8207
June 5th, 1943
Camp Evington Lane (England) - If there is a common (and somewhat unexpected) thread between General Giraud and Lieutenant-General Patton, it is the love of France. While they are having lunch together, General Giraud thinks that he would be even happier if his host - although a renowned and certainly very competent officer - did not also cultivate, beyond the military arts, a most surprising eccentricity for a Saint-Cyrian. This Patton is certainly not a settler of the plains: coming from a European family, he takes great pleasure in talking at length about his ancestors. To hear him tell it, he would be related to George Washington* and to King Edward I, not to mention several Welsh nobles and even a certain Louis Dubois, a Huguenot, it seems. All of this would be fascinating but of little consequence if Patton did not claim to believe in reincarnation, and thus benefit from his family's multiple experiences! To hear him talk about the Civil War, one could even believe that he had participated in it.
The assumed extravagance of this American makes Giraud uncomfortable... But in front of the susceptibility and the solid constitution of the fellow, he will not take the risk to say that it seems to him close to this madness so proper to the British.
- Are you sure you don't want to have a little saber fight, my dear Giraud? I learned this art from you, in Saumur! From my master of arms, Adjutant Charles Cléry! Thanks to him, I have totally transformed the teaching of saber at Fort Myers! Push! Not slice! That is the secret!
All this while putting his money where his mouth is, his table knife brandished, which worries the Frenchman... And moreover, his accent as well as his syntax are appalling - even though Giraud readily acknowledges to Patton that he is making a noble effort to speak French, a language in which he has an extensive vocabulary... for a cowboy. He nevertheless prefers to pass.
- Thank you, my dear Patton, but I'm afraid I'm not a match for you. My only real experience with knives dates from my bayonet charge with my zouaves at Saint-Quentin, in 14. It was another time...
He had been left for dead on the battlefield, before being taken prisoner and - already - escaped to Holland.
- Oh, I understand. Too bad, I miss that period a bit. By the way, do you know what we would call the Model 1913 Saber in the Army? The Patton Saber!
And the young man laughs out loud, which completely disconcerts Giraud, before adding: "Finally, today, tanks, tanks! That's the only thing that's real**."
- All this is very interesting, my dear friend. But to return to our current case, what can you tell me about your 3rd Army? How do you see the campaign to come?
We have come to the crux of the matter. For George Patton is not Giraud - firstly because he is less closely watched than the Frenchman, but also because he did not make as many enemies as he did by dint of his arrogance and bad temper. In spite of the slap affair and a few other antics, Ol' Blood and Guts remains highly respected by his peers. He is therefore perfectly aware of the illusory nature (for the moment at least) of his 3rd Army and the 3rd GAA. For a moment, he remains silent, considering his interlocutor with that half-surprised, half-furious look he has when something upset. Then he chooses not to say anything irreversible.
- Well, the troops are still a bit green... sorry, blue, as you say. But the first results are encouraging: I have two infantry corps, that's five total*** divisions, as well as the 9th and 21st Airborne. Obviously, these two divisions will constitute the first wave...
- Absolutely not! If, by force of circumstance, your paratroopers will indeed land first, our forces must lead the assault. The honor of France demands it!
Giraud stands up - they were at the coffee shop anyway. He stands up tall and adds, benevolently but authoritatively: "I suggest we get started right away, if you don't mind.
Obviously, nobody will contradict him. And the Frenchman leaves the room with his head held high, under the gaze of a very disillusioned Henri Navarre - even if he hardly shows it. Passing in front of the Lt-Colonel, Patton says to him: "You know, what you're doing is... nasty. You have good reasons for it, but bad methods. I will not participate in this... masquerade much longer. Consider this."
Navarre doesn't answer. He understands. This afternoon, he will do whatever it takes to make sure Giraud won't want to come back here!
* Specifically to the great-grandfather of the first president of the United States. The first American, Robert Patton, had emigrated to Virginia in 1769 - his descendants would soon join the army of the young American republic, thus beginning a long family tradition.
During the American Civil War, the general's grandfather commanded the 22nd Infantry Regiment before falling at the 3rd Battle of Winchester, while his great-uncle had already died at Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg.
** As early as 1917, while bored in his position as personal assistant to General Pershing, Patton was the first American official to take a close interest in armoured vehicles, particularly the FT-17. He naturally became the first director of the expeditionary force's light tank school and, being the only official who knew how to fly these machines, personally drove the first ones delivered to get them off the train! He was later to command the 1st Tank Brigade of the American army at Saint-Mihiel, already marching ahead of his men...
*** The 11th US-ID, 48th US-ID and 25th US-AD (for the XXIII Corps) and the 17th US-ID and 59th US-ID (for the XXXVIIth Corps). All of them are fictitious, at least at this time...
Camp Evington Lane (England) - If there is a common (and somewhat unexpected) thread between General Giraud and Lieutenant-General Patton, it is the love of France. While they are having lunch together, General Giraud thinks that he would be even happier if his host - although a renowned and certainly very competent officer - did not also cultivate, beyond the military arts, a most surprising eccentricity for a Saint-Cyrian. This Patton is certainly not a settler of the plains: coming from a European family, he takes great pleasure in talking at length about his ancestors. To hear him tell it, he would be related to George Washington* and to King Edward I, not to mention several Welsh nobles and even a certain Louis Dubois, a Huguenot, it seems. All of this would be fascinating but of little consequence if Patton did not claim to believe in reincarnation, and thus benefit from his family's multiple experiences! To hear him talk about the Civil War, one could even believe that he had participated in it.
The assumed extravagance of this American makes Giraud uncomfortable... But in front of the susceptibility and the solid constitution of the fellow, he will not take the risk to say that it seems to him close to this madness so proper to the British.
- Are you sure you don't want to have a little saber fight, my dear Giraud? I learned this art from you, in Saumur! From my master of arms, Adjutant Charles Cléry! Thanks to him, I have totally transformed the teaching of saber at Fort Myers! Push! Not slice! That is the secret!
All this while putting his money where his mouth is, his table knife brandished, which worries the Frenchman... And moreover, his accent as well as his syntax are appalling - even though Giraud readily acknowledges to Patton that he is making a noble effort to speak French, a language in which he has an extensive vocabulary... for a cowboy. He nevertheless prefers to pass.
- Thank you, my dear Patton, but I'm afraid I'm not a match for you. My only real experience with knives dates from my bayonet charge with my zouaves at Saint-Quentin, in 14. It was another time...
He had been left for dead on the battlefield, before being taken prisoner and - already - escaped to Holland.
- Oh, I understand. Too bad, I miss that period a bit. By the way, do you know what we would call the Model 1913 Saber in the Army? The Patton Saber!
And the young man laughs out loud, which completely disconcerts Giraud, before adding: "Finally, today, tanks, tanks! That's the only thing that's real**."
- All this is very interesting, my dear friend. But to return to our current case, what can you tell me about your 3rd Army? How do you see the campaign to come?
We have come to the crux of the matter. For George Patton is not Giraud - firstly because he is less closely watched than the Frenchman, but also because he did not make as many enemies as he did by dint of his arrogance and bad temper. In spite of the slap affair and a few other antics, Ol' Blood and Guts remains highly respected by his peers. He is therefore perfectly aware of the illusory nature (for the moment at least) of his 3rd Army and the 3rd GAA. For a moment, he remains silent, considering his interlocutor with that half-surprised, half-furious look he has when something upset. Then he chooses not to say anything irreversible.
- Well, the troops are still a bit green... sorry, blue, as you say. But the first results are encouraging: I have two infantry corps, that's five total*** divisions, as well as the 9th and 21st Airborne. Obviously, these two divisions will constitute the first wave...
- Absolutely not! If, by force of circumstance, your paratroopers will indeed land first, our forces must lead the assault. The honor of France demands it!
Giraud stands up - they were at the coffee shop anyway. He stands up tall and adds, benevolently but authoritatively: "I suggest we get started right away, if you don't mind.
Obviously, nobody will contradict him. And the Frenchman leaves the room with his head held high, under the gaze of a very disillusioned Henri Navarre - even if he hardly shows it. Passing in front of the Lt-Colonel, Patton says to him: "You know, what you're doing is... nasty. You have good reasons for it, but bad methods. I will not participate in this... masquerade much longer. Consider this."
Navarre doesn't answer. He understands. This afternoon, he will do whatever it takes to make sure Giraud won't want to come back here!
* Specifically to the great-grandfather of the first president of the United States. The first American, Robert Patton, had emigrated to Virginia in 1769 - his descendants would soon join the army of the young American republic, thus beginning a long family tradition.
During the American Civil War, the general's grandfather commanded the 22nd Infantry Regiment before falling at the 3rd Battle of Winchester, while his great-uncle had already died at Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg.
** As early as 1917, while bored in his position as personal assistant to General Pershing, Patton was the first American official to take a close interest in armoured vehicles, particularly the FT-17. He naturally became the first director of the expeditionary force's light tank school and, being the only official who knew how to fly these machines, personally drove the first ones delivered to get them off the train! He was later to command the 1st Tank Brigade of the American army at Saint-Mihiel, already marching ahead of his men...
*** The 11th US-ID, 48th US-ID and 25th US-AD (for the XXIII Corps) and the 17th US-ID and 59th US-ID (for the XXXVIIth Corps). All of them are fictitious, at least at this time...