The Canadian military and D-Day

On June 6, 1944, while the Landings took place on the Normandy coast, in France, an area was reserved for Canadian forces. This is Juno Beach: the Canadian must secure the road between Caen and Bayeux, the two main cities of Normandy, as well as the heights west of Caen, including the Carpiquet airfield. The Canadian forces, which evolve between two sectors dedicated to the British (Gold and Sword) must also make the link between the allied troops in this sector. The mission is at high risk. And the Canadian forces will carry it out with incredible courage.

As on all the D-DAY beaches, operations began with a bombardment from RAF Bomber Command planes, which targeted a series of German strongpoints throughout the landing zone. It is then 3:35 a.m. this morning of June 6, 1944. After the bombardment, around 5:55 a.m., the ships of the Allied fleet opened fire on the defensive works of the Atlantic Wall. And at 6:15 a.m., the landing ships launched the barges with the Canadian soldiers.

The landing began several tens of minutes after the operations in the American sector (Omaha Beach and Utah Beach): at 7.25 a.m., the support barges fired their guns and rockets against the German blockhouses. The landing is done in two phases: on the Mike sector, the troops land at 7:35 a.m., while on the Nan sector, it is at 7:45 a.m.. On the two sectors, the soldiers of the 3rd Canadian Division are confronted with the Germans of the 716 Infanterie-Division.

On the Mike sector, to the west on Juno Beach, the Canadian troops land without armoured support: the Duplex Drive tanks (amphibious Sherman tanks) have been delayed because they have been launched closer to land due to the rough seas. Some troops land directly below a German blockhouse or strongpoint and suffer heavy casualties. Nevertheless, on the whole, the Canadian troops landed without any real opposition, in particular thanks to the support of the naval artillery, which was very efficient at Juno Beach.

On the Nan sector, to the east on Juno Beach, a number of landing craft suffered extensive damage as they struck obstacles on their approach to shore. The Canadian infantry landed this time after the support tanks, transported by the barges. The Canadian troops suffer heavy losses while crossing the beach: once they reach the first line of German defence, the soldiers are engaged by German artillery.

At 8:43 a.m., the British No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando landed at the far east of Juno Beach: but landing in front of a strong point, many commandos were killed. After the survivors have gathered, the decision is made to reach nearby Sword Beach. The Canadians continue alone.

At 10:00 a.m. Canadian troops on Mike advanced rapidly, reaching almost 3 km inland. But on Nan, the progression is more complicated: the soldiers have not yet liberated the seaside villages. But on the beach, the landing of new units and equipment takes a long time: the beach is narrow and a traffic jam formed very quickly, delaying the sending of new troops to the front.

Sur le secteur Nan, à l'est sur Juno Beach, un certain nombre de péniches de débarquement subissent d'importants dommages en heurtant des obstacles à l'approche du rivage. L'infanterie canadienne débarque cette fois après les chars d'appui, transportés par les péniches. Les troupes canadiennes subissent de lourdes pertes en traversant la plage : une fois arrivés à la première ligne de défense allemande, les soldats sont engagés par l'artillerie allemande.

À 8 h 43, le No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando britannique débarque à l'extrême est de Juno Beach : mais débarquant devant un point fort, de nombreux commandos sont tués. Après que les survivants se soient rassemblés, la décision est prise de rejoindre la plage de Sword Beach, toute proche. Les Canadiens continuent seuls.

À 10 h, les troupes canadiennes sur le secteur Mike avancent rapidement, atteignant près de 3 km à l'intérieur des terres. Mais sur Nan, la progression est plus compliquée : les soldats n'ont pas encore libéré les villages de bord de mer. Mais sur la plage, le débarquement de nouvelles unités et de matériel prend beaucoup de temps : la plage est étroite et un embouteillage se forme très vite, retardant l'envoi de nouvelles troupes vers le front.

La brigade de réserve n'arrive finalement sur place qu'à partir de 18 h le soir même, étant engagée immédiatement contre des chars allemands, qui viennent de tourner les positions entre Sword et Juno Beach. La situation est critique : l’attaque allemande pourrait casser le front allié et forcé au rembarquement des troupes, comme lors du raid de Dieppe, le 19 août 1942. Cette contre-attaque ennemie empêche une progression plus importante des forces canadiennes : les objectifs ne pourront être tenus, même si à 20 h, les Canadiens atteignent Phase Line Elm, un objectif initial se trouvant à 10 km à l'intérieur des terres.

Mais les positions canadiennes sont menacées et l'avancée est stoppée, des troupes étant dirigées vers les flancs, pour contrer l'attaque des blindés allemands. Les victimes sont importantes, même si acceptables pour l'armée canadienne : 1240 blessés et morts pour la journée. Peu de données précises sont encore aujourd'hui connues sur le bilan effectif, aussi bien allié qu’allemand. Le reste des opérations post-débarquement débute : c’est la Bataille de Normandie!

The reserve brigade finally arrives on the spot only from 6 p.m. the same evening, being immediately engaged against German tanks, which have just turned the positions between Sword and Juno Beach. The situation is critical: the German attack could break the Allied front and force the re-embarkation of the troops, as during the Dieppe raid on August 19, 1942. This enemy counter-attack prevents a greater advance of the Canadian forces: the objectives could be held, even if at 8 p.m., the Canadians reached Phase Line Elm, an initial objective being 10 km inland.

But the Canadian positions are threatened and the advance is stopped, troops being directed towards the flanks, to counter the attack of the German armour. The victims are important, even if acceptable for the Canadian army: 1240 wounded and dead for the day. Few precise data are still known today on the effective assessment, both Allied and German. The rest of the post-landing operations begin: it's the Battle of Normandy!