The Army had no idea about the Bocage until we got there after the invasion. The Air Force photos did not pick up the size and depth of the Bocage while the Krauts had been doing manoeuvers there for some months and had detailed maps etc. and practically knew every inch of the place.
The lanes between the field and the Bocage were very small and our guys could not turn the turrets either right or left because they had no room. The Krauts would let a tank pass a cross lane and after the tank went by they would blast the living **** out of it. If our guys tried to crash through the Bocage the tank would ride up and expose it's weakly armored belly and get blasted to pieces.
One smart GI came up with the idea on the "Rhino" tank and thhat changed things for the better because the we could crash our way through.
There were days when the Krauts had fortified a field so good that it took and entire day to take the one(1) field. I have a picture somewhere of myself and a buddy standing across the road from a field and you can see the entrance THE ONLY ENTRANCE which the Krauts had zeroed in and it was almost certain you'd get hit if you tried to enter that way.
This is a capsule version of the problem but I hope it helps. The "Rhino" is pictured below
Sgtleo
