| Organisational History |
Canadian Special Armour units were developed from British Special Armour. The Duplex Drive tank is a British innovation that appears during the Second World War. It allows a tank to move through water and reach a hostile shore. The system modifies a Sherman tank with a collapsible canvas screen. Inflated rubber tubes support the screen around the hull. Two propellers at the rear provide thrust in the water. The tank behaves like a boat until it closes with the shore. The crew then drop the screen in shallow water. The Sherman then operates as a normal fighting vehicle.
The idea forms part of a group of specialised armoured vehicles. These vehicles are known informally as Hobart’s Funnies. Major-General Percy Hobart oversees their development. He seeks ways to break through beach defences in the coming assault on north-west Europe. Trials show that the Duplex Drive system can deliver armour to the beach in the first assault wave.
Canada joins the programme during the planning for Operation Overlord. The Canadian Army agrees to equip two armoured regiments with Sherman Duplex Drive tanks for the landings. The Canadians adopt the system in early 1944. They work with British instructors to train crews for the amphibious role.
Two Canadian armoured regiments are selected for the Duplex Drive role for D-Day. They are the 6th Armoured Regiment, known as the 1st Hussars, and the 10th Armoured Regiment, known as the Fort Garry Horse. Both units begin the war as militia cavalry regiments. Both mobilise in 1939. Each converts to armour soon after. They train in Canada and the United Kingdom between 1941 and 1943. They also undergo several reorganisations before they receive the amphibious role.
The 1st Hussars come from London, Ontario. They become the 6th Canadian Armoured Regiment in 1941. They arrive in Britain in October of that year. They join the 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade. They later transfer to a new formation with the Fort Garry Horse and the Sherbrooke Fusiliers. This formation becomes the 3rd Canadian Army Tank Brigade. It then becomes the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade in July 1943. In late 1943 the brigade prepares for the Normandy assault. The 1st Hussars are then selected for the Duplex Drive role. The regiment begins specialised amphibious training in December 1943. Training first uses Valentine Duplex Drive tanks. The regiment receives Sherman V Duplex Drive tanks in April 1944. A small number of Sherman Vc Firefly tanks also join the regiment for anti-tank fire. The 1st Hussars now hold one of the first Canadian amphibious tank capabilities.
The Fort Garry Horse begins as a Manitoba cavalry regiment. It becomes the 10th Canadian Armoured Regiment in 1941. It sails for Britain in November 1941. The regiment trains with Ram tanks and later with early Sherman tanks. It joins the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade alongside the 1st Hussars. In late 1943 the Fort Garry Horse is chosen for the Duplex Drive role. Each squadron starts intensive amphibious instruction. The work takes place in strict secrecy. B and C Squadrons train in the use of Duplex Drive Sherman tanks. By May 1944 the regiment receives its full issue of Sherman Duplex Drive tanks. Each troop also receives a Firefly with a 17-pounder gun to give greater anti-tank strength. The regiment conceals its Duplex Drive tanks in a marshalling area in southern England while invasion plans are completed.
Canadian tank crews first see the equipment in December 1943. The Canadian Duplex Drive effort forms part of a wider Allied plan. The British and Americans also use these amphibious tanks. But where the Americans choose to create a training program of their own, the Canadians benefit from British knowledge in Duplex Drive development and training. Their crews train under the 79th Armoured Division. They attend courses at the Combined Operations Training Centre at Inveraray in Scotland. They also practise water launches at Fritton Lake and Stokes Bay. In Normandy they come under the command of British I Corps. They receive further support from the 79th Armoured Division on Juno Beach. AVRE engineer tanks and Crab flail tanks land soon after the Duplex Drive tanks to widen the beach exits.
They begin training with Valentine Duplex Drive tanks in Great Britain. They then receive the Sherman Duplex Drive conversions in the spring of 1944. All training is conducted in strict secrecy. The work takes place in British combined operations schools in Scotland and southern England. Crews rehearse launching from landing craft. They practise navigation in choppy water. They learn to coordinate with infantry and engineers during a beach assault.
Both Canadian regiments coordinate their work with the infantry they will support. They train with the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. They rehearse landings and close cooperation for the assault on Juno Beach. Both units reach full readiness for the amphibious role by the eve of Operation Neptune.
A third regiment in the brigade, the 27th Armoured Regiment, known as the Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment, is held in reserve for D-Day. Its tanks receive deep-wading kits rather than Duplex Drive screens. These tanks will land from craft after the beaches are secured. The 1st Hussars and the Fort Garry Horse carry the main burden of the first wave. They provide amphibious armour for the assault on Juno Beach.
By June 1944 the Canadian Duplex Drive crews are prepared for the demands of combat. They stand ready for the Normandy invasion with their amphibious Shermans.
| Operation Overlord |
On D-Day the assault of the Canadian 3rd Infantry Division on Juno Beach is led by Sherman Duplex Drive tanks from the 1st Hussars and the Fort Garry Horse. These tanks launch ahead of the infantry to give immediate support. In the early hours of June 6th, 1944 both regiments load their swimming Shermans onto Landing Craft Tank. They then set course for Normandy in rough seas. The plan requires the Duplex Drive tanks to enter the water just offshore. They are expected to fire on German strongpoints before the infantry land. The sea remains heavy, yet Canadian commanders decide to launch many tanks at their release points despite the risk.
The 1st Hussars support the western sectors known as Mike and Nan Green. These sectors lie near Courseulles-sur-Mer. The regiment supports the landing of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade. At about 07.15 B Squadron launches nineteen Sherman V Duplex Drive tanks. They enter the water roughly four thousand metres from Nan Green. The waves remain high, yet fifteen tanks reach the beach. They arrive just ahead of the Regina Rifle Regiment. Minutes later A Squadron attempts to launch towards Mike Beach. Only two of its four landing craft can launch at sea due to worsening surf. Ten tanks are floated off at about fifteen hundred metres. Seven reach the beach safely. The remaining tanks either land from their craft or become stranded when a landing craft strikes a mine. When the Royal Winnipeg Rifles engage on the beach, several 1st Hussars Duplex Drive tanks are already firing on enemy positions. Some still sit partly afloat. Their screens drop in the shallows. The tanks fire from a hull-down stance against German anti-tank guns and machine-gun nests. Their actions break parts of the beach defence and open lanes for the assault troops.
Once ashore the 1st Hussars split to support their linked infantry. A Squadron drives towards Graye-sur-Mer to assist the Winnipeg Rifles in securing bridges over the Suelles. B Squadron fights with the Regina Rifles to clear Courseulles-sur-Mer. By 08.20 the reserve C Squadron lands on Mike Red with the regimental headquarters. Their landing follows the clearance of obstacles by engineers. The regiment then pushes inland. A troop from C Squadron, led by Lieutenant W. F. McCormick, advances far beyond the line of other units. The troop reaches the Caen–Bayeux highway, which is the 1st Hussars’ final D-Day objective. The troop is then ordered back due to isolation. This achievement marks the troop as the only Allied element to reach its planned objective before consolidating. The feat reflects the bold leadership of the Canadian Duplex Drive crews.
The 1st Hussars suffer heavy losses by dusk. Nearly two-thirds of the Duplex Drive tanks are destroyed or disabled. A Squadron ends the day with nine operational tanks. B Squadron holds four. The regiment loses about twenty-one men killed and seventeen wounded.
To the east the Fort Garry Horse supports the assault of the 8th Infantry Brigade on Nan White and Nan Red. The plan assigns B Squadron to the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada at Bernières-sur-Mer. C Squadron supports the North Shore Regiment at Saint Aubin-sur-Mer. Heavy surf delays their launch. Several Duplex Drive tanks must enter the water close to the beach. Some drop almost at the surf line. They therefore arrive later than planned. B Squadron swims onto Bernières and reaches the sand at about 08.00. A seawall blocks their route inland. Bridge-laying AVREs from the 79th Armoured Division place crossings. The Shermans then climb over roughly an hour after landing. By 09.00 tank support helps the Queen’s Own Rifles and the engineers clear most German positions in Bernières. A Squadron of the Fort Garry Horse, held in reserve and not fitted with Duplex Drive screens, lands after the town is secure. Infantry from Le Régiment de la Chaudière join them for the move inland.
C Squadron lands under intense fire at Saint Aubin. Three Duplex Drive tanks are lost immediately during or just after their surf approach. No gap exists in the seawall. The remaining tanks must cross a minefield to leave the beach. Mines destroy three more Shermans. Despite these losses the squadron supports the North Shore Regiment with sustained fire against German bunkers. One strongpoint resists for most of the day until a Fort Garry tank commanded by Sergeant Walterson charges straight at it. The crew’s action forces the surviving defenders to surrender. Elements of C Squadron then advance towards Tailleville. They clear German positions and seize high ground to blunt enemy counter-attacks. Repeated calls for support from scattered infantry positions prevent the squadron from regrouping. C Squadron only rejoins the regiment on June 7th, 1944.
By nightfall the Fort Garry Horse has landed sixty-nine tanks and about four hundred and eighteen personnel. Casualties reach fourteen killed and eleven wounded. The regiment’s Duplex Drive tanks, like those of the 1st Hussars, play a vital part in breaking German defences on Juno Beach. Their firepower and manoeuvre allow the Canadian infantry to move inland.
By the end of June 6th, 1944, the Canadian 3rd Division and the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade hold a fragile beachhead. The advance inland owes much to the work of the Duplex Drive tanks that fight from the water to the sand and beyond.
| Normandy Campaign |
After the successful landings on D-Day, the Canadian Duplex Drive tank regiments shift to conventional armoured operations as the Normandy battle develops. They continue to fight as key elements of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade in support of Canadian infantry. The flotation screens are discarded soon after the assault because the fighting moves inland. From this point the 1st Hussars and the Fort Garry Horse operate as standard Sherman-equipped armoured units. Their amphibious training, however, gives them confidence under difficult conditions. This confidence becomes vital during the fierce battles that follow.
In the week after D-Day, German forces launch repeated counter-attacks against the Canadian beachhead. The attacks include major thrusts by the 12th SS Panzer Division Hitlerjugend. The 1st Hussars and the Fort Garry Horse, now each reduced to two squadrons due to D-Day losses, support the infantry in these defensive actions. On June 7th, 1944, the 1st Hussars’ reserve C Squadron links with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders of the 9th Brigade. They confront a heavy German counter-attack at Authie and Buron, north of Caen. The Sherbrooke Fusilier Regiment, equipped with wading Shermans and landed later on D-Day, also enters action on June 7th, 1944, and suffers severe losses during a violent tank battle around Authie. On June 9th, 1944, near Putot-en-Bessin, tanks of the 1st Hussars support the Canadian Scottish Regiment. They retake ground lost to an enemy incursion. They also destroy several German Panther tanks of the 12th SS Panzer Regiment. Both Canadian DD regiments face constant pressure, repelling counter-attacks and helping stabilise the front.
A major setback strikes the 1st Hussars on June 11th, 1944. During the afternoon B Squadron supports an attack by the Queen’s Own Rifles towards Le Mesnil-Patry. The aim is to break through German lines west of Caen. The Germans intercept Canadian radio signals and prepare an ambush. As the Shermans and Queen’s Own Rifles infantry advance across open fields they move into a trap. German tanks, anti-tank guns, and Panzergrenadiers open fire from hidden positions. Infantry armed with Panzerfausts hit the flanks. In only minutes the 1st Hussars lose fifty-one tanks, almost the entire squadron. Sixty-one crewmen are killed or missing, with others wounded or taken prisoner. The Queen’s Own Rifles suffer over eighty casualties in what they call Black Sunday. The 1st Hussars record this as their Black Day. The losses represent roughly one-third of all the regiment’s wartime fatalities. The shattered regiment withdraws from the line to receive replacements and new tanks.
In July the rebuilt armoured regiments return to action in the battle for Caen. The Fort Garry Horse, supporting the 8th Brigade, fights heavily during the opening days of the month. On July 4th, 1944, and July 5th, 1944, during the Battle of Carpiquet, Fort Garry Horse tanks support an assault on the Carpiquet airfield west of Caen. They fight entrenched troops of the 12th SS Panzer Division and Luftwaffe ground units. The Canadians secure Carpiquet village and the airfield by July 10th, 1944, but suffer heavy casualties. Fort Garry tanks then repel counter-attacks and hold a fragile bridgehead south of the airfield near the Éterville ridge.
The 1st Hussars, now reconstituted, join Operation Charnwood, the attack to seize northern Caen. On July 8th, 1944, the regiment supports the Canadian Scottish and the Regina Rifles in attacks on Cussy and the Abbaye d’Ardenne. The Hussars again face elements of the 12th SS Panzer Division, including Panther tanks and anti-tank guns. By midnight the Abbaye d’Ardenne is in Canadian hands. The site carries grim significance, as twenty Canadian prisoners had been executed there by SS troops in June. By July 9th, 1944, Allied forces hold Caen north of the Orne. During Operation Atlantic between July 18th, 1944 and July 20th, 1944, the Canadian armoured units push southwards. The 1st Hussars capture the Colombelles steelworks and suburbs east of the river, securing a bridgehead across the Orne. The Canadian Duplex Drive regiments now fight in close-quarter urban battles, often engaging German armour at short range among the ruins.
At the end of July the Canadians attack Verrières Ridge during Operation Spring. The ridge dominates the approach to southern Caen. The 1st Hussars and the Fort Garry Horse both fight in this costly action. On July 25th, 1944, the 1st Hussars’ C Squadron supports the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry in the attack on Verrières village. B Squadron supports other Canadian units nearby. The German defence by elements of the 1st SS Panzer Division and others proves fierce. C Squadron loses fourteen of its nineteen tanks in a few hours. The squadron also suffers twenty-seven crew casualties. The Canadians face severe losses across the front. The Black Watch regiment loses over three hundred men in a failed assault. Verrières village falls, but the ridge itself holds. The Fort Garry Horse fights on the western flank, supporting the 7th Infantry Brigade against German counter-attacks. By the end of July both regiments have endured a month of continuous combat marked by bravery, exhaustion, and heavy sacrifice.
In August the Allied armies close the Falaise Gap and destroy the German forces in Normandy. The 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade, now reinforced, joins these final operations. During Operation Totalize from August 7th, 1944, to August 10th, 1944, the Fort Garry Horse supports the Canadian Corps in a bold night attack towards Falaise. The regiment advances in the dark with armoured personnel carriers. They strike deep behind German lines. They face strong resistance and take heavy losses but continue forward. They cross the Laison River and secure a vital bridgehead for the follow-up troops. During Operation Tractable from August 14th, 1944, to August 16th, 1944, Canadian tanks and infantry capture Falaise and begin to seal the pocket. The 1st Hussars and the Fort Garry Horse join mopping-up operations against scattered German forces attempting to escape. On August 16th, 1944, troops of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers and Canadian infantry close one of the last escape routes near Trun and Chambois. Other brigade tanks, possibly including elements of the Hussars or the Fort Garry Horse, secure the flanks. By August 21st, 1944, the Falaise Gap is shut. The German Seventh Army is broken. Normandy is secured, though at a high cost.
| Northwest Europe |
After the victory in Normandy, the Canadian Army, now part of First Canadian Army under General Crerar, advances north-east through France into Belgium and the Netherlands. The 1st Hussars and the Fort Garry Horse continue to fight with distinction for the rest of the war. They take part in the liberation of occupied ports, the clearing of the Scheldt estuary, the advance into Germany, and the final liberation of the Netherlands. They no longer use their Duplex Drive flotation screens. Few chances exist for tanks to swim after D-Day. Their training ethos, however, continues to shape their actions. They show flexibility, initiative, and bold manoeuvre throughout the late-war campaigns.
In September 1944 the Canadians receive orders to capture the Channel ports to improve Allied supply routes. The Fort Garry Horse and the 1st Hussars join these assaults. In mid-September the Fort Garry Horse, now under 1st British Corps, supports infantry in Operation Wellhit. This operation targets Boulogne, a heavily fortified port. A and B Squadrons of the Fort Garry Horse attack from 17 to 22 September. They fight through strong coastal batteries and concrete bunkers. The German garrison, more than nine thousand strong, surrenders on 22 September. At the same time C Squadron joins Operation Undergo, the assault on Calais. Calais falls by the end of the month after heavy fighting in and around fortified positions. The 1st Hussars push east at this time with British brigades towards the Netherlands frontier. By early October the regiment reaches positions near the Scheldt. The Sherbrooke Fusiliers capture Le Havre with British forces in early September and then rejoin the Canadian advance north.
| Battle of the Scheldt |
In October and November 1944 First Canadian Army fights the Battle of the Scheldt. The aim is to clear the estuary and open Antwerp’s port. The fighting takes place across flooded polders and narrow causeways. The Fort Garry Horse joins the assault towards Walcheren Island. In late October the regiment helps drive German forces from the mainland north of Antwerp. The regiment reaches South Beveland and supports operations near the causeway to Walcheren. On 24 October Fort Garry Horse tanks assist the Calgary Highlanders in a failed attempt to assault the island. The island’s guns dominate the Scheldt, and the attack falters. British forces later take Walcheren by amphibious landings. The 1st Hussars meanwhile join the 4th Canadian Armoured Division in the southern Scheldt operations. They advance through northern France by way of Rouen and Bruges into Belgium. They then swing west into the Netherlands. In early October squadrons of the 1st Hussars support the clearance of the Breskens Pocket south of the Scheldt. Canadian forces outflank German defences by using Buffalo amphibious carriers across the Braakman Inlet. One Canadian armoured regiment, possibly the 1st Hussars or the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, takes part in an amphibious move across the Savojaards Plaat sandbar. By early November the estuary is secure, and Antwerp becomes fully usable. Canadian armour provides vital firepower in terrain where tanks often bog down in deep mud.
After the Scheldt fighting the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade moves to the Nijmegen salient in the Netherlands. It holds positions there through the winter of 1944–45. In November the Fort Garry Horse relieves its affiliated British regiment, the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, on the front line near Nijmegen. This gives the British unit a period of rest. For nearly three months the Fort Garry Horse and the 1st Hussars avoid major offensive operations. They refit with new tanks and replace lost personnel. They hold defensive lines along the Maas and patrol the Nijmegen area. This quiet period allows the regiments to recover from the losses suffered in the autumn. They receive new Sherman tanks, including some of the improved Sherman IIA models, and they train for future river crossings.
| Operation Veritable |
In February 1945 First Canadian Army begins Operation Veritable, the Rhineland offensive. The Fort Garry Horse and the 1st Hussars advance through the muddy forests and fields of the Dutch–German border. On 8 February the Fort Garry Horse supports the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade in the advance towards the Goch–Calcar road. On 17 February the regiment becomes the first Canadian armoured unit to enter Germany. Its squadrons cross the border during fierce fighting near Uedem and Calcar. The 1st Hussars also join this phase. They support the 4th Canadian Armoured Division in its drive against the Hochwald line. During Operation Blockbuster in late February the Hussars and the Sherbrooke Fusiliers attack the defences of the Hochwald. They face determined resistance from German paratroopers and tanks. The ground is narrow, thick with mud, and ideal for ambushes with Panzerfausts. Losses continue to rise, but by early March the Rhineland is cleared. The enemy west of the Rhine is defeated, and preparations begin for the Rhine crossing.
| Operation Plunder |
In late March the Canadians join Operation Plunder, the assault across the Rhine. The main crossing, Operation Varsity, is led by British and American airborne and armoured units. The First Canadian Army crosses slightly downstream. On 29 March the Fort Garry Horse crosses the Rhine near Rees behind British units that hold the bridgehead. The 1st Hussars likely cross soon after once the pontoon bridges are secure. After crossing the river both regiments advance rapidly into Germany and north-east into the Netherlands. In the first week of April the Fort Garry Horse captures Gendringen, Doetinchem, and Holten within days. German resistance collapses in many areas. On 13 April an unusual event takes place near Groningen. Members of the Fort Garry Horse headquarters, including cooks, clerks, and mechanics, fight as improvised infantry. They capture thirty-four German prisoners and two anti-tank guns. The episode becomes known as the feat of the Fort Garry Infantry. The 1st Hussars support infantry brigades liberating Dutch cities. They likely assist the advance on Arnhem and the liberation of Apeldoorn with 1st Canadian Corps in late April. Both regiments enter Germany again before the war ends. The Fort Garry Horse helps seize Oldenburg in early May. On 3 May Fort Garry tanks secure the city and accept the surrender of German forces in the district. The 1st Hussars also reach German soil and advance towards Emden. Hostilities end on 5 May 1945 with the surrender of German forces in the Netherlands and north-west Germany.
| Aftermath |
By the end of the war both Canadian Duplex Drive regiments have fought from the beaches of Normandy to the German frontier in eleven months of sustained combat. Their battle honours reflect this achievement. The 1st Hussars earn distinctions for Normandy, Caen, the Falaise Gap, the Scheldt, the Rhineland, Arnhem, and Oldenburg. Their wartime casualties exceed one hundred killed and two hundred wounded. The Fort Garry Horse also earns a distinguished record. They fight at Juno Beach, Boulogne, Calais, the Scheldt, the Rhineland, and across the Netherlands to the final surrender. The regiment records at least one hundred and one killed and two hundred and eighty-four wounded. Both regiments are disbanded in late 1945. Their legacy endures in Canadian military history as two of the most battle-tested armoured units of the war.