​The tour 
​This is a new one-day tour covering the battles of the VIII Corps in July 1944. The purpose of the day is to look at the terrain; marshes, hills and hedgerows that caused problems for the Allies as they made their way west across the peninsula.

Most American visitors define the battle of the hedgerows as the push for Saint Lo by the V Corps and although this itinerary touches on that campaign, there is an equally amazing battlefield further north and west.

The day involves a far amount of driving but the rewards are some spectacular views and locations to visit. Areas that few English-speaking tourists venture to.

Itinerary
​The day begins with a drive to Lessay where we stop at the Tourist Office and bathrooms. Then it is off to the Mont de Doville which has fine views of the battlefield where we will spend the day. Then it's off to Hill 95 (Saint-Catherine), which was one of the final battles in Normandy for the 82nd Airborne Division. During this part of the day we focus on the battles of early July and the American attack on the German Mahlmann Line.

At Hill 95 tyere is a memorial referencing Lt. Kelso Horne of the 508th PIR who when pictured on the cover of Life Magazine became one of the most famous soldiers in the ETO.

He was wounded in the field near the memorial and his ashes were scattered there on his passing.

Our final stop of the morning is to the 712th Tank Battalion memorial at Beau-Coudray on the south-west side of Mont Castre (Hill 122). The 712th were supporting the 90th Division in their attack on this hill, which dominated the area. This was Bocage fighting at it's worst and is fascinating terrain to explore.

We then head to La Haye du Puits for lunch and to match up some famous photos taken near the church in this small market town.

We then head south to Periers to look at the battles for late July as the American advance turned south.

The afternoon commences with a walk down a bocage lane near Periers called Chemin de L'Hopital. Dug into the trees and earth bank you will discover nearly 20 T-shaped German foxholes still visible from 1944. This is where elements of the 90th Division suffered terrible casualties as they advanced across the flooded Seves river valley as part of Operation Cobra.

You will be visiting an area few regular tourists get to, with the DDay beaches a distant memory for the men who bravely fought in this battle.

From there we head to Auxais and the poignantly beautiful ruined church. If there is time there are other locations that can be included in the Sainteny, Raids area.

Once in Periers we visit various memorials including a bronze sculpture made of bronze depicting the Four Braves, three soldiers from the 90th US Infantry Division one from the 712th Tank Battalion. 

1. Private 2nd Class Andrew J. Speese III, born Philadelphia 1912, killed Le Plessis-Lastelle 7 July 1944
2. Private 2nd Class Richard E. Richtman, born Minneapolis 1924, killed Périers 26 July 1944
3. Private 1st Class Virgil J. Tangborn, born Schleswig, Iowa, killed Amfreville 14 June 1944
4. Sergeant Tullio Micaloni, born Oneida, Penn., 1913, killed 16 July 1944