Juno Beach was assaulted by the Canadian 3rd Division. It was heavily defended with emplacements and formidable beach obstacles. Rough seas delayed the landings. The Germans opened fire as the Canadian infantry landed and the first wave suffered heavy casualties. D Company of the Regina Rifles lost half its strength even before it reached the beach. More tanks had been allocated to Juno beach than others because of the nature of the terrain. There were more "Funnies" designed to help the infantry over the seawall, through the barbed wire and across the minefields. Beyond the villages lay flat, open country with almost no opposition. At the end of the day the Canadians had penetrated deeper into France than any other division. Canadian Troops Coming Ashore From A Landing Craft Spanning either side of the port of Courseulles-sur-Mer, the Juno Beach landing area was six miles wide. German light infantry occupied villages beyond the coastal dunes, giving them a decent advantage over troops advancing through the dunes. The landing started miserably, with a third of the landing craft destroyed or damaged by mines and obstacles. The Canadian assault troops then had an easy time crossing the beach, before being mown down by German fire. The first waves of troops suffered a 50% casualty rate. By noon, the coastal towns had been taken and the Canadian troops advanced inland and teamed up with British soldiers from Gold. Out of 21,400 men landed, there were 1,200 casualties.
