Scene of heavy fighting, Hill 108 near Villers Fossard

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Hill 108 became known as "Purple Heart Hill after fighting which saw 1st Bn of the 175th IR, 29th US ID capture the hill from the Germans only to see their advance stopped in its tracks by a Kampfgruppe formed from elements of the 352 and 353 Infanterie-Divisions.

In the forground is an abandoned German fighting position dug into to the bank of this Bocage hedgerow, the former occupants of which may be responsible for the three knocked out Shermans lying in the field. Beyond the Shermans is the crane of a recovery vehicle, some of whose crew may be be the GI's seen further along the hedgerow. It is not clear what has exploded just beyond them, but it can be assumed to have put a halt to recovery efforts !