D-Day The Royal Winnipeg Rifles landed at 7:49 at 'Mike Red' and 'Mike Green' beaches on the western edge of Courseulles. The Winnipeg Rifle's history titled The Little Black Devils describes the objective: "In the dunes were coastal fortifications, lines of concrete and steel pillboxes, big-gun emplacements, elaborate trench systems, underground chambers, hidden machine gun posts and gun batteries in the earth. Houses near the beach were fortified; guns on slopes beyond the beaches were sighted in on every approach to the beach and dunes, and stretching inland were numerous other positions and defence lines, hinged on fortified towns, villages and cities. Elaborate minefields had been laid and exits from the beaches covered by artillery, mortar and machine-gun fire." 'B' Company landed at the western edge of Courseulles where the bombardment had missed its targets. The Winnipegs' landing craft arrived well ahead of their Duplex Drive Floating Tanks and AVRE's (Armoured Vehicles, Royal Engineers) and came under heavy fire from one of the strong points even while they were still far offshore. The Royal Winnipeg Rifle War Diary grimly remarked: "The bombardment having failed to kill a single German or silence one weapon these companies had to storm their positions 'cold' and did so without hesitation". But the Winnipegs did not hesitate. Holding their weapons aloft, the men waded into the sea. Many soldiers died the instant they waded into the chest-high water. The survivors raced across the sand and attacked the machine gun and mortar positions. When the DD tanks arrived, the main gun emplacements were knocked out with close range tank fire. 'B' Company took the beach defences, cleared the small harbour and drove a gap through the minefield. They advanced over a bridge onto the island in the River Seulles where they cleared the enemy. The machine gun and mortar positions gave up only when surrounded by infantry. Captain Phil Gower who was awarded the Military Cross set a powerful example of leadership and courage as he directed the clearing of the successive positions. The Winnipegs 'B' Company, and the Royal Canadian Engineers 6th Field Company assault team working with them, had one of the highest beach casualties of the day. The company had lost almost three-quarters of its men. Their courageous company commander, Captain Gower, was left with only twenty-six men. A pillbox on the west side of the Seulles River contained a 75 mm field gun and a very large anti-tank gun. A story of unimaginable courage took place near this pillbox. It concerned Corporal W.J. 'Bull' Klos. "Rushing the enemy, 'B' Company encountered heavy enemy fire. Corporal Klos, badly shot in the stomach and legs while leaving the assault boat, made his way forward to an enemy position. Men fell all around him as Corporal Klos thrashed through the deep water. Klos was a big, powerful man. Thus the nickname “Bull”. The corporal’s rage was greater than his pain. He staggered to the beach and shot an enemy gunner. Despite being wounded, he engaged in hand-to-hand combat with three German soldiers he came across in a pill box. He knifed two of them and was strangling the third with his bare bands when he was killed. His hands still gripped about the throat of his victim produced a chilling sight!"
