3rd Canadian Infantry Division on D-Day
Operation OVERLORD called for the
Canadian 3rd Infantry Division to be the assault division on Juno
Beach, the 6-mile-long beach that lay between Gold and Sword Beaches.
H-Hour at Juno was set for 0745, which would give the landing craft
enough clearance to make it in on the rising tide. Juno Beach had been
divided into two main sectors: Mike which ran westward from the
sea-side village of Courseulles-sur-mer and Nan, which ran eastward
from the same town. D-Day objects for the Canadians were to cut the
Caen-Bayeux road, seize the airport west of Caen, and make contact with
forces from both Sword and Gold Beaches.
Actual landings began at 0755, due
in part to rough seas. The Canadians faced a tough ride in and the
delay gave the tide extra time to further move in. Coxwains had to
steer their landing craft through the partially obscured German
obstacles and many hit mines and exploded, taking a heavy toll on the
attackers. Approximately 30% of the landing craft at Juno were
destroyed or damaged. Many of the first wave units took heavy
casualties from enfilading fire on the beaches. The Royal Winnipeg
Rifles were especially hard hit and one company sustained more than 50%
casualties. Determination and resilience carried the Canadian forward,
and, by the middle of the day, units had secured the coastal towns of
Bernieres and Saint-Aubin. By late afternoon, armored units forced
their way to the Caen-Bayeux road, securing one of the Canadians most
important objectives.
The fighting on Juno had been
extremely tough, but the hard-charging Canadians pushed their way
through. By nightfall, a link-up to the west with the British 50th
Division had been achieved. There was still a 2-mile gap to the east in
the direction of Sword Beach, however, and elements of the German 21st
Panzer Division advanced in this area before being beaten back. But, by
this time, the Allied had secured themselves a small, but solid
foothold in Normandy.
D-day losses on Juno Beach amounted to approximately 1200 out of the
21,000 plus that landed there on June 6th.
For more information about the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division:
The Juno Beach Centre - Homepage of The Juno Beach Centre at Courseulles-sur-Mer in Normandy.
Juno Beach-The Canadians on D-Day - Lots of information about Canadian forces on D-Day.
CBC Archives: D-Day: Canadians Target Juno Beach - From CBC. Contains many video clips from then-and-now.
Normandy 1944: Canada Remembers - From Veterans Affairs Canada. This site contains a wealth of information regarding D-Day and Canada's involvement.
Testaments of Honour: D-Day - Contains links to Canada's role in D-Day plus an extensive collection of video clips featuring accounts from veterans.
Canada at War Homepage - Lots of information about Canada's involement in war.
The Archives of Ontario Remembers the Home Front
- A special exhibit from the Archives of Ontario devoted to remembering
the contribution of Ontario, its citizens and all Canadian soldiers on
D-Day and during the war. Special emphasis is placed on how the Home
Front supported the war effort.
6 Juin 1944 : les Canadiens débarquent - Extensive amount of material regarding the role of Canadians in the Operation Overlord. In French language.
D-Day - From the National Film Board of Canada. Also in French.
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