Wayne
Doing Plenty, Kinda Slow
This film by WWII Tour Guide and Historian Paul Woodage surveys Normandy bocage terrain in considerable detail.
In particular, "This [film] is an opportunity for those who have never traveled to Normandy to see examples of sunken lanes and hedgerows up close."
Woodage discusses both the hedgerows and the fields they enclosed.
Hedgerow lanes are addressed throughout but particularly so from timestamp 8:45 through 13:10.
Over the course of the entire ~ 30 minute film, Woodage describes 4x distinct types of hedgerows extant today, 3x of which were common at time of the WWII fighting.
[Allied high command was aware of the hedgerows before the invasion, but chose not to brief the troops for fear of giving away to spies the planned target of the invasion.
Contrary to common myth today, the German troops were almost as unfamiliar w/hedgerows as were the Allies -- though France had been German-occupied for years, most German troops opposing the invasion had never seen hedgerows before. Given German near-compulsory counter-attack doctrine, Allies enjoyed hedgerow defense benefits nearly a much as did the Germans.]
In particular, "This [film] is an opportunity for those who have never traveled to Normandy to see examples of sunken lanes and hedgerows up close."
Woodage discusses both the hedgerows and the fields they enclosed.
Hedgerow lanes are addressed throughout but particularly so from timestamp 8:45 through 13:10.
Over the course of the entire ~ 30 minute film, Woodage describes 4x distinct types of hedgerows extant today, 3x of which were common at time of the WWII fighting.
[Allied high command was aware of the hedgerows before the invasion, but chose not to brief the troops for fear of giving away to spies the planned target of the invasion.
Contrary to common myth today, the German troops were almost as unfamiliar w/hedgerows as were the Allies -- though France had been German-occupied for years, most German troops opposing the invasion had never seen hedgerows before. Given German near-compulsory counter-attack doctrine, Allies enjoyed hedgerow defense benefits nearly a much as did the Germans.]
