Patton doesn't slap the soldier in Italy

In OTL we know that Patton during a visit to a fieldhospital in Italy slaps a soldier who suffering from a mentaldisorder. This as I understand it was just the excuse that his enemies in Allied Command needed to remove him from Command in Italy.
But what Patton hadn't slapped that soldier?? Could we have seen a Patton playing a more important role at D-Day?

/Fred
 
His feud with Montgomery and his conduct on Sicily(the Palmero incident) were what had high command ticked at him.

The slapping of the soldier was really icing on the cake.

But if he doesn't get blacklisted because of that, and provided he doesn't run his mouth, he could see a command on D-day easily.

Of course this also negates the entire ghost army of Patton and the Germans might actually fare better than they did OTL.
 
His feud with Montgomery and his conduct on Sicily(the Palmero incident) were what had high command ticked at him.

The slapping of the soldier was really icing on the cake.

But if he doesn't get blacklisted because of that, and provided he doesn't run his mouth, he could see a command on D-day easily.

Of course this also negates the entire ghost army of Patton and the Germans might actually fare better than they did OTL.

Well, it doesn't necesarily butterfly the army or the diversion, but it might alter the effectiveness (for better of worse).
 
I agree that Patton was in hot water with the higher-ups due to his handling the fight in Sicily (i.e. racing the British), and the slapping was the straw that broke the camel's back. Here's something that most people forget, overlook or don't know: the first soldier was already suffering from a 102+ fever, malaria and a host of other ailments, but it was because he said he "couldn't take it anymore" that sent Patton over the edge.

If the incident hadn't occurred Patton would probably still be pulled out of the Mediterranean area to fight in France, largely because Italy is ideal defensive terrain with very little room to maneuver large mechanized forces.
 
The book Alternate Generals has a Story with Patton not Slapping the Soldier, He retains command and leads the conquest of Sardinia/Corsica, and the Taking of Rome with a landing in the north.
 
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