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Juno Beach

Canadian troops land at Bernières-sur-mer on Juno Beach. Photo: Gilbert Alexander Milne, Library and Archives Canada (PA-122765)

Juno Beach

Canadian troops land at Bernières-sur-mer on Juno Beach. Photo: Gilbert Alexander Milne, Library and Archives Canada (PA-122765)

H-Hour
On Mike Sector: 0735
On Nan Sector: 0745

Lead Allied assault forces
3rd Canadian Division

German defenders
Troops from 716th Infantry Division

Objectives
The Canadians had to secure the Caen-Bayeux road and the high ground west of Caen, including Carpiquet airfield. They needed to link up with British troops landing on Gold and Sword Beaches to the west and east.

D-Day

0335

Bomber aircraft of RAF Bomber Command attack a range of targets in the whole landing area.

0552

Allied warships open fire on the German defences.

0617

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This blue ensign flag was flown by the yacht 'Swallow' at Juno Beach on D-Day. She was operated by the British Army and helped organise ships unloading supplies.

Landing ships offshore lower assault landing craft into the water.

0725

Support landing craft begin to fire guns and rockets against German defences along the beach.

0750

On Mike Sector (western side of Juno Beach): Canadian assault troops land. Their supporting DD (amphibious) tanks are delayed because they were launched closer to land due to rough seas. Some troops land directly below a strongpoint and suffer heavy casualties but manage to advance off the beach. Others land at points where they face less opposition, sometimes due to the effectiveness of the naval gunfire before they landed.

0809

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Infantry from the Regiment de la Chaudiere disembarking from Royal Navy Landing Craft, Assault (LCA) on Nan sector of Juno Beach at 9am on D-Day.

On Nan Sector (eastern side of Juno Beach): A number of landing craft suffer damage from hitting obstacles as they approach the shore. Canadian infantry land after their supporting tanks. The troops suffer heavy casualties just while crossing the beach and dealing with the first line of German defences, which included pillboxes firing along the beach.

0843

No.48 (Royal Marine) Commando come ashore on the far eastern side of the landing area. They land infront of a strongpoint, and the Canadian infantry have not yet been able to suppress the defenders in this area as planned. Many commandos are killed. After the survivors assemble on shore, they advance east towards Sword Beach.

1000

The Canadians who had landed in the west on Mike Sector have reached 3km inland. On Nan Sector in the east, the Canadians are still clearing German defenders from the seafront villages.

1140

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A detail of an Allied map showing the small port of Courseulles. This was one of the sites that the Canadians captured on D-Day.

The reserve infantry brigade starts to land. Its troops have objectives much further inland. As the tide has come in, the exposed beach is very narrow, and only a limited number of exits off the beach have been established, hampering efforts to land vehicles and causing traffic jams.

1600

Canadian troops land later on D-Day. (Photo: Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / Library and Archive Canada)

Due to congestion, some reserve infantry brigade troops are only now able to move off inland in force.

1800 – 1900

German prisoners of war under guard on D-Day at Bernières-sur-mer, Juno Beach. (Photo: Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie / Library and Archive Canada)

The reserve brigade's leading infantry battalion takes over the advance. German tanks forces have counter-attacked into the two mile gap between Sword and Juno Beaches, some reaching the coast. In order to protect their flank, the leading Canadian troops consolidate their position in between the last two phase lines, accepting that they will not be able to reach their final objectives on D-Day.

1950

Canadians have reached Phase Line Elm, an objective six miles inland.

2400

Juno Beach: At the end of D-Day: The landings on Juno Beach had been delayed by the hard fighting on the beach and in the seafront villages. Once into more open terrain, the Canadians advanced much more rapidly. Although a few reconnaissance troops did reach the final objective, they had to retreat because the main body of troops could not reach it in strength, and because of the threat of attack to the eastern flank of the advance.

2400

Casualties at Juno Beach on D-Day: Total casualty figures for D-Day were not recorded at the time and are difficult to confirm in full. Allied army casualties were around 1,240. Allied navy and air forces casualties are unknown, as are German losses.

Gold Beach

Sword Beach

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