Patton argues for maintaining offensive pressure for as long as material support allows. The quotation presents continued action as the preferred course, with a transition to defence only when shortages of fuel, ammunition, food or other supplies make further advance impractical. It reflects his broader emphasis on momentum and avoiding unnecessary pauses during military operations.

At the same time, the remark recognises that logistics place firm limits on what an army can achieve. Operational ambition cannot be separated from the ability to sustain forces in the field. The phrase “then digging in” indicates that, once those limits are reached, troops should consolidate and defend their position rather than continue beyond what their supply system can support. The quotation is therefore chiefly about military strategy, particularly the balance between maintaining an offensive and recognising the logistical conditions that determine when it must stop.