A look back at the commemorative festival Cobra 44 - 2025 Edition
On July 26 and 27, 2025, for the fifth edition of the commemorative festival Cobra 44, the Normandy Victory Museum offered an immersion into the heart of Operation Cobra and the Battle of the Hedgerows.
Reenactments, demonstrations, conferences and exchanges with enthusiasts allowed visitors to discover this major episode of the Battle of Normandy through vehicles, equipment, scenes of military life and historical testimonies.
At the heart of the festival, the reenactment camp
A true focal point of the outdoor activities, the reenactment camp brought together around a hundred enthusiasts who came to present the daily life of soldiers during the Battle of the Hedgerows. Military camps, outposts Military Policehedgecutter manufacturing workshop, field kitchen or even transmission systems with carrier pigeons allowed visitors to discover concretely the living and organizational conditions of soldiers during the summer of 1944.
Exchanges with reenactors played an important role during the event, with everyone sharing their knowledge about equipment, units present, and the realities of combat in the Norman bocage.
Understanding the Battle of the Hedgerows through the object
Weapons, military equipment, communication devices, and artifacts related to the fighting in the hedgerows were showcased through demonstrations and lectures. Visitors were able to discover how the Enigma machine worked with Edmond Kern, an Enigma specialist, as well as various pieces of equipment used during Operation Cobra and the Battle of the Hedgerows.
In the evening, a private tour of the museum led by Patrick Fissot allowed participants to approach the collections in a more intimate atmosphere.
Discover Operation Cobra on the ground
Even closer to the ground, the Dodge tours offered visitors an immersive discovery of the bocage and the conditions of advance of the allied troops during Operation Cobra.
The guided tours of the reenactment camp, meanwhile, provided an in-depth look at the units present, their equipment and their role in the battles of the summer of 1944.
The “living museum” sequences, integrated directly into the scenes of the tour, extended this immersion throughout the weekend.
Armored vehicles and demonstrations: an unmissable event
Popular with our visitors, the armored vehicle demonstrations once again enlivened the museum's grounds. M18 Hellcats, M8s, Half-Tracks, and Scout Cars were presented in action before a large audience who came to observe these vehicles in conditions close to their historical use.
Meetings with passionate authors
As in previous years, several authors and speakers were present during the festival to present their works devoted to the Second World War. Jean-Blaise Djian, Jacques Wiacek, Ben C. Major, and Wallace (Stéphane Carpentier) were able to interact with their readers during book signings.
Concluded by a concert by the Swing Melodies Orchestra playing tunes from the 40s and 50s, this fifth edition of Cobra 44 has once again brought together history enthusiasts, reenactors and visitors around the Battle of the Hedgerows and Operation Cobra.
See you now for the 2026 edition of Cobra 44.
Some images from the 2025 edition of Cobra 44
Plan your visit for the next edition of the memorial festival Cobra 44
Each year, Normandy Victory Museum organizes the festival Cobra 44 intended to commemorate the end of the Battle of the Hedgerows and to highlight this major episode of the fighting in the summer of 1944.
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