# How was it that the Allies were so taken aback by the Bocage Country?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-it-that-the-allies-were-so-taken-aback-by-the-bocage-country/693429>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 18, 2014, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-it-that-the-allies-were-so-taken-aback-by-the-bocage-country/693429 "2014-07-18T05:59:46Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-it-that-the-allies-were-so-taken-aback-by-the-bocage-country/693429/21 "2014-07-23T10:12:52Z")

</div>

Didnt the Germans have their version of the bazooka also by then? Giving even a single soldier the ability to take out a tank?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Uniqueorn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uniqueorn/32/2807_2.png) [@Uniqueorn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uniqueorn)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-it-that-the-allies-were-so-taken-aback-by-the-bocage-country/693429/22 "2014-07-23T10:27:18Z")

</div>

> [@Urbanredneck](#):
>
> Didnt the Germans have their version of the bazooka also by then? Giving even a single soldier the ability to take out a tank?

Panzerfaust (tank fist): [Panzerfaust - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerfaust)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-it-that-the-allies-were-so-taken-aback-by-the-bocage-country/693429/23 "2014-07-23T18:08:56Z")

</div>

The [Panzerschreck](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panzerschreck) (tank terror) is a better match for the Bazooka.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\
**Post date:** [July 23, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-it-that-the-allies-were-so-taken-aback-by-the-bocage-country/693429/24 "2014-07-23T21:59:49Z")

</div>

> [@Shakester](#):
>
> Which would be relevant if UK & Commonwealth forces got to their positions on the western front in WW1 by passing through Normandy. Since they didn’t, it ain’t. They travelled through Antwerp and Calais, which are both well to the the **north** of Normandy on anyone’s map.

Okay, I’ve had another look at the map and if we take the centre of Basse-Normandie as a reference point and drop in a line due North-East from it, the Somme and Ypres and so on lie to the East of that line, so while the latitude is more northerly the longitude is also more easterly, to a rather greater extent at least by eye.

I’m not sure why “they didn’t pass through Normandy” is relevant for arguing why the British forces in WW1 weren’t east of Normandy while they \*were \*north of it, but then I’m also not sure why you found this entire nitpick necessary in the first place.

As for Antwerp, I’m sure you remember that the Germans captured it in 1914 and held it until after the Armistice.

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-was-it-that-the-allies-were-so-taken-aback-by-the-bocage-country/693429.md?page=1)