MontImageMedia - In Memoriam
"Extras II" World War II Tanks and Extras for Film and T.V.
By the end of June 6, the Allies had secured all five beachheads. It was then necessary for them to move inland into the Normandy countryside. This terrain, known as bocage, was characterized by high, thick hedgerows.
In this environment, tanks and infantry became separated from one another.
Axis soldiers would hide in the hedges and shoot Allied infantry with machine guns. The Allied infantry soldiers did not have tanks to protect them.
If a Sherman tank tried to ram through a hedge, it would become stuck in the hedge and the tank's bow would get pushed up, making it the perfect target for a Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon.
The Allies developed ram bumpers and hedgerow cutters to enable tanks to get through the hedgerows safely. The most famous of these is probably the Culin hedgerow cutter, which was invented by American Sergeant Curtis Grubb Culin III. The Culin Hedgerow Cutter was made up of sharp steel spikes that were fitted to the front of a tank. The cutter would cut through a hedgerow, creating an opening for the tank and the troops that followed. The steel for the Culin Hedgerow Cutter came from metal obstacles that the Germans had left on the beaches.
Culin received the Legion of Merit award for his invention.
The Allies developed various tactics for using one tank, supported by a small infantry force, to fight off enemy infantry. With one method, a tank would fire at enemy troops through a hedge while it used the next hedge as cover. While the tank was firing, infantry would move through the hedge and attack the enemy position with grenades. Engineers would then blow up a hole in the hedge. This would allow the tank to pass through the hedge and join the infantry assault.
Another method was to use a tank to hose a section of hedgerow with machine gun fire. This would cover the infantry's advance.
Some units would use their tanks to penetrate a hedgerow. The tanks would then turn along the hedgerow. Enemy units hiding in the hedgerow become trapped by tanks on both sides. Infantry would then close in on the enemy.
German tanks used in the bocage included the Panther (Panzer V) and the Tiger I (Panzer VI).
The Tiger I Heavy Tank was a particularly formidable threat. It was not very fast, it used up a great deal of fuel and it often broke down. However, in the bocage, these problems were not important. The Tiger I just had to sit in the woods and wait to ambush Allied troops. Even if the Tiger was spotted, its armor was so strong that it had a good chance of surviving enemy hits.
Nevertheless, there were many fewer Tigers than there were Shermans. Only about 1,350 Tiger I tanks were ever built. When Tigers broke down, it was hard to repair them, so they were often abandoned. The Allies had more than 40,000 Shermans. Losing a tank would not slow them down much.
"Extras II" World War II Tanks and Extras for Film and T.V.
By the end of June 6, the Allies had secured all five beachheads. It was then necessary for them to move inland into the Normandy countryside. This terrain, known as bocage, was characterized by high, thick hedgerows.
In this environment, tanks and infantry became separated from one another.
Axis soldiers would hide in the hedges and shoot Allied infantry with machine guns. The Allied infantry soldiers did not have tanks to protect them.
If a Sherman tank tried to ram through a hedge, it would become stuck in the hedge and the tank's bow would get pushed up, making it the perfect target for a Panzerfaust anti-tank weapon.
The Allies developed ram bumpers and hedgerow cutters to enable tanks to get through the hedgerows safely. The most famous of these is probably the Culin hedgerow cutter, which was invented by American Sergeant Curtis Grubb Culin III. The Culin Hedgerow Cutter was made up of sharp steel spikes that were fitted to the front of a tank. The cutter would cut through a hedgerow, creating an opening for the tank and the troops that followed. The steel for the Culin Hedgerow Cutter came from metal obstacles that the Germans had left on the beaches.
Culin received the Legion of Merit award for his invention.
The Allies developed various tactics for using one tank, supported by a small infantry force, to fight off enemy infantry. With one method, a tank would fire at enemy troops through a hedge while it used the next hedge as cover. While the tank was firing, infantry would move through the hedge and attack the enemy position with grenades. Engineers would then blow up a hole in the hedge. This would allow the tank to pass through the hedge and join the infantry assault.
Another method was to use a tank to hose a section of hedgerow with machine gun fire. This would cover the infantry's advance.
Some units would use their tanks to penetrate a hedgerow. The tanks would then turn along the hedgerow. Enemy units hiding in the hedgerow become trapped by tanks on both sides. Infantry would then close in on the enemy.
German tanks used in the bocage included the Panther (Panzer V) and the Tiger I (Panzer VI).
The Tiger I Heavy Tank was a particularly formidable threat. It was not very fast, it used up a great deal of fuel and it often broke down. However, in the bocage, these problems were not important. The Tiger I just had to sit in the woods and wait to ambush Allied troops. Even if the Tiger was spotted, its armor was so strong that it had a good chance of surviving enemy hits.
Nevertheless, there were many fewer Tigers than there were Shermans. Only about 1,350 Tiger I tanks were ever built. When Tigers broke down, it was hard to repair them, so they were often abandoned. The Allies had more than 40,000 Shermans. Losing a tank would not slow them down much.