In the D-Day landing sequence, there are anti-landing obstacles all along the beach. One type, nicknamed "Czech Hedgehog," was short and prickly and designed to rip open the hulls of the landing craft as they approached. There were also long poles pointing at an angle. Officially called Hemmbalken, they were made out of wood or metal and angled towards the beach, most being topped with a Teller mine (anti-tank mine) and placed in rows. The Germans expected the Allies to land at high tide, to minimize the open space that the infantry had to cross, and the beach obstacles were designed with this in mind. The plan was that the landing craft would ride onto the poles, which, at high tide would be underwater, and detonate the AT mines, causing death and destruction. However, the Allies landed at low tide, making the obstacles visible and, therefore, useless.

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