George S Patton Junior starred as an Olympic athlete in the 1912 Stockholm games. In 1916 under John J. Pershing Patton joined the Mexican Expedition against the paramilitary forces of Mexican revolutionary Francisco "Pancho" Villa. When the US entered the First World War Patton joined the new Tank Corps and commanded the U.S. tank school in France. Leading tanks into combat he would be wounded near the end of the war. But Patton is best remembered for his exploits on the battlefields of WWII, and this is what what we are looking at in this episode, from Morocco, through Sicily to D-Day.  Joining me is Kevin Hymel. Kevin has worked as a historian for the US army and is currently doing work for the Arlington National Cemetery. He is also a tour guide for Stephen Ambrose Historical Tours. He is the author of  Patton’s Photographs: War as He Saw It and his new book is  Patton's War: An American General's Combat Leadership, Volume I: November 1942 - July 1944. Patreon: patreon.com/ww2podcast

157 - General Patton

A military history podcast that looks at all aspects of WWII.

With WW2 slipping from living memory I aim to look at different historical aspects of the Second World War.

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In this podcast episode, I'm looking at the work of LCI's, Landing Craft Infantry. These are not the smaller Higgins Boats we see storming the Normandy beaches in Saving Private Ryan but large beaching craft intended to transport and deliver fighting troops, typically a company of infantry or marines, to a hostile shore once a beachhead was secured. Joining me is Zach Morris. In  When the Beaches Trembled, Zach writes about his grandfather, Stephen Ganzberger, who enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served on LCI's during the war. Zach is also the former editor-in-chief of Elsie Item, the quarterly magazine newsletter of the USS Landing Craft Infantry National Association.

223 - Landing Craft Infantry

Operation Jubilee, the Dieppe Raid on the coast of France, was a disaster in 1942. However, it did highlight the need for more reconnaissance before any other amphibious operations were mounted. In London, a small group of eccentric researchers, experimenting on themselves from inside pressure tanks in the middle of the London air raids, explored the deadly science needed to enable the critical reconnaissance vessels and underwater breathing apparatuses that would enable the Allies’ future amphibious landings, specifically D-Day. Joining me today is Dr Rachel Lance. Rachel is an Assistant Consulting Professor at Duke University, where she conducts research out of their Hyperbaric Medicine facility. She is also the author of  Chamber Divers: The Untold Story of the D-Day Scientists Who Changed Special Operations Forever. Patreon:patreon.com/ww2podcast   

222 - The D-Day Scientists Who Changed Special Operations

The Indian Army was the largest volunteer army during the Second World War. Indian Army divisions fought in the Middle East, North Africa and Italy - and went to make up the overwhelming majority of the troops in South East Asia. Over two million personnel served in the Indian Army. In this episode, I am joined by Dr Alan Jefferys to discuss how the Indian Army developed a more comprehensive training structure than any other Commonwealth country during WWII. This was achieved through both the dissemination of doctrine and the professionalism of a small cadre of Indian Army officers who brought about a military culture within the Indian Army - starting in the 1930s - that came to fruition during the Second World War. Alan is the Head of Equipment and Uniform at the National Army Museum and the author of  Approach to Battle: Training the Indian Army During the Second World War. Patreonpatreon.com/ww2podcast   

221 - Training the Indian Army

From late 1944, an ungainly piece of equipment was introduced into service in the British and Canadian armies. Referred to at the time as the ‘Valentine 17-pounder SP’, and later as the ‘Archer’, it was a tracked vehicle with an open compartment at the front and a large gun facing to the rear. Joining me to tell the story of the Archer's development is loyal patron of the show, and author of ‘Self Propelled 17 Pounder - Archer’, Christopher Camfield. Patreonpatreon.com/ww2podcast   

220 - The Archer: Reversing to Victory

While at We Have Ways Fest, I caught Paul Woodadge, the host of WW2TV, giving an excellent talk on D-Day tourism. I thought I would ask him on the show to discuss tourism, how it has changed and what to see. Base in France, Paul has been a battlefield tour guide for over 20 years. More recently, he launched WW2TV and became a Second World War YouTube sensation. You can find Paul at DDayHistorian.com and ww2tv.com. Patreonpatreon.com/ww2podcast   

157 - General Patton

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