Question: Did the part where allied command cuts off Patton's supplies really happen?
BaconIsMyBFF
8th Mar 2018
Patton (1970)
16th Sep 2017
Patton (1970)
Question: I know Patton really did slap a soldier named Bennett. I have two questions. Firstly, is the dialogue in the scene where Patton slapped Bennett accurate? Secondly, was Bennett really a coward?
Answer: The entire slapping incident is surprisingly accurate, including the second slap knocking off Bennett's helmet. The dialogue is not verbatim but the scene is accurate in spirit. By today's standards Bennett would not be considered a coward. He suffered from what we call today post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). During Patton's time PTSD was called "shell shock" or other terms and was not treated with the same compassion as today. Patton himself did not believe in the concept of shell shock and thought men like Bennett were simply cowards.
Answer: Yes, it did. In short, Allied command favored a more spread out approach to the offensive rather than the "single thrust" approach Patton favored. It was deemed that Montgomery's Twenty First Army Group had a higher priority to Patton's Third Army.
BaconIsMyBFF
Plus, Patton was advancing so fast he was outrunning his fuel, and supply lines.