Manton S. Eddy

Manton S. Eddy

Manton Sprague Eddy (born May 16, 1892 in Chicago , Illinois , † April 10, 1962 in Fort Benning ) was an American Lieutenant General in the US Army . He served in World War I , and in World War II and had several high posts held during the postwar period. He was a teacher at several military schools, as well as the director of the educational apparatus of the US Army.

biography

Youth and action in the First World War

Eddy was the son of insurance broker George Manton Eddy and his partner Martha Bishop Sprague.
After teaching in local schools in Chicago, Eddy graduated from Shattuck Military School in Faribault , Minnesota in 1913 . Unsure whether to pursue a military career, he decided to work for an accident insurance company in Indiana . In 1916 he decided to serve in the army and was accepted as a second lieutenant in an infantry unit of the US Army. In 1917 he was promoted to captain after completing an officer course at the Army Service School at Fort Leavenworth .

At the end of the First World War , in April 1918, Eddy was transferred to France with the 4th US Infantry Division, where he was used as commander of a machine gun company in the Aisne-Marne offensive in August . Eddy was wounded during an operation on the Velse river , but recovered in time to take part in the Meuse-Argonne offensive . When the war ended, he served as the commander of a battalion . In November 1918 he was promoted to major in the temporary brevet rank and served with the US occupation army in Germany until the summer of 1919, after which he returned to the USA.

Interwar period

In the period between the two world wars, Eddy served in various units and was captain again in 1920. He attended an officers course at Fort Benning Infantry School . He married Mamie Peabody Buttolph in 1921, with whom he had a daughter.

Eddy stayed at the infantry school until 1925, after which he was transferred to the infantry headquarters and then to the demonstration regiment. In August 1925 he was sent to the Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, where he was professor of military chemistry and tactics. After returning to infantry school in 1929, he completed the advanced officers course in 1930. This was followed by two years of service in regiments and staffs in Hawaii .

Eddy attended Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth from 1932 to 1934 and was a tactics teacher at the school from 1934 to 1939. After serving as regimental and staff officer, he was promoted to Brigadier General in March 1942 and deployed as deputy commander of the 9th US Infantry Division .

Second World War

Eddy shortly after D-Day

Eddy had hardly any practical experience due to his many years of teaching. Nevertheless he was commanding officer in the 114th regiment from 1941 to 1942 . In June 1942, Eddy was promoted to major general and appointed commanding general of the U.S. 9th Infantry Division, which he led during operations in North Africa, Sicily, and Normandy. He built the division and the Allied Commander in Chief Dwight D. Eisenhower rated it as one of his two best divisions.

Eddy took part in Operation Overlord with his division in June 1944 . During the Battle of Cherbourg, he and other US units advanced on the French city of Cherbourg . His division and the 82nd US Airborne Division surprised the Germans with their rapid advance and reached the coast of the Cotentin Peninsula on the night of June 17th to 18th. The German units did not have sufficient forces for an organized counterattack. Karl-Wilhelm von Schlieben , who had been appointed commandant of the Cherbourg Fortress by Hitler on June 23, 1944, decided to surrender on the evening of June 26, 1944. After his surrender, together with Rear Admiral Walter Hennecke , the commandant of the Normandy Sea Defense , to the 9th US Infantry Division under Eddy, von Schlieben surrendered with over 800 other soldiers in his underground command bunker in St. Sauveur and was then taken prisoner. A second, official, surrender followed at Servigny Castle , the headquarters of Major General J. Lawton Collins .

In August 1944 Eddy was promoted to commanding general of the XII. U.S. Corps , subordinate to Patton's 3rd U.S. Army . He played a major role in the rapid advance of the 3rd US Army through France, when crossing the Rhine and advancing into Germany. His units successfully held the southern flank of the German front even during the Battle of the Bulge . In April 1945 an illness forced him to return to the United States.

Eddy had received four of the five highest American awards for bravery by the end of the war . General Omar Bradley , one of his superiors during the war, reported that he "counted his steps carefully before he took them".

post war period

From 1946 and 1947 Eddy served, among other things, as deputy commander of the 2nd US Army and as head of the intelligence and intelligence department in the office of the Chief of Staff of the Army . He was appointed Head of Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth and Director of Education in the US Army in 1948, and Deputy Commander of European Command in 1950. Six months later he was given command of the re-established 7th US Army . After two years in this post, he became Commander of the US Armed Forces in Europe .

Eddy retired as Lieutenant General in 1953 and returned to Columbus .

He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Awards

• Distinguished Service Cross for the capture of Cherbourg
• Silver Star
• Legion of Merit (2 ×)
• Bronze Star Medal (2 ×)
• Order of the Legion of Honor , France
• Order of the Bath , United Kingdom

Quotes

• “In a world where so much seems to be hidden by the smoke of falsity and moral degeneration, we Americans must grasp firmly the ideals which have made this country great. We must reaffirm the basic human values ​​that have guided our forefathers. A revival of old-fashioned patriotism and a grateful acknowledgment of what our country has done for us would be good for all our souls. "
• "Many officers and noncommissioned officers have the attitude of" Don't do as I do, do as I say. " This type is not a leader. Men look to the leader for their model. A leader sets the proper example. Do everything you can to increase the personal pride of your men by your example. Cleanliness, neatness, and orderliness are evidence of personal pride. A proud outfit is a good outfit. "

literature

• Henry Gerard Phillips: The Making of a Professional: Manton S. Eddy, USA , Greenwood Press, 2000 , ISBN 0-313-31183-8
• "Manton Sprague Eddy" in Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement 7: 1961-1965. American Council of Learned Societies, 1981.

Web links

Commons : Manton S. Eddy  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

• Article on generals.dk ( English )
• Army.mil: Manton S. Eddy ( English )

swell

1. ↑ zaadz.com
2. ↑ Quotes for the Air Force Logistician ( Memento of the original dated August 27, 2006 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file)