Thursday, May 21, 2015

Patton and what he carried

I know that we haven't done WWII for about 300 years, but I have found General Patton to be a very interesting character.  For much of his military career, Patton carried two identical Colt Single Action .45 revolvers.  However, he gave one to a Hollywood star because this person was willing to entertain front line combat troops.  He replaced the revolver with a 3 1/2 inch Smith and Wesson .357 magnum.  On all of his revolvers he carried ivory grips, a symbol of his flamboyance.  When a soldier asked him why he used pearl grips on his revolvers, he replied "Son, only a pimp in a Louisiana whore house carries pearl handled revolvers, these are ivory".  
Patton's Colt Single Action
His reasons for carrying the revolvers are just as interesting.  As a Lieutenant, he was a part of General Pershing's punitive expedition into Mexico to hunt down Pancho Villa.  His caravan came under fire from a band of Villistas, who then fled.  As they were fleeing, Patton emptied his five shots out of his revolver, possibly three times.  Patton carried with a hammer down on an empty chamber, as is common with old single actions, hence the five shots.  He hit Captain Julio Cardenes, second in command for the gang.  He took Cardenes spurs and carved a notch in the grips on his revolvers as a trophy for the kill.  This was Patton's first close range firefight, and it was the one that convinced him it was necessary to always carry a backup handgun.
While he preferred to carry revolvers, he also carried a Colt Model 1903 pocket hammerless and a Remington Model 51 .380 during the war.  Occasionally he carried a Colt Detective Special in 38.  When a Luftwaffe strafed his camp, he supposedly fired the Model 51 at it.  All of these handguns, besides possibly the model 51, had his signature ivory grips, and some were engraved with GSP, his initials, and the stars of an Army General.  Patton rarely carried the 1911 that most other officers carried.
Remington Model 51 in .380
Patton's strange personality was a part of what allowed him to inspire his troops as greatly as he did.  He became a symbol of American strength and individualism.  He has become one of the most unforgettable generals in the history of the United States.

 Sources:  http://www.guns.com/2011/06/17/the-known-and-lesser-known-carry-guns-of-george-s-patton/
http://www.scottaddington.com/2014/05/famous-military-quotes/
Posted by at

5 comments:

  1. UnknownMay 21, 2015 at 6:03 PM

    That's actually really cool to read. One thing we didn't go over very much this year was weapons and battles, so it's cool that you made a blog post about it. I wonder why he chose such a flashy weapon, though, since I would think most people in the military would just want something functional above all else.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. UnknownMay 21, 2015 at 6:41 PM

      That's one of the reasons I wrote this post. I think his choice of firearms really shows something about his character. While .45 Colt is a deadly round, most soldiers and generals chose to carry the .45 ACP 1911, as it's higher capacity (7+1) was generally more useful in a battlefield situation than 5 rounds of 45 Colt. However, Patton was willing to carry a less effective gun as it showed off his previous accomplishments in Mexico. He was clearly a very proud man, and was not afraid to show off.

      Delete
  2. UnknownMay 21, 2015 at 6:37 PM

    At the same time, it's important to note that Patton was not entirely a model of American justice and idealism. He had a very controversial side-including striking two soldiers after the two complained of battle fatigue (Patton interpreted this as cowardice). Interestingly enough, Patton was very self insecure and as a result, he often projected a very coarse, manly sort of image in order to dispel his inner doubts.

    ReplyDelete
  3. UnknownMay 21, 2015 at 7:27 PM

    Very interesting post David! and a very interesting read. I really enjoyed learning about General patton and his weapons. I think sometimes the personalities of these generals are as important in explaining actions they did as the situations they were put in. I liked to hear that this man took pride in his guns, as everyone does in war because your gun is what will save your life.That is one reason guns are always the hottest collectibles/antiques on the market, and why many collect them.

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownMay 21, 2015 at 7:54 PM

    Very interesting post David! and a very interesting read. I really enjoyed learning about General patton and his weapons. I think sometimes the personalities of these generals are as important in explaining actions they did as the situations they were put in. I liked to hear that this man took pride in his guns, as everyone does in war because your gun is what will save your life.That is one reason guns are always the hottest collectibles/antiques on the market, and why many collect them.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)