Czech Hedgehogs Threatened Landing Craft

The iconic X-shaped obstacles on the D-Day beaches were Czech hedgehogs, steel anti-tank barriers repurposed to obstruct landing craft and vehicles. Collisions could puncture boat hulls, while mines attached to many obstacles caused even more serious damage. German planners initially expected the invasion near high tide, when many of the obstacles would be submerged and difficult to see. The Allies instead scheduled the landings around low tide to expose them for demolition, although delays and rough water left the first rows partly submerged.

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