Admiralty records concerning Operation Dynamo and the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, dating from 1940.
Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199/790. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
1 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.
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| 370 |
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CONFIDENTIAL |
Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 370.
CONFIDENTIAL 320c. (For use with S. 1320b). NAVAL MESSAGE. (Revised Dyrams. & S. 356 October, 1935.) te ECRE $5 100 55 1 An Dynam 355 349 Ahel Tasman. 60 65 TTER OF PROCEEDINGS - EVACUATION. a 70 353 during daylight. About half-way across a French trawler with an open boat in tow was hailed. He reported having picked the boat up with soldiers off Dunkirk and it was thought this might be the boat for 14 ich we were searching. To make sure we proceeded to Dunkirk where - two open boats and & Thames barge with sail set were found approximately three miles from the coast. The first open boat yielded five Spanieards, the second one about 6 soldiers, Belgian, French and English. No then went alongside the Thanes barge at approximately 1330. This was found to contain about 220 soldiers including two Colonels and a Major of Artillery, and various wounded. They were endeavouring to sail to England but had made approximately three miles in 10 hours, ⑉ note below. Motor-mechanic Whittaker fitted a new platon to the air compressor motor while the let.Lieut. and myself trimed the sails. They had no charge on board. The air compressor motor was made to run but all efforts to start the diesel failed. I then left my 1st,Lieut., SublLient. Delhamel with instructions to sail the barge to Dover, and proceeded along the coast having opened up the distance to search for the "Girl Gladys". About two miles to the east I found an open boat containing 18 soldiers who were embarked, after which we approached to withing approximately three miles of the coast alightly to the eastward of La Panne. Visibility was good and no sign of the drifter could be seen, the search was therefore abandoned and course was set to intercept the Thanes barge. by eight six or eight dive-bombers, 20 to 30 bomba were dropped At approximately 1720 when out of sight of land we were attached The bombers at appeared to attack in pairs out of the sun and and fell distances varying from 10 to 50 yards of the ship. having released their bombs continued their dive firing machine- to guns. Course was altered frequently in an endeavour miss the bombs. Some appeared to explode after entering the water, at on striking exploded under the box right discomfort a ome the surface and a certain,appeared ahead and not the to ship explode passed all. One the splash* A certain amount who of were exposed was the experienced by the x eyes for the next twelve manning the through myself and members of the crew hours or 80. to splash in wounded in the leg when part Able-Seaman Power of was the soldiers in the fore to peak. return As to Dover I now had wounded on board ask for assistance for the the barge. barge sailing well was turrets also one I considered it advisable A tug sent forthwith out and to 8100 and I consider found Sub.Lieut, Delfammel about performed 10 a very creditable subjected had operation. caused leaks The for to bombing the that bull night's to which and the the petrol ship tank had and been the ship was not used again operation.