In the summer of 1943, the Allies were preparing to kick down the door to Fortress Europe.
The target was Sicily.
But the real battle wasn’t just against the Italians and the Germans.
It was a civil war between the two biggest egos in the Allied camp.
On one side, General George S.
Patton, the American cowboy.
Aggressive, foul-mouthed, and desperate for glory.
He commanded the US 7th Army.
On the other, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, the British hero of Elamine.
Cautious, methodical, and arguably the most arrogant man in the British Empire.
He commanded the British Eighth Army.
The plan for the invasion was simple.
if you were British.
Montgomery had convinced the high command that he should be the sword that pierced the island, while Patton should just be the shield.
Monty’s orders to Patton were insulting.
Land on the left, protect my flank, and stay out of my way.
Essentially, Patton was told to sit on the beach and applaud while Montgomery won the war.
But Patton didn’t do supporting roles.
When Montgomery sent a message telling Patton to stop his advance and clear the road for the British army, Patton didn’t just ignore him.
He decided to humiliate him.
This is the story of the race to Msina.
The moment George Patton went rogue, defied the entire Allied command structure, and proved that the American army was second to none.
Before we continue, if you’re enjoying these World War II stories and want to see more, I’d really appreciate it if you subscribe to the channel.
All right, let’s get back to the story.
The invasion began on July 10th, 1943.
At first, everything went according to Monty’s plan.
The British landed and marched north toward Msina, the gateway to Italy.
But then they hit a wall.
The Germans had dug in around Mount Etna.
The British advance ground to a halt.
Montgomery was stuck.
Instead of admitting he was stuck, Montgomery did something that made Patton’s blood boil.
He redrrew the boundary lines.
He asked General Alexander, the Supreme Commander, to give him the roads that were assigned to the Americans.
The message was clear.
Patton, get off my road.
I need it.
Patton was furious.
He was being told to stop his tanks, step aside, and let the British drive past him.
He famously shouted to his staff, “They treat us like we’re part of the heavy equipment.
I’m not going to sit here and let Monty steal the show while my men rot in the sun.” He flew to headquarters to argue his case.
He demanded to be unleashed.
He wanted to go west to capture Polarmo and then sweep across the entire island.
General Alexander was hesitant.
George, he said, that’s not the plan.
Patton replied, to hell with the plan.
I can take Polarmo in 3 days.
Patton got a reluctant okay for a limited reconnaissance.
He took that inch and ran a marathon.
He turned the Seventh Army loose.
They didn’t just reconitor, they blitzed.
Patton drove his men relentlessly, 100 miles in 72 hours.
They slept in their trucks.
They ate while driving.
He famously told his commanders, “We are going to Polarmo.
I don’t care about your flanks.
The enemy is behind us.
If you aren’t moving, you’re dead.” On July 22nd, Patton rolled into Polarmo.
He had conquered the western half of Sicily in record time.
The world press went wild.
Patton takes Polarmo screamed the headlines.
Montgomery was still stuck at Etna.
When Monty heard the news, he was reportedly furious.
The supporting actor had just stolen the lead role.
But Patton wasn’t done.
He looked east toward Msina.
He looked at the map.
He realized he could beat Monty to the finish line.
Now it was a race, a petty, egodriven, magnificent race.
Montgomery, realizing he was losing the PR war, finally broke through the German lines.
He radioed his commanders.
We must get to Msina before the Americans.
It is a matter of national honor.
Patton was even more direct.
He issued an order that would be illegal in a modern army.
He told his officers, “This is a horse race in which the prestige of the US Army is at stake.
I want you to drive until the engines melt.” The Germans blew up the bridges.
Patton’s engineers rebuilt them in hours.
The Germans mined the roads.
Patton ordered his tanks to drive through the fields.
When the road was completely blocked by a collapsed tunnel, Patton didn’t wait.
He launched amphibious landings behind the German lines, the end runs at Brolo and Santaata.
He was moving so fast that at one point his own artillery shelled his forward units because they didn’t believe Americans could be that far ahead.
On the morning of August 22nd, General Patton walked into the city square of Msina.
He looked at his watch.
10:00 a.m.
He waited.
An hour later, a British column rolled into town.
A British officer, covered in dust, jumped out of his jeep.
He walked up to Patton, expecting to accept the city’s surrender.
Instead, he saw George Patton standing there smoking a cigar, surrounded by his staff.
Patton grinned and shouted, “Hello there.
Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you.” It was the ultimate mic drop.
Patton had beaten the British Eighth Army to the prize.
He had done it over worse terrain, covering more distance against the same enemy.
When Montgomery finally arrived, the tension was palpable.
He had to shake Patton’s hand and admit defeat.
The clear the road order was forgotten.
The road was clear, all right, because Patton had already cleared it.
The race to Msina was a triumph for Patton, but it came at a cost.
His obsession with beating Monty led him to push his men to the breaking point.
It was during this race that the infamous slapping incidents occurred where Patton struck two soldiers suffering from PTSD because he thought they were cowards slowing him down.
Those slaps would nearly end his career.
But strategically, the race proved something vital.
It proved that the American GI was not just a raw recruit anymore.
They were a fighting force that could out march and outfight the best in the world.
Patton had cleared the road, not for Montgomery, but for the future of the Allied advance into Europe.
What do you think? Was the race a brilliant motivator or a waste of lives for two generals egos? Let us know in the comments.
And if you want to know why the Germans called the American soldier the rich boy, click the video right here.
If you’re enjoying these World War II stories and want to see more, I’d really appreciate it if you subscribe to the channel.
In the summer of 1943, the Allies were preparing to kick down the door to Fortress Europe.
The target was Sicily.
But the real battle wasn’t just against the Italians and the Germans.
It was a civil war between the two biggest egos in the Allied camp.
On one side, General George S.
Patton, the American cowboy.
Aggressive, foul-mouthed, and desperate for glory.
He commanded the US 7th Army.
On the other, Field Marshal Bernard Law Montgomery, the British hero of Elamine.
Cautious, methodical, and arguably the most arrogant man in the British Empire.
He commanded the British Eighth Army.
The plan for the invasion was simple.
if you were British.
Montgomery had convinced the high command that he should be the sword that pierced the island, while Patton should just be the shield.
Monty’s orders to Patton were insulting.
Land on the left, protect my flank, and stay out of my way.
Essentially, Patton was told to sit on the beach and applaud while Montgomery won the war.
But Patton didn’t do supporting roles.
When Montgomery sent a message telling Patton to stop his advance and clear the road for the British army, Patton didn’t just ignore him.
He decided to humiliate him.
This is the story of the race to Msina.
The moment George Patton went rogue, defied the entire Allied command structure, and proved that the American army was second to none.
Before we continue, if you’re enjoying these World War II stories and want to see more, I’d really appreciate it if you subscribe to the channel.
All right, let’s get back to the story.
The invasion began on July 10th, 1943.
At first, everything went according to Monty’s plan.
The British landed and marched north toward Msina, the gateway to Italy.
But then they hit a wall.
The Germans had dug in around Mount Etna.
The British advance ground to a halt.
Montgomery was stuck.
Instead of admitting he was stuck, Montgomery did something that made Patton’s blood boil.
He redrrew the boundary lines.
He asked General Alexander, the Supreme Commander, to give him the roads that were assigned to the Americans.
The message was clear.
Patton, get off my road.
I need it.
Patton was furious.
He was being told to stop his tanks, step aside, and let the British drive past him.
He famously shouted to his staff, “They treat us like we’re part of the heavy equipment.
I’m not going to sit here and let Monty steal the show while my men rot in the sun.” He flew to headquarters to argue his case.
He demanded to be unleashed.
He wanted to go west to capture Polarmo and then sweep across the entire island.
General Alexander was hesitant.
George, he said, that’s not the plan.
Patton replied, to hell with the plan.
I can take Polarmo in 3 days.
Patton got a reluctant okay for a limited reconnaissance.
He took that inch and ran a marathon.
He turned the Seventh Army loose.
They didn’t just reconitor, they blitzed.
Patton drove his men relentlessly, 100 miles in 72 hours.
They slept in their trucks.
They ate while driving.
He famously told his commanders, “We are going to Polarmo.
I don’t care about your flanks.
The enemy is behind us.
If you aren’t moving, you’re dead.” On July 22nd, Patton rolled into Polarmo.
He had conquered the western half of Sicily in record time.
The world press went wild.
Patton takes Polarmo screamed the headlines.
Montgomery was still stuck at Etna.
When Monty heard the news, he was reportedly furious.
The supporting actor had just stolen the lead role.
But Patton wasn’t done.
He looked east toward Msina.
He looked at the map.
He realized he could beat Monty to the finish line.
Now it was a race, a petty, egodriven, magnificent race.
Montgomery, realizing he was losing the PR war, finally broke through the German lines.
He radioed his commanders.
We must get to Msina before the Americans.
It is a matter of national honor.
Patton was even more direct.
He issued an order that would be illegal in a modern army.
He told his officers, “This is a horse race in which the prestige of the US Army is at stake.
I want you to drive until the engines melt.” The Germans blew up the bridges.
Patton’s engineers rebuilt them in hours.
The Germans mined the roads.
Patton ordered his tanks to drive through the fields.
When the road was completely blocked by a collapsed tunnel, Patton didn’t wait.
He launched amphibious landings behind the German lines, the end runs at Brolo and Santaata.
He was moving so fast that at one point his own artillery shelled his forward units because they didn’t believe Americans could be that far ahead.
On the morning of August 22nd, General Patton walked into the city square of Msina.
He looked at his watch.
10:00 a.m.
He waited.
An hour later, a British column rolled into town.
A British officer, covered in dust, jumped out of his jeep.
He walked up to Patton, expecting to accept the city’s surrender.
Instead, he saw George Patton standing there smoking a cigar, surrounded by his staff.
Patton grinned and shouted, “Hello there.
Where have you been? We’ve been waiting for you.” It was the ultimate mic drop.
Patton had beaten the British Eighth Army to the prize.
He had done it over worse terrain, covering more distance against the same enemy.
When Montgomery finally arrived, the tension was palpable.
He had to shake Patton’s hand and admit defeat.
The clear the road order was forgotten.
The road was clear, all right, because Patton had already cleared it.
The race to Msina was a triumph for Patton, but it came at a cost.
His obsession with beating Monty led him to push his men to the breaking point.
It was during this race that the infamous slapping incidents occurred where Patton struck two soldiers suffering from PTSD because he thought they were cowards slowing him down.
Those slaps would nearly end his career.
But strategically, the race proved something vital.
It proved that the American GI was not just a raw recruit anymore.
They were a fighting force that could out march and outfight the best in the world.
Patton had cleared the road, not for Montgomery, but for the future of the Allied advance into Europe.
What do you think? Was the race a brilliant motivator or a waste of lives for two generals egos? Let us know in the comments.
And if you want to know why the Germans called the American soldier the rich boy, click the video right here.
If you’re enjoying these World War II stories and want to see more, I’d really appreciate it if you subscribe to the channel.
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