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5
Simultaneous assaults were to be made on the left of VII Corps, by the United States V
Corps. Canadian and British Forces were to land to the left of V Corps.
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VII Corps was assigned the mission of securing the port city of CHERBOURG.
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TERRAIN STUDY
North of a line running from the coast to CARENTAN-PERIERS, the CONTENTIN
PENSINSULA is drained by two important rivers, DOUVE and MERDERET. Neither river has
high banks nor are the rivers very wide. However, they run through flatlands and during high
tide the land and marshes surrounding the DOUVE and MERDERET are below sea level. The
area, along either side of the rivers, is divided by many non-navigable canals.
One terrain feature which was present in the CONTENTIN PENINSULA, and about
which little information was furnished to the 3rd Battalion, was the hedgerow.
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Through the years French farmers had developed, perhaps unknowingly, a formidable
military obstacle. This obstacle was the hedgerow. These were earthen barriers interlaced with
great masses of trees and shrubbery roots. These barriers were 6 to 10 feet in width at the base
and rose to a height of 4 to 8 feet. From the top and sides of this earthen wall grew continuous,
interlacing, bands of large trees and thick shrubbery. To facilitate the draining of these fields a
ditch had been dug along the edge of the hedgerow. These ditches were often one to 2 feet deep.
These, in turn, gave added protection to a defender.
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The fields in the CONTENTIN PENINSULA, did not as a rule, exceed 100 to 200 yards
square. Being bounded on all sides by these hedgerows, each field became a strong point in the
hands of the defending force. In addition, the terrain through a great portion of the
CONTENTIN PENINSULA was level and observation was limited. The defending enemy had
the advantage of lateral and parallel routes for supply, reinforcement, and withdrawal. An
almost continuous covered route was available to any position. Because of these excellent
avenues of approach, to the front and laterally, and the superior concealment afforded, a
defending force could effectively cover a large front with a minimum of troops.
A minimum amount of work was required to convert this peaceful countryside into a
fortress. By digging small openings, cleverly concealed firing positions, for all types of
weapons, could be prepared.
Each successive hedgerow was but another mainline of resistance. By prearranged fires
each field could be subjected to well-placed mortar and artillery fire.
An attacker had to clear each successive lateral and parallel hedgerow in his direction of
advance in order to reduce and prevent enemy infiltration into his rear.
The hedgerow also affected the roads. As a result of the building of the hedgerows, the
roads traversing the CONTENTIN PENINSULA appeared sunken.
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