Editing Juno Beach (section)

===Early bombardment===
[[File:The cruiser HMS Belfast bombarding German positions in Normandy.jpg|thumb|The cruiser {{HMS|Belfast|C35|6}} bombarding Juno on D-Day]]

Air attacks on Normandy's coastal defences began in earnest on 5 June at 23:30, with [[RAF Bomber Command]] units targeting the primary coastal defences. The attack continued until 05:15, with {{convert|5268|LT|t|abbr=on}} of bombs dropped by 1,136 sorties; this marked the largest attack by Bomber Command in terms of tonnage up to that point in the war. Initial attacks on the Atlantic Wall proved ineffective, with poor weather and visibility making it difficult to accurately hit the bunkers and turrets.{{sfn|Stacey|1966|p=93}}{{efn|For example, the battery at Merville was not hit, the bombing of the Longues battery was accurate yet ineffective and the [[Houlgate battery]] was damaged but not destroyed.{{sfn|Stacey|1966|p=93}}}} The bombing left the defences on [[Omaha beach|Omaha]], Gold and Juno virtually intact, yet did not damage Allied landing craft in the Channel (as many planners had feared it would).{{sfn|Stacey|1966|p=94}} The [[Royal Canadian Air Force]] (RCAF) sent 230 bombers to bomb targets on Juno during this raid, yet damage was limited.{{sfn|Vat|2003|p=117}}

As the Americans began their own bombing runs against Omaha and [[Utah beach|Utah]] to the west, the Anglo-Canadian naval forces began their [[counter-battery fire]], seeking to knock out German shore batteries and bunkers. The British had attached the cruisers {{HMS|Belfast|C35|6}} and {{HMS|Diadem|84|2}} to Force J to serve as heavy support. ''Belfast'' commenced bombardment of the Atlantic Wall at 05:30 and ''Diadem'' at 05:52 on 6 June. The naval gunfire proved more effective than the aerial bombardment; [[Longues-sur-Mer battery|the battery at Longues]] was the only one to return fire, and was quickly destroyed by the light cruiser {{HMS|Ajax|22|6}}. Indeed, most of the gun batteries at Juno were incomplete on D-Day, and did not possess sufficient protection or communication measures to accurately return fire on Force J.{{sfn|Stacey|1966|pp=94–95}} The Bény-sur-Mer battery was neutralized by ''Diadem'' shortly after she opened fire.{{sfn|Saunders|2004|p=56}}

At 06:10, the 11 [[List of ships in Juno Bombardment Group|destroyers of Force J]] moved shoreward to begin bombardment, hoping to damage light gun emplacements and prevent the German 716th from mobilizing and moving across the beach.{{sfn|Stacey|1966|p=97}} They were supplemented by additional raids by medium bombers and fighter-bombers of the [[RAF]] and [[USAAF]], which dropped an additional 2,796 tons of ordnance on the five landing zones.{{sfn|Zuehlke|2004|p=155}} While the medium bombers proved inaccurate, the [[Hawker Typhoon]] fighter-bombers proved more effective at attacking coastal defences. As the bombing runs continued to hit Juno, the destroyers and landing craft moved towards the beach and began close-range saturation bombardment.{{ sfn|Saunders|2004|pp=57, 56}}  In addition to the destroyers of Force J—two Canadian, eight British, one French—bombardment was also provided by converted LCTs fitted with {{convert|4.7|in|mm|abbr=on}} guns. Smaller, light-gunned landing craft were able to get closer to the beach and use their 6-pounder guns against German defensive positions. Additional firepower was provided by eight landing craft fitted with over 1,000 high-explosive rockets and 24 LCTs, each carrying four [[M7 Priest]] self-propelled guns. These field regiments, while still seaborne, were to fire heavy concentrations of high explosive and smoke shells against the four main "resistance nests" in "Mike" and "Nan" sectors, beginning half an hour before H Hour. Forward observation and fire control officers in the leading assault waves were to make the necessary adjustments to this neutralizing fire during the assault.{{sfn|Stacey|1966|pp=97–98, 80}}

The bombardment was scheduled to cease immediately before the assault companies deployed on Juno, but due to heavy seas, the landing was delayed by ten minutes, to 07:45 in Mike sector and 07:55 in Nan Sector. This was at a slightly higher tide, closer to the beach obstacles and mines.{{sfn|Zuehlke|2004|p=158}} The LCTs carrying the field artillery were forced to adjust course to avoid landing too early; the LCTs carrying [[DD tank]]s were forced to break off their advance.{{efn|The DD tanks were [[M4 Sherman]] medium tanks fitted with screens and a propeller, which allowed them to float and propel themselves through the water. On D-Day, they were scheduled to deploy seven thousand yards offshore, and land before the LCAs to provide infantry cover.{{sfn|Zuehlke|2004|pp=161–163}}}} The seas proved too rough to launch the DD tanks, so they were ordered to deploy from the LCTs several hundred yards out from the beach.{{sfn|Zuehlke|2004|p=170}}