British forces on Juno beach included units from Second Army and Combined Operations Headquarters[2] They also provided the tri-service Beach groups that defended the beaches from air attack, directed the following waves and arranged casualty evacuation. The 79th Armoured division was the administrative division of the specialist assault and combat engineering vehicle units allocated to overcome the defences.
Force J was commanded by the British, and the flagship vessel came from the Royal Navy. Among the chief vessels in this combined British and Canadian Force were
Standing against the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, units of 716.Infanterie-Division (Static) – Wehrmacht Heer Coastal Defence (Bodenständigen) had little tactical mobility and its personnel, in general, belonged to the lowest category of conscript, coming from older age groups or from the Landsturm: Military District 6. While the division in Normandy with the fewest personnel; fronting the Juno sector, its density of troops was a little stronger than elsewhere. The division had no combat experience before D-Day, and on 1 May 1944 it only had 7,771 personnel of all ranks.[18][19]
Panzer-Division 21., belonging to XXXXVII Pz.Gr.West, was allocated to AOK.7 (Army Group B) as its (only) reserve. Pz.Div.21 was reconstituted on 15 July 1943, in the reorganization of schnellen Brigade West (SB 931). Pz.Div.21 was absent from Normandy from March 1944, for Operation Maragretha, in Hungary, until May 1944, when it was reassigned to Brittany, and then moved up into Normandy.[citation needed] On 6 June 1944, Panzer-Division 21., on its initiative, adopted a 'new' organization for battle, as Regimental (Brigade) Groups were formed, PzKGr.Oppeln - Pz.Regt.22., and KGr.Luck - Pz.Gren-Regt 125., they regrouping an infantry battalion for a tank battalion, and KGr.Rauch - Pz.Gren-Regt192., was formed, given Panzer-Artillerie-Regiment 155., assigned a battalion to each Kampfgruppe.[46] The Canadians, coming South, from Juno Beach, did not experience a direct impact from either PzKGr.Oppeln or KGr.Luck and only felt a slight impact, in their area of influence, from the counter-move undertaken by KGr.Rauch, on 6 June.
Panzer-Division.21. Gefechtsstand: St. Pierre-sur-Dives (Begleitkompanie)
GOC Kommandeur: Generalmajor Edgar Feuchtinger
Panzer-Aufklärung-Abteilung. 21. Gefechtsstand: SE of Condé-sur-Noireau: x5 Kompanien (some Pz.)
Batterien (Ko) 5. / Stug.-Abtl. 200. From Cambes-en-Plasne at Epron- North of Caen
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 200 (Pz.Jg.-Abtl. 200). Kdr: Hauptmann Werner von Lyncker, Stab: Saint-Pierre (Maison des Trois Chimnees) Tilly-sur-Seulles [51][52]
Kompanie 1.(sfl) / Pz.Jg.ABt 200. Stab: Châteux de Grand-Tonne, At Sainte-Croix- Grand-Tonne (Martagny)[26]
Kompanie 2.(sfl) / Pz.Jg.ABt200. Stab: Château du Mesnil-Patry, At Le Mesnil-Patry (Putot)
Kompanie 3.(sfl) / Pz.Jg.ABt 200. Stab: Camilly, South of Le Fresnet-Camilly[53]
^the 62nd was equipped with both towed anti-tank guns (QF 17-pounder gun with Crusader tracked towers) and self-propelled anti-tank guns (17-pdr M10 'Achilles'[9]
^Lt-Col J.D. Mingay, GS 3 Cdn Inf Div, Neptune 'Overlord' 3 Cdn Inf Div Operation Order No.1, 13 May 1944. ORBAT 3 Cdn Inf Div
^ abcMaj-Gen R.P. Pakenham-Walsh, History of the Corps of Royal Engineers, Vol IX, 1938–1948, Chatham: Institution of Royal Engineers, 1958, pp. 335–6.
^[Tonner, Mark W. On Active Service (Service Publications, Ottawa, ON) ISBN1-894581-44-X]
^Lt-Col J.D. Mingay, GS 3 Cdn Inf Div, Neptune 'Overlord' 3 Cdn Inf Div Operation Order No.1, 13 May 1944. Appendix 'B' Annexure 1
^Operation Overlord 7 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group: Operation Order No.1 Extracts – Canadian Scottish Regiment Amended Copy
^Lt-Col J.D. Mingay, GS 3 Cdn Inf Div, Neptune 'Overlord' 3 Cdn Inf Div Operation Order No.1, 13 May 1944. Appendix 'B' Annexure 2
^Operation Overlord 8 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group: Operation Order No.1 Extracts
^Lt-Col J.D. Mingay, GS 3 Cdn Inf Div, Neptune 'Overlord' 3 Cdn Inf Div Operation Order No.1, 13 May 1944. Appendix 'B' Annexure 3
^9 Canadian Infantry Brigade Group: Operation Order No.1 Extracts
^Col L.F. Morling, Sussex Sappers: A History of the Sussex Volunteer and Territorial Army Royal Engineer Units from 1890 to 1967, Seaford: 208th Field Co, RE/Christians–W.J. Offord, 1972, p. 215.
^Rogers, J & D (2012). D-Day Beach Force. The Men Who Turned Chaos into Order (1 ed.). Stroud: The History Press. p. 20. ISBN9780752463308.
^ ab80 AA Bde Operation Order No 1, 20 May 1944, in 80 AA Bde War Diary 1944, The National Archives, Kew]], file WO 171/1085.
^ abBrig N.W. Routledge, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery: Anti-Aircraft Artillery 1914–55, London: Royal Artillery Institution/Brassey's, 1994, ISBN1-85753-099-3, pp. 305–7.
^Kampf Der 716.Division in der Normandie, Generalleutnant Richter, Wilhelm. Allendorf, den 31 Mai 1947. The Battle of the 716th Infantry Division in Normandy, Wilhelm Richter, 1947. US Army Europe: Manuscript No. B-621 / WWII Foreign Military Studies 1945-54: NARA M1035.
^James, Chris and George at Battlefront, Battlefront Miniatures 2006-2016, The German 716. Infanteriedivision in Normandy – Last Updated On Tuesday, December 3, 2013. See http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=328 Accessed 16.05.2016
^Steiger, Capt. A.G., Report No. 41 – Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. 716 Inf Div 6 Jun 44 Initial Situation. Appendix "C and D". Dated 20 Jul 51
^Steiger, Capt. A.G., Report No. 41 - Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. 716 Inf Div 6 Jun 44 Initial Situation. Page 15. (OB West History: State of Defences) and Appendix "C" (716 Inf Div Initial Situation: Map). Dated 20 Jul 51
^ abcdCapt. A.G. Steiger, Report No. 41 - Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. 716 Inf Div 6 Jun 44 - Initial Situation: Appendix 'G'. Dated 20 Jul 51. Accessed 28.01.2018
^ abcdefCapt. A.G. Steiger, Report No. 41 - Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. 716 Inf Div 6 Jun 44 Initial Situation. Appendix "D". Dated 20 Jul 51
^ abcSteiger, Capt. A.G., Report No. 41 – Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. Page15.-Para27. Organization and Appendix C/D. Dated 20 Jul 51
^Lt. R.H. Roy, Report No. 54 - Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. Canadian Participation in the Operations in North-West Europe, 1944. Part 1: The Assault and subsequent operations of 3 Cdn Inf Div. Appendix I Map Showing: 'Eastern Flank of the Normandy Bridgehead German Defences 6 June 1944'. Dated 3 Dec 45. Accessed 26.07.2K16
^ abLt. R.H. Roy, Report No. 54 - Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. Canadian Participation in the Operations in North-West Europe, 1944. Part 1: The Assault and subsequent operations of 3 Cdn Inf Div. Appendix I Map Showing: 'Eastern Flank of the Normandy Bridgehead German Defences 6 June 1944'. Dated 3 Dec 45. Accessed 26.07.2K16
^Anderson Richard C., Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall: The 1st Assault Brigade Royal Engineers on D-Day, Stackpole Books, Mechanicsburg, PA., 2010, ISBN9780811742719, Chapter 4 German Planning and Preparation: The German Defences - Page 74. Accessed 18.05.2016
^Rich Hasenauer and Jim Baker, Fire and Fury Games. The Nafziger Orders Of Battle Collection: 716.Infanterie-Division – Normandy 6th June 1944. From: George Nafziger, The German Order of Battle: Volume 1 (1999) and Niklas Zetterling, Normandy 1944: German Military Organisation, Combat Power and Organisational Effectiveness (2000). See: http://www.fireandfury.com/orbats/late21pzd6jun44.pdf Accessed 06.08.2K16
^For Structure: Rich Hasenauer and Jim Baker, Fire and Fury Games. The Nafziger Orders Of Battle Collection: 716.Infanterie-Division – Normandy 6th June 1944. See: http://www.fireandfury.com/orbats/late21pzd6jun44.pdf Accessed 06.08.2K16
^Steiger, Capt. A.G., Report No. 41 – Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. Appendix C/D. Dated 20 Jul 51
^ abSteiger, Capt. A.G., Report No. 41 – Historical Section (G.S.) Army Headquarters. The German Defences in the Courseulles-St.Aubin Area of the Normandy Coast: Information from German Sources. Appendix C/D. Dated 20 Jul 51
^The Battle of the 716th Infantry Division in Normandy, Wilhelm Richter, 1947. US Army Europe MS #B-621 / Guide to Foreign Military Studies: NARA M1035. Pg20.Para:Countermeasures_b. See: https://www.fold3.com/image/153801700 Accessed 03.08.2016
References
Joslen, H. F. (2003) [1960]. Orders of Battle: Second World War, 1939–1945. Uckfield, East Sussex: Naval and Military Press. ISBN978-1-84342-474-1.