DOCSLIB.ORG

Normandy Landings: Canada on D-Day About:Reader?Ur L=Https :// Articl

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Normandy Landings: Canada on D-Day About:Reader?Ur L=Https :// Articl Normandy Landings: Canada on D-Day about:reader?ur l=https :// www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/ articl. .. thecanadianencyclopedi a.ca Normandy Landings: Canada on D-Day 8-10 minutes On 6 June 1944, Canadian forces took part in the greatest amphibious operation in military history. Over 10,000 Canadian sailors in 11 O warships, 15 RCAF squadrons and 14,000 soldiers took part in D-Day. On 6 June 1944, Canadian forces took part in the greatest amphibious operation in military history. Over 10,000 Canadian sailors in 11 O warships, 15 RCAF squadrons and 14,000 soldiers took part in D-Day. On 6 June 1944, Canadian forces took part in the greatest amphibious operation in military history. Over 10,000 Canadian sailors in 11 O warships, 15 RCAF squadrons and 14,000 soldiers took part in D-Day. Juno Beach , one of five assault beaches, was assigned to the Canadian Army's 3rd Infantry Division and 2nd Armoured Brigade. The invasion had been years in the planning. The Canadian disaster at Die12~ proved what an extreme challenge lay ahead. Finally, a target date was set, and the planners settled on the coast of Normandy. It would be risky. German forces in Normandy, led by the experienced General Erwin Rommel, had been strengthening the Atlantic Wall with millions of mines and obstacles. Who were the Canadian soldiers? "You have to remember that we were young, irresponsible, and slowly growing up - but not normal growing up ," recalled Rolph Jackson of the Queen's Own Rifles, "because we joined the army as kids and four years later we were at the beach." Jackson was one of many veterans interviewed for Lance Goddard's D-Day: Juno Beach, Canada's 24 Hours of Destiny (2004). The flotilla of some 7,000 ships crossed the English Channel in churning seas and lashing winds. "Everybody was sick," recalled Jack Martin of the Queen's Own Rifles. "Our platoon commander ... had to run to the side, and he puked and lost all his false teeth and everything there." "Daylight. We had never felt so alone in our lives," wrote Charlie Martin in Battle Diary: From D-Day and Normandy to the Zuider Zee and VE (1994), his memoir of the campaign. "There was mist and rain. Bernieres-sur-Mer became visible. Fifteen hundred yards of beach stretched from the far left to the far right. Everything was dead quiet. It could have been a picture postcard of any one of a hundred tiny French beaches with a village behind - not the real thing ." (i-he order rang out: "Down ramp." The moment the ramp came 1 of 4 2021-03-02, 4:20 p.m. Normandy Landings: Canada on D-Day about:reader?url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/articl. .. down, heavy machine-gun fire broke out from somewhere back of the seawall. Mortars were dropping all over the beach ... I said to Jack, across from me, and to everyone: "Move! Fast! Don't stop for anything. Go! Go! Go!" We raced down the ramp, Jack and I side by side, the men closely following. We fanned out as fast as we could, heading for that seawall. (Charlie Martin, Batlle Diary) Despite the massive bombardment from the Allied battleships, the German bunkers and pillboxes, bu ilt of thick concrete reinforced with steel, proved resistant to anything but a direct hit. The soldiers would have to take them out one by one. The first to reach the shore were the engineer units, which were tasked with clearing mines and obstacles from the beaches. The Germans responded with intense fire against both men and landing craft. At 07 45 hours the tanks of the 1st Hussars, a regiment from Lond on, Ontario, landed on the beach facing Courseulles-sur-Mer, followed by the Royal Regina Rifles. A few minutes later, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles landed west of Courseulles. Unlike the Regina unit, they landed before any tanks. Many died before they even reached the shore. "You couldn't stand still," recalled Francis Godon of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, "because if you stand right there the machine guns are going to be after you ... So long as you were moving - they were guessing." Francis Godon at training camp in North Bay, Ontario, 1942. 2 of 4 2021-03-02, 4:20 p.m. Normandy Landings: Canada on D-Day about:reader?url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/articl. .. By 0800 hours the Canadians had secured their first beachhead at Courseulles-sur-Mer. The Royal Regina Rifles seized most of the German strong points. They had trained for house-to-house combat and now put that training to use, battling the Germans street by street. Further west, the Canadian Scottish landed and quickly captured a German emplacement. They pressed inland towards Graye-sur­ Mer, where they joined the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. The North Shore (NB) Regiment came under intense fire at St. Aubin-sur-Mer, where they faced a high seawall lined with German fortifications. It took most of the morning to move along the wall and outflank the defences. "I was scared to death, there's no doubt about that," recalled Frank Ryan of the North Shore Regiment, "Anybody that says they weren't scared, they're lying." At 0812 the Queen's Own Rifles landed at Bernieres-sur-Mer. Many of the landing craft could not get all the way to shore because of sandbars and other obstacles and the men were forced to disembark in deep water. They waded in and raced across an open beach while under fire. The reg iment lost 65 casualties in the first few minutes. Once they had secured the beach, they worked inland, crossing minefields while under attack from German defenders armed with machine guns and mortars. As the tide rose, the beach became narrower, qiusing congestion of men and materials. Royal Engineers worked feverishly to open gaps or exits from the beaches, including the construction of ramps over the seawall. At the same time, Canadian soldiers moved inland, picking their way through the nests of snipers. By 1000 hours the Canadians had succeeded in capturing all their preliminary objectives along the coast of Juno Beach, from St. Aubin to Courseulles. By noon every unit of the 3rd Canadian Division was on shore and the Royal Regina Rifles were engaged in a ferocious battle with the last great obstacle, a German fortification at Courseulles. Although the invasion was a success, the planners had been overly ambitious. Only one Allied unit- Canada's 1st Hussars - achieved all of its overall objectives that day, capturing the Caen­ Bayeux highway intersection late in the afternoon. As the adrenaline wore off, the men began to feel hungry. Many had not eaten for 24 hours. They did not exactly enjoy a feast. "Most of the time it was just eating these biscuits and sardines," recalled Ernie Jeans of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. "Got sort of sick of eating biscuits and sardines." As the light faded , many Canadian units began digging in for the night. Some slept while others kept watch, prepared for a German counter-attack. Around the same time, the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and the Sherbrooke Fusiliers fought their way into Villons les Buissons and Anisy. As darkness fell on Normandy, a wide stretch of land, 1Oto 16 km deep, was controlled by Canadian forces. Operation Overlord was a success. The Atlantic Wall had been breached . 3 of 4 2021-03-02, 4:20 p.m. Normandy Landings: Canada on D-Day about:reader?url=https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/articl. .. Canadians figured prominently in the victory and had paid a dear price as 359 soldiers had been killed , 584 wounded and 131 taken prisoner. "It was awful," recalled Captain Darius Albert, medical officer of Le Regiment de la Chaudiere. '"I'd never seen so many wounded men. In the first two hours, I must have attended at least 200 of them. They didn't scream or swear or shout. They just moaned." "Time has been as remorseless an enemy as the Hitlerjugend snipers in the hedgerows of Normandy, and far more enduring," write Jack Granatstein and Desmond Morton in Bloody Victory: Canadians And The 0-Day Campaign 1944 (2002). Remembering those who fought in that distant battle is the least of the obligations we owe them. Jack Hilton in the cockpit of the Hurricane Aircraft, part of 438 Fighter Squadron. Photo taken at AUX Airfield at Wellingore, England, 1942. JACK HILTON, RCAF Canadian pilot Jack Hilton provided close-up support for the army during the invasion of Normandy on D-Day. Flying above the beaches, Hilton marvelled at the invasion below - not at all envious of the men on the ground. "We did close support for the army on D-Day. We went at some guns sitting in the cliffs when the troops are landing. And we were only about 1,800 feet sitting because ii was so foggy and raining . It was terrible weather, absolutely terrible weather.... It was awful, mainly it was watching those boys land and run up the beach. You watch and see these little ants run up the beach and thought: 'Oh my God, they're real heroes."' Hear Jack's story on The Memor>1 Project archive. 4 of4 2021-03-02, 4:20 p.m. .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Canadian Infantry Combat Training During the Second World War
    SHARPENING THE SABRE: CANADIAN INFANTRY COMBAT TRAINING DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR By R. DANIEL PELLERIN BBA (Honours), Wilfrid Laurier University, 2007 BA (Honours), Wilfrid Laurier University, 2008 MA, University of Waterloo, 2009 A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree in History University of Ottawa Ottawa, Ontario, Canada © Raymond Daniel Ryan Pellerin, Ottawa, Canada, 2016 ii ABSTRACT “Sharpening the Sabre: Canadian Infantry Combat Training during the Second World War” Author: R. Daniel Pellerin Supervisor: Serge Marc Durflinger 2016 During the Second World War, training was the Canadian Army’s longest sustained activity. Aside from isolated engagements at Hong Kong and Dieppe, the Canadians did not fight in a protracted campaign until the invasion of Sicily in July 1943. The years that Canadian infantry units spent training in the United Kingdom were formative in the history of the Canadian Army. Despite what much of the historical literature has suggested, training succeeded in making the Canadian infantry capable of succeeding in battle against German forces. Canadian infantry training showed a definite progression towards professionalism and away from a pervasive prewar mentality that the infantry was a largely unskilled arm and that training infantrymen did not require special expertise. From 1939 to 1941, Canadian infantry training suffered from problems ranging from equipment shortages to poor senior leadership. In late 1941, the Canadians were introduced to a new method of training called “battle drill,” which broke tactical manoeuvres into simple movements, encouraged initiative among junior leaders, and greatly boosted the men’s morale.
    [Show full text]
  • 27Th (Winnipeg Bulldogs) Battalion 1914 - 1918
    27th (Winnipeg Bulldogs) Battalion 1914 - 1918 The 27th (City of Winnipeg) Infantry Battalion, nicknamed the Winnipeg Bulldogs, began recruiting October 21st 1914 with mobilization headquarters at Winnipeg being authorized under General Order 35 of March 15th 1915. The battalion was raised by the 99th Manitoba Rangers and sailed for England May 17th 1915 with 33 officers and 1039 OR's under command of Lieutenant-Colonel I.R. Snider (99th Manitoba Rangers) where it was assigned to the 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Division serving for the duration of the war being disbanded under General Order 149 September 15th 1920. The 27th Battalion was immediately reconstituted as a regiment of the Canadian Militia under the designation the Manitoba Regiment authorized under General Order 29 of March 15th 1920. The regiment being disbanded in the 1936 reorganization of the Canadian Militia. The regimental numbers block for the 27th Canadian Infantry Battalion was 71001 - 73000. The 27th Battalion had a pipe band with ten pipers and five drummers. Other ranks The 27th Battalion was presented with cap and collar badges by the Mayor of Winnipeg prior to entraining for the East coast. This issue was made by D.R. Dingwall of Winnipeg which continued to supply badges to the 27th Battalion until 1917. This makes the chronology of the issues of badges to this battalion impossible. Varieties are noted with the design featuring the Coat-of-Arms of Manitoba, In the escutcheon is a railway engine with tender on one type the engine is ‘small’ with three wheels while on the other the engine is ‘large’ with four wheels.
    [Show full text]
  • 49Er1999no102
    r THE THE LOYAL I Canada's Armed Forces. Ericksen Nissan The Fort^niner NUMBER 102DECEMBER 1999 First Published in 1915 THE FORTY-NINER The Journal of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment "Fears No Foe" Produced for the Regimental Family by The 49th Battalion, The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Association c/o The Loyal Edmonton Regiment Museum #108 Prince of Wales Armouries Heritage Centre 10440 - 108 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T5H 3Z9 e-mail: [email protected] phone/fax: (780) 421 -9943 International Standard Serial Number ISS 0701-2918 Editor; Major David Haas, CD This year's cover shows troops fivm The Loyal Edmonton Regiment at the Cenotaph in front of Edmonton City Hall on November II, 1999. This year marked the. Regiment's return to a Remembrance Day service in Edmonton, after several years attending the service m nearby St. Albert. The artwork for the new design of the Regimental badge has been revised by Sharon Haas to sve a more accurate rendition. Total confidence now and down the road. 13020-97 Street Edmonton 10301-100 Avenue Morinville 475-9237 939-2200 Complete Tire and Automotive Service @ Passenger Tiresires @ used Tires @ Front End @ Truck Tires @ Auto Repairs @ Shocks @ Custom Wheelsels @ Wheel Alignment @ Batteries @ Brakes WE OFFER MILITARY DISCOUNTS (onlinenlal 4 The Fortyniner CONTENT! The Regiment TQdayB.C. Branch President ^^ Donkey Derby ^^ The Unit YearB.C. Branch AGM Regimental Bet Page 6Page 15 Page 56 Honourary Colonel MathesonOrtona Visit Fortyniner Gallery #1 Page 9Page 77 Page 56 NUmegan MarchMore River Cemetery Paae 20Page 74 The Band Beat CadetSMuseum Update page ^ ^ 34Literary @, , .Museum Information Sheet Book Reviews Cadets on ExercisePane 0.0.
    [Show full text]
  • Table of Contents Cdn
    Table of Contents Cdn. soldier dies after stepping on roadside explosive; Cpl. Matthew McCully was taking part in early stages of new coalition offensive Operation Hoover.............................................................................1 'We lost a good kid today'; Roadside bomb kills B.C. soldier who had longed to join Afghan mission.....3 Balancing trade and security a complex military challenge...........................................................................6 Harper's Afghan trip serves only a PR role.....................................................................................................8 Harper choosing to avoid reporters' awkward questions...............................................................................9 JUST ARRIVED...............................................................................................................................................11 Canadian soldier killed in Afghanistan...........................................................................................................12 LE TRAFIC D'OPIUM EN HAUSSE AFGHANISTAN..............................................................................14 MANIF DE FEMMES AFGHANISTAN.......................................................................................................15 BUSH PRESSÉ DE SIGNER LOI | FINANCEMENT DE LA GUERRE..................................................16 OMAR KHADR DÉPÉRIRAIT GUANTANAMO | CANADIEN..............................................................17 UN 55E SOLDAT CANADIEN
    [Show full text]
  • Chapter 6 Full Dress and Undress Uniforms
    A-DH-265-000/AG-001 CHAPTER 6 FULL DRESS AND UNDRESS UNIFORMS OVERVIEW 1. Full dress and undress are optional uniforms which may be worn on formal occasions. Together with standard mess dress (No. 2 order of dress – see Chapter 5, Annex B), they form a group of related items which reflect the functional heritage of military organizations. 2. Except as provided in paragraph 3, these optional uniforms are worn at no expense to the public (see Chapter 2, Section 1, paragraphs 24. to 26.). 3. Grants are provided to assist authorized bands and alternative voluntary ceremonial sub-units in maintaining ceremonial uniforms not provided at public expense. See QR&O 210.345, 210.354 and CFAO 210-18. Full dress and some undress uniform items are provided at public expense for RMCC and the Ceremonial Guard, Ottawa. AUTHORIZED PATTERNS 4. Universal full dress patterns are illustrated in Figure 6-1, and undress patterns in Figure 6-13. Rank group differences apply only to full dress. 5. Authorized variations for environments, branches/corps and regiments are described below and in this chapter’s annexes. AUTHORIZED FULL DRESS 6. The Royal Military College of Canada. Uniformed as infantry of the line. See Annex B. 7. Environmental Full Dress a. Naval Units and Members. Navy blue tunic and trousers (“navy blue” is a tone of black); white facings. Navy full dress is no longer worn. b. Army Units and Members. Army universal-pattern colours are scarlet tunic, blue facings, blue trousers, 4.4 cm scarlet trouser stripe. Unless otherwise noted, the colour “blue” on army traditional uniforms is understood to be the very dark British Royal blue (now commonly called midnight blue in this manual).
    [Show full text]
  • Mil U Ottawa
    mil u Ottawa L'Universke canadienne Canada's university mn FACULTE DES ETUDES SUPERIEURES 1^=1 FACULTY OF GRADUATE AND ET POSTOCTORALES U Ottawa POSDOCTORAL STUDIES L'Lmversite cdnadieniu' Canada's university Russell Alexander Souchen "MWRTErATHESF/TUTHORWTHESTs"' M.A. (History) GRADETDEGREE Department of History FACULTE, ECOLE, DEPARTEMENT / FACULTY, SCHOOL, DEPARTMENT Beyond D-Day: Maintaining Morale in the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division June-July 1944 TITRE DE LA THESE / TITLE OF THESIS Serge Durflinger DIRECTEUR (DIRECTRICE) DE LA THESE / THESIS SUPERVISOR CO-DIRECTEUR (CO-DIRECTRICE) DE LA THESE / THESIS CO-SUPERVISOR Galen Perras Jeffrey Keshen Gary W. Slater Le Doyen de la Faculte des etudes superieures et postdoctorales / Dean of the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies BEYOND D-DAY: MAINTAINING MORALE IN THE 3rd CANADIAN INFANTRY DIVISION JUNE - JULY 1944 By R. Alexander Souchen Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies In partial fulfillment of the requirements For the M. A. degree in History University of Ottawa/Universite d'Ottawa ©Russell Alexander Souchen, Ottawa, Canada, 2010 Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington OttawaONK1A0N4 Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre r§f6rence ISBN: 978-0-494-73778-1 Our file Notre r6f6rence ISBN: 978-0-494-73778-1 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license
    [Show full text]
  • Soldiers Take on the Arctic
    March 2012 The Brigade Soldiers take on the Arctic Exercise Arctic Ram Ceremonial and Community Deployments Training Honours and Awards BISON WARRIOR 12 The Brigade Editor-in-chief Col Nic Stanton Articles appearing in The Brigade reflect the opinions of the writer and are Editor Lt Donna Riguidel not necessarily those of 38 Canadian Brigade Group. For submission or Layout design Daniella Ponticelli letters to the editor please send to [email protected] Check out, Cover photo Daniella Ponticelli and bookmark our 38 CBG Website http://www.army.gc.ca/38cbg/ 38 CBG Commander’s Message As we enter the busiest part of the year with our collective training events at the unit and formation level, I would like to recognize every leader and soldier in the Brigade for demonstrating significant dedication in supporting these events, and sincerely thank you for your efforts. In particular, our very own ARCG successfully participated in Ex Arctic Ram and performed well as an integral part of 1 CMBG. The future continues to be bright and challenging for our ARCG troops, and the company will now re-role as a Domestic Response Company (DRC) in preparation for whatever Mother Nature brings us this spring. With regards to DRC’s, the Sgt- Maj and I were once again impressed with the response to our alert recall practice where more than 240 soldiers reported to their respective armouries, to exercise our initial DRC response. I am confident that should our communities call for our help in a time of need, the leaders and soldiers of 38 CBG will be there to assist.
    [Show full text]
  • Sask WWI Book (Scott SW Biography)
    his wounds were not serious and he remained on duty. Scott was killed on 11 November 1916 during the Battle of the Ancre Heights. According to a letter written to his parents by his Commanding Officer: …He was detailed to take charge of the bombers in the attack on Regina trench, a German stronghold, and, in preparing for the attack, he showed the greatest energy and zeal. Unfortunately he was killed by a shell very soon after getting over the parapet to ad- vance towards the German trench. Scott was buried where he fell, but currently has no known grave. Like so many thousands of other Canadians, he is memorialized at the Vi- LT STANLEY WILLIAM SCOTT my Memorial in France. 28 Sept 1890-11 Nov 1916 Scott was Mentioned in Despatches. This means that his name appeared in an official report WILLIAM STANLEY GEORGE SCOTT was written by a superior officer and sent to the high born on 28 September 1890 in Toronto, Ontario command in which his gallant or meritorious to William Henry and Elizabeth (Wood) Scott. actions in the face of the enemy were described. He had two sisters: Emily Francis and Margaret, Individuals who are Mentioned in Despatches and a brother: John Charles “Jack”. wear an oak leaf device on the appropriate cam- paign medal. The Scott family moved West and settled in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, where Scott Sr worked as an appraiser in the lumber industry. Scott was educated at Queen Victoria Public School and Parkdale Collegiate Institute in To- ronto and received his BA from University Col- lege at the University of Toronto in 1912.
    [Show full text]
  • Heritage Manual
    A-DH-200-000/AG-000 CHAPTER 8 ALLIANCES, AFFILIATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS CANADIAN CUSTOMS 1. Officially-sanctioned links can be established to foster continuous fraternal connections between military organizations beyond the close, professional relationships which are always encouraged. 2. Three types of official links are maintained by the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF): a. an alliance – between Canadian and Commonwealth units or branches/corps; b. an affiliation – between two Canadian units; and c. a partnership – an informal bond of friendship (partnership) between a Canadian unit and a unit from an allied country, such as a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Partnerships include "jumelages" (the twinning of Canadian and French units), "partnerschafts" (the twinning of Canadian and German units), and similar bonds. GUIDELINES 3. A Canadian branch or corps is one of the CAF personnel branches or corps described in Chapter 1. Its equivalent in the armed forces of another member of the Commonwealth may be titled as a department, corps or branch. 4. A Canadian unit is a commissioned ship, regiment, flying squadron, or equivalent. Sub-units shall not be authorized alliances, affiliations or partnerships. 5. Since official links create a social obligation to welcome members into each other's "families", they should only be requested if the organizations concerned are prepared to maintain contact over time. 6. In general, requests to forge these links may be made when: a. close ties and personal relationships have developed between units through combined participation in operations or training, regular exchange of personnel on exercises, special meets, parades, competitions, etc.; b.
    [Show full text]
  • One-Armour, Artillery and Engineer Regiments\Chap-1
    A-AD-267-000/AF-003 ANNEX B ANNEXE B PERPETUATIONS PERPÉTUATIONS Note: Note : The applicable orders, or directives, assigning or reconfirming Les ordres ou directives touchant l’attribution ou la reconfirmation perpetuation are provided in column B. The current or last de la perpétuation se trouvent dans la colonne B. La désignation designation of the perpetuating unit prior to disbandment or actuelle (ou la plus récente) de l’unité de perpétuation avant le placement on the Supplementary Order of Battle is given. démantèlement ou l’inclusion à l’Ordre de bataille supplémentaire est aussi précisée. Unit/Unité Perpetuated by/Perpétué par (A) (B) 1. NORTH WEST REBELLION, 1885 RÉBELLION DU NORD-OUEST, 1885 Boulton's Mounted Corps The Fort Garry Horse GO 38/32 and/et GO 69/39 Infantry Company Battleford, Saskatchewan The North Saskatchewan Regiment GO 78/32 Moose Mountain Scouts The North Saskatchewan Regiment GO 38/32 Rocky Mountain Rangers The South Alberta Light Horse GO 38/32 91st Winnipeg Battalion of Light Infantry The Royal Winnipeg Rifles GO 38/32 95th Battalion, Manitoba Grenadiers 12th Manitoba Dragoons GO 38/32 and/et GO 114/39 2. MILITIA ACT OF 1855 LOI SUR LA MILICE DE 1885 No. 1 Troop, Montreal Cavalry (1885) The Royal Canadian Hussars (Montreal) GO 24/36 3. SOUTH AFRICAN WAR, 1899-1901 GUERRE D'AFRIQUE DU SUD, 1899-1901 "C" Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery "C" Battery, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery NDHQ 5400-34 (DHH Her Offr), 1 February 2005/QGDN 5400-34 (DHP O Patrimoine), 1er février 2005 "D" Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery "D" Battery, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery NDHQ 5400-34 (DHH Her Offr), 1 February 2005/QGDN 5400-34 (DHP O Patrimoine), 1er février 2005 "E" Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery "E" Battery, Royal Canadian Horse Artillery NDHQ 5400-34 (DHH Her Offr), 1 February 2005/QGDN 5400-34 (DHP O Patrimoine), 1er février 2005 Strathcona's Horse Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Letter/lettre G.J.
    [Show full text]
  • The Night of the Panthers: the Assault of Kampfgruppe Meyer/Wã¼nsche
    Canadian Military History Volume 30 Issue 1 Article 7 2021 The Night of the Panthers: The Assault of Kampfgruppe Meyer/ Wünsche on Bretteville-l’Orgueilleuse, 8/9 June 1944 Arthur Gullachsen Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.wlu.ca/cmh Part of the Military History Commons Recommended Citation Gullachsen, Arthur "The Night of the Panthers: The Assault of Kampfgruppe Meyer/Wünsche on Bretteville-l’Orgueilleuse, 8/9 June 1944." Canadian Military History 30, 1 (2021) This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholars Commons @ Laurier. It has been accepted for inclusion in Canadian Military History by an authorized editor of Scholars Commons @ Laurier. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Gullachsen: The Night of the Panthers The Night of the Panthers The Assault of Kampfgruppe Meyer/Wünsche on Bretteville-l’Orgueilleuse, 8/9 June 1944 ARTHUR GULLACHSEN Abstract : This article provides historical insight into the failure of German armoured counterattacks in the immediate aftermath of the Normandy invasion. The failure of an armoured battlegroup of the 12. SS-Panzerdivision to take the village of Bretteville l’Orgueilleuse on the night of 8/9 June 1944 was not exclusively due to poor planning, lack of coordination and not enough infantry support. Though these factors were present in abundance, the main reason for failure was German confidence in mutated armoured tactics that were successfully used by the Waffen-SS on the Eastern Front. These rough tactics, though successful in the Ukraine in 1943, actually violated established German armoured doctrine. The failure of the Waffen-SS commanders to recognise the need for greater preparation and, by default, larger and more powerful resources doomed their early offensive operations against the Normandy bridgehead, one of which is examined in detail within this article.
    [Show full text]
  • Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Manual Third Edition 2015
    Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Manual Third Edition 2015 LORD STRATHCONA’S HORSE (ROYAL CANADIANS) REGIMENTAL MANUAL Third Edition (First Edition 1990) (Second Edition 2004) (Third Edition 2015) © Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) Regimental Society, 2015 REGIMENTAL MANUAL AMENDMENT RECORD Amendment Date of Amendment Amendment Number 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. REGIMENTAL MANUAL FOREWORD FOREWORD Regiments are prolific in the world. Some have numbers to identify them (German Panzer Battalion 393; R22eR; etc.). Others have names from the type of unit and the role played as light or heavy cavalry (Scots Dragoon Guards; French 4e Régiment de Chasseurs). Some are associated with places (The Ontario Regiment; South Alberta Light Horse). We belong to a small group that is identified with an individual (Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry; Governor General's Horse Guards). What makes the Lord Strathcona’s Horse (Royal Canadians) unique is that we are named after an individual who used his own money to raise a unit to fight in a foreign war. That individual had an exceptional impact on Canada’s future. Whether it was his association with the exploration of the west through the Hudson’s Bay Company, his singular vote in Parliament that ousted a government, or his driving of the Last Spike of the Canadian Pacific Railroad, there is no question that Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal was an extraordinary individual. The soldiers that carried his name into battle in the Boer War were unique in their own right.
    [Show full text]