Why didn't Barton take part in the Normandy landing?

On July 1943, the battle of Sicily officially kicked off. Although the ratio of the total allied forces to the total garrison forces was 1:2, with the support of the powerful navy and air force, the island-attacking forces occupied the whole island for 38 days, which opened the door for the allied forces to land in Europe from the south, leading to Mussolini's stepping down and Italy's surrender.

The hero of this war must be george patton. His seventh army advanced 320 kilometers in four days, captured Palermo, captured 50,000 enemies, took the lead in capturing Messina, and drove the Axis troops out of Sicily. Barton became famous in World War I and became a well-known American hero, demonstrating the operational potential and influence of the US military.

However, the "slap in the face" incident pushed him and the US military to the forefront.

During the invasion of Messina by the Seventh Army, Barton went to the field hospital twice in a week. The first time, he reprimanded a soldier who was "hiding" in the hospital because of "fear". The second time, he slapped a soldier in the face in public. This incident quickly spread widely in the whole army and soon became the worst incident of the US military in the Allied Forces.

Coincidentally, both incidents occurred in Bradley's 2nd Army. The Chief Medical Officer of the Army reported this situation to Commander Bradley and General Alexander, Commander of the Army Group. As Barton's subordinate and former partner, Bradley, who took care of the overall situation, suppressed this matter.

In fact, soldiers who are timid and run away from the battlefield are abhorrent in all troops, and some of them are even directly bound by battlefield discipline. However, Alexander, an Englishman, ignored all this and reported the matter to Eisenhower, commander-in-chief of the Allied Forces. Business aside, he more or less wants to see Barton make a fool of himself because he "hates" Barton.

First of all, Barton is a person with distinct personality. He has obvious advantages and unacceptable disadvantages. He hates evil and longs for victory, but he is also grumpy and outspoken. He often disdains friendly forces, especially the British, for their "playing big cards", posturing and selfishness, and Barton is even more cynical and hates it.

Secondly, the American-led Husky 8 operation was overthrown by Montgomery, and then his own plan was launched. Obviously, the American army became a supporting role in the allied attack this time, covering the British flank. This incident made Barton very angry. Although he still did his duty and went all out, he was unconvinced throughout the campaign.

The opportunity has finally come. Due to Montgomery's indecision, the British army was surrounded by German superior forces. Barton divided his forces to capture Palermo, opened the battle, and then captured Messina before the British. His brilliance immediately overshadowed Montgomery, and he severely taught this self-righteous British "villain" with practical actions.

More importantly, the British army, which has always been the backbone of the allied forces, was completely defeated in front of the US military. This is a situation that the British army does not want to see, and Alexander feels even more ashamed. Just as how to brake Barton's limelight and the momentum of the US military, the "slap in the face" incident made him feel a little emboldened.

Eisenhower didn't care about it completely. He had been trying to protect Barton. Helpless, at this time, it was embellished by good reporters, which made American politicians very dissatisfied and accused the military of favoritism and demanded that Barton be severely punished.

Because of this, it is unforgivable to politicians.

First, as a powerful country, the United States has been flaunting its own values, especially in human rights. Barton's practice is even more contrary to the Constitution and laws. "Slapping in the face" is obviously trampling on the human rights of soldiers. As a senior officer, you can't rudely put your personality above the law.

Second, no respect for science. "War phobia" was defined as "depressive neurosis" by the medical community during World War II. The ignorant Barton knew nothing about medicine, refused to listen to the doctor's explanation, and insulted the soldiers, which obviously violated the spirit of medical science and caused strong resentment and resistance in the medical field.

Of course, what is more serious is to tarnish the reputation of the US military. Since the U.S. military intervened in the European War, in order to gain the dominant position in the Allies, it can be said that it has sent elite troops. They just want to show the demeanor of a civilized teacher through a good military image and strong combat effectiveness.

Just as Sicily won a great victory and the American army was heading for glory, Barton's rude behavior completely exposed the long-term warlord style of the American army, and became a joke told by friendly forces, which humiliated the United States. Although, Roosevelt, Marshall and others tried their best to protect the war general. But in the end, Barton was removed from the post of army commander.

The "slap in the face" incident is just one of the reasons why Barton is not reused.

After Barton was dismissed, he could only sit in Palermo and look up at the sky, doing nothing. Seeing that the "overlord" action of the allied forces to open up the "second battlefield" is going on, his subordinate Bradley is ready to land in Europe, but Barton has become an outsider. Why?

First of all, after the "slap in the face" incident, Allied Commander Eisenhower had a thorough understanding of Barton. In his view, Barton's personality is regrettable. He is short-tempered, reckless and impulsive, and it is difficult to be a senior commander, but he is still qualified as the commander of the group army. In other words, his position is over.

Secondly, during the Battle of Sicily, there were two massacres of prisoners of war in the Seventh Army, and Barton was considered as the initiator behind the scenes. Although after investigation by the War Department, he did not order the shooting of prisoners, but this incident once again pushed Barton to the public and became the target of public criticism.

What is even more troublesome for the US military is that Barton, who has no political mind, boasted at a rally that the post-war world pattern would be dominated by Britain and the United States. This sentence, like a mine, instantly raised Barton's remarks to an "international event", causing dissatisfaction among the Soviets.

We should know that due to the differences in values, although the eastern and western forces have formed an anti-fascist alliance, their relationship is very sensitive and fragile. Stalin, who was worried that the United States and Britain would delay the opening of the second front and reduce the pressure on the Soviet Union, lost confidence in jointly dealing with the Axis Powers.

This time, even Eisenhower stopped protecting Barton and seriously criticized him. The United States has reached the point where it is unbearable to be outspoken about him, demanding that this "troublemaker" be disarmed and returned to the battlefield. At this point, Barton also knew that this "disaster" was not small, and he once had the idea of leaving the army.

However, Barton's achievements in Africa and Sicily made the allied high-level officials very aware of his ability. Especially in the upcoming Normandy landing, the US military still needs soldiers like Barton to take the lead. In the end, Barton kept the position of commander of the Third Army, but stayed in Calais, France as a "bait".

If Barton is dismissed, will the US military's counterattack against Western Europe be smooth? Welcome to leave a message for discussion.

References: the whole history of World War II, World War II, General Patton.

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