1944 Preparing for the Bocage - Should it have been better?

[Sheldrake]

I wonder if , as with many of the historic controversies, the "bocage problem" wasn;t maginfied, if not created by the media. It was something picjked up bny the press.

Yes the bocage made life difficult for American infantrymen, but the engagement ranges and difficulties were no worse than in parts of Italy or the pacifc theatre, and the climage far more bearable./

The bocgae may also have helped allied armour as the Germans had anti tank weapons which were best suited to engaging allied armour at long range, and lots much of their advantage at close range, where the limitations of 57mm and 76mm antio tank guns was less pronounced.

The hedgerow country hampered artillery observation because the low ground and vegetation made it difficult to find OP positions. However allied command of the air enabled allied OPs to fly over the Germans, something the Germans could not do and survive. Thus the bocage helped allied artillery more than the Germans.

[dieseltaylor]

I do not disagree with the premise that the Allies could also benefit from the bocage. I could also go further and posit that in fact it helped to drag the Germans into a grinding battle miles from their resources whilst the Allies were close to their own - so was positively Machiavellian.

However at the end of day we still have the question of were the Allies fully up to speed on bocage busting and if not why not.

I think there was a failing. However as it happens it turned out well for the Allies and perhaps bouncing the Germans out of Normandy after the initial landings was a good result comapred to a rapid but thin expansion.