Patton and War Crimes

[PanzerJaeger]

For SFTS & Frags, here is just a basic rundown of the events surrounding the Biscari Massacre. He was also involved in the Canicatti Massacre to a lesser extent:

During the battle for Sicily in 1943, American troops of 180th Regimental Combat Team of the 45th Division (Thunderbolt) fought German and Italian forces for control of the Biscari Airfield, which changed hands several times.

After the airfield finally came under Allied control conclusively, American soldiers murdered 76 of their prisoners in two separate incidents. 34 Italians and two Germans were shot to death in the first, and 40 more Italians were killed in the second.

When news of these events made it to Gen. Omar Bradley, he sought Patton's opinion. From Patton's journal:

I told Bradley that it was probably an exaggeration, but in any case to tell the officer to certify that the dead men were snipers or had attempted to escape or something, as it would make a stink in the press and also would make the civilians mad. Anyhow, they are dead, so nothing can be done about it.

Bradley refused to cover up the massacre, and demanded that someone be held accountable.

However, only two men were brought up on charges - despite the obvious duplicity of others in a crime of such magnitude.

More disturbing, however, was the defence both defendants mounted. They quoted a speech Patton gave to them earlier in the campaign, and claimed they were following orders:

When we land against the enemy, don't forget to hit him and hit him hard. When we meet the enemy we will kill him. We will show him no mercy. He has killed thousands of your comrades and he must die. If you company officers in leading your men against the enemy find him shooting at you and when you get within two hundred yards of him he wishes to surrender- oh no! That bastard will die! You will kill him. Stick him between the third and fourth ribs. You will tell your men that. They must have the killer instinct. Tell them to stick him. Stick him in the liver. We will get the name of killers and killers are immortal. When word reaches him that he is being faced by a killer battalion he will fight less. We must build up that name as killers.

Several more soldiers said they were willing to give evidence that Patton had told them to take no prisoners. One officer claimed that Patton had said:

The more prisoners we took, the more we'd have to feed, and not to fool with prisoners.

After the massacre it came out that Patton was said to have stated that the prisoners being shot in ordered rows was 'an even greater error.'

The defense was apparently successful. In order to protect Patton from the charge of war crimes, Bradley fast tracked the trials. For the first incident, the Army charged Sergeant Horace T. West. West admitted that he had participated in the shootings, was found guilty, stripped of rank and sentenced to life in prison. However, after serving just 6 months, he was released as a private.

For the second incident, the Army court martialed Captain John T. Compton for killing 40 POWs in his charge. He claimed to be following orders. The investigating officer and the Judge Advocate declared that Compton's actions were unlawful, but the court martial acquitted him. The Army transferred Compton to another regiment where he died a year later fighting in Italy.

Furthermore, the Army held neither Patton nor the unit commanding officer, Colonel E Cookson, to account in any way.



(Some summation via Wiki. Original sources: James Weingartner, `Massacre at Biscari: Patton and An American War Crime, The Historian LII, no. 1, (November 1989), 24-39.
Botting, Douglas & Sayer, Ian: Hitler's Last General: The case against Wilhelm Mohnke. Bantam Books, London, 1989, 354-9 )

[Fragony]

Very interesting, gracias. I always suspected Patton was more badass then Brad Pitt.

[Aemilius Paulus]

My only question is such: if you do not mind answering, which side were you rooting for?








That said, I would not have expected anything else from Patton.

[Centurion1]

Patton was true peacock. He often said archaic concepts like that , the man thought he was a descendant of great generals of rome.

how do you not love a man like that sometimes. Striking his soldiers though is inexcusable.

i recommend the movie Patton, is really very well done.

[Strike For The South]

Hmmmm not a directly involved, still reprehensible.

I like Patton because he had a killer instinict that was bred into most European generals. This is the part that gets most overlooked in American canon. Patton could stand toe to toe with the best generals in Europe where as men like Bradley and Eisenhower simply lacked that go for the throat instinict.

Really the divergence came when many of Americas top military men fought for the south and were killed.

Its no surpirse that Patton is cut from the same cloth as Washington and Lee.

Thanks PJ

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

I thought he was a more grind-em-down kinda guy like Grant.

[Azathoth]

See: Littleton Waller in the Phillippines.

I want no prisoners. I wish you to kill and burn, the more you kill and burn the better it will please me. I want all persons killed who are capable of bearing arms in actual hostilities against the United States.

[PanzerJaeger]

My only question is such: if you do not mind answering, which side were you rooting for?

I wasn't there.

how do you not love a man like that sometimes

The psychology behind this sentiment represents a very interesting aspect of victor's justice. Orders and attitudes that put Germans away for life make Patton "badass".

Sepp Dietrich, for example, was of similar rank to Patton, and he was every bit as "badass". His military exploits are legendary. He also had similar views towards POWs. They weren't to get in the way of success in the field. He got life, later reduced to 25 years.

I like Patton because he had a killer instinct that was bred into most European generals. This is the part that gets most overlooked in American canon. Patton could stand toe to toe with the best generals in Europe where as men like Bradley and Eisenhower simply lacked that go for the throat instinict.

I agree. Patton was great because he fought to win at all costs among a bunch of careerists and bureaucrats. Unfortunately, he hailed from the one nation that wasn't fighting for its survival. America could afford to fight a gentleman's war, where politics and public opinion shared equal standing with battlefield success. In any other circumstances, in any other army, the slapping incident, for example, would not have sidelined his career. He would have made a brilliant Russian Marshal.