“A MOST IRREVOCABLE STEP” 1 CAN PARA BN ON D-DAY Colonel (Retired) Bernd Horn, OMM, MSM, CD, PhD
A CANADIAN AIRBORNE CAPABILITY?
AIRBORNE CAPABILITY
THE FIRST CANADIAN PARACHUTE BATTALION
3 AB BDE – 6 AB DIVISION
D-DAY • 171 Fighter Squadrons • 5,000 Ships • 4,000 Landing Craft • 176,475 men • 20,111 vehicles
US AIRBORNE TASKS • 82 nd AB & 101 AB Divisions • Hold and Defend Western Flank
AMERICAN AIRBORNE LANDINGS
6 th AB DIV TASKS • Protect Eastern Flank • Secure, Establish and Hold a bridgehead on the high ground between the Caen Canal, the Orne and the Dives River • Allow British 1 st Corps to land and move out quickly from Sword Beach and seize Caen
BRITISH 6 th AIRBORNE DIVISION TASKS
3 PARA BDE TASKS 8 Para Bn • Destroy bridges at Troarn and Bures • Defend roadways in these sectors & mount patrols 9 Para Bn • Destroy Merville Battery • Destroy enemy HQ @ Sallanelles • Deny enemy use of roads • Seize high ground at Le Plein
1 CAN PARA BN TASKS • Secure & protect 3 Para Bde DZ “V” • Neutralize enemy HQ and comms centre and defensive positions near DZ • Support assault on Merville Battery • Support AB RE demolition of bridges at Varaville and Robehomme • Deny enemy use of all roads in Bn sector • Defend the area of Le Mesnil, Varaville, Bois de Bavent and Bréville
REALITY IS A BITCH: HOW IT ACTUALLY WENT DOWN
THE APPROACH “THE PILOTS TOOK SUCH EVASIVE ACTION BECAUSE OF THE FLAK THAT IT RESULTED IN SOME PARATROOPERS NOT BE ABLE TO GET OUT OF THE AIRCRAFT.”
THE DROP “BEFORE THE LIGHT CHANGED THE PLANE SUDDENLY LURCHED. I COULDN’T HANG ON BECAUSE THERE WAS NOTHING TO HANG ON TO SO OUT I WENT – THERE WAS NO GETTING BACK IN.”
THE DROP “THE PLANE WAS GOING MUCH TOO FAST. WHEN I WENT OUT THE PROP BLAST TORE ALL MY EQUIPMENT OFF. ALL I HAD WAS MY CLOTHES AND MY .45 REVOLVER WITH SOME AMMO.”
THE DROP “AIRPLANES DROPPED US ALL OVER HELL’S HALF ACRE. THE SCATTERING HAD AN OPERATING INFLUENCE ON THE WHOLE BATTLE. WE LOST MORE THAN 50 PERCENT OF OUR OFFICER ON D- DAY, 15 OF 27. THE FIGHTING IN THE WEEKS THAT FOLLOWED TURNED FROM AN OFFICER’S WAR TO A SENIOR NCO’S WAR.”
ON THE GROUND “THE HARDEST PART OF THE JOB WASN’T THE FIGHTING, ALTHOUGH THAT WA HARD ENOUGH AT TIMES, BUT GETTING OURSELVES ORGANIZED AFTER WE HIT THE DZ.”
ON THE GROUND MORE THAN 70% OF THE BATTALION’S HEAVY EQUIPMENT, SUPPORT WEAPONRY AND SUPPLIES WERE LOST BEFORE A SINGLE SHOT HAD BEEN FIRED. 82 CDN PARAs BECAME POWs
ON THE GROUND “Gentlemen, in spite of your excellent training and your detailed briefing do not be daunted if chaos reigns for it certainly will!” Brigadier S.J.L. Hill, Commander 3 Parachute Brigade, 5 June 1944
“C” COMPANY • Secure DZ V • Seize and Hold Varaville Bridge • Capture German defensive positions at the Varaville Chateau
VARAVILLE By 1030 hours the surviving 80 Germans surrendered. “Two enemy soldiers for every Canadian. The Germans were mad when they saw that they had been captured by a small group of lightly armed paratroopers.”
“A” COMPANY • By 0600 hours only 2 officers & 20 paras assembled • Headed to Merville Battery to support 9 Para Bn who only mustered 150 of the 650 paras earmarked for the assault
MERVILLE BATTERY 70 OF 150 PARAs KIA
“A” COMPANY • ARRIVED AFTER BATTLE COMPLETE • ESCORTED 9 BN TO LE PLEIN • MOVED TO LE MESNIL TO JOIN BN
“B” COMPANY • SUPPORT BRITISH ROYAL ENGINEERS DESTROY THE ROBEHOMME BRIDGE
ROBEHOMME BRIDGE • Only 30 paras make it to the RV • Move to objective • At 0300 hrs no RE so they attempt to blow the bridge • RE show up shortly after • “B” Coy moves to Le Mesnil crossroads
LE MESNIL CROSSROADS • Bn defensive position • Held 7-17 Jun 44 • Fought off German C- Atks • Attacked German positions in the Bavent area • Enemy snipers created numerous casualties
LE MESNIL CROSSROADS Fatigue became the most formidable foe. First opportunity to rest came 9 June.
THE BATTLE FOR THE LE MESNIL CROSSROADS • 12 June – German near breakthrough causes Brigadier Hill to lead 40 Paras from “C” Coy in a counter-attack to assist the Highland Bn in Breville. • Hill described Le Mesnil as “one of the great battles of the war…in the first eight days I lost over a thousand chaps…it was very, very tough.”
EPILOGUE • ACCOMPLISHED ALL OF THEIR ASSIGNED TASKS • WITHIN FIRST 24 HOURS – 116 OF 547 (21%) CDN PARAS WHO JUMPED INTO NORMANDY WERE CASUALTIES • ON 17 JUNE 1944, 1 CAN PARA BN RELIEVED FROM THE FRONT LINES FOR A REST.
EPILOGUE • 17 AUGUST THE BREAKOUT FROM THE NORMANDY SALIENT BEGAN. • ON 6 SEPTEMBER 1944, THE BN RETURNED TO ENGLAND. • OF THE ORIGINAL 547 CDN PARAS WHO JUMPED INTO NORMANDY ONLY 197 RETURNED. • 64% CASUALTY RATE.
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