ORIGINS OF THE BATTLE
The amphibious landings on the beaches codenamed Gold and Juno on 6 June 1944 were just part of the great Allied invasion of France to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany’s occupation. Other landings carried out by British and American units took place under the direction of the Supreme Allied Commander, Gen Dwight D. Eisenhower, along the Normandy coastline both to the east and the west. The invasion was the culmination of years of planning which began soon after the British Expeditionary Force had been evacuated from the continent in 1940 in the face of overwhelming superior German forces. In the intervening years, the British, and later the Americans, had been forced to continue the war in other theatres remote from mainland Europe. In the east, the brunt of the fighting was borne by the Russians who had to resist the vast majority of Hitler’s forces virtually single-handedly. Pressure was increasingly applied to the western Allies to open a second front to relieve some of the strain felt by the Russians, but a full-scale assault on a strongly held shoreline was an undertaking that required much careful planning and a considerable amount of men and equipment. It took a great deal of time before all of the infrastructure necessary for an invasion could be put in place and a landing in north-west Europe was not realistically possible until early 1944. By the time the Allies felt that they had sufficient strength to launch the invasion, Germany had been in occupation in France for four years.
Infantry storm ashore from landing craft during an exercise in early 1944. Several full-scale exercises were conducted before the invasion involving long sea journeys prior to an amphibious landing against simulated opposition. (Imperial War Museum, H38244)
Troops in a sealed camp north of Portsmouth close to the embarkation ports take their meals from a field kitchen. Most of the camps had temporary tented accommodation, but some made use of existing permanent establishments with Nissen huts (Imperial War Museum, H38283)
Many sites along the coast of northern Europe were considered during the planning stages; most of them had merit, but each had drawbacks. The obvious choice for the landings was France. It was through France that the most direct route into Germany was possible and the shortest route of all would be via landings in the area of the Pas de Calais. It was here that the Channel was at its narrowest, being only eighteen miles wide, and the area was well within fighter range from England. German planners had also identified this area as being the likeliest stretch of coast for an invasion to land and had therefore concentrated on building a formidable array of defences there to repel any landings. The Pas de Calais was the strongest section of Hitler’s much vaunted ‘Atlantic Wall’ and was consequently rejected by the Allies.
The next most promising area was Normandy. It had several good sections of beach where troops could come ashore, it was just within fighter cover from England and German defences there were less formidable. Once ashore, the invading armies would have to contend with the close-knit ‘bocage’ countryside made up of narrow lanes, small fields and high hedges, but once through this tight farmland area, the ground opened up into good tank country. The Allies deliberated and finally decided that the landings would be made in Normandy, selecting a stretch of coastline from the Cotentin peninsula to the mouth of the River Orne to make their landfall.
Crews from infantry landing craft come alongside a landing barge kitchen (LBK). This converted Thames barge was equipped to provide hot meals for ferry craft crews. On D-Day alone, this barge served over 1,000 meals to the sailors and marines who operated the exposed assault landing craft. The inclusion of LBKs in the invasion fleet demonstrates the amount of attention to detail that was required during the planning of operation Neptune. (Imperial War Museum, A24017)
The operation was given the codename ‘Overlord’ and the naval component of the invasion was called ‘Neptune’. Overlord called for British, American and Canadian forces to land in sufficient numbers to create a beachhead through which would pass the whole of the Allied 21st Army Group. In the British sector were ‘Gold’, ‘Juno’ and ‘Sword’ Beaches; in the American area were ‘Utah’ and ‘Omaha’. Ten divisions would come ashore on D-Day, three airborne divisions to protect either flank of the lodgement, six infantry divisions across the beaches and one specialised armoured division to stiffen the initial assault.
American 1st Army, landing on the right of the attack, would come ashore either side of the River Vire with the object of closing the base of the Cotentin peninsula and isolating the important port of Cherbourg. The troops landed on Utah Beach would then turn northwards to secure the port itself. The Omaha Beach landings would build a bridgehead of sufficient depth to allow the concentration of the forces necessary to make a break out towards the Loire and Brittany. British 2nd Army would land on the left and make immediately for Caen. The city would be taken with a frontal assault from Sword Beach and a flanking movement from Juno Beach. The landings over Gold Beach would take Bayeux and then link with Juno and Sword to form a lodgement from which operations would be developed to the south-east towards Paris.
To make the assault, British 2nd Army would rely on a mix of high motivation and experience. British 50th Division, with a fine record of service in North Africa and Sicily, would land on Gold, whilst the inexperienced but well-trained Canadian 3rd and British 3rd Divisions would assault Juno and Sword. Both of these divisions had been preparing in England for over three years, and their training in the last year had focused specifically on making an assault landing from the sea.
CHRONOLOGY
1943
23 April
- LtGen Morgan appointed to head COSSAC (Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander) to plan for the invasion of mainland Europe.
July
- COSSAC produces a report which identifies the area of Normandy between the Orne River and the Cotentin peninsula as the proposed site for the invasion, codenamed ‘Overlord’.
- Canadian 3rd Infantry Division selected as one of the assault divisions for Overlord.
6 November
- British 50th Division arrives home from Sicily to begin preparations for its role as one of the assault divisions for Overlord.
December
- LtGen Dwight D. Eisenhower appointed as Supreme Commander for Operation Overlord. Gen Sir Bernard Montgomery appointed to command 21st Army Group which contains all land forces to be used during the invasion.
1944
19 January
- MajGen Graham takes over command of 50th Division for the invasion.
April
- British 50th and Canadian 3rd Divisions move south to Hampshire and undertake exercises in the Channel.
3 June
- Assault divisions leave their camps and begin embarkation onto ships that will take them to France.
4 June
- Bad weather predicted in Channel for 5 June; invasion postponed until 6 June.
5 June
- Forces G and J, the invasion fleets set to land on Gold and Juno Beaches, sail for France from the ports of Portsmouth and Southampton.
0050hrs, 6 June
- British and American paratroops land east of the River Orne and on the Cotentin peninsula.
0300hrs, 6 June
- Allied air forces begin their final aerial bombardment of the Atlantic Wall defences prior to the landings.
0330hrs, 6 June
- Naval Forces G and J begin to arrive off the coast of Normandy.
0600hrs, 6 June
- Naval bombardment of German coast defences and gun batteries begin.
0630hrs, 6 June
- Assault troops begin to disembark from their transport ships and load onto the assault craft which will take them to the beaches.
0730hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: assault companies of 69th and 231st Brigades, part of British 50th Division, touch down on King and Jig Beaches. Supported by armour from 8th Armoured Brigade and the specialised tanks of 79th Armoured Division.
0749hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: Canadian 7th Brigade lands the leading companies of its first assault battalion, Winnipeg Rifles, to the west of Courseulles on Mike Red and Green Beaches to begin Canadian 3rd Division’s attack.
0750hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: 1st Hampshires and 1st Dorsets take heavy casualties from German fire from the Le Hamel strongpoint and are pinned down on Jig Beach.
- On King Beach, 6th Green Howards get some troops off the beach and move against objectives, whilst 5th East Yorkshires gradually move on La Rivière
0755hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: Canadian 8th Brigade begins its landings with the assault companies of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada landing on Nan White and the North Shore Regiment landing on Nan Red.
0810hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: the Regina Rifles of the Canadian 7th Brigade land its assault companies at Courseulles on Nan Green Beach on the eastern side of the River Seulles.
0815hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: follow-up battalions of 2nd Devons and 7th Green
- Howards arrive over Jig and Mike Beaches and begin to move inland.
0830hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: 441st East Battalion, 716th Division, has borne the brunt of the British attack and is giving way all along the beach, but pockets continue to hold on to most of the strong points.
0830 hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: Canadian 7th Brigade lands its follow-up battalion, Canadian Scottish Rifles, on Mike Beach and the battalion moves inland towards St Croix sur Mer.
0830hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: 47 Royal Marine Commando arrives on Jig Beach and moves inland to the west on its mission to take Port en Bessin and join up with the Americans from Omaha Beach.
0835hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: 48 Royal Marine Commando lands on Nan Red, losing almost half its men in the process.
0840hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: Canadian 8th Brigade lands its reserve battalion, La Régiment de la Chaudière, on Nan White Beach.
0900hrs, 6 June
- News that British tanks are moving on Meuvaines Ridge is met with alarm by GenLt Kraiss at the HQ of German 352nd Division. He receives permission from Gen Marcks, Commander LXXXIV Corps, to release the corps reserve against the British on Gold Beach.
0930hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: all assault and follow-up battalions have men off the beaches and are attacking targets inland. Mont Fleury battery and the strongpoint at La Rivière lighthouse have been taken.
- Juno Beach: all assault battalions are off the beaches and moving inland. Canadian 7th Brigade expands the right flank, but the Regina Rifles are heavily occupied in clearing the town of Courseulles; 8th Brigade is likewise engaged in clearing Bernières.
0945hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: 48 Royal Marine Commando regroups its surviving men and starts the advance on the Langrune strongpoint.
1100hrs, 6 June
- German LXXXIV Corps’ reserve is moving towards the British on Gold Beach. It has combined the 915th Regiment with other support units into a Kampfgruppe (Battlegroup) commanded by Oberst Meyer.
1115hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: follow-up brigades of 50th Division – 56th and 151st Brigades – begin to land and assemble behind the beaches before their move inland.
1130hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: Canadian 9th Brigade now lands behind 8th Brigade and begins to create an enormous traffic jam as troops and vehicles all try to exit the beach through Bernières.
1200hrs, 6 June
- Kampfgruppe Meyer is attacked by Allied fighter-bombers during its advance to the area of Gold Beach.
1300hrs, 6 June
- Expansion of both beachheads is now underway, but progress inland is slow. Some of the enemy are gradually falling back into prepared defensive positions, whilst others have lost cohesion and are in full retreat.
1500hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: all brigades are moving towards their D-Day objectives after a slow start. All are behind schedule.
1600hrs, 6 June
- Kampfgruppe Meyer arrives near Villiers le Sec and meets the advancing British 69th Brigade who are supported by tanks and fighter bombers. The two sides clash and in the ensuing action Meyer is killed and most of his Battlegroup wiped out.
1630hrs, 6 June
- Juno Beach: Canadian 3rd Division has all three of its brigades advancing on their objectives, but all begin to stall when the tanks of German 21st Panzer Division attack along its eastern flank on their drive to the coast. This
armoured counter-attack causes some consternation in the Allied camp.
2000hrs, 6 June
- Gold Beach: British 50th Division advances on Bayeux and the road and railway line linking Bayeux with Caen, but stops short of its objectives. As night falls, all battalions dig in and prepare to resume the advance the next day.
Nightfall, 6 June
- Juno Beach: Canadian advance on Caen halts several miles short of its D-Day objectives. German resistance is such that all units dig in for the night.
Landing craft tank (LCT) alongside 101 Berth in the New Docks in Southampton prior to D-Day. The build-up for the invasion started early in 1944, when LCTs were brought back to England from various theatres throughout the world. It was the availability of sufficient numbers of landing craft that was one of the main factors in deciding when the invasion would take place. (Imperial War Museum, A23730)
Landing Craft Tank (Rocket) armed with 1,064 5in. rockets. These craft followed the assault waves towards the shore and fired their salvoes of rockets over the heads of the other landing craft whilst still 5,000 yards out to sea, plastering the beach and the area immediately behind the shoreline with a deluge of high explosive. (Imperial War Museum, B5263)
An area of Juno Beach just to the east of Bernières showing the white spotted mosaic pattern caused by the explosions of over 1,000 5in. rockets, fired by an LCT(R) out at sea. (Imperial War Museum, MH24332)
OPPOSING COMMANDERS
General Dwight Eisenhower was chosen as Supreme Commander for Overlord because of his success with other landings in other theatres. He had commanded the Anglo-American seaborne assault on North Africa in 1942; led the landings in Sicily and commanded the Allied invasion of Italy in 1943. By the end of that year he had become the most famous and the most important general in the world. His successes were not as a direct result of his attributes as a battlefield commander, for he relied heavily on the advice of his subordinates regarding strategy and other matters, but as a result of his ability as an organiser and his noted diplomatic skills.
MajGen Keller, Commander Canadian 3rd Infantry Division, receives the CBE from King George VI in Normandy. Keller had taken over the division in September 1943 and trained it especially for the invasion. On his sleeve, below his Canada shoulder title, is his divisional insignia, a patch of French grey cloth. (Imperial War Museum, B5617)
General Montgomery, Commander Allied 21st Army Group, in conversation with MajGen Graham, Commander British 50th Infantry Division. (Imperial War Museum, B5787)
ALLIED COMMANDERS
