headquarters. and both a minute or two later to be mortally hit. diagnosed with trench fever. a strongly fortified section of the German line on Thiepval Ridge. located a mere 200 yards from the British lines. Tolkien had to ensure that vital battlefield information went out to his superiors while simultaneously coping with runners being wounded or killed and telephone lines being severed by hostile gunfire. After surviving four hellish months in one of the war’s deadliest battles. Smith survived. and artillery fire. Throughout July and August. Once again. among them many officers knocked out while crossing no-man’s-land. This time the artillery fire was effective enough to catch the Germans by surprise. sometimes deadly disease. then opened up with machine guns. “You might scribble something on the back of an envelope and shove it in your back pocket. Held in reserve. When elements of the 11th were thrown into the fighting. While the battle stormed about him. Tolkien and his men were involved in bloody fighting to take Regina Trench. at lectures in cold fogs. Lancashire Fusiliers. A wounded company commander wrote: “My very last memory of the attack is the sight of Gilson in front of me and [another officer] on my right. Before the leading wave had advanced 100 yards. A vicious. Tolkien. an intelligence officer in the 19th Battalion. writing in a very nonpoetic manner in his battle report. With a fever of 103 degrees. One of Tolkien’s signalers was hit while carrying a pigeon basket. 20. Tolkien was kept back to act as communications officer for the battalion. You’d be crouching down among flies and filth.B. debilitating. or by candle light in bell-tents. men began dropping everywhere. ” Tolkien remembered. In September 1918 he was deemed incapable of returning to active service. Throughout 1917 and 1918. for instance. “My Sam Gamgee. The characteristics of Tolkien’s friends appear in the Hobbit’s personalities. After the war’s end in 1918. The Lord of the Rings. On leave in 1917. Sam. Contradicting himself later. Although he denied that World War I had any influence on his subsequent writing.” Tolkien and his three friends are reflected in the four Hobbits—Frodo. Smith and his men were settling down in the tiny village of Souastre. Endlessly marching. he continued to fulfill his duties. No writer can divorce himself from the fires of his own experience—if he did. much as real-life British soldiers did. Whenever he was well enough. who himself was a composite of the men he had fought beside. lent his name to Tolkien’s character Sam Gamgee. He also found time to write an unpublished elegiac piece on Gilson and Smith. beginning with The Hobbit in 1937. of the privates and batmen I knew in the 1914 war.B. it was believed he received his own “blighty wound. “It is you and I now. when he was hit in the arm and buttock by shell fragments. telling his friend that he hoped Tolkien would not be sent back to the war. He continued to work on his novels. Although he often dismissed his war service with typical English self-deprecation. Tolkien was sorely missed. Back at the front.” But by the first week of December. Tolkien spent the rest of the war in Harrogate Sanatorium and other Army facilities.” WORLD WAR I 16 .German infantry advance over a newly captured British trench during the last German offensive in the spring of 1918. killed by gangrene from the foul battlefield soil that infected his wounds. they leave the West to battle a dark power in the East. Merry. evil land of Mordor neatly mirrors Tolkien and his friends’ journey from green England to the ruined stretches of northern France. a well-known Edwardian doctor who invented Gamgee Tissue used in surgery. Tolkien was considered a good officer. G. As Tolkien lay feverishly in bed. Wiseman visited the convalescing Tolkien. Tolkien was struck by recurring bouts of trench fever and was in and out of the hospital.B. serves as the model for Pippin. Tolkien worked as an associate professor before he became a full professor of AngloSaxon languages at Oxford University. Sampson Gamgee. warfare permeates Tolkien’s Middle-Earth just as it permeated Europe in the first half of the 20th century. Tolkien admitted that his stories had been “quickened to full life by war. “is indeed a reflection of the English soldier. his surviving friends were still at war. Smith’s stay was uneventful until in late November 1916. Smith was dead. being promoted to full lieutenant. Smith. The Hobbits’ long journey from the verdant fields of the Shire to the barren. The fun-loving G. and worked on his stories and languages Meanwhile. he would have nothing to write about. behind the front lines. and Pippin—in the wildly popular trilogy. and recognized as so far superior to myself. At first.” Wiseman had written to him earlier. the Battle of the Five Armies in The Hobbit.” Perhaps staged after the battle. living in fetid trenches and deep dugouts. vivid friendships. Tolkien always denied.fall of Gondolin in The Silmarillion. The impact of the war on Tolkien’s works was obvious to those who knew him best. while the white and gray mud is similar to the deadly sucking muck of the Somme. underground Dwarf and Elf kingdoms—mirrors the subterranean existence he experienced on the front lines in France.” Among the great attractions of Tolkien’s Middle-Earth are the realistic landscape descriptions and detailed maps he created for his imagined lands. cooking pans. sickly white and grey and pocked with great holes. It did to me. tinderbox. “I am wounded.S. And just as Tolkien’s trench fever recurred in debilitating waves. so too does Frodo suffer from painful fits long after the wars of Middle-Earth have drawn to a close. “has the very quality of the war my generation knew. however. recognized the war in Tolkien’s writing. Tolkien unabashedly kept alive the tradition of war as a WORLD WAR I 17 . writing to his son Christopher. unintelligible movement. “The Dead Marshes. Much of Tolkien’s world—the Hobbit holes. will prove useful. spoon and fork. reflecting the skills he had learned in map-reading and drawing courses at Army signalers school.” Finally. have their origins in the real-life Battle of the Somme. this photo claims to show the 11th Battalion in action at Polygon Wood in September 1917. author of the Chronicles of Narnia books and a veteran himself. much like a soldier’s kit of rolled blankets. and the Hobbits’ backpacks. the sinister quiet of the front … the lively. such as the Tolkien’s details reveal his military training: the skill with which Sam makes a smokeless fire. He wrote to his son in 1941: “I have spent most of my life studying Germanic matters (in the general sense that includes England and Scandinavia). and the Austro-Hungarian Empire. There are the Dead Marshes. Tolkien’s close friend and fellow Oxford scholar.” Tolkien freely admitted. represented German soldiers. trolls’ caves. It is all here: the endless.” Mordor’s fumes recall the Germans’ use of mustard gas. show an accuracy that any soldier would appreciate. Lewis. and a small store of salt. how the men of Gondor. the destruction of the Dark Lord’s empire in The Return of the King is powerfully reflected in reality as World War I swept away several great kingdoms—Czarist Russia. where the chalky ground had been pulverized by artillery barrages.” and the “Noman-lands” arid and lifeless. Significantly. for example.” he tells Sam. or the great war epic in The Lord of the Rings. then serving in the Royal Air Force. Tolkien’s love of huge and heroic battles. the Ottoman Empire. and a “foul sump of oily many-coloured ooze lay at its bottom. C. “wounded. Imperial Germany. leaving him lying prone on his bed. that the Orcs. Tolkien would have disagreed.” Paul Fussell’s influential The Great War and Modern Memory argues that the romantic epic suffered a fatal wound in the “stupid” and “senseless” First World War. Lewis pointed out. “and the approaches to the Morannon owe something to Northern France after the Battle of the Somme. build bridges and defensive works. “I hope that in after days the experience of men and things. in 1944.” Hobbits Frodo and Sam take cover in craters much like shell holes. Tolkien admitted the effect of the war on himself. a cruel race. “choked with ash and crawling muds. like army engineers. it will never really heal”—a sentiment many physically or emotionally scarred soldiers from any war can share. In stark contrast to the disillusionment and antiwar sentiment of the postwar period. “a place where the dead lay underneath a noxious film of stagnant water. There is a great deal more force (and truth) than ignorant people imagine in the ‘Germanic’ ideal. if painful. A vast array of Tolkien’s imagery could have been lifted directly from a World War I battlefield guide. The conflict that dominates The Lord of the Rings. Tolkien served as a signal officer. The ruined wastes exactly match Tolkien’s descriptions of the evil land of Mordor in The Lord of the Rings. • WORLD WAR I 18 . “I was pitched into it all. but revived the heroic epic in English literature.” He never did. the war. millions of Tolkien’s books have continued to sell around the world.” he said. he retreated into his mind. Tolkien experienced pain all his life—the early deaths of his parents. and widely read writer to emerge from the inferno of World War I. influential. the memories remained. But the war also taught him to value positive things as well—pity. except in his books. beauty. just when I was full of stuff to write. Still. yet they stayed with him all his life. In 1940. his beautiful princesses. beauty. “the old trenches and the squalid houses and the long roads of Artois. as it changed everyone. A three-movie trilogy of his works directed by Peter Jackson concluded by sweeping the Academy Awards in 2004. and of things to learn. Tolkien downplayed. and great deeds. Mordor could not have existed had Tolkien not experienced it firsthand on the Somme. writing to his son Michael who had volunteered to fight in World War II. Since his death in 1973. “I can see clearly now in my mind’s eye. noble and romantic ideal. and made his descriptions more poignant because they were more real. and the meaning of friendship—themes that run throughout all of his works and still reflect the lives and aspirations of millions of readers today. and I would visit them again if I could. The war changed Tolkien. and shimmering enchanted forests.” Tolkien recalled. and even denied the effects of the war on him. meeting whenever they could to remember their friends in better times. It injected loss and sadness into his writing. Tolkien hinted at the things he had lost in the First World War. The romantic epic lives on with vigor and dash in Tolkien’s cavalry charges.Aerial shot of the denuded Somme battlefield. “and never picked it all up again. and he is easily the most unique. But such creativity had its costs. heroism. Like many people. financial hardship. suppressed. and there he found an enchanted land of heroes. He not only rejected modernism. loyalty.” He and Christopher Wiseman—the only sur- vivors from the TCBS—remained lifelong friends. Like many former soldiers. Patton was no George Washington. Grease & Glory FIERY YOUNG OFFICER GEORGE S. After World War II. PATTON RODE INTO WORLD WAR I AT THE HEAD OF THE U. of how George S. WORLD WAR I 19 . Patton at the Tank Corps School near Langres. All American schoolchildren know the story of George Washington crossing the Delaware River in the dead of winter during the Revolutionary War. 1918. Patton might never have learned the fine art of command.S. Instead. Yet how many are told of Washington’s less successful exploits in the French and Indian War? While George S. IT WAS THE BEGINNING OF A STORIED CAREER. By John Mikolsevek History is full of great men and great deeds.Blood & Guts. he nevertheless was one of the most controversial and popular commanders in American history. And without his experience in the Great War. they started in World War I. But Patton’s military achievements did not begin and end in World War II. children heard the saga of “Old Blood and Guts” and how he led the swift-moving Third Army across western Europe in pursuit of the crumbling Nazi Army. ARMY’S BRAND-NEW TANK CORPS. July 15. France. After the United States declared war. The job entailed commanding guards on duty.” He believed that it was only a matter of time until he had his own crack at fighting. and worked on his French. While participating in the Stockholm Olympics in 1912. Patton had fallen in love with French culture and language. When the United States declared war on Germany and the Central Powers on April 6. muscular. Once again without specific duties. During the voyage. Strict about discipline. and imposing. chief of the American Tank Corps. where he used his wife Beatrice’s vast fortune. For the next few days. Pershing. Patton kept him- self in shape.C. collected money for war orphans. during his time with Pershing. Patton joined the general’s personal staff. Patton followed Pershing to Europe. Patton was serving on the staff of General John J. As a soldier and commander. Baltic docked at Liverpool to wild celebration. A formal salute became known derisively among the men as a “Georgie Patton.” After accompanying Pershing on his punitive expedition against Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa in 1916. Already known as a loud-mouthed martinet. they did not look very happy. Pershing garnered respect just by walking into a room. Arriving in Paris on June 13. While not particularly thrilled with the assignment. to combine soldiers and tanks into one irresistible. After a week of celebrating. A tough disciplinarian. D. his aides lived in fear of his wrath. Pershing was everything the 31-year-old Patton wanted to be. his mentor and idol. Patton’s first assignment was to lead 67 troops to their quarters in the Tower of London. RIGHT: Skipper and gunner in a “whippet” tank north of Verdun. On June 8. Strong-jawed. his own political connections. mighty phalanx—a skill that served the Allies well in the next war. Patton functioned basically as the commander of the headquarters troops. Patton. Patton began to mimic Pershing in word and deed. Although still far from the front. civilians. refined his ideas and beliefs on military protocol. After landing. Rockenbach. he was closer to it in London than he would have been in Washington. and although far from fluent in French. where he finished fifth in the pentathlon. making sure that there were enough chauffeurs for the automoWORLD WAR I 20 . and a growing relationship between his sister Nita and Pershing to cement his ties to the quick-rising general. Patton left New York City on May 28 aboard the British steamer HMS Baltic. Even Pershing frequented his lessons. he insisted on perfect military protocol. and fruitlessly ordering his troops around. Patton finally saw his first glimpse of the war. including the playing of “The Star Spangled Banner” by the Royal Welch Fusiliers. Pershing and his staff left for France. “several train loads of British wounded. and enlisted men. he became an instructor on the voyage over. Patton kept busy socializing. drinking. 1917.LEFT: Colonel Samuel D. Along with 60 other officers and 128 War Department clerks. he demanded the most from his staff and soldiers. Patton knew that almost every officer back home would trade jobs with him. At last the Americans had arrived. he purchased a 12-cylinder. Patton and Braine made four suggestions that were eventually adopted. I shall be glad to get back to the line again and will try to do so in the spring.386—the equivalent of more than $50. But Haig liked Patton.” By early October. During their weeks studying French light tanks. writing. the Tank Corps first had to decide which tanks to use. No. was originally assigned to the 1st Infantry Division. Patton noted. “I believe that I am the only American who has ever made an attack in a motor vehicle. a close model of the British heavy tank. five-passenger Packard automobile worth $4. followed by one week at a tank factory at Bilancourt. Patton soon began to look for other jobs. his mechanical ability. Patton met and discussed with Colonel LeRoy Eltinge the role of tanks. In order to begin the American Expeditionary Force Light Tank School. an interchangeable mount that allowed the tank to carry a 37mm cannon or machine gun. but the people in them are pretty safe as we can be in this war. [aide-de-camp] is a fire-eater and longs for the fray. improvements in the fuel tank to protect against leaks. a French Renault. “There is a lot of talk about tanks here now and I am interested as I can see no future to my present job. I have a hard time keeping my patience. On November 10. he grew more frustrated. Patton drove his first tank. Patton submitted an application to the Tank Service (later called Tank Corps).D. Before this could happen. In typical Patton fashion. adding. he wrote of his cavalry background. and a steel panel to separate the crew from the engine. Despite the praise from Haig. along with 28-year-old Lieutenant Elgin Braine. These included a self-starter.” He stuck with his staff job. “The tank is not worth a damn.S.” Freely utilizing his wife’s wealth. weighed a massive 43 tons. Patton traveled with Pershing to meet with the British commander in chief.” While waiting for an answer. he had used an automobile to help in the surprise attack. he had a serious conversation about tanks and their role in the war. Braine. His first impression of driving a tank was that it was easy to control. Patton entered the hospital with a case of jaundice. as more of his West Point classmates were promoted ahead of him. “U. “The casualties in the tanks are high. the War Department settled on the Mark VII as the nation’s heavy tank of choice. Patton installed a license plate on the front of their automobile that read. By late July. the Americans WORLD WAR I 21 .biles and that the cars were running perfectly. who sometimes wondered how a young captain could afford such a vehicle. Patton wrote his last diary entry as a staff officer: “This is [my] last day as staff officer. when he had led a small group of men on a raid that took the lives of three Mexican banditos. In the letter. Trained as a cavalryman and therefore appreciative of mobile warfare and aggressive tactics. that is lots of them get smashed. a reserve officer. and a dizzying maximum speed of 6. Patton described his experience during Pershing’s expedition into Mexico. Prior to departure. The fancy new car turned the heads of many superior officers.” Patton’s first assignment in the Tank Corps was to learn as much about the tank as possible. 1. he was officially chosen for the Tank Corps and was ordered to prepare a school for light tanks.” Patton began to discuss with his wife the possibility of joining the tank corps. For the light tank.” For Patton.C. Patton complained to his wife that “personally I have not a great deal to do. had an 11-man crew. Julio Cardenas. but he was soon healthy and ready for his new duty. It will be a long long time yet before we have any [tanks] so don’t get worried. Patton. On October 3. I love you too much to try to get killed but also too much to be willing to sit on my tail and do nothing. While at Chamlieu. Pershing impressed Haig. On July 20. I would trade jobs with almost anyone for anything. The Mark VII. for the first time. During the raid. After three weeks of intense study. he thought anyone who could drive a car could operate a tank. Orders in hand.5 miles per hour. including Pancho Villa’s chief lieutenant. who nevertheless judged Pershing’s staff to be rather unspectacular. These damn French are bothering us with a lot of details which have nothing to do with any. Patton seemed less than enthusiastic about tanks. Patton’s disgust with his monotonous job continued to grow. and his fluency in French that made him the right man for the job. was ordered to visit the French tank training center at Chamlieu for two weeks.” During the meeting. Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig. Eltinge believed Patton should join them. Showing his usual flair for self-promotion. Now I rise or fall on my own. writing in his diary after the meeting that “the A.000 today— and endeavored to be seen everywhere. there could be no greater praise. Following a fact-finding mission. reporting himself to be “nothing but [a] hired flunky. he amused himself by knocking over trees with his new toy. but was transferred to serve under Patton because of his mechanical and technical expertise. but after following Pershing’s move to Chaumont on September 1.thing.” he wrote. Patton and Braine began the process of creating the Light Tank School. S. The most insightful aspect of Patton’s paper dealt with tactics and training.5 tons. Patton wrote a paper about light tanks. Patton. It is good discipline for me for I have to keep my temper. the gunner would kick the driver in the back of the head to go forward. government reached an agreement with Allied Commander in Chief Marshal Ferdinand Foch for the transfer of existing light and heavy tanks to the Americans. but at a great waste of breath. To supply the AEF with the tanks it needed. even-tempered figure. and with its increased speed and maneuverability. the Tank Corps began to organize and produce its own tanks. correctly believed that mobility was the most important factor in a tank. the tactics of tank forces. At first. the tank would face less fire and be less vulnerable to enemy attacks. “the basis of the U. early tankers devised a primitive but effective way to communicate. With heavy and light tanks selected. R. I think it’s the best Technical Paper I ever wrote. Communicating inside the tanks proved difficult. model weighed 6. The U.5 miles per hour and a two-man crew to operate it: a gunner. usually a sergeant. the U. The main tactical value of a tank was to WORLD WAR I 22 .American tanks move into battle line in the Argonne Forest on September 26. Patton and Rockenbach’s relationship was rocky. So in the long run I get my way. “Col. Through mobility. he also believed that tanks should function as an aid for infantry. 1918. with a maximum speed of 5. and a kick on either right or left shoulder to go left or right. While a firm believer in the weapon’s power.” As the Tank Corps prepared to begin training. chose to copy the French Renault. A stoic. Rockenbach was formally appointed chief of the Tank Corps on December 22. Prior to the use of radio communication. the tank could attack quickly. The 58-page report was.S. Each tank was equipped with a 37mm cannon or a French Hotchkiss 8mm machine gun. “As soon as you suggest anything he opposed but after about an hours argument comes round and proposes the same thing himself. Colonel Samuel D. and a driver.” The paper dealt with the mechanical structure of the tank. is the most contrary old cuss I ever worked with. he bragged. and methods of instruction and drill.” he wrote.S. he said. a graduate of Vir- ginia Military Institute. a kick on his head to stop. the Tank Corps had to grow into a fully operational branch of the AEF. was 22 years older than Patton and his opposite in almost every way. and Patton’s first comments on Rockenbach were extremely critical. Rockenbach. the organization of tank units. Unable to talk because of the noisy engines. Unfortunately for the Americans. with little light seeping through. Tank Corps. Completely closed in. Rockenbach lacked a sense of humor and was chosen not for his great mind but for his work ethic. this was the best the tankers could do. while neither a great writer nor a revolutionary thinker. usually a corporal. With the tanks on order. manufacturers at home were ill prepared for the large task ahead—only 26 ever arrived in Europe. Patton wore his rank proudly and never feared the Germans’ penchant for shooting officers. also named the 345th Tank Battalion. Patton reorganized the tank school and formed a second battalion. You will die for nothing. After recess and lunch. WORLD WAR I 23 . with himself as battalion commander. preventing the enemy from manning trench defenses. the French refused to allow the AEF access to the land. Willing to risk his life for a bit of fun. and Patton noted. the soldiers were expected to keep the training center in shipshape order. Without it heroism is futile. preventing counterattacks. Unlike most officers during this time. On May 21. shielding infantry from enemy machine-gun fire. At first. The rest of the day. followed by machine-gun and foot drill at 1:50 and theory and operation classes from 2:50 to 4. giving a speech on discipline. After the visit.” To celebrate the school’s success. he decided to take the class because most general officers had taken it. With discipline you are irresistible. and by January the tank school was becoming a reality. not to be outdone. For the training center. took off his helmet. Patton received word that he had been promoted to lieutenant colonel. “You would think they were doing us a great favor to let us fight in their damn country. also named the 344th Tank Battalion. who felt that the French were acting more like enemies than allies. Patton accepted a spot at the Army General Staff College in Langres. he and his troops put on their first demonstration on April 22. This infuriated Patton. Patton. he appointed a chief of staff.” For Patton. “The prize for this war is the greatest of all prizes—freedom. Kept busy around the clock. “I am getting ashamed of myself when I think of all the fine fighting and how little I have had to do with. In June. Patton correctly believed that tanks should be employed en masse. followed by closeorder drills. followed by foot drill at 11:20. he had the tank school up and running.” he warned. La Favre turned sarcastically toward the German line and exposed his bottom to enemy fire as he adjusted his leggings. officers were required to receive pistol instruction at 1 PM. Patton was in rare form. “but was ruled an ass. Patton and Rockenbach spent a week in England attempting to get some modifications for their tanks. Rockenbach made his first inspection of the tank school and was extremely impressed. Patton provided the best learning environment he could for his troops. lit a cigarette. Finding the land on which to train tankers proved to be difficult. Patton was able to secure the land. and Captain Sereno Brett in command of the 2nd Battalion. and he was further elated to hear that 10 Renault tanks were on their way to Bourg. While busy with the tank school and not really interested in staff duty. While happy with the tank school’s progress. Returning from his trip. which is worse than death. Luckily for both La Favre and Patton. a typical day for soldiers in the tank school began at 8:20 for morning drills. exercises on saluting at 8:35. adjutant.” he groused.” On March 19. he finally had a chance to travel to the front. With over 200 men in training at Bourg. He placed Captain Joseph Viner in command of the 1st Battalion. Soon. reconnaissance officer and supply officer. Patton chose Bourg. Patton grew bored with the safety of rear duty and longed for a glimpse of the front. As the equivalent of a regimental commander.help the infantry advance by running over barbed wire. German sharpshooters disdained to fire on the two show-offs.” Displaying great diplomatic patience. all your patriotism. He immediately pinned two golden oak leaves on his shoulders signifying his rank. The ground was level and perfect for tank training. While most tanks in World War I were inserted piecemeal. The demonstration went extremely well.” Following the trip. shall not have been in vain. a small village five miles south of Langres. On August 20. “I argued in favor of four speeds. Patton learned of his promotion to major. six days later Patton organized the 1st Light Tank Battalion. while still in class. “Lack of discipline in war means death or defeat. and a lone railroad track was beneficial in getting troops and eventually tanks to the center. It is by discipline alone that all your efforts.” he told his wife. instruction in guard duty and military courtesy at 10:45. Traveling with a French major named La Favre.” Patton recalled. then calisthenics and fitness drills at 10:05. and began to smoke. “The show came off all right except that it was raining hard and very cold so that one got stuck in a shell hole but I had a reserve one ready and every thing went on fine. Patton once got within 200 yards of the German line. Following a few weeks of training with actual tanks. “We are more or less held up now by the French who seem to put every obstacle in the way of our getting the ground we want for Tank center. In March. The next month. Patton received an urgent message: “You will report at once to the Chief of Tank Corps accompanied by your Reconnaissance officer and equipped for field service. neutralizing enemy strongholds. and seizing the initiative and attacking beyond the final objective. The two conversed on a hill as bullets whizzed by. While cutting off the salient was important. rainy. right. the Germans still held on to 150 square miles of French territory. he came upon a few stuck in the mud and trenches. and he also encountered Brig. The plan called for Patton’s 1st Tank Brigade to support the 1st and 42nd Divisions.000 doughboys and 3. Located 20 miles southeast of Verdun.” The day of attack arrived. Patton and some French soldiers explored the section designated for the Tank Corps. the St. he set about devising his own plan for his tanks. The original plan called for an all-out attack on St. he would lead large numbers of men into battle. French and British fear caused a change in the plan. On September 12. Mihiel had fallen into German hands in 1914. Douglas MacArthur. the AEF received 225 light tanks from the French. For the first time in his life. After cutting off the salient. Mihiel to Verdun and to establish a base for further operations. Patton got 144 of them and planned to put them all to use. Mihiel salient was risky and unnecessary. Patton moved on foot toward the action and immediately saw the wrath of war as the dead lay scattered across the field. 30 miles beyond St. he gave another grandiloquent speech. the AEF had grown large enough to participate fully in the war. Haig believed that a complete breakthrough of the St. Patton moved on toward WORLD WAR I 24 . “I joined him and the creeping barrage came along toward us. “We stood and talked but neither was much interested in what the other said as we could not get our minds off the shells. Its presence will save the lives of hundreds of infantry and kill many Germans. “American tanks do not surrender. but in general the tanks were performing well.it was a dream come true. Four years later. which were located almost directly in the center of IV Corps. Unfortunately. Patton wrote in his diary. the AEF would reorganize and swing north to the Meuse-Argonne Hindenburg Line. Mihiel salient. Before going into battle. Out of the 225 light tanks. the real prize was the ancient fortress of Metz. Instead of pushing forward with a breakthrough. The excitement of the battle and the urge to prove his courage were too much for him to ignore. commander of the 84th Brigade.” he roared. As for his tanks. Make it worthwhile. He decided to leave his command post and see for himself what was going on.” One well-placed artillery round on that cold. Patton found the ground soft. Patton eventually met up with some French tankers under his command around the town of St. By the late summer of 1918. with 15 American divisions and four French divisions moving against the flanks of the salient. “When the shelling first [started] I had some doubts about the advisability of sticking my head over the parapet. this is our big chance. Although divisions had been pushed into battle to stop the German summer offensive. the armies would stop and prepare for the major engagement against the Hindenburg Line. “As long as one tank is able to move it must go forward.” By 9:15. but it is just like taking a cold bath. Mihiel. 550. the town of St. September day could well have changed the course of World War II. Patton was growing weary of staying behind the lines. Meanwhile. And I soon got out on the parapet. The new plan called for the forces to free the railroad through St. During the last week of August. Supported by Foch. Mihiel attack would be the first major engagement the AEF would participate in as a whole. After talking with MacArthur. Patton set out to see the terrain on which his beloved tanks would fight. Mihiel salient.3 million artillery rounds launched their attack on the St. Mihiel. With this knowledge in hand. but he decided that it was suitable for tank use. Baussant. Finally.” Patton recalled. Gen. once you get in it’s all Pulling a tank out of a ditch during the American attack on the German line at the St. along with 450 guns. Patton ordered all ground troops toward a railroad cut. Some time I will figure the speed of sounds and bullets and see if I was right. More than 16. Patton noticed paint chips beginning to fly off the tank—he couldn’t hear anything over the noise—and immediately jumped off the vehicle into a shell hole. and more than 7. and any man who abandons his tank will in the future be tried. dugouts. Personally. Following an artillery bombardment. he felt that Patton’s duty was at headquarters. Patton rejoined the infantry and began organizing an attack of the town of Beney. both the 1st and 2nd Tank Battalions settled in for the night. or missing. “This made me mad.’s opened I would lay down and beat the bullets each time. they are not infantry. “Finally I decided that I could get back obliquely. Throughout the area were countless German defense fortifications. For that attack. With only five killed in action and 19 wounded.the action. While Rockenbach considered Patton’s wandering off to the front line a weakness. more and WORLD WAR I 25 . Almost immediately German artillery shells hit and were followed by machine-gun fire. 10 divisions planned to attack in the first wave. Patton believed that he and his forces had done well but could do better. Patton seemingly disregarded Rockenbach’s advice and reprimand and left his command post to see how his tanks were performing. Mihiel salient closed. “The bright thought occurred to me that I could move across the front in an oblique fashion and not appear to run from the Germans yet at the same time get back. he listed three points: “1. When a tank brigade was allotted to a corps. As soon as the m. He made do with some crackers taken from a dead German. Patton again pressed his luck. After ordering everyone to hit the dirt. and 14 broke down. So I started listening for the machine guns with all my ears.” Patton’s personal leadership during the battle endeared him to his soldiers. the tank crew did not notice his hurried departure and went on. The five light tanks of a platoon had to work together and not be allowed to be split up. 3. leaving him in a wide-open field with infantry troops still 600 yards behind. three were destroyed. Patton had shown great courage under fire and tremendous leadership qualities. The performance of the tanks. Once again traveling on foot. he met some American soldiers who were afraid to cross a bridge a French soldier had told them was mined.g. Following the successful attack on Beney.” After crossing the bridge. The two units would break out of the line and advance as far as they could. Rockenbach. Only a few hundred American deaths were reported.000 Germans were captured. Around 3 PM. 2. Stuck in the shell hole. “That was one of the secrets to his greatness. and other obstacles. I wish you would especially impress on your men that they are fighting [with] tanks. exhausted and content with the progression of the battle. “George Patton was always on the front lines. 22 were ditched. Of Patton’s 174 tanks engaged in the battle. Collectively. only to find that a mischievous German POW had replaced the food in his hamper sack with rocks. believed Patton’s conduct during the battle was less than exemplary. the commander was to remain at the corps headquarters or be in close telephonic communications with it. however. Around 6 AM. The attack started on September 26 as the artillery bombardment broke through the heavy fog. A few miles out of town. and after a few kilometers met up with some of his tanks.” After his narrow escape. For the Allies. As a tank brigade commander.” Patton said. Once in the safety of the cut. his forces pushed aside German resistance and captured the town of Jonville. while still on the top of the tank. wounded. the battle of St. Patton and his tanks moved forward against little German resistance. Unfortunately for Patton. Patton followed tank tracks on the Clermont-Neuvilly-BoureuillesVarennes road. the AEF immediately readied itself for the next move. Patton’s tank forces had done extremely well. On September 14. he sat down for his first meal. In Rockenbach’s reprimand of Patton’s conduct. The 1st Tank Brigade was ordered to support the 28th and 35th Divisions of I Corps as they attacked from the west. never in the rear with the Red Cross. while eight others waited in reserve. the Meuse-Argonne offensive. the American forces were to attack a 20-mile-wide. The next day. “so I led them through on foot but there was no danger as the Bosch [was] shelling the next town. 13-mile-long area. others considered it a strength. proved to doubters that tanks were an important and powerful weapon. Mihiel was a tremendous success. Patton devised a plan for a concentrated tank thrust through the enemy defenses. It is the only use I know of that math has ever been to me.” With the St. while far from perfect.” wrote Captain Viner. In Essey. While waiting for the attack to subside.” he recalled. not just a laboring machine. the AEF faced 18 well-trained German divisions.000 Germans were killed. not running around in a field chasing tanks. he hitched a ride on a nearby tank. Patton waited for the firing to end. With the fire increasing and more troops falling on the side of him. A few seconds later. Patton immediately ordered the men to help get the tanks across the trench. Patton ordered his troops to hold their ground and continue digging. Angelo. continued to dig and even hit a few soldiers over the head with a shovel to keep them working. Patton ordered the medics to take him to the 35th Division headquarters so he could give his report of the front. as machine-gun bullets flew over their heads. As they approached the trench. With machine-gun fire growing stronger by the minute. yelling. Patton. I was trembling with fear when suddenly I thought of my progenitors and seemed to see them in a cloud over the German lines looking at me. he tried to rally the troops and shouted. Waving his big walking stick over his head. wondered what the lunatic was trying to prove.’ [I] called for volunteers and went forward to what I honestly believed to be certain death. Patton noticed tanks stopped before a large trench. Patton once again tried to advance. he felt a shock of a bullet enter his leg. “To hell with them. The Germans began another barrage. the fire abated and Patton. After the fire died down again. and machine-gun fire burst out from the front. ‘It is time for another Patton to die. causing Patton and his soldiers to hit the dirt after only 50 yards. he pushed forward. others fled back to the railroad cut. After WORLD WAR I 26 . Angelo managed to bandage his wound. Forced to take cover with Angelo in a shell hole. they can’t hit me!” Finally the tanks advanced past the trenches. Mihiel. While some continued to dig. Injured and suffering from massive blood loss. Struggling to move. After a few hours.” Patton quickly picked himself up. Unmoved by the firing. and shouted to the six men following him. and Patton readied himself and his motley group of soldiers to advance. he organized the infantrymen and marched them to the trench. Patton ordered all to hit the dirt again. German machine-gun fire increased fantastically. waved his walking stick. Patton had a sudden vision: “I felt a great desire to run. seeking protection in the cut. five were killed. still conscious. more infantry troops began running from the front. With the attack dying down. Patton managed to crawl back in the shell hole with Angelo. let’s go!” As the other men quickly fell. angry at their lack of courage. Six men went with me. 100 soldiers jumped to their feet and ran down the hill with Patton. Private First Class Joseph T. “Let’s go. “Let’s go get them! Who’s with me?” Caught in the moment. was placed on a stretcher and taken to the medic tent. and the men began to tear down the trench walls. Patton’s orderly. armed with only a walking stick.An American tank moves to the front past German prisoners carrying their wounded to the rear on the first morning of the attack at St. I became calm at once and saying aloud. and the two awaited help. Seizing a lull in the German bombardment. The next morning he awoke. but without the war his job was boring. Patton. and he prepared to leave with his brigade around March. St. Many flags. The beginning of the Patton legend was born.” The war was over. Hit by Bullet—Crawled into Shell Hole and Directed Monsters in Argonne Battle. dazed but otherwise feeling rather good. the war was over.000 machine guns were captured. Patton’s tanks proved their worth. He had learned how to command and motivate troops and. ultimately. 874 cannons. Overall the two battles. The two battles helped push the Germans to the brink of defeat. Hero of Tanks. France. The Great War showed him for the first time to be a fine officer and leader of troops. the Allies had won.000 casualities. Patton returned to his tanks. They are the natural answer to the machine gun. have come to stay just as much as the airplanes have. A few days after being wounded. Patton was sent to Hospital Number 11 for immediate surgery. For Patton. “The tank is only used in extreme cases of stubborn resistance.000 prisoners. writing to his wife. Patton wrote home to tell his wife that he was “missing half my bottom but otherwise all right.” While thrilled with what he had done so far.” After getting out of the hospital and writing his numerous reports. He remained in France for months after the war. The headline of one story read. a battlefield commander. how to lead them in combat. Patton was slightly depressed. Patton was quoted in the New York Evening Mail as saying. Patton was proud to read stories of his death-defying exploits. and 3.• WORLD WAR I 27 . Everything Patton did in World War II started in World War I. Indeed. “Col. and he noted almost sadly in his diary: “Peace was signed and Langres was very excited. The bullet had entered his left thigh and exited two inches to the left of his rectum.” Once again. To his immense gratification. 1919. Almost single-handedly.reporting to the headquarters. but they inflicted 100.000 casualties on the enemy while 26.” Bored with hospital life and frustrated by not being able to fight. World War I reinforced what Patton had trained his whole life to become. Got rid of my bandage. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne offensive cost the AEF 117. Swamped by numerous newspaper reporters. it is hard to imagine General Patton rolling victoriously across Germany in 1945 had not Colonel Patton first slogged through the mud in France in 1918. A tank joins a mixed convoy of vehicles and horses at Essey. he was also awarded both the Distinguished Service Medal and Distinguished Service Cross. he was cheered by another promotion—this time to colonel. and he wore them with pride for the remainder of his life. “I feel terribly to have missed all the fighting. The war ended while Patton was still recovering. and he was saddened as many of his soldiers left for home. and Patton had surpassed all expectations. Patton left aboard the SS Patria on March 1 and arrived in New York with much fanfare on March 17. and as far as warfare is concerned. however. he had created a tank school and trained the 1st Tank Brigade. and consider what might have been. excerpts from diaries. Detailed Maps. Subscribe now! Visit our website below for our best subscription offers! www. Normandy. Order it right now. Bringing to life the legendary and the little-known. famous and little known photographs and paintings. • Profiles of Courage. color illustrations and detailed diagrams let you chart the development of the technology of war. • Weaponry. And there’s so much more. Making you an eyewitness to the drama of conflicts past.WarfareHistoryNetwork.com/magazine . Gettysburg. Meet the leaders who called the shots at history’s high points. letters and memoirs that reveal the human side of warfare. MILITARY HERITAGE Available in traditional print and digital format. MILITARY HERITAGE Magazine celebrates military history for the birthright it is. Analyze the strokes of genius and the stupendous blunders that carried or lost the day. Agincourt. • Eyewitness… Read first hand accounts – interviews. • Strategies and Tactics. But there’s only one way to know for yourself.Waterloo. And what can you expect in the pages of MILITARY HERITAGE Magazine? You can expect the unexpected. Discover the flesh and blood men who fought the battles and changed history. Find out who did what and why and when. Period photographs. unfit to bear arms. he dropped to his knees and thanked heaven for letting him be there during a time when Germany would be fighting to save itself. Adolf Hitler was gassed and temporarily blinded in August 1918.Hitler in WWI AN OBSCURE WOULD-BE ARTIST WAS CHANGED FOREVER BY HIS HORRIFIC EXPERIENCES IN THE GERMAN TRENCHES OF WORLD WAR I. burst into his room in hysterics and shouted. Frau Popp. 25year-old Adolf Hitler was living the starving artist’s life in the Bavarian city of Munich.” Hitler learned of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand when his landlady. INSET: A battle-hardened Hitler on convalescent leave in Berlin in October 1916. Hitler was deemed “too weak for armed or auxiliary service. which he felt allowed too many mixed bloods and different cultures into the ranks. It was during this period that he developed a pathological hatred of Jews. Freeman In the months before the outbreak of World War I. Hitler had fled to Munich from Vienna in 1913 to avoid being drafted into the Austrian Army. WORLD WAR I 29 . Ironically. A German soldiers wear gas masks in the trenches in this 1917 painting by French artist Francois Flameng. By Kirk A. selling his paintings door-todoor and in the city’s numerous beer halls. Austrian author-ities caught up with him six months before the start of the war and forced him to take a physical exam to see if he was fit to serve. “The Austrian heir to the throne has just been murdered!” According to Hitler. He then rushed out into the street to blend into the quickly gathering crowd in the Odeonsplatz. The next day the men disembarked from the train and. the regimental hats that Weidemann had complained about brought trouble. that the regiment had few machine guns. Maj. the regiment boarded railcars for transport to the front. Between August 16 and October 8. Weidemann also noted that the training was quick and inadequate. which made me laugh. but that no one could sleep because they were soaked through and shivering from the cold. Hitler tried to enlist in the 1st Bavarian Infantry on August 5. arriving just in time to join the German assault during the first phase of the Battle of Ypres. Hitler reported that his company was put up in a barn for the night. Hitler became nervous when British shells began to land. inflicting heavy casual- WORLD WAR I 30 . Lieutenant Fritz Weidemann. On October 21. 16th Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment. Hitler’s life of loneliness and insignificance was about to end. Belgium. On the 23rd. The men sang “The Watch on the Rhine” and broke into cheers when they finally saw the great river—the first time that most of them (including Hitler) had ever seen the Rhine. 70 miles to the west. BELOW: One of Hitler’s student paintings. the regiment marched out of Munich for the trip to Camp Lechfeld. and the men bedded down on the wet and cold flagstones of the town’s streets. A heavy fog had risen. after reorganizing. as a woman looks at her jewelry. The regiment’s objective was to take a farmhouse and the edge of the woods beyond the house. photograph taken at the time shows a jubilant. forcing a delay in the attack timetable while others rounded up the lost battalions. and Sgt. 148 in the 1st Company. Late the next day the regiment arrived at its destination. A fortnight later he was summoned to report to Recruiting Depot VI in Munich and enlisted as private No. In full combat gear. at 3 AM. marched to Lille. Max Amann. since the town was full of ammunition carts and soldiers. circled. Scholars have judged the future fuehrer’s work pedestrian and uninspired. In a letter to Frau Popp. later in charge of the Nazi press. later to become deputy führer of Nazi Germany. Also enlisted in the regiment was Lieutenant Rudolf Hess. instead they wore oilcloth caps in 19th-century Napoleonic style. The shelling did not last long. noted that the regimental commander had not been on active service in years and that most of the company commanders were former reservists without any combat experience. the regiment marched through the desolate town. but a few steps out the regiment came under intense fire from the right. was among the crowd of patriotic zealots in Vienna celebrating the beginning of World War in August 1914. sallowfaced Hitler in the crowd celebrating the coming war. and that none of the soldiers had an iron helmet. about half a mile from the German lines.” The regiment had heart and spunk. a professional soldier. Hitler and his comrades were stationed at Oberweisenfeld Barracks for training in weapons and marching. the regiment entered its first battle. On October 25. At dawn the attack began. but he was sent away because the Army had more volunteers than it needed. A comrade named Hans Mend later wrote that when Hitler was issued his rifle “he looked at it with delight. A regiment of Württemburg troops on the regiment’s right thought the Bavarians were British and opened fire. On October 9. which had been recaptured by the Germans from the British.ABOVE: Hitler. but not much more. the men marched in a continuous rain for 11 hours. In the fog and confusion. On the second day. Later. killing most of the men inside and severely wounding Engelhardt. Engelhardt stepped out to see the British trenches better and instantly drew fire. This was the only battle in which Hitler fought as a true frontline soldier. as a corporal in the Bavarian 16th Reserve Infantry Regiment. On December 2. including the regimental commander.ities. At the edge of a wood. then sprang up between artillery salvos and sprinted to the next trench. Hitler and his friend Ernst Schmidt threw their caps away instantly and ran to the rear headquarters to report the situation and stop the slaughter. it killed another soldier. The final assault ended in hand-to-hand combat.” A runner ran hunched forward through trenches and dived into shell holes. it lost many valuable men. as were most of the noncommissioned officers. Hitler and the others left to give the officers room. six miles southwest of Ypres. dispatch runners traveled in pairs. This was not a cushy job but a highly dangerous responsibility. If he saw a soldier flirting with a French woman. Hitler would leave the group in disgust. to friendly fire. At the same time. During this assault. he was either reading philosophical works or sketching and painting with a box of watercolors he always carried. When others talked of the French women. Col. The men crawled into shallow dugouts and shell holes to escape the flying shrapnel. Hitler and Brandymayer stepped in front to protect Englehardt from harm. although neither received the decoration. During lulls in combat. On Hitler’s first run during the Battle of Messines. under heavy fire. Engelhardt went to inspect the British position and took Hitler and Hitler’s friend Balthasar Brandymayer with him. armed only with pistols and carrying a leather wallet attached to their belts marked XXX for urgent. The next day. A few days later. smoked. When four more company commanders arrived. XX for quick. it took five bloody assaults to take the edge of the forest. recommended Hitler as a dispatch runner (Meldegänger) to serve at regimental headquarters. and X for “in your own time. Hitler was considered odd because he never drank.600 men who marched out of camp with the regiment. or showed any interest in women. a shell exploded near him. At one point. he would reprimand the soldier for hours about the sins of the flesh. three runners were killed and one wounded of the eight on staff. On November 3. comWORLD WAR I 31 . In all. Early in the war. Five minutes later a British shell hit the tent. all the while hoping he had properly calculated the timing between shells. Hitler was promoted to corporal for bravery. It was during this pause that men began to notice Hitler’s eccentric behavior. 373 men were killed in the first three weeks of fighting. Hitler and Westenkirchner carried their wounded commander to an aid station.” His self-esteem had received its first real boost. but Hitler only had a sleeve ripped away. before racing to a small farmhouse in the middle of the field and crawling into a ditch. Hitler and his friends Ernst Schmidt and Ignaz Westenkirchner were officially assigned as dispatch runners (eight runners were needed per regiment). Someone also recommended Hitler and Schmidt for the Iron Cross. Hitler and several others were called to headquarters and told that they had been recommended for the Iron Cross. the new regimental commander. Hitler’s platoon leader was killed. It was Hitler’s second nomination in two months. The first hour the regiment spent in combat. he called it “the happiest day of my life. the regimental commander was wounded near Hitler and Schmidt. The regiment was pulled back from the front for rest and refitting just after Christmas. Philipp Engelhardt. For his bravery and soldierly conduct. before dragging their commander to a nearby ditch. After this incident the attack proper began. and Hitler was surprised when he jumped into the British trench and made a soft landing—he had landed on a British corpse. Of the 3. Lt. with the British dropping artillery shells into the assaulting columns. right. Hitler’s uncanny luck began in his first battle. Hitler was decorated with the Iron Cross 2nd Class. Adolf Hitler. He took on extra duties that put him near the front. Hitler’s only true friend was a small dog that had wandered in from the English side and fell into the German trenches. Once again. the regiment was sent into the trenches near Fromelles. In July. killing everyone in it. On September 27.Dead German soldiers litter the battlefield at the Somme. Hitler was in the thick of the fighting. He was eating with some men in a dugout when he heard a voice telling him to move to another dugout. Hitler was the only volunteer to take a message to the front. but by the 9th. and everyone was surprised when he returned with a message from the frontline command. Hitler’s uncanny luck held out. The extra duties took their toll on Hitler. At 5 AM on October 5. No one expected to see him alive again. France. Several men were killed and wounded. When the British broke through the lines one day. but Hitler escaped with only a small scratch to his face. Hitler was caught out in the open under a British rolling barrage and severely wounded in the thigh by shrapnel. Hitler named the dog “Foxy. but he never shirked from danger. and the civilian world shocked him. During a lull in the fighting and for refitting from the front in late1914. the Allies launched an attack and the Germans counterattacked. Hitler dragged a fellow runner back to the trenches during a heavy artillery barrage. When Hitler was being removed WORLD WAR I 32 . Hitler was sitting in a dugout when an enemy shell struck. rades noted Hitler for being kind to enemy captives and civilians. The regiment remained near Fromelles for most of 1916 and was involved in the spring and summer offensives. Hitler was on a hospital train back to Germany. Hitler received a parcel filled with treats and breads from a baker he knew in Munich. the regiment was pulled out of the lines in Flanders and sent to the Somme. to defend a two-mile trench line against the British and French. He quickly wrote the baker to thank him. Five minutes later a shell exploded in the dugout. close enough that he personally captured three French prisoners by July. This was the first time he had been away from the front in two years. Hitler rarely received mail or wrote any letters himself. This was the third time that Hitler’s luck held for him. On February 11. that the regiment was his home. Hitler was wounded twice but miraculously escaped a similar fate—much to the world’s later regret. but instructed him never to write him again. The area was a living hell. He lay there for hours until a few comrades went to find him and brought him in. even attending funeral services for downed enemy airmen to pay his respects. When comrades asked Hitler about his home. 1915. Hitler begged Lieutenant Fritz Weidemann to let him stay with the regiment. his response was always the same.” and for the next few years it was his closest companion. In May. In March. 000 marks. That night Hitler. It was during this period that he developed a pathological hatred of Jews. poses with a group of fellow soldiers and their mascot. This was untrue. When he got off the train. was heard stabbing rats late into the night until someone chucked a boot at him. begging for his help to get back to the front. the regiment was pulled from the line and sent to Alsace to regroup. the first thing he heard was a German woman’s voice. When aid workers placed Hitler on clean sheets. In the trenches.A battle-hardened Hitler. far left. Weidemann came through in March 1917. someone pilfered his WORLD WAR I 33 . It was there that Hitler grew his distinctive moustache. the percentage of Jewish soldiers in the German Army was nearly the same as the percentage of Aryans. at the front. In August. which was popular among English soldiers. This astounded him—he had not heard a German-speaking woman in two years.” He accused the Jews of shirking from duty. He never found him. At the beginning of June. far left. Statistically speaking. Foxy began to jump around excitedly. Hitler refused. Hitler wrote continuously to Weidemann. saying that the dog was worth more to him than 200. he was afraid of getting them dirty and had trouble sleeping in a bed after so many months at the front. On the train ride. he was appalled at the grumbling and griping of the civilians and noted—so he claimed—that “every clerk was a Jew and every Jew a clerk. armed with a flashlight and bayonet. soldiers forced their way through mud and cold water that rose past their knees. a few soldiers even saw him laughing while playing with the dog. Heavy rains had turned the shell holes into deep ponds and quagmires of mud that could suck a man under. on convalescent leave in Berlin in October 1916. and Hitler gladly returned to the regiment.” When he toured Berlin. While he was hunting. Hitler could not find Foxy and began to hunt everywhere for his pet. Foxy. the regiment was sent to Flanders to help repulse a British offensive near Ypres. a French railroad official offered Hitler 200 marks for his dog. It was during this time that Hitler began developing an irrational hatred of anything he saw as “impure. On March 4. Hitler was assigned light duty in the 2nd Bavarian Infantry Regiment. Hitler was in great spirits. FAR RIGHT: Corporal Hitler. from the train to an aid station. the regiment returned to the front lines a few miles north of Vimy. After he had recovered enough to walk. When Hitler returned. with the same casualty rates. ” An increasingly distraught Hitler began to show some of the psychopathic qualities that people would attribute to him later. he took an 18-day leave and went to Berlin. He would not tolerate any opinion that might smudge his military career or personal image (real or imagined). this action went on until Allied counterattacks halted the German offensive after 800. He half carried. His regiment suffered 3.754 casualties. At the end of September. half dragged the officer to the rear. and painted in his off hours. read. near La Montagne.000 German casualties in four months. This was the last decoration that Hitler received during the war. a decoration that few nonofficers ever received. Hitler came upon the commander of 9th Company. including several of Hitler’s friends. The Kaiser. struggling artist to a decorated. who had been wounded by an American shell. sketched. In later years. one who wrote poetry. 1918. In September. Using his newfound self-assurance. the regiment was hit hard by a chlorine gas attack that seeped into many of the men’s gas masks. When former comrade Hans Mend published an unflattering eyewitness accounts about Hitler in World War I (including a homosexual affair that Hitler allegedly had with another soldier). During World War I. He was more frequently remembered as a nice chap. had fled Germany. Hitler was so shocked that he buried his head in a pillow and went into psychosomatic blindness for a week. Hitler overheard a new recruit spewing derogatory statements.• WORLD WAR I 34 . the regiment’s 1st Battalion suffered under an intense bombardment and was raked by heavy machine-gun fire. staying with a comrade’s parents. angry veteran. he wrote later. The battalion commander. Hitler received the Iron Cross 1st Class. The battalion had advanced so far that their own artillery was shelling their position. Hitler’s regiment took part in the Second Battle of the Marne and sustained heavy losses. During 45 months and 36 major battles. To tease him. he developed the personality characteristics that later haunted the world. Hitler miraculously made it through and Gutmann kept his word. promised Hitler the Iron Cross 1st Class if he could get a message to the artillery to quit shelling the forward positions. During this time. Hitler never painted again. It all began with Hitler’s grueling experiences in World War I. Hitler was blinded by the gas and stumbled back in a “blind-line” in which each man held onto the coat of the man in front of him as they walked single-file to the rear. while running a dispatch. a local minister came into the ward on November 10 to announce that the war was ending the next day at 11 AM. Serving in the army gave Hitler a self-confidence he never had before. Hitler was decorated a second time with the Cross of Merit 3rd Class with Swords for valorous service. but now he began to make increasingly inflammatory remarks. In July. Hitler remained proud of his military record and mentioned it frequently. the Germans launched their last great offensive of the war and morale was high. Nine days later. In March 1918.knapsack and stole his painting supplies and sketchbook. Hugo Gutmann. Hitler rose from an insignificant. Of the missing Foxy. On August 4. a transparent attempt to hide the fact that he gotten his medal upon the recommendation of a Jewish officer. he enjoyed the sights and hoped to return to Berlin after the war. the men would bemoan the war and gleefully watch Hitler fume about how the Germans could not afford to lose. he had never said anything negative about the Jews to his comrades. There is no record of Hitler ever killing a man in combat. never to be heard from again. “The swine who took him from me doesn’t know what he did to me. Hitler maintained that he had personally captured 10 French prisoners to win the decoration. While Hitler lay in the hospital recovering. Up to then. with Hitler emerging victorious. According to his postcards. Mend quickly disappeared into a “reeducation” camp in 1938. unknown. Later that month. He confronted the recruit and a vicious fistfight broke out. he began to rally his countrymen with the blind rage and hatred that propelled Germany and the rest of the world toward the darkest days of the 20th century. Other former comrades did not talk about the Hitler they had known in World War I. he said. Throughout the rest of his life. WWII HISTORY The Foremost Authority on the Greatest War In History Now available in traditional print. paintings. you’ll gain a fresh new understanding of the war. • INSIGHT. • Why it took so long for the US Cavalry to switch from horses to mobile armor. and if at any time you decide WWII HISTORY isn’t for you. Incisive articles from the top experts in the field are beautifully illustrated with historic photos. 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