In Box Review of Tamiya 1/25th Scale
General Patton of U.S. Army
Military Figure Series 6
Kit no. PF 0006-100
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1980
Out of production.
Kit no. PF 0006-100
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 1980
Out of production.
HISTORY: George Smith Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a general in the United States Army who commanded the Seventh United States Army in the Mediterranean Theater of World War II, and the Third United States Army in France and Germany after the Allied invasion of Normandy in June 1944.
Born in 1885, Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the "Patton Saber". He competed in the modern pentathlon in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Patton entered combat during the Poncho Villa Expedition of 1916, the United States' first military action using motor vehicles.
He fought in World War I as part of the new United States Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces: he commanded the U.S. tank school in France, then led tanks into combat and was wounded near the end of the war. In the interwar period, Patton became a central figure in the development of the army's armored warfare doctrine, serving in numerous staff positions throughout the country. At the United States' entry into World War II, he commanded the 2nd Armored Division.
Patton led U.S. troops into the Mediterranean theater with an invasion of Casablanca during Operation Torch in 1942, and soon established himself as an effective commander by rapidly rehabilitating the demoralized II Corps. He commanded the U.S. Seventh Army during the Allied invasion of Sicily, where he was the first Allied commander to reach Messina. There he was embroiled in controversy after he slapped two shell-shocked soldiers, and was temporarily removed from battlefield command. He was assigned a key role in Operation Fortitude, the Allies' military deception campaign for Operation Overlord. At the start of the Western Allied invasion of France, Patton was given command of the Third Army, which conducted a highly successful rapid armored drive across France.
Under his decisive leadership, the Third Army took the lead in relieving beleaguered American troops at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, after which his forces drove deep into Nazi Germany by the end of the war. During the Allied occupation of Germany, Patton was named military governor of Bavaria, but was relieved for making aggressive statements towards the Soviet Union and trivializing denazification. He commanded the United States Fifteenth Army for slightly more than two months. Severely injured in an auto accident, he died in Germany twelve days later, on December 21, 1945.
Patton's colorful image, hard-driving personality, and success as a commander were at times overshadowed by his controversial public statements. His philosophy of leading from the front, and his ability to inspire troops with attention-getting, vulgarity-laden speeches, such as his famous address to the Third Army, was received favorably by his troops, but much less so by a sharply divided Allied high command.
His sending the doomed Task Force Baum to liberate his son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel John K. Waters, from a prisoner-of-war camp further damaged his standing with his superiors. His emphasis on rapid and aggressive offensive action proved effective, and he was regarded highly by his opponents in the German High Command. An award-winning biographical film released in 1970, Patton, helped popularize his image.
Nicknames: "Bandito", "Old Blood and Guts"
Born: November 11, 1885, San Gabriel, California, U.S.
Died: December 21, 1945 (aged 60), Heidelberg, Allied-occupied Germany
Buried: Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial
Allegiance: United States
Service/branch: United States Army
Years of service: 1909–1945
Rank: General
Service number: 0-2605
Unit: Cavalry Branch
Commands held: Fifteenth United States Army, Third United States Army, Seventh United States Army, II Corps, Desert Training Center, I Armored Corps, 2nd Armored Division< 2nd Brigade, 2nd Armored Division, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry, 304th Tank Brigade
Awards: Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart
Alma mater: United States Military Academy, Virginia Military Institute
Spouse: Beatrice Banning Ayer (married 1910)
Children: Beatrice Smith, Ruth Ellen, George Patton IV
Relations: George Smith Patton II (father), George Smith Patton I (grandfather), Benjamin Davis Wilson (grandfather), John K. Waters (son-in-law), Willie (dog)
Born in 1885, Patton attended the Virginia Military Institute and the United States Military Academy at West Point. He studied fencing and designed the M1913 Cavalry Saber, more commonly known as the "Patton Saber". He competed in the modern pentathlon in the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. Patton entered combat during the Poncho Villa Expedition of 1916, the United States' first military action using motor vehicles.
He fought in World War I as part of the new United States Tank Corps of the American Expeditionary Forces: he commanded the U.S. tank school in France, then led tanks into combat and was wounded near the end of the war. In the interwar period, Patton became a central figure in the development of the army's armored warfare doctrine, serving in numerous staff positions throughout the country. At the United States' entry into World War II, he commanded the 2nd Armored Division.
Patton led U.S. troops into the Mediterranean theater with an invasion of Casablanca during Operation Torch in 1942, and soon established himself as an effective commander by rapidly rehabilitating the demoralized II Corps. He commanded the U.S. Seventh Army during the Allied invasion of Sicily, where he was the first Allied commander to reach Messina. There he was embroiled in controversy after he slapped two shell-shocked soldiers, and was temporarily removed from battlefield command. He was assigned a key role in Operation Fortitude, the Allies' military deception campaign for Operation Overlord. At the start of the Western Allied invasion of France, Patton was given command of the Third Army, which conducted a highly successful rapid armored drive across France.
Under his decisive leadership, the Third Army took the lead in relieving beleaguered American troops at Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, after which his forces drove deep into Nazi Germany by the end of the war. During the Allied occupation of Germany, Patton was named military governor of Bavaria, but was relieved for making aggressive statements towards the Soviet Union and trivializing denazification. He commanded the United States Fifteenth Army for slightly more than two months. Severely injured in an auto accident, he died in Germany twelve days later, on December 21, 1945.
Patton's colorful image, hard-driving personality, and success as a commander were at times overshadowed by his controversial public statements. His philosophy of leading from the front, and his ability to inspire troops with attention-getting, vulgarity-laden speeches, such as his famous address to the Third Army, was received favorably by his troops, but much less so by a sharply divided Allied high command.
His sending the doomed Task Force Baum to liberate his son-in-law, Lieutenant Colonel John K. Waters, from a prisoner-of-war camp further damaged his standing with his superiors. His emphasis on rapid and aggressive offensive action proved effective, and he was regarded highly by his opponents in the German High Command. An award-winning biographical film released in 1970, Patton, helped popularize his image.
Nicknames: "Bandito", "Old Blood and Guts"
Born: November 11, 1885, San Gabriel, California, U.S.
Died: December 21, 1945 (aged 60), Heidelberg, Allied-occupied Germany
Buried: Luxembourg American Cemetery and Memorial
Allegiance: United States
Service/branch: United States Army
Years of service: 1909–1945
Rank: General
Service number: 0-2605
Unit: Cavalry Branch
Commands held: Fifteenth United States Army, Third United States Army, Seventh United States Army, II Corps, Desert Training Center, I Armored Corps, 2nd Armored Division< 2nd Brigade, 2nd Armored Division, 3rd Cavalry Regiment, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 3rd Squadron, 3rd Cavalry, 304th Tank Brigade
Awards: Distinguished Service Cross, Army Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart
Alma mater: United States Military Academy, Virginia Military Institute
Spouse: Beatrice Banning Ayer (married 1910)
Children: Beatrice Smith, Ruth Ellen, George Patton IV
Relations: George Smith Patton II (father), George Smith Patton I (grandfather), Benjamin Davis Wilson (grandfather), John K. Waters (son-in-law), Willie (dog)
THE KIT:
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Japan. They manufacture all manner of plastic and metal model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped, end-opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end-flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows a color illustration of Patton, who is standing against an all-white background (that Tamiya uses for the majority of their box arts).
He is dressed in a khaki uniform, steel helmet with 3 white stars on the front of it, belt with 2 pearl-handled revolvers in holsters on it. Trousers bloused at the bottom into high red-brown boots. He has his left hand resting on the handle of one of the pistols and he holds a riding crop ion his right hand.
Bottom of the box art says: Ready to assemble precision model kit. Modelling skills helpful if under 10 years of age.
The bottom of the box shows a color illustration of him in the same pose, shown from behind. Details (already described) are called out around him in Japanese and English.
Tamiya is an old prolific model company based in Japan. They manufacture all manner of plastic and metal model subjects in the popular scales.
This kit comes in a shrink-wrapped, end-opening type box. I am no fan of this type of box, because invariably parts or the decal sheet will find their way past one of the end-flaps of the box to become lost forever. Give me a tray and lid type box any day of the week.
The box art shows a color illustration of Patton, who is standing against an all-white background (that Tamiya uses for the majority of their box arts).
He is dressed in a khaki uniform, steel helmet with 3 white stars on the front of it, belt with 2 pearl-handled revolvers in holsters on it. Trousers bloused at the bottom into high red-brown boots. He has his left hand resting on the handle of one of the pistols and he holds a riding crop ion his right hand.
Bottom of the box art says: Ready to assemble precision model kit. Modelling skills helpful if under 10 years of age.
The bottom of the box shows a color illustration of him in the same pose, shown from behind. Details (already described) are called out around him in Japanese and English.
Both side panels of the box are identical. They have a paragraph in Japanese on them.
One end-flap of the box has a color illustration of his belt buckle, that has U.S. on it.
The other end-flap of the box has color illustrations of his helmet with either 3 or 4 stars on it.
WHAT’S IN THE BOX:
The kit holds one dark-green plastic tree of parts.
It holds: a small pouch, helmet, riding crop, 2 pistols in holsters, Patton divided into a full-figure and arms, a hexagonal, raised base display plate (9 parts).
The kit holds one dark-green plastic tree of parts.
It holds: a small pouch, helmet, riding crop, 2 pistols in holsters, Patton divided into a full-figure and arms, a hexagonal, raised base display plate (9 parts).
He is not cello bagged.
There are also 2 tiny decal sheets in a zip-locked bag. Both hold numerous white star insignias.
Detail is excellent.
Highly recommended.
There are also 2 tiny decal sheets in a zip-locked bag. Both hold numerous white star insignias.
Detail is excellent.
Highly recommended.