Effect of Hedgerow Terrain on Infantry Tactics

▪ Primary Source

      1st U.S. Army Report of Operations 20 Oct. 1943 - 1 Aug. 1944

      In reporting on the conduct of operations during the first phase of Operation Overlord (the code name for the Normandy Invasion), the U.S. First Army passed on lessons it had learned the hard way on how to fight in the hedgerow country typically found in Normandy. Concluding that “blitz action by tanks” was unsuitable in the close quarters of the bocage, and not seeing any particular advantage to be gained in “Indian fighting” by individual infantrymen, the First Army recommended a “combined action” of infantry, artillery, and specially equipped tanks.

      In effect, hedgerows subdivide the terrain into small rectangular compartments which favor the defense. With careful organization each compartment can be developed into a formidable obstacle to the advance of attacking infantry. By tieing in adjacent compartments to provide mutual support a more or less continuous band of strongpoints may be developed across the front. Handicapped by lack of observation, difficulty in maintaining direction, and inability to use all supporting weapons to their maximum advantage the attacker is forced to adopt a form of jungle or Indian fighting in which the individual soldier plays a dominant part.

      The most effective method of attack proved to be by the combined action of infantry, artillery and tanks with some of the tanks equipped with dozer blades or large steel teeth in front to punch holes through the hedgerows. It was found necessary to assign frontages according to specific fields and hedgerows instead of by yardage and to reduce the distances and intervals between tactical formations. Normal rifle company formation was a box formation with two assault platoons in the lead followed by the support platoon and the weapons platoon.

      All commanders agree that there is no substitute for tanks in this type of fighting since tanks can flush the hedgerows with machine gun fire and also deliver point blank artillery fire against the hedgerow corners. The infantry should be deployed in depth with the leading elements moving just abreast of or in rear of the tanks to provide them with protection from AT [antitank] grenade and bazooka fire. During the advance, fire from mortars, grenades, automatic weapons and tank guns should be directed against the hedges and especially the hedge corners whether or not the enemy is definitely located. Some of the supporting tanks should move along the hedgerows parallel to the direction of attack while other tanks cover the hedgerows perpendicular to the direction of advance. As the tanks cross each cross row, the infantry mops up and occupies the hedge and protects the further advance of the tanks from attack by hostile bazookas and AT grenades.

      Blitz action by tanks in this compartmentized type of terrain proved to be generally unsuccessful against well prepared, organized positions. In the operation west of St. Lo the successes realized are attributed to the disorganization imposed on the enemy by the heavy preparatory air and artillery bombardment and the subsequent penetration of his positions on a scale which prevented any closing of the gap after the tanks had passed through.

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