Description:

HERMANN BALCK
(1893 - 1982) German general, a brilliant field commander who led a regiment in the attack on France, took Salonika in the Greek Campaign, led the 11th Panzer Div. in Russia destroying 500 Russian tanks, annihilated Popov's 5th Shock Army, and was finally driven back following a failed defense of Budapest. Exceptional content A.L.S. ‘Balck' 2pp. legal folio [sight], Stuttgart. [n.d.]. In German to an admirer, in part: ‘Patton: he was the best American General, superior to even the British. Maybe MacArthur was better; I can't say. In the conduct of war, the Americans set their hope on superior material and underestimated the possibilities of skillful operations. This may go back to the Civil War, where the superior material potential of the Northern States caused the defeat of the Lee, who was a skillful strategist. China, and perhaps Vietnam, proved that to be wrong. Patton was an exception. He was a skillful and decisive strategist. Like lightning, his army attacked our flank in the Ardennes offensive. However, he was not able to fully display his skill, since the American Army had a tendency for excesses, and did not understand him. Without tactics, the material is of no value. Even Eisenhower did not recognize that. Had Patton been in Eisenhower's place, the war would have been decided much sooner. Patton had good political sense, more so than the American hierarchy, like MacArthur. Patton had tremendous civil courage. I rate Patton as one of the great American Generals. Worthy to go down in history…'. Matted in marbled paper with double-glass so both sides are visible. The letter hangs on a 21 in. x 25. framed brown velvet mat with translation. Fine condition, not examined out of frame.

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November 13, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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