Less known than the Landing, The Battle of the Hedges is an important phase in the liberation of Normandy. For three weeks, from July 3 to 27, 1944, the Americans fought fierce and costly battles to advance further south towards Coutances and Brittany. These fights left traces on the buildings. Also the “reconstruction” architecture of our countryside and the towns of Lessay, La Haye and Périers reminds us of this.
The difficult battles
of the Hedge War
The Battle of the Hedges is the the most unexpected and complicated phase of the Battle of Normandy. Here and on a front which extends from La-Haye-du-Puits to Saint-Lô, the Americans will concede more than 40 losses (i.e. five times more than for the Landing) with what we now call equally considerable collateral damage to populations. At the hour of Victory, this delicate episode of the battle will be quite naturally and systematically forgotten. Today, historical hindsight allows us to look forward better to understand the essential character of this battle. The preserved landscape of this “Hedge War” compared in both camps to a real jungle war allows you to discover theHistory at the scene of the action between hills, marshes and sunken paths, unique elements if there ever was one in this territory.
Discover the story on the ground
Want to travel through the Normandy countryside to understand the Battle of the Hedgerows? Want to know more about the liberation of Périers or Operation Cobra?
Discovering the reconstructed heritage
The towns of Lessay, La Haye and Périers were marked by the fighting of 1944. In the countryside, many farms or churches have been rebuilt like thechurch of Laune which is labeled “Heritage of the 20th century” since 2002.