A documentary mentions the difficulties the allies faced in the Bocage of France. "They could see us, but we couldn't see them".
How does heavy forest and foliage not go both ways?
For example, if you had to fight in a thick tall grassy march, and the enemy is probably in there waist deep with mud on their face and leaves on their body, wouldn't the sensible thing to do be wipe mud on your face, put leaves on your body, and go in waist deep?
Wouldn't the odds be leveled then when both sides don't have superior concealment over the other?
>>34509448
home field advantage
>>34509448
if onesides moving and the other is still or concealed. the side thats moving is at a disadvantage
>>34509448
its easy to go prone and muddy when you are static and have to defend.
its not so easy when you need to move at a quick pace in order to make your objective on time
>>34509448
Bocage and hedgerows aren't like swamps or rice patties, they may provide cover both ways but the attacker inevitably has to break it, while the defender remains in defilade.
>>34509644
The Germans had predetermined lanes of fire set up on the natural entrances to the fields and quite literally waited for heads to pop through the hedgerow. From the Army Office of Medical History;
>During the hedgerow fighting in Normandy, there was an unusually high incidence of maxillofacial injuries resulting from the close type of combat and the necessity for the men to expose their heads to see the enemy. These wounds were predominantly caused by small arms fire and were characterized by being exceedingly severe and not being associated with wounds elsewhere in the body (fig. 185).
http://history.amedd.army.mil/booksdocs/wwii/actvssurgconvol2/chapter8.htm
Whoever is seen first is at a huge disadvantage. Seeing as the Germans were waiting in concealment it makes sense the allies got bogged down for months in Normandy. A lot of spots to wait and shoot the enemy. Different from some environments where small arms are less effective based on terrain.
>>34509448
Recon by fire
>>34509448
Go to the nearst bush.
Put your face against it.
You'll see a bit through it. Nobody from further away will see you through the bush.
A camouflaged infantry only, as good luck hiding a moving vehicle, sweep of an area would take an enormous amount of time and would not have any where near the fite power of a combined assault.
There is also the fact that camouflage is amazing for instigation, but can, not always mind you, become incredibly less effective in a sustained fight as the enemy figures out where you are and will try to bring heavier weapons down on you.
>>34509448
>"They could see us, but we couldn't see them".
>How does heavy forest and foliage not go both ways?
did you really not consider that one side might have gone prone before the other did?
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/07/10/nation-too-broke-universal-healthcare-spend-406-billion-more-f-35
thoughts?
>>34514663
There is a special place in hell for people like you
>>34509448
>A documentary mentions the difficulties the allies faced in the Bocage of France. "They could see us, but we couldn't see them".
probably because the allies were facing mostly ϟϟ troops when they were taking heavy casualties and the ϟϟ had actual camouflage.
>>34515705
>>34515705
>and the ϟϟ had actual camouflage.
mfw
>>34509448
the group moving is at the disadvantage
>>34509448
Simple. It boils down to reconnaissance, preparation, and the synergy between defensive positions and terrain which heavily favors defensive and slow-paced combat.
Since the Germans had decent forces amassed in the area far before the Allies landed (although the disinformation campaign about Op Neptune was extensive and ultimately successful, the methodical and cautionary nature of German brass ensured that forces were stationed at all potential landing sites) and engaged in heavy aerial recon. It would be a no-brainer that German feldmarschalls would clearly observe the difficult terrain of the Bocage and would recommend heavy emplacement of German infantry, armor, and artillery - any significant focus on German offensive power would be further mitigated due to the presence of coastal defence emplacements and the plethora of disadvantages any landing force would face when disembarking on an open, fully exposed beach against aforementioned defenses.
Assuming that most infantry forces are butchered by coastal defenses and armor remains unsupported, any survivors would be then slowly ground through the Bocage. The Germans never assumed so many infantry and armor forces would actually disembark, and the existing defenses, while good, didn't ultimately stop the Allies.
Obstructed terrain favors the defender. The attacker has to move into it and it provides cover and concealment to a stationary defender.