Editing George S. Patton (section)

=== Battle of the Bulge ===
{{Main|Battle of the Bulge}}
[[File:General Omar Bradley, General Dwight Eisenhower, and General George Patton, all graduates of West Point, survey war damage in Bastogne, Belgium. 1944-1945.jpg|thumb|upright|left|From left to right, [[Omar Bradley|Bradley]], [[Dwight D. Eisenhower|Eisenhower]] and Patton in Bastogne, Belgium, 1945|alt=]]

In December 1944, the German army, under the command of German Field Marshal [[Gerd von Rundstedt]], launched a last-ditch offensive across [[Belgium]], [[Luxembourg]], and northeastern France. On 16 December 1944, it massed 29 divisions totaling 250,000 men at a weak point in the Allied lines, and during the early stages of the ensuing [[Battle of the Bulge]], made significant headway towards the [[Meuse River]] during a severe winter. Eisenhower called a meeting of all senior Allied commanders on the Western Front at a headquarters near Verdun on the morning of 19 December to plan strategy and a response to the German assault.{{sfn|D'Este|1995|pp=675–678}}

At the time, Patton's Third Army was engaged in heavy fighting near [[Saarbrücken]]. Guessing the intent of the Allied command meeting, Patton ordered his staff to make three separate operational contingency orders to disengage elements of the Third Army from its present position and begin offensive operations toward several objectives in the area of the bulge occupied by German forces.{{sfn|McNeese|2003|p=77}} At the Supreme Command conference, Eisenhower led the meeting, which was attended by Patton, Bradley, General [[Jacob L. Devers|Jacob Devers]], Major General [[Kenneth Strong]], Deputy Supreme Commander [[Air Chief Marshal]] [[Arthur Tedder, 1st Baron Tedder|Arthur Tedder]], and several staff officers.{{sfn|Blumenson|1974|p=599}} When Eisenhower asked Patton how long it would take him to disengage six divisions of his Third Army and commence a counterattack north to relieve the [[U.S. 101st Airborne Division]] which had been [[Siege of Bastogne|trapped at Bastogne]], Patton replied, "As soon as you're through with me."{{sfn|McNeese|2003|p=75}} Patton then clarified that he had already worked up an operational order for a counterattack by three full divisions on 21 December, then only 48 hours away.{{sfn|McNeese|2003|p=75}} Eisenhower was incredulous: "Don't be fatuous, George. If you try to go that early you won't have all three divisions ready and you'll go piecemeal." Patton replied that his staff already had a contingency operations order ready to go. Still unconvinced, Eisenhower ordered Patton to attack the morning of 22 December, using at least three divisions.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=148–149}}

Patton left the conference room, phoned his command, and uttered two words: "Play ball." This code phrase initiated a prearranged operational order with Patton's staff, mobilizing three divisions—the 4th Armored Division, the [[80th Infantry Division (United States)|80th Infantry Division]], and the [[26th Infantry Division (United States)|26th Infantry Division]]—from the Third Army and moving them north toward [[Bastogne]].{{sfn|McNeese|2003|p=77}} In all, Patton would reposition six full divisions, [[U.S. III Corps]] and [[U.S. XII Corps]], from their positions on the [[Saar River]] front along a line stretching from Bastogne to [[Diekirch]] and to [[Echternach]], the town in Luxembourg that had been at [[Battle of the Bulge#Planning|the southern end of the initial "Bulge" front line]] on 16 December.{{sfn|McNeese|2003|p=78}} Within a few days, more than 133,000 Third Army vehicles were rerouted into an offensive that covered an average distance of over {{convert|11|mi}} per vehicle, followed by support echelons carrying {{convert|62,000|t}} of supplies.{{sfn|McNeese|2003|p=79}}

[[File:Generals Marshall, McBride, Eddy, and Patton.jpg|thumb|Shown from left to right are: an unidentified driver, General [[George C. Marshall]], Major General [[Horace L. McBride]], Major General [[Manton S. Eddy]], Lieutenant General George S. Patton, and an unidentified aide]]

On 21 December, Patton met with Bradley to review the impending advance, starting the meeting by remarking, "Brad, this time the Kraut's stuck his head in the meat grinder, and I've got hold of the handle."{{sfn|McNeese|2003|p=77}} Patton then argued that his Third Army should attack toward [[Koblenz]], cutting off the bulge at the base and trap the entirety of the German armies involved in the offensive. After briefly considering this, Bradley vetoed it, since he was less concerned about killing large numbers of Germans than he was in arranging for the relief of Bastogne before it was overrun.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=148–149}} Desiring good weather for his advance, which would permit close ground support by [[U.S. Army Air Forces]] tactical aircraft, Patton ordered the Third Army [[military chaplain|chaplain]], Colonel [[James Hugh O'Neill]], to compose a suitable prayer. He responded with:

{{blockquote|Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.{{sfn|D'Este|1995|pp=535–536}}}}
When the weather cleared soon after, Patton awarded O'Neill a [[Bronze Star Medal]] on the spot.{{sfn|D'Este|1995|pp=535–536}}

On 26 December 1944, the first spearhead units of the Third Army's 4th Armored Division reached Bastogne, opening a corridor for relief and resupply of the besieged forces. Patton's ability to disengage six divisions from front line combat during the middle of winter, then wheel north to relieve Bastogne was one of his most remarkable achievements during the war.{{sfn|Axelrod|2006|pp=152–153}} He later wrote that the relief of Bastogne was "the most brilliant operation we have thus far performed, and it is in my opinion the outstanding achievement of the war. This is my biggest battle."{{sfn|McNeese|2003|p=79}}