The Germans were obsessed with George Patton, regarding him as the Allies’ most feared commander

The biopic Patton, which won an Academy Award in 1970 and starred George C. Scott as the colourful American commander, depicts the German foes becoming obsessed with his whereabouts. The image presented is of a German command structure that was preoccupied with the actions of the Allied general they considered to be the most dreaded. Patton surely would have approved of such a portrayal. But post-war research has long shown that the Germans did not regard Patton with the same respect. In reality, they paid him very little attention before he took over command of the US 3rd Army in 1944.

One of the first American commanders to have a press officer on his staff, Patton was a master at self-promotion. He often donned riding breeches and boots, ivory-gripped pistols, and a beautifully polished helmet with his general's stars conspicuously displayed. He also dressed flamboyantly. He personally shot two mules that were blocking a bridge in Sicily with his pistols, and he made sure the war reporters accompanying his forces were informed of the incident.

The Secret of Victory, a book Patton penned in between the two World Wars, stated that "the leader must be an actor... He cannot be convincing until he acts the part. Throughout World War II, Patton played the part, frequently to the chagrin of his superiors. But rather than becoming a commander they feared more than any other, his German foes merely saw him as a prima donna.