7th Canadian Infantry Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade , along with the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade
and the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade , formed the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
, which was a Canadian Army formation during World War II
. The division arrived in the United Kingdom
in 1940 and spent three years in Garrison duties and training in preparation for the assault landings on Juno Beach
in Normandy
on 6 June 1944.
The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division was the assault Division ,along with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade
under command to provide armoured support for the infantry assault brigades.
7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, had been selected to take part in the initial assault , they would land on the left hand side of the beach , supported by the 1st Hussars
armoured regiment.
During the assault the Regina Rifles would land at Courseulles which had the codename Nan Green beach , the Royal Winnipeg Rifles would land on the western edge of Courseulles , which had the codenames Mike Red beach and Mike Green beach.
Major Gordon Baird described the landing in the book The Regina Rifle Regiment 1939-1945
"So far, not a shot has been fired from the defenders on the beach. Will it be a push-over? We soon have the answer in the form of machine-gun fire and shells from pillboxes which are apparently still open for business despite the terrific pounding they have taken. The LCA's of the leading companies and the tanks of the 1st Hussars are working into the beaches now. H-hour has arrived. For the purposes of the assault, Courseulles had been divided into blocks numbered one to twelve. Each was to be cleared by a designated company. Careful study of enlarged air photos showing the sites of enemy strong points had made the ground itself easily recognizable. Every foot of the town was known before it was entered."
In the first hour of the assault on Juno Beach, the Canadian forces suffered approximately 50% casualty rates, comparable to those suffered by the Americans at Omaha Beach
. Once the Canadians cleared the seawall (about an hour after leaving the landing craft transports) they started to advance quickly inland and had a much easier time subduing the German defences than the Americans at Omaha had. By noon, the entire 3rd Canadian Division was ashore and leading elements had pushed several kilometres inland to seize bridges over the Seulles River. By 6:00pm they had captured the town of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer
. By the end of D-Day the elements of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
, had penetrated farther into France
than any other Allied force, though counter-attacks by two German armoured divisions would stop any further movement for several weeks.
None of the assault divisions, including 3rd Canadian Division, had managed to secure their D-Day objectives, which lay inland, although the Canadians came closer than any other Allied formation.
By the end of the next day, the Canadian forces had linked up with the British forces that had landed at Sword Beach
.
arrived on the battlefield. Their orders were to drive over the Canadians and force a deep wedge between them and the British division to the west.
The attack, launched at 0330 hours - had little initial success. The various companies in the attacking 12th SS Panzer Division , failed to co-ordinate their moves towards the Canadians and, despite heavy casualties during repeated attempts by the infantry, Canadian artillery and supporting heavy machine guns of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa took a heavy toll on each attacking company of SS troops. The Regina Rifle Regiment held their ground and the I Battalion fell back.
On the Canadian right the II Battalion attacked the Royal Winnipeg Rifles defending the village of Putot-en-Bessin. The Battalion managed to break into the village and surround several companies, effectively pushing the Winnipeg's out of the village, inflicting 256 casualties - of which 175 were taken prisoner. A counter-attack launched at 2030 Hours by the Canadian Scottish Regiment , however, regained Putot-en-Bessin
, and the II Battalion withdrew and dug-in south of the village.
Following the battle SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12 deployed to the west of Mohnke's regiment and, by the evening of 8 June the division, while having failed in its assignment to drive the Canadians into the sea, had effectively halted the units of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
, in the Allied advance on Caen.
Spending much of the next four weeks in static positions, the Division participated in the battles to capture Caen in early July ,which included Operation Totalize and Operation Tractable
and the battles around Verrières Ridge , during the rest of the month.
The Brigade then took part in the pursuit across France, and clearing the Channel ports, most notably Boulogne
, Calais
and Cape Gris Nez.
. Here, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
encountered tenacious German resistance as they fought to cross the Leopold Canal.
It was decided that the best place for an assault would be immediately east of where the two canals divided: a narrow strip of dry ground only a few hundred metres wide at its base beyond the Leopold Canal (described as a long triangle with its base on the Maldegem-Aardenburg road and its apex near the village of Moershoofd some five kilometres east).
A two-pronged assault commenced. 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade made the initial assault across the Leopold Canal, while the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade mounted an amphibious attack from the northern or coastal side of the pocket. The assault began on October 6, supported by extensive artillery and Canadian-built Wasp Universal Carrier
s, which were equipped with flamethrowers. The Wasps launched their barrage of flame across the Leopold Canal, allowing the 7th Brigade troops to scramble up over the steep banks and launch their assault boats. Two precarious, separate footholds were established, but the enemy recovered from the shock of the flamethrowers and counter-attacked, though they were unable to move the Canadians from their extremely vulnerable bridgeheads. By October 9, the gap between the bridgeheads was closed, and by early morning on October 12, a position had been gained across the Aardenburg road.
The 3rd Division fought additional actions to clear German troops from the towns of Breskens
, Oostburg
, Zuidzande
and Cadzand
, as well as the coastal fortress Fort Frederik Hendrik. Operation "Switchback" ended on November 3 when the First Canadian Army liberated the Belgian towns of Knokke
and Zeebrugge
, officially closing the Breskens Pocket and eliminating all German forces south of the Scheldt.
After spending three months in static positions in the Nijmegen Salient, the Division engaged in fierce combat once more in February. Fighting once again through flooded terrain, the Brigade helped clear the last German positions west of the Rhine. . The Brigade fought on into Germany and were ordered to suspend operations on 4 May 1945.
8th Canadian Infantry Brigade
The 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an infantry formation of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division during World War II-World War II:After training in Britain, the 8th Brigade formed part of the assault forces on D-Day, at Juno Beach...
and the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade , formed the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
3rd Canadian Infantry Division
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
, which was a Canadian Army formation during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The division arrived in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1940 and spent three years in Garrison duties and training in preparation for the assault landings on Juno Beach
Juno Beach
Juno or Juno Beach was one of five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during the Second World War. The sector spanned from Saint-Aubin, a village just east of the British Gold sector, to Courseulles, just west of the British Sword sector...
in Normandy
Normandy
Normandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is in France.The continental territory covers 30,627 km² and forms the preponderant part of Normandy and roughly 5% of the territory of France. It is divided for administrative purposes into two régions:...
on 6 June 1944.
Formation
-
- Brigadier Harry W. Foster
- Royal Winnipeg Rifles , Lt-Col J.M. Meldram
- Regina Rifle Regiment , Lt-Col F.M. Matheson
- 1st Battalion Canadian Scottish Regiment, Lt-Col F.N. Cabeldu
- 7 Canadian Infantry Brigade Ground Defence Platoon (Lorne Scots)
Juno Beach , D Day
Juno beach was five miles wide and stretched on either side of Courseulles-sur-Mer.The 3rd Canadian Infantry Division was the assault Division ,along with the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade
2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade
-History:Soon after 3rd Canadian Tank Brigade assumed the designation in summer 1943 of the original 2nd Canadian Tank Brigade, the new 2nd Tank was redesignated and reorganized as 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade. Although reorganized as an armoured brigade, no motor battalion served under its command...
under command to provide armoured support for the infantry assault brigades.
7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, had been selected to take part in the initial assault , they would land on the left hand side of the beach , supported by the 1st Hussars
1st Hussars
The 1st Hussars is an armoured Primary Reserve regiment of the Canadian Forces, currently based in London, Ontario and Sarnia, Ontario.-Foundation and organisation:...
armoured regiment.
During the assault the Regina Rifles would land at Courseulles which had the codename Nan Green beach , the Royal Winnipeg Rifles would land on the western edge of Courseulles , which had the codenames Mike Red beach and Mike Green beach.
Major Gordon Baird described the landing in the book The Regina Rifle Regiment 1939-1945
"So far, not a shot has been fired from the defenders on the beach. Will it be a push-over? We soon have the answer in the form of machine-gun fire and shells from pillboxes which are apparently still open for business despite the terrific pounding they have taken. The LCA's of the leading companies and the tanks of the 1st Hussars are working into the beaches now. H-hour has arrived. For the purposes of the assault, Courseulles had been divided into blocks numbered one to twelve. Each was to be cleared by a designated company. Careful study of enlarged air photos showing the sites of enemy strong points had made the ground itself easily recognizable. Every foot of the town was known before it was entered."
In the first hour of the assault on Juno Beach, the Canadian forces suffered approximately 50% casualty rates, comparable to those suffered by the Americans at Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach
Omaha Beach is the code name for one of the five sectors of the Allied invasion of German-occupied France in the Normandy landings on 6 June 1944, during World War II...
. Once the Canadians cleared the seawall (about an hour after leaving the landing craft transports) they started to advance quickly inland and had a much easier time subduing the German defences than the Americans at Omaha had. By noon, the entire 3rd Canadian Division was ashore and leading elements had pushed several kilometres inland to seize bridges over the Seulles River. By 6:00pm they had captured the town of Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer, Calvados
Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer is a commune in the Calvados department in the Basse-Normandie region in northwestern France.-History:Saint-Aubin-sur-Mer is located at the eastern end of Nan Sector of Juno Beach, one of the landing sites on D-Day, at the beginning of the Battle of Normandy, during World War II...
. By the end of D-Day the elements of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
3rd Canadian Infantry Division
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
, had penetrated farther into France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
than any other Allied force, though counter-attacks by two German armoured divisions would stop any further movement for several weeks.
None of the assault divisions, including 3rd Canadian Division, had managed to secure their D-Day objectives, which lay inland, although the Canadians came closer than any other Allied formation.
By the end of the next day, the Canadian forces had linked up with the British forces that had landed at Sword Beach
Sword Beach
Sword, commonly known as Sword Beach, was the code name given to one of the five main landing areas along the Normandy coast during the initial assault phase, Operation Neptune, of Operation Overlord; the Allied invasion of German-occupied France that commenced on 6 June 1944...
.
Battle of Normandy
On 8 June, SS-Panzergrenadier-Regiment 26 under command of SS-Obersturmbannfuhrer Wilhelm MohnkeWilhelm Mohnke
SS-Brigadeführer Wilhelm Mohnke was one of the original 120 members of the SS-Staff Guard "Berlin" formed in March 1933. From those ranks, Mohnke rose to become one of Adolf Hitler's last remaining generals.Mohnke saw action with the 1st SS Division Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler in France, Poland...
arrived on the battlefield. Their orders were to drive over the Canadians and force a deep wedge between them and the British division to the west.
The attack, launched at 0330 hours - had little initial success. The various companies in the attacking 12th SS Panzer Division , failed to co-ordinate their moves towards the Canadians and, despite heavy casualties during repeated attempts by the infantry, Canadian artillery and supporting heavy machine guns of the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa took a heavy toll on each attacking company of SS troops. The Regina Rifle Regiment held their ground and the I Battalion fell back.
On the Canadian right the II Battalion attacked the Royal Winnipeg Rifles defending the village of Putot-en-Bessin. The Battalion managed to break into the village and surround several companies, effectively pushing the Winnipeg's out of the village, inflicting 256 casualties - of which 175 were taken prisoner. A counter-attack launched at 2030 Hours by the Canadian Scottish Regiment , however, regained Putot-en-Bessin
Putot-en-Bessin
-External links:*...
, and the II Battalion withdrew and dug-in south of the village.
Following the battle SS-Aufklärungs-Abteilung 12 deployed to the west of Mohnke's regiment and, by the evening of 8 June the division, while having failed in its assignment to drive the Canadians into the sea, had effectively halted the units of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
3rd Canadian Infantry Division
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
, in the Allied advance on Caen.
Spending much of the next four weeks in static positions, the Division participated in the battles to capture Caen in early July ,which included Operation Totalize and Operation Tractable
Operation Tractable
Operation Tractable was the final offensive conducted by Canadian and Polish Army troops as part of the Battle of Normandy. The goal of this operation was to capture the strategically important French town of Falaise, and following that, the smaller towns of Trun and Chambois...
and the battles around Verrières Ridge , during the rest of the month.
The Brigade then took part in the pursuit across France, and clearing the Channel ports, most notably Boulogne
Boulogne-sur-Mer
-Road:* Metropolitan bus services are operated by the TCRB* Coach services to Calais and Dunkerque* A16 motorway-Rail:* The main railway station is Gare de Boulogne-Ville and located in the south of the city....
, Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
and Cape Gris Nez.
Operation Switchback
The second main operation of the Battle of the Scheldt opened with fierce fighting to reduce the Breskens pocketBreskens Pocket
The Breskens Pocket was a pocket of fortified German resistance against the Canadian First Army in the Battle of the Scheldt during the Second World War. It was chiefly situated on the southern shore of the Scheldt estuary in the southern Netherlands, near the Belgian border...
. Here, the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
3rd Canadian Infantry Division
The Canadian 3rd Infantry Division was an infantry division of the Canadian Army from 1940 to c.1945.- History :The formation of the division was authorized on 17 May 1940...
encountered tenacious German resistance as they fought to cross the Leopold Canal.
It was decided that the best place for an assault would be immediately east of where the two canals divided: a narrow strip of dry ground only a few hundred metres wide at its base beyond the Leopold Canal (described as a long triangle with its base on the Maldegem-Aardenburg road and its apex near the village of Moershoofd some five kilometres east).
A two-pronged assault commenced. 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade made the initial assault across the Leopold Canal, while the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade mounted an amphibious attack from the northern or coastal side of the pocket. The assault began on October 6, supported by extensive artillery and Canadian-built Wasp Universal Carrier
Universal Carrier
The Universal Carrier, also known as the Bren Gun Carrier is a common name describing a family of light armoured tracked vehicles built by Vickers-Armstrong. Produced between 1934 and 1960, the vehicle was used widely by British Commonwealth forces during the Second World War...
s, which were equipped with flamethrowers. The Wasps launched their barrage of flame across the Leopold Canal, allowing the 7th Brigade troops to scramble up over the steep banks and launch their assault boats. Two precarious, separate footholds were established, but the enemy recovered from the shock of the flamethrowers and counter-attacked, though they were unable to move the Canadians from their extremely vulnerable bridgeheads. By October 9, the gap between the bridgeheads was closed, and by early morning on October 12, a position had been gained across the Aardenburg road.
The 3rd Division fought additional actions to clear German troops from the towns of Breskens
Breskens
Breskens is a harbour town on the Westerschelde in the municipality of Sluis in the province of Zeeland, in the south-western Netherlands. Its population is 4,280 ....
, Oostburg
Oostburg
Oostburg is a town in the south-western Netherlands. It is the largest town in the municipality of Sluis, in the province of Zeeland. As of 1 January 2005, its population is 5,008. It received city rights in 1237....
, Zuidzande
Zuidzande
Zuidzande is a village in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of SluisZuidzande was a separate municipality until 1970, when it was merged with Oostburg.-External links:*...
and Cadzand
Cadzand
Cadzand is a town in the Dutch province of Zeeland. It is located in the municipality of Sluis, about 8 km northwest of Oostburg. The village contains 804 inhabitants . Better known to many visitors is the nearby beach at Cadzand-Bad....
, as well as the coastal fortress Fort Frederik Hendrik. Operation "Switchback" ended on November 3 when the First Canadian Army liberated the Belgian towns of Knokke
Knokke
Knokke is one of a group of communities that are all grouped in the administrative community Knokke-Heist, in the province of West Flanders in Flanders, Belgium. Knokke itself has 15,653 inhabitants .Knokke-Heist has 33,818 inhabitants ....
and Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
, officially closing the Breskens Pocket and eliminating all German forces south of the Scheldt.
After spending three months in static positions in the Nijmegen Salient, the Division engaged in fierce combat once more in February. Fighting once again through flooded terrain, the Brigade helped clear the last German positions west of the Rhine. . The Brigade fought on into Germany and were ordered to suspend operations on 4 May 1945.
Further reading
- Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War Volume III, The Victory Campaign: The Operations in North-West Europe, Colonel C.P. Stacey. Queen's Printer, Ottawa. 1966.
- Juno: Canadians at D-Day June 6, 1944, Ted Barris, National Library of Canada Cataloguing in Publication, 2004.
- Maple Leaf Route: Caen, Terry Copp and Robert Vogel, Maple Leaf Route, 1994.
- Six Armies in Normandy, John Keegan, British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data, 1982.
- Bloody Victory: Canadians and the D-Day Campaign, J.L. Granatstein and Desmond Morton, Toronto: Lestor, 1994.
- Battle Diary: From D-Day and Normandy to the Zuider Zee and VE, Charles Cromwell Martin, Dundurn Press Toronto & Oxford, 1994.
- Ready for the Fray: The History of the Canadian Scottish Regiment, R.H. Roy, Evergreen Press, Vancouver, 1958.
- Vanguard: The Fort Garry Horse in The Second World War, The Fort Garry Horse Museum and Archives, Hignell Printing Ltd, 1995.
- The History of the 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (MG), Lieutenant Colonel Richard M. Ross, O.B.E., Runge Press Limited, Ottawa 1946.
- An Historical Account of the 7th Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment , Capt. Walter G. Pavey, Copyright 1948 by 7th Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment, Montreal, 1995.
- The Royal Canadian Armoured Corps, John Marteinson & Micahael McNorgan, Royal Canadian Armoured Corps Assoc, 2000.
- The History of the Corp of Royal Canadian Engineers, A.J. Kerry & W.A. McDill, Military Engineers Association of Canada, 1966.
See also
- Military history of Canada during the Second World WarMilitary history of Canada during the Second World WarThe Second World War officially began on September 1, 1939, with the German invasion of Poland. Britain and France declared war on the Nazi Third Reich on September 3, 1939...
- Military history of CanadaMilitary history of CanadaThe military history of Canada comprises hundreds of years of armed actions in the territory encompassing modern Canada, and the role of the Canadian military in conflicts and peacekeeping worldwide. For thousands of years, the area that would become Canada was the site of sporadic intertribal wars...
- Canadian ForcesCanadian ForcesThe Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...