Vengeance vs Typhoon, and associated matters

[Juha]

Hello Jim
after reading your answer I read a couple short traces from D’Este’s book. The description of terrain and of the use of it by Germans was good but standard. Bocage just was very good terrain for defender and very bad for attacker, especially for tank-heavy attacker, was it Allied with Shermans or Cromwells or German with Pz IVs and Pz Vs. And Germans used it cleverly by dispersing its troops to small groups which were unprofitable targets for artillery and air power. And East of the real bocage the villages were so near each other that they formed excellent grid of fortifications. This all is well known to those who are studied Normandy campaign and I cannot see how dive-bombers had helped in any marked way.
On the other hand the events leading to decision to withdraw 22 Arm.Br. from Hill 174 and Tracy-Bocage is well told and analyzed.
So I agree with you that D’Este’s book is a good introduction to Normandy land campaign with all its difficulties.

Juha