John P. Lucas
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John P. "Old Luke" Lucas (January 14, 1890 - December 24, 1949) was a General and the commander of the US VI Corps during World War II.
On January 22, 1944, from the deck of the cruiser USS Biscayne, Lucas oversaw Operation Shingle. Lucas was a graduate of West Point and had served, during World War I, as a battalion commander.
He was replaced by General Lucian Truscott as the commander at Anzio as a result of his perceived unwillingness to fully engage the enemy. This was summarised by Winston Churchill's comment:
- "we hurled a wildcat an the shores of Anzio - all we have is a stranded whale"