What happened during the battle (componants)

D-Day was on June 6 1944

Juno Beach(the Canadian section)was divided into 2 sectors called “Mike” and “Nan” which the 7th and 8th Canadian brigades attacked

Juno Beach was around a 10km area of coastline that included St. Aubin and Bernieres

One of the 1’st Canadian troops to land were the North Shore Regiment and the Queen’s Own Rifles just after 8:00am

Conditions meant that amphibious tanks designed to float shore had to be deposited directly onto the beach instead of being launched and floating to shore

Landing craft had to dodge mines and submerged obstacles to land

Canadians had to run through German “pillboxes” which were reinforced concrete bunkers with narrow slits, resistance nests(defences with concrete, barbed wire, and landmines), and around 20 medium/large gun batteries

Canadians came under heavy machine gun and mortar fire while running for the sea wall

Most German soldiers that Canadians faced were over 35 years old or under 18 who were all outnumbered by the first wave of Canadians

The Queen Own Rifles had broken through the Atlantic wall in less than 1 hour with 137 casualties

The 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade and tanks from the First Hussars landed at Courseulles-sur-Mer to capture a strongpoint containing a 88mm gun, three 75mm guns, two 50mm guns, 12 MG pillboxes, some fortified mortar emplacements and protective shelters making this one of the most heavily fortified positions to be attacked

The Regina Rifles faced undamaged positions with the German 716th infantry division in position to defend. With all the DD tanks landing too far away to help Lieutenant Bill Grayson took out a MG gun post and capturing a 88mm gun position which allowed the rest of the company to clear the strong point.

Some landing craft couldn’t get all the way to shore leaving some Canadians to have to swim to shore

By 10:00am the Canadians had succeeded in capturing all their primary objectives along Juno beach

The only unit to capture all its objectives on D-Day was the Canadian 1’st Hussars

Around 14000 Canadians were to land on the beaches to attack with 450 to be dropped behind enemy lines