ELWYN B. ROBINSON DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
CHESTER FRITZ LIBRARY
UNIVERSITY OF NORTH DAKOTA
GRAND FORKS, NORTH DAKOTA 58202

GEORGE S. PATTON PAPERS

COLLECTION: OGL#1360

DATES: 1918-1944

SIZE: 1.5 linear feet, plus oversize material

INTRODUCTION

ACQUISITION:The George S. Patton Papers were purchased by Ralph Engelstad of Las Vegas, Nevada, and deposited in the Orin G. Libby Manuscript Collection in March 1998 (Accession #98-2190).

ACCESS: Available for inspection under the rules and regulations of the Department of Special Collections.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

George Smith Patton, Jr. was born in San Gabriel, California on November 11, 1885. In 1903, he enrolled in Virginia Military Institute and was appointed to West Point the following year. He graduated in 1909 and was commissioned a second lieutenant in the 15th Cavalry. Patton served as acting aide to General John J. Pershing during the United States Punitive Expedition to Mexico in 1916. In April, 1917, two months after Patton's return, the United States declared war on Germany. Pershing, appointed commander in chief of the American Expeditionary Forces (A.E.F.), promoted Patton to captain and asked Patton to accompany him to France. Here, Patton began taking an interest in tanks, which were then new and largely untried weapons. He was promoted to Major and, in November, 1917, became one of the first men detailed in the newly established United States Army Tank Corps. He was ordered to direct a new tank school at Langres, France, where he would organize and train the 304th (1st) Tank Brigade. He was soon promoted to lieutenant colonel. Patton led the 1st Tank Brigade into battle at St. Mihiel in mid-September, 1918. Later that month, he was wounded in the Meuse- Argonne Offensive. He sent word that Major Sereno Brett was to take command in his absence. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive continued until mid-October. Meanwhile, Patton was promoted to full colonel. The War ended shortly after, on November 11, 1918. Patton was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross and the Distinguished Service Medal for his service. He continued to serve in the Tank Corps until its disbandment at Fort Meade, Maryland in 1920. In the period between the two world wars, he served two tours of duty in Hawaii, a tour in the Chief of Cavalry's office in the War Department and three tours with the 3rd Cavalry in Fort Myer, Virginia. He graduated from the Command and General Staff School in 1924 and from the Army War College in 1932. In July 1940, Chief of Staff General George C. Marshall established the Armored Force, with General Adna R. Chaffee in command. One division was to be located at Fort Knox, Kentucky and the other at Fort Benning, Georgia. Patton was promoted to Brigadier General and appointed to command a brigade of the Second Armored Division at Fort Benning. In less than a year, he was given command of the division and promoted to Major General. The United States entered World War II shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. A few months later, Patton became commander of the 1st Armored Corps. He commanded the Western Task Force, which landed in North Africa in November, 1942. In March, 1943, he was given command of all American forces in the Tunisia Combat Area. Within a month, he was promoted to lieutenant general and put in charge of American preparations for the invasion of Sicily. He commanded the American assault on Sicily in July, 1943. In March 1944, Patton assumed command of the 3rd Army, which became operational in France the following August. Patton and the 3rd Army advanced at a remarkable rate throughout the rest of the war. When the Germans began the Ardennes counteroffensive in December, 1944, Patton redirected his forces to the north, relieved Bastogne and contained the enemy. General Omar Bradley referred to this action as "one of the most astonishing feats of generalship of our campaign in the west." In April, 1945, Patton received his fourth star. Germany surrendered the following month. In October, 1945, Patton assumed command of the 15th Army in America- occupied Germany. He died on December 21, 1945, as a result of an automobile accident near Mannheim, Germany.

Sources:

Blumenson, Martin. Patton: The Man Behind the Legend, 1885-1945. New York: William Morrow and Company, 1985
"Patton, General George S. (1885-1945)". In TheOxford Companion to World War II. I.C.B. Dear, General Editor. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995
Pogue, Forrest C. "Patton, George Smith, Jr. (1885-1945)." Encyclopedia Americana, v. 21, pp. 540-41. Danbury, Connecticut: Grolier Incorporated, 1990.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The George S. Patton Papers were brought together by Sereno Elmer Brett, Patton's second in command during World War I. Brett organized and took command of the 345th (327th) Battalion, Tank Corps in June, 1918. In the St. Mihiel Offensive of September, 1918, he led the first American tank attack in World War I, along with the 344th (326th) Battalion. He assumed command of the 304th (1st) Tank Brigade after Patton was wounded in late September, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

Spanning the years 1918-1944, the George S. Patton Papers document activities of Patton and the 304th (1st) Tank Brigade during the First World War, and document the early development of tanks and tank warfare. Items include war diaries of the 345th (327th) Battalion and of the 304th Tank Brigade, which describe daily activities from August, 1918 to February, 1919. The first nine entries of the 304th war diary for September are in Patton's hand and subsequent reports are signed by him. The Battle of St. Mihiel is documented through an official operations report submitted by Patton, as well as by field orders, reports of officers of the 344th and 345th Battalions and transcriptions of Sereno Brett's diary. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive is documented through field orders, official operations reports (submitted by Patton and Brett), reports of officers in the 344th Battalion and transcripts of Army Liaison Office communications transmitted during the Offensive. An unpublished history of the 304th Brigade provides detailed background information. "Personal Experiences of Officers of the Tank Corps, American Expeditionary Forces" compiles experiences related by Patton, Brett and other Tank Corps officers in November and December, 1918. Patton Papers also contain rosters of the 304th, including lists of those killed in action.

Several materials document the early development of tanks and tank warfare. Items dating from World War I include a British official report entitled "Tanks as Time and Man Savers," the "Instructions for the Training of the U.S. Tank Corps in France," and the "Report of Investigation, French Renault Tanks, With 1st Army, A.E.F., Argonne Sector, October, 1918." Unpublished essays, manuscripts, reports and other materials dating from the immediate post- World War I period review the history of tanks during the war and examine successes and failures of their employment. Several materials reflect contemporary debates on the future of tanks within the United States Army. One folder, for example, contains correspondence regarding the possible formation of a tank division (including a 1930 letter written and signed by Colonel G. C. Marshall.). Lectures by Sereno Brett at the Army War College speculate on the development of tanks and on how the United States could defend itself against an armored attack. George S. Patton Papers also contain 329 photographs, some newspapers, and thirty-six maps. The maps depict World War I theatres of combat. Often, they illustrate specific battles and other military engagements and, as such, complement the war diaries and other materials in Patton Papers documenting these actions. Most newspapers date from 1940 and 1941 and describe the development of the Armored Forces Division. One newspaper, dating from 1927, describes Sereno Brett testing tanks for the U.S. Army. The photographs date from 1918-1941. Generally, they relate to the history of tanks and mechanized, armored warfare. They depict many tank models, including American, British, French, German and Italian models. Some photos show specific tank experimentation. Other photographs depict Sereno Brett and fellow military officers, including General Adna R. Chaffee, commander of the Armored Division from 1940 until his death in August 1941. Eighteen aerial photographs depict the World War I combat theatres. The topography in each of these is carefully labeled. One poster, dating from 1944, features an illustration of Patton, with the caption "General Patton says: `Buy More Bonds!'"

NOTE: A microfilmed reference copy of the George S. Patton Papers is available for viewing in the Special Collections reading room. Researchers may make copies on Special Collections' microfilm reader/printer. Materials from Boxes 1 and 2 were filmed on Roll 1. Materials from Box 3 (Photographs) and oversize materials (Maps and newspapers) are filmed on Roll 2.

BOX AND FOLDER INVENTORY

Box 1
Folder
(Note: All materials in Box 1 have been reproduced on Roll 1 of the George S. Patton Papers microfilm reference copy, which is available in Special Collections.)

  1. War Diary - 345th (327th) Battalion, Tank Corps, August 1918
  2. War Diary - 345th (327th) Battalion, Tank Corps, (Includes two maps) September 1918
  3. War Diary - 345th (327th) Battalion, Tank Corps, October 1918
  4. War Diary - 304th (1st) Brigade, Tank Corps, September 1918
  5. War Diary - 304th (1st) Brigade, Tank Corps, October 1918
  6. War Diary - 304th (1st) Brigade, Tank Corps, November 1918
  7. War Diary - 304th (1st) Brigade, Tank Corps, December 1918
  8. War Diary - 304th (1st) Brigade, Tank Corps, January 1919
  9. War Diary - 304th (1st) Brigade, Tank Corps, February 1919
  10. Battle of St. Mihiel -Field Orders, Operations Reports, Plan of Communications, Supply and Evacuation, September 9-21, 1918
  11. Battle of St. Mihiel - 326th and 327th Battalions, Tank Corps, Reports, September 12-16, 1918
  12. Diary of Major Sereno E. Brett, September 11-19, 1918
  13. "Analysis and Criticism of Tactics Used at St. Mihiel," by Sereno E. Brett, 1922
  14. Correspondence With American Monuments Commission Regarding St. Mihiel, 1929
  15. Field Order No. 25, September 25, 1918
  16. Field Order No. 57, Annex #3, Undated
  17. Liaison Office Messages, September 26 - October 11, 1918
  18. Liaison Office Messages, September 30 - October 1, 1918
  19. "2nd Tank Brigade, AEF, Report on Operations, September 27th to October 1st, 1918," October 5, 1918
  20. Artillery Movement - October 27, 1918
  21. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, October 28, 1918
  22. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, Annex No. 1, Plan of Employment of Artillery, Undated
  23. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, Annex No. 2, Plan of Service, Undated
  24. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, Annex No. 3, Plan of Organization of the Conquered Ground, Undated
  25. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, Annex No. 4, Plan of Engineers, Undated
  26. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, Annex No. 5, Battle of Instructions, Undated
  27. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, Changes, Annex No. 6, Plan of Liaison, October 26, 1918
  28. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, Annex No. 7, Plan of Intelligence, October 1918
  29. Headquarters, 1st Army Corps, Field Order 85, Annex No. 8, Plan of Communications, Supply and Evacuation, October 24, 1918
  30. "Personal Report of Major Sereno E. Brett on the 1st Brigade, Tank Corps, During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, September 26 to November 10, 1918," Undated
  31. 344th Battalion, Tank Corps, Reports on the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, September - November, 1918, Written November 16, 1918 and Undated
  32. Operations Reports of the 304th (1st) Brigade, Battle of the Argonne Forest, September 26 to October 15, 1918, Written November 18, 1918 and Undated
  33. Personal Experiences of Officers of the Tank Corps, Written During November and December, 1918
  34. General Order No. 24: Distinguished Service Cross Awarded to Patton, Brett and Others, December 17, 1918
  35. "Operations of the Tank Corps AEF With the 1st American Army at St. Mihiel and in the Argonne, September 11th to November 11th, 1918, " by S. D. Rockenbach, December 27, 1918

Box 2
Folder
(Note: All materials in Box 2 have been reproduced on Roll 1 of the George S. Patton Papers microfilm reference copy, which is available in Special Collections.)

  1. Headquarters 301st Center, Tank Corps, Assignments (S.O. 46), June 1918
  2. Roster of the 1st Brigade Tank Corps, September and November 1918
  3. Roster of the 304th Brigade Tank Corps, April 1919
  4. 344th Battalion, Men Killed, Wounded or Gassed During the St. Mihiel and Argonne-Meusse Drive, August 1919
  5. "Deaths in the Tank Corps Overseas, as Reported by the A.G.O.," Undated
  6. "Tank Corps Roll of Dead in the Field of Honor," (List of Men Killed/Cause of Death), Undated
  7. Correspondence by General Summerall to General Rockenbach Regarding Lecture on Tanks, 1919
  8. "History of the 304th (1st) Brigade Tank Corps," Undated
  9. "Remarks of Brigadier General S.D. Rockenbach, Chief of Tank Corps, U.S. Army, at Conference of Department and Division Commanders, Held in Washington, D.C., January 12-19, 1920"
  10. Sereno Brett's Thesis for Masters of Forestry, 1920
  11. "Compilation of Extracts from Personal Experience Reports of Tank Officers in the World War," 1928
  12. Correspondence Regarding Claude Huff, a World War I Veteran Who Enlisted Under an Assumed Name, 1931
  13. "Instructions for the Training of the U.S. Tank Corps in France," Undated
  14. "Tanks as Time and Man Savers," (British Official Report), circa 1918
  15. Tanks - Foreign, 1918
  16. "Report of Investigation, French Renault Tanks, With 1st Army, AEF, Argonne Sector, October 1918"
  17. "The Moral Effect of Tanks Upon the Enemy," by F.T. Murphy, Lt. Tank Corps, AEF, Undated
  18. "The Employment of Tanks in the World War" (Translated from "Tanks" by Von Ingenieur R. Kruger), 1923
  19. "American Tanks in the World War," Tank School, Camp Meade, MD, Undated
  20. Correspondence Regarding the Formation of a Tank Division, 1929-1930
  21. Defense Against Mechanized Units (Lecture by Sereno Brett at Army War College), 1933
  22. "Post-War Development," Army War College Report by Sereno Brett, 1934
  23. Christie Tank - Report on Acceptance Test, 1930
  24. Letter from J. Walter Christie to Sereno Brett, 1943
  25. Christie Flying Artillery, 1943
  26. Report on Russian Tanks, 1939
  27. "Mechanized Warfare," by Von Eimamnsberger, Undated
  28. Seven Maps Accompanying "Mechanized Warfare," Undated
  29. Drawings Accompanying "Mechanized Warfare," Undated
  30. Sheet Music - "The Tank: Marching Song of the Tanks," 1930

Box 3
Folder
(Note: All materials in Box 3 have been reproduced on Roll 2 of the George S. Patton Papers microfilm reference copy, which is available in Special Collections.)
Photographs:

  1. World War I Aerial Photos - Attack on Contigny, May 28, 1918, (#1-2)
  2. Photos Stamped "General Headquarters, American Expeditionary Forces, Office, Chief of Tank Corps," 1918 (#3-12)
  3. Unidentified Painting of a World War I Battle, Undated (#13)
  4. U.S. Army Motorized Artillery Maneuvers, Washington, D.C., Undated (#14)
  5. "Tank Park, Company B, 16th Tank Battalion," Undated (#15)
  6. "HQ CO., Light Tank BN and Light Tank CO., War Strength," Undated (#16)
  7. Tanks and Other Ordnance (Photos Once Stored in a Three Ring Binder Labeled "C/S"), Undated (#17-41)
  8. Christie Tank, 1922 and Undated (#42-47)
  9. Christie Tank - Four Panel Sequence, Undated (#48-51)
  10. Christie Tank - Five Panel Sequence, Undated (#52-56)
  11. Tanks, Identified -
    Dragon Tank, Undated (#57-59)
    Ford Tank, Undated (#60-62)
    Franklin Air Cooled Tank, Undated (#63)
    Mark VII, S.P. Mount, Undated (#64-65)
    T1, Undated (#66)
    T1E1, Undated (#67-70)
    T1E2, 1929 and Undated (#71-72)
    T2, 1931 and Undated (#73-77)
    T2E1, Undated (#78)
    T2E2, Undated (#79)
    T3, Undated (#80)
    T3E2, Undated (#81)
    T4, Undated (#82-84)
    T5, Phase III, Undated (#85-86)
  12. Tanks, British Garden-Lloyd Tank, 1929, 1931-1932 and Undated (#87-91)
    Mark V Tank, 1929 and Undated (#92-94)
    Vickers Tank, Undated (#95-98)
  13. French Renault Tank, Undated (#99-100)
  14. German Tanks, Undated (#101-103)
  15. Italian Fiat Tank Model 2000, Undated (#104-105)
  16. Photos Stamped: "From Austr. Mjr. Heigl" Swedish M-21 Tank, 1927 (#106-107)
    Czechoslovakian Wheel Cum Track Tank KH50, Undated (#108-111)
  17. Tanks, Unidentified and Undated (#112-127)
  18. One Photo of a Group of Tanks and Trucks, Unidentified (#128)
  19. Tank Carriers/Cargo Carriers, Unidentified (#129-133)
  20. Armored Car, Unidentified and Undated (#134)
  21. Trucks, Identified, Undated (#135-138)
  22. Trucks, Unidentified and Undated (#139-143)
  23. Scout Cars, T9 and Unidentified; Both Undated (#144-145)
  24. Hipkins Device, Undated (#146-149)
  25. Airplane Carrying a Tank, Unidentified and Undated (#150)
  26. Guns, Undated (#151-154)
  27. Photo Labeled "Old Kitchen," Undated (#155)
  28. Graphs - Motorized Transport vs. Horses, Undated (#156-157)
  29. Portraits of Sereno Brett, Undated (#158-165)
  30. Guillermo Jose Mohr, Major General Argentina (Sereno Brett in Background), Undated (#166)
  31. Group Photos (Sereno Brett Included in Each Photo), Undated (#167-183)
  32. Infantry Board, 1932-1937 (Sereno Brett Included in Each Photo) (#184- 186)
  33. Photos Stamped: "Photograph by Signal Corps, U.S. Army, Fort Knox, Kentucky," Photos are Otherwise Unidentified (Sereno Brett Included in Each Photo), Undated (#187-196)
  34. Photos Stamped: "Photograph by `Morgan' Warner Bros. License to Produce with Copyright Notice Granted Newspapers, Magazines and Other Periodicals," Undated (#197-215) (Sereno Brett in Photo #215)
  35. Photos Labeled "M.F.," 1930-31 and Undated (#216-223) (Sereno Brett in #216-217)
  36. Portraits - Adna R. Chaffee, Undated (#224-225)
  37. General Adna R. Chaffee and Secretary of War Henry Stimson (Autographed by Chaffee), 1941 (#226)
  38. Portrait - Daniel Van Voorhis (Autographed by Van Voorhis) (#227)
  39. Portraits - Unidentified, Undated (#228-231)
  40. Photo Labeled "ROTC - W. Md. College, May 12, 1926" (#232)
  41. Group Photos, Unidentified (Sereno Brett Not Included), Undated (#233- 236)
  42. Photos - Unidentified, Undated (#237-242)
  43. European War Maps - Fourth Corps Map and Traffic Regulations, Undated, (5 3/4" x 8 1/4"); Diagrammatic View of Western War Theatre, 1918, (7 ½" x 9 7/8)"

SEPARATIONS RECORD

Separated materials include one photo album, nineteen oversize photographs and several oversize folders containing maps, newspapers and one World War II poster of General George S. Patton, Jr.. The following oversize materials were separated and placed in the Oversize File Cabinets.

All separated materials have also been reproduced on Roll 2 of the George S. Patton Papers microfilm reference copy, which is available in Special Collections.

Photos

One photo album contains sixty-eight photographs of tanks, mostly unidentified. They appear to date from the 1920s and 1930s.

One oversize photograph depicts a large group of military personnel, including Sereno Brett. It is accompanied by a sheet labeled "Staff and Faculty, Command and General Staff School, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, 1939-1940." The sheet identifies each person in the photograph.

Eighteen photographs provide an aerial view of the World War I European combat theatre. The topography is clearly labeled in each of these photographs.

Oversize Folders
Maps

  1. Buzancy, Corrected Map to Accompany Field Order No. 85 - 1st A.C., Secret, (21 1/8" x 28 1/4")

    "Commercy, Revised 1912," Indicating 344th (326th) Battalion Positions Sept. 12-20, 1918, (22 3/4" x 32 7/8")

    Argonne, 1:50,000, 1918, (29 3/4" x 41 1/8")

    Buzancy/Dun-sur-Meuse, 1:20,000, June 12, 1918, Indicating Objective, Position and Maneuver Lines, (50 3/4" x 73 3/4")
  1. Artillery Barrage, Infantry Jumping Off line, June 9, 1918, Indicating Rolling Barrage Lifts, (19 ½" x 24 5/8")

    Tank Diagram, Tank Battalion at Midnight, 304th, 1st Co., Indicating Four Objectives, (17 3/4" x 25 3/8")

    Montsec 1:500,000, 1917 (23 1/4" x 30 ½")
  1. St. Mihiel, 1st Army, A.E.F. Circulation Map, (14 3/4" x 22 1/8")

    St. Mihiel, September 12-15, 1918 1:100,000, (17 3/4" x 21 1/8") (From "Operations Report, 304th Tank Brigade, St. Mihiel," Box 1, Folder 10)

    "Foret D'Argonne Attack," (14 7/8" x 20 3/4") (From Operations Report, 304th Tank Brigade, Foret D'Argonne Attack, Sept. 26th to Oct. 15th, " Box 1, Folder 32)

    The World War: Major Tactics of the Greatest Battle in History, July 18 to November 11, 1918, Dated 1928 (11 3/8" x 17 7/8,")
  1. Carte de France @ 1/600,000, June 28, 1918, (35 1/4" x 44 3/4")

    Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Map Showing Daily Position of Frontline Map Room G-3 G.H.Q. May 24, 1919, (29 3/4" x 35 3/8")
  1. 12 European War Maps - World War I
    Map 1 (9 ½" x 17"):
    -Dobroudja Campaigne, October, 1916
    -Volhynie Campaigne, October, 1916
    -Izonzo Campaigne, October, 1916

    Map 2 (15 1/4" x 24 7/8"):
    -Transylvania Campaigne, October, 1916
    -Macedonian Campaigne, October, 1916
    -Somme Campaigne, October, 1916

    Map 3: Western Theatre - European War, (21 3/8" x 25 3/4")
    Map 4: German Russian Operations, European War (R2), (19 ½" x 30")
    Map 5: Austria-Russian Operations, European War (R4), (16 1/4" x 22")
    Map 6: Turkish - Allies Operation, European War (R4), (16 1/4" x 22")
    Map 7: Italian-Austrian Frontier (R5), (24" x 32 7/8")
    Map 8: European War Zone Maps, 1914 (R6), (24" x 33 7/8")
    Map 9: German-Russian Operations, European War (R20), (22" x 33 7/8")
    Map 10: The Balkans, 1915 (R22), (21 7/8" x 33 7/8")
    Map 11: The Balkans, 1915 (R23), (19 ½" x 33 7/8")
    Map 12: A Map of Turkey in Asia (R 27), (19 ½" x 29 7/8")

Posters, Newspaper and Magazines

  1. Poster: "General Patton Says, `Buy More Bonds!' 1944
  2. Newspaper Article on Sereno Brett: "He Lets Them Blow Him Up in a Tank," November 20, 1927 (Newspaper Unidentified)
  3. Newspaper Article on Sereno Brett: "He Lets Them Blow Him Up in a Tank," November 20, 1927 (Newspaper Unidentified) [Duplicate of O.S. #7]
  4. Newspaper and Magazine Articles:
    - PM New York Daily, July 1, 1940 (Photo of Sereno Brett on Cover)
    - Time, July 8, 1940, pg. 19 (Article on formation of two Army tank divisions. Photo of Generals Adna R. Chaffee and Charles L. Scott).
    - Benning Herald, August 16, 1940 (Newspaper of Fort Benning, Georgia)
  5. Newspapers: O.S. 5 Contains the Following Issues of the Armored Force News, (Published at Fort Knox, Kentucky) June 5, 1941 (Front Page Article Entitled "Colonel Brett is Confirmed as Panzer Chief") July 10, 1941 (Two copies of Section One) (Issue Commemorating the First Anniversary of the Armored Force. Cover Features President Franklin Roosevelt, Secretary of War Henry Stimson, Chief of Staff General George Marshall, General Adna R. Chaffee. Articles include "Secretary of War and General Chaffee Chat" and a reprint of the June 5, 1941 article "Colonel Brett is Confirmed as `Panzer' Staff Chief." Section Three, Page 1 includes a sketch of General George S. Patton, with an accompanying article)
 Original Donation  First Addition:1998 and undated
 Second Addition: 1944-1947, 1997  Third Addition: undated

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