Stilwell in Europe

Or replaced Fredendhal in March. Commanding a corps in Tunisia & Sicily instead of Bradley.

If he replaces Fredendall, I think we're closer to my original idea in that he takes over the 7th army instead of Patton.

Most scenarios seem to point to keeping him in the Mediterranean. The only thing I am worried about is that Mark Clark will push for an army command, and at some point Ike will relent. Clark can do more damage to the Allies if he takes over First or Third Army rather than sit in Italy.
 
The United States Army is not going to send its leading expert on armored warfare to China. Patton will remain in Europe. The list of candidates of generals sent to China will include lots of high ranking generals on staff in the Pentagon whom most people would never recognize.
Actually, Patton WAS planned to be sent to China after the fighting in Europe was over.
 
If he replaces Fredendall, I think we're closer to my original idea in that he takes over the 7th army instead of Patton.

Only if he was pulled out of the II Corps command fairly early, probablly February. Patton was involved in planning for Op Husky from February, shortly after the decision for Sicily was made at the Symbol conference during January. As I understand it planning groups were form among Pattons corps staff in Morroco and in Ikes HQ staff in Algiers. US II Corps staff had its hands full with the Tunisia campaign & neither it nor its commander would have time to plan a army size operation for later that summer.

I think in OTL Ike had a easy job of it picking Patton for 7th Army command. He had known him since they worked together testing tank machine guns in the early 1920s. Fredendal was less well known to Ike & had not yet made a good impression by the end of January when Ike had to think about command of the future 7th Army. In this ATL it might have been a tougher choice between Stillwell and Patton.
 
Actually, Patton WAS planned to be sent to China after the fighting in Europe was over.

Irrelevant when the context was about 1942 when the US just entered the war, not 1945 when the European war had ended.

Besides, were they going to send Patton to China? Or to Japan under MacArthur? I'm pretty sure it was the latter.
 
I think in OTL Ike had a easy job of it picking Patton for 7th Army command. He had known him since they worked together testing tank machine guns in the early 1920s. Fredendal was less well known to Ike & had not yet made a good impression by the end of January when Ike had to think about command of the future 7th Army. In this ATL it might have been a tougher choice between Stillwell and Patton.

You convinced me. I think Patton can still command the 7th Army, but then the question is whether Ike picks Stilwell or Clark for 5th Army commander. Despite Clark being Ike's buddy, I think Stilwell would be favored because he has more experience at that point. Clark could then be assigned to command US II Corps after Kasserine.

I don't know if it is that much more plausible than some of the other scenarios, but it lends to more interesting possibilities.

If Stilwell commands the 5th Army during the invasion of Italy, how does he do? IOTL, Clark made several major mistakes.

1) He failed to order an adequate bombardment during the landings at Salerno.
2) He was unable to break through the Gustav Line early enough making the Italian campaign a costly slog up the Appenines.
3) He failed to give adequate orders to Lucas so that the Anzio landing failed to achieve its strategic purpose.
4) He ordered an attack across the Rapido during the worst time possible causing high casaulties for no benefit.
5) He disobeyed his superior Alexander by failing to cut off the German retreat in favor of an early seizure of Rome.

History has not been kind to Clark. While acknowledged as generally competent, he is not highly rated and everyone universally agress his premature march on Rome was a tremendous blunder.

Realizing some mistakes will be made as the US Army figures out modern warfare, how would Stilwell fare? Would he be going at the same pace more or less than Clark, or is there any chance of a breakthrough that sees Rome fall in 1943 and the Allies reach the Gothic Line 6-12 months ahead of time?
 
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