User talk:Climie.ca/Sandbox/Normandy

Juno Beach order of battle on D-Day

Canadian soldiers approaching Juno Beach

German

Six main resistance nests were located in the Juno Beach sector:

• WN26 - Langrune-sur-Mer
• WN27 - St. Aubin-sur-Mer
• WN28 - Bernières-sur-Mer
• WN28a - Beny-sur-Mer
• WN29 - Courseulles
• WN30 - Courseulles
• WN31 - Courseulles

The strongpoints were manned by soldiers of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions of Grenadier Regiment 736 of the 716th Infantry Division. East Battalion 441 was also deployed in the vicinity of Courseulles. Artillery support was provided by Artillery Regiment 1716.

Allied

Top: Wounded Canadian soldiers lying on Juno beach awaiting transfer to casualty clearing station, Normandy, France, 6 June 1944. Middle: The same bunker in 2006 Bottom: The view down the beach from the bunker, showing enfilading fire position.

Force J was commanded by the British, and the flagship vessel came from the Royal Navy. Among the chief vessels in the force were

• HMS Hilary

The force also included 109 Royal Canadian Navy vessels, among them:

• Two of the 11 destroyers were Canadian:
  • HMCS Algonquin
  • HMCS Sioux
• Two of the Landing Ships Infantry (Medium) were Canadian:
  • HMCS Prince Henry
  • HMCS Prince David
• Craft of 4th, 14th, and 16th Canadian Minesweeping Flotillas were attached

Landing craft from both the RN and RCN were employed in Force J, the total number were:

• 1 Landing Ship Headquarters
• 2 Assault Group Headquarters Ship
• 3 Landing Ships Infantry (Large)
• 3 Landing Ships Infantry (Medium)
• 12 Landing Ships Infantry (Hand Hoisting)
• 20 Landing Craft Infantry (Large)
• 8 Landing Craft Infantry (Small)
• 142 Landing Craft Assault
• 4 Landing Craft Assault (Obstacle Clearance)
• 18 Landing Craft Assault (Hedgerow)
• 8 Landing Craft Support (Medium)
• 4 Landing Craft Headquarters
• 22 Landing Ship Tank Mark II
• 2 Landing Craft Tank Mark III (Flotilla of 10 craft each)
• 7 Landing Craft Tank Mark IV (Flotilla of 10 craft each)
• 2 Landing Craft Tank Mark V/VI (Flotilla of 10 craft each)
• 7 Landing Craft Flak
• 7 Landing Craft Gun (Large)
• 7 Landing Craft Tank (Armoured)
• 8 Landing Craft Tank (High Explosive)
• 9 Landing Craft Tank (Rocket)
• 36 Landing Craft Personnel (Large) Smoke Layer
• 4 Landing Barge Flak
• 4 Landing Craft Support (Large) Mark I
• 3 Landing Craft Support (Large) Mark II
• 1 Landing Ship Dock
• 15 Rhino Ferry

Canadian Army

3rd Canadian Infantry Division

• Mike Sector
  • The Royal Winnipeg Rifles
  • The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Victoria)
  • 6th Armoured Regiment (1st Hussars) (London, Ontario) (Sherman DD)
  • The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
  • 7 Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots)

• Nan Sector
  • The Regina Rifle Regiment
  • The Queen's Own Rifles of Canada (Toronto)
  • The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment
  • Le Régiment de la Chaudière (Lévis, Quebec)
  • 10th Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse) (Winnipeg) (Sherman DD)
  • 8 Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots)
• Follow up forces landed in Nan sector:
  • The Highland Light Infantry of Canada (Galt, Ontario)
  • The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders (Cornwall, Ontario)
  • The North Nova Scotia Highlanders
  • 27th Armoured Regiment (The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment) (Quebec)
  • Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa
  • 9 Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots)

• Support Units integrated with troops in Mike Sector and Nan Sector
  • Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (12th, 13th, 14th, and 19th Field Regiments)
  • observer elements only, 7th Reconnaissance Regiment (17th Duke of York's Royal Canadian Hussars) (Montreal)
  • 3rd Anti-Tank Regiment
  • 4th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
  • No. 3 Defense and Employment Platoon (Lorne Scots)
  • Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers
    • 5th Canadian Field Company RCE (Attached)
    • 6th Canadian Field Company RCE
    • 16th Canadian Field Company RCE
    • 18th Canadian Field Company RCE
  • Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
  • Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps
  • Royal Canadian Corps of Signals
  • Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps

British

• Ground forces from Combined Operations and the British Army
  • HQ, 4th Special Service Brigade
    • No. 48 (Royal Marine) Commando
  • Elements of 79th Armoured Division
    • "B" Squadron, 22nd Dragoons (Royal Armoured Corps) (Sherman Crab)
    • HQ, 5 Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers (Detachment)
      • 26 Assault Squadron, RE (Churchill AVRE)
      • 80 Assault Squadron, RE (Churchill AVRE)
      • 71st Field Company, RE (Attached)
  • 3rd and 4th Batteries, 2nd Royal Marine Armoured Support Regiment (Centaur)
  • Royal Armoured Corps
    • C Squadron, Inns of Court Regiment (Tasked with rushing the bridges over the Orne river, South of Caen)
  • Royal Engineers (Landed as sub-units distributed amongst assaulting formations)
    • 72nd Field Company, RE
    • 85th Field Company, RE
    • 184th Field Company, RE
    • 240th Field Company, RE
    • 262nd Field Company, RE
  • Royal Artillery
    • Elements of 114th Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA
    • Elements of 93rd Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, RA