Army·Institutional politics·In Memoriam
US Army Tank Corps
Treat 'em Rough
Served: 1918–1920
Crewed Renault FTs and Mark V heavies at St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne — the first generation of American tankers, under a 32-year-old George S. Patton.
The Story
Patton, Eisenhower, and Brig. Gen. Rockenbach all formally protested the dissolution. They lost. Patton went back to the cavalry; Eisenhower spent the interwar years writing tank doctrine the Army wouldn't read until 1939.
Epitaph
“Killed by a peacetime act. Patton spent 20 years getting it back.”
Sources
- Army Historical Foundation — Dawn of American Armorarmyhistory.org
- Wikipedia — Tank Corps AEFen.wikipedia.org