In this episode of The War Lab we tell the story of one of World War II’s most consequential tactical revolutions: how General George S. Patton and Brig. Gen. Otto P. Weyland turned fighter-bombers into a true maneuver arm of the Third Army. Drawing on new archival analysis, we trace the doctrinal evolution from failed early CAS experiments to a pragmatic, decentralized partnership that made air power a co-equal of land forces.

You’ll hear how rugged P-47s and versatile P-38s, constant aerial presence, and innovations like the “virtual flank” and “armored column cover” let Patton advance fast and hard—sometimes substituting air groups for whole divisions. We unpack the mechanics (ALO-equipped tanks, the cab-rank system, three-minute strikes), the decisive enablers (ULTRA intelligence and weather windows), and the tradeoffs and limits revealed in Normandy and Lorraine.

More than a history lesson, this episode shows how a trusted commander-air commander relationship, bold decentralization, and imaginative use of technology reshaped operational art—and how those lessons still matter for joint operations today. Tune in to learn how air-ground synergy turned momentum into victory.