Patton and Japan

[Oskar]

What if Patton had been in charge of the occupation of Japan instead of MacArthur? How would he have behaved?

Personally, I think he would have said something along the lines of "Kill all the purple-pissing Japs and repopulate the island with American sons of God-dammned bitches."

Oskar

[Toivo]

Maybe I have wrong vision but with Patton's tactics americans would suffer heavy casualities. Atleast in second phase (US advance). Don't know I just have such feeling.

[Marcel1975]

I heard that statistics proved that Patton's armies advanced further and faster, killed and captured more enemy soldiers at the cost of less casualties than any other army in US history. Statictics proved Patton right, despite the fact that his agressive 'hold em by the nose and kick em in the ass' tactics would seemingly cost more casualties.

[Tiwaz]

AFAIK Patton was a armor commander more than infantry commander. That would be weakness in less tank friendly terrain of Asia so he would have been either forced to adapt to new thinking (which, IMO, would have been difficult to him) or accept large losses on the way.

[Jan -NL-]

true, europe is the perfect tank arena imho

[Sam H.]

Patton was more of a pure warrior - while McArthur was a competent general and a great administrator. Patton would not be a good person to lead the occupation forces in Japan, its just not something that was in his background.

Now, if you want a good battlefield commander for the invasion force, a force that was designed to feature American armor might ... Patton is the guy.