Terrain Day

With the initial securing of the beach heads allied forces began to move inland. The British, Canadian and Polish troups started a head-to-head battle with the Germans protecting Caen and other routes east. Canadian troups had to hold ground to protect the left (eastern) flank for the entire invasion force. The Americans had need to proceed west and cut of and then occupy the Cherbourg peninsula. The Americans came to quickly know and hate the bocage which is typically two rows of trees aligned on either side if a path with mud banks up to eight feet high. Used by locals to herd livestock, they are a ready-made defensive asset. Entering a field, U.S. troops would not know if a motor or MG was waiting for them to all get into the clearing and become targets with nowhere to hide. It took over a month to accomplish what was initially thought to be a task of a few days. The invasion morphed from a successful landing phase to one of attrition and slow progress.