The difficulties the US Army experienced in the hedgerow country of Normandy in June 1944 are well known. The dense hedgerows, known locally as bocage, formed a natural defensive perimeter around most farm fields. The German forces skilfully exploited these terrain features to create an effective defensive barrier. What is less often appreciated is that the Wehrmacht suffered from the same difficulties when they attempted local offensive operations. In the pre-dawn hours of 11th July 1944, Panzer Lehr Division attempted a two-pronged attack using two kampfgruppe along the boundarv line of the 9th and 30th Infantry Divisions, towards St. Jean-de-Daye. To speed the attack, many of the German panzer grenadiers rode the panzers into action. Although the attack succeeded in making two small penetrations around Le Desert and Pont Hebert, by early morning the attack had been stopped and Panzer Lehr forced to withdraw by the combined action of infantry and tank destroyers. One kampfgruppe started with 244 panzer grenadiers and a company of 10 tanks, but returned to German lines with only 23 men. The US Army estimated that Panzer Lehr had lost 30 tanks in the attack, including over a dozen Panthers.
