THE NEW YORK TIMES, April 23, 1944 

* General George S. Patton 
* U.S. Third Army command 
* European arrival photo 
* Pre-Battle of the Bulge 

The front page has a thre  column photo show General George S. Patton reviewing his troops with heading: "The General Inspects His New Command" and very brief text. (see images) This photo was sent via wire photo so the quality is not very good here. 
Complete 1st section only with all 44 pages, rag edition in nice condition.

Background: In April 1944, General George S. Patton stood at a critical nexus of Allied strategy in England as he spearheaded preparations for the liberation of Western Europe. Having taken command of the U.S. Third Army, Patton’s primary mandate was to forge a formidable armored strike force designed to execute the rapid breakout across France following the initial Normandy beachhead landings. Simultaneously, his immense reputation among German intelligence as the Allies’ premier tactical commander made him the vital linchpin of Operation Fortitude South, an elaborate Allied deception campaign in which Patton was publicly designated commander of the fictitious First U.S. Army Group (FUSAG). By deploying inflatable tanks, dummy landing craft, and deceptive radio chatter in southeast England, the Allies successfully tricked Adolf Hitler into believing Patton would launch the main invasion at Pas-de-Calais, forcing the German High Command to hold back vital Panzer divisions during the crucial early weeks of D-Day. Furthermore, Patton's infamous April 25 Knutsford speech—where an offhand remark about Anglo-American dominance sparked a diplomatic controversy that nearly cost him his command—underscored both the intense political volatility surrounding senior Allied leadership and General Dwight D. Eisenhower's ultimate calculation that Patton's operational brilliance was irreplaceable for the upcoming campaign.