Lucky Forward: The History of Patton's Third U.S. Army
New York: The Vanguard Press, Inc., 1947. Second Printing. Hardcover. 424, illus., maps, endpaper maps, glossary, index, boards soiled and scuffed, small tears at spine, small sticker residue ins rear bd. Inscribed by the author. Robert Sharon Allen (July 14, 1900 ? February 23, 1981) was a Washington D.C. correspondent and Washington bureau chief for The Christian Science Monitor. In 1931, with Drew Pearson, he anonymously co-authored Washington Merry-Go-Round (New York, H. Liveright) and More Merry-Go-Round and later wrote the daily column of the same title. He was a veteran of World War I and served on General Patton's staff in World War II. IIn 1947, he edited the book, Our Fair City, an expose of corrupt conditions in American municipalities. He also wrote Lucky Forward: The History of Patton's Third Army. Papers concerning his military career reside in the George S. Patton Museum at Fort Knox, Kentucky.
He died in Georgetown, Washington, D.C. from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Allen, who had cancer, had ended his journalism career when his illness made it impossible for him to work. The Third Army was officially created on the 15th of November, 1918, four days after the First World War Armistice was signed in Europe. On the 2nd of July 1919, the Third Army was deactivated and it's units and personnel were renamed to American Forces Germany. Thirteen years later, in 1932, the Army reorganized it's forces within the continental United States. There were only 48 states at that time, Hawaii and Alaska being added in the late 1950's. Third Army was located in the Southeast section. It's headquarters alternated between Atlanta, Georgia and Fort Sam Houston. On New Year's Eve 1943, the Third Army was put on alert for overseas movement. They would travel to England where they would train for participation in the coming European invasions. Reduced to cold, statistical figures, the feats of the Third Army were astonishing. The Army liberated or captured 81,522 square miles of territory. An estimated 12,000 cities, towns, and communities were liberated or captured, including 27 cities of more than 50,000 in population. Third Army captured 765,483 prisoners of war and an additional 515,205 of the enemy surrendered during the last week of the war. The enemy lost an estimated 1,280,688 captured, 144,500 killed, and 386,200 wounded, adding up to 1,811,388. By comparison, the Third Army suffered 16,596 killed, 96,241 wounded, and 26,809 missing in action for a total of 139,646 casualties. Third Army's losses were only 12.97 percent of the German losses. That is only about 13 American soldiers for every 100 German soldiers. Third Army aircraft and artillery dropped or dispersed by shell 31,552,700 psychological warfare leaflets to enemy troops. Condition: fair to good.
Keywords: WWII, Unit History, George S. Patton, Third U.S. Army, Omar Bradley, Dwight Eisenhower, Adolf Hitler, Bernard Montgomery, Inscribed, Battle of the Bulge, Bastogne, Omar Bradley, Ardennes, Siegfried Line
[Book #42762]
Price: $125.00