The Day the 344th Stopped Patton
Patton treasured the German autobahns. To him they were high speed highways
where he could charge forward at full tilt, covering miles of territory,
sweeping enemy forces in his path. But Patton never took A.A. Robinson into
account. A.A. Robinson, Lt. Robinson was one of the pilots in the 344th Bomb
Group. And a good pilot and a fine fellow he was. But he was on a crash course
with both destiny and a furious Patton. We were on a mission over Germany. We
were heading East and finally crossed the bomb line. Now we were over enemy
held territory and committed to the mission. Robinson was having engine
trouble. He slowly started losing altitude. No choice but to drop out of the
formation and try to make it back to base, or at least one of the many
emergency strips built for the heavies in trouble. Dropping out of formation in
enemy territory is dangerous business. He was alone, no fighter cover and he
was easy pickings for any German fighters looking for a target of opportunity.
He was still losing altitude. So he did what anyone of would have done in his
place. He dumped his bomb load to lighten the plane. The problem was that he
dumped it on an autobahn in the path oif Patton's advance into Germany. And he
just didn't bust up the road, he took out the bridges over deep chasms as well.
He stopped Patton's advance dead Patton now had to do a go around through deep
chasms slowing his advance quite seriously. Of course, for some strange reason
Patton had no intention of being a good sport about this innocent little mishap
on poor AA's part. There was all hell to pay. But the furor finally died down
and Robinson just kept flying missions. But he never salvoed again. AA,
wherever you are today, I hope you are reading this. We can have nothing but
admiration for the man that could do what the Germans could never do, bring
Patton to a halt.
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Arthur Kramer
344th BG 494th BS
England, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany
Visit my WW II B-26 website at:
http://www.coastcomp.com/artkramer