Killing Patton

On December 23, four days after the start of the Third Army’s efforts to relieve American forces at Bastogne, Patton prays in a chapel in Luxembourg City. While there have been some advances, progress has been slow. Poor weather conditions have grounded American aircraft and made the roads icy and treacherous for tanks. This, combined with stiff German resistance, means that Bastogne might fall before Patton reaches it. Patton has driven around in his jeep to encourage his troops in the freezing conditions, but he is desperate for the weather to change. He asks God for “four days of sunshine” (170) so American bombers can attack German positions again, and so that tanks can move swiftly along the roads.

On Christmas Eve 1944, Hitler is directing the German offensive from the “Adlerhorst,” a bunker complex in western Germany. “The Fuhrer’s physical condition continues to deteriorate” (174): His left hand shakes, he suffers from irritable bowel syndrome and an irregular heartbeat, and he is addicted to cocaine and methamphetamines.

Hitler hears news that Germans have not yet captured Bastogne. His Second Panzer Division has run out of fuel just three miles short of the Meuse River. Moreover, the elite First