On the day before the Third Army was to attack into Brittany, S.L.A. Marshall explains (in The Soldier’s Load and the Mobilty of a Nation), General Patton was visited by Generals Lord, Stratton, and Eyster of Communications Zone:
They wanted to know how he was set as to supply and what he would expect of the rear establishment. He said, “Gentlemen, I’ve got three days of POL, ammunition and food. That’s all we need for the start. It’s up to you back there to get the rest of it up to me.” He then outlined the operation as he expected it to develop. Brittany was to be cut off. One flank was to turn toward Brest, and the other was to advance on and over the Loire River. In short, he foresaw that his army would be in continuous motion for at least three weeks. The records show that he made the shot just about as he called it. His critics sometimes say of Patton that he did not know logistics and that this was his handicap. That is at best a negative truth. What he didn’t know about the supply problem never slowed the movement of his armies. He respected the controlling principle. He would not overload his own forces. He demanded all the support that could be had from those who were in position to help them along. He may have missed a tree here and there but he kept his eyes on the forest.
Isegoria, thank you for always providing a wise selection of scholarly information that serves big-picture thinking. I regret I have not been checking this site more frequently. Every time I visit, I get educated. For the last few days I have been observing the start of what looks to be an uncomfortably long war. I wonder whether you could blog some opinions on developments in the Israel-USA-Iran conflict of 2026? You are better-positioned to have a big-picture view of it than I am.
Thank you for the kind words, Gaikokumaniakku. I’m keeping an eye out.