29th SAME- Still eating K's & C's Germans blow 1 span of bridge-Plau. taken
Lu from his memoirs: The infantry fighting, as the circle around Brest was tightened, was brutal. This was "hedgerow" country, which provided great defensive cover and a huge obstacle to attack forces. The countryside was covered with a patchwork of small fields, each surrounded by "hedgerows". Over centuries of cultivation dirt collected in the hedges that surrounded each field. The hedges gradually became raised on high walls of soil, some of them eight to ten feet thick. The brush and small trees that formed the hedges were cut, dried and used for fuel to heat and cook with. Since the stumps and roots were not disturbed, they grew back rapidly, and were an excellent source of energy. There was an entry way to each field, and cart roads back to the farm buildings but it was extremely dangerous for American Infantry to try to attack along these roads and through these openings.
Early fighting in the hedgerow country was slow and bloody. Then American ingenuity took over, tanks were equipped with make-shift bulldozer blades which could punch holes in the hedgerows, following tanks could then cover the field with deadly firepower, and infantry could mop up and take prisoners. Still it was a field by field fight all the way into the city.
Link to Hedgerow fighting info with make-shift tank photo
Marilu: If you have time and interest follow the above link to a battle strategy PDF. It is very readable.interesting and easy to understand with a few good illustrations.
From History of the 16th Field Artillery Observation Battalion: Plougastel captured. Enemy artillery on Daoulas practically wiped our. Hill 03 captured. American forces enter St. Christine.
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