TNA ADM 199 790

Collection details

TNA ADM 199 790

Admiralty records concerning Operation Dynamo and the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, dating from 1940.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: ADM 199 790

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199/790. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing only pages tagged with the vessel name Aronia. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

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List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 859–859 of this collection

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OCR is not a transcription. It is machine-generated text used to create research tags and help locate names and references within the source images; it should not be read as a verified narrative.

Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
859	Log in to enlarge	Dynam. INS. 375 H.M.Y. "ARONIA". 6th June, 1940. 352 Sir, I have the honour to submit the following. At 1910 30th May Got received orders to proceed to Ramsgate for routeing to Dunkirk. under weigh and cleared harbour at 1919. 2210 anchored off the Foreland due to darkness and poor visibility. 0400 31st May commenced to weigh, windlass broken down. 0500 windlass repaired, weighed and proceeded to Ramsgate. 0800 received route orders from N.C.S.O. and proceeded to Dunkirk. 1205 Off Dunkirk harbour, fine and clear weather strong N.E. wind and heavy swell. 1220, ordered alongside H.H.S. "KEITH" instructed by her to intercept arrivals of small Launches at S.W. Ruytingen Buoy and direct them to the various beaches. This work was carried out under frequent air raids until 1755 when no more launches arrived. I asked inward-bound ship if they had sighted any more launches; reply was negative, so at 1800 I decided to return to Dunkirk for further orders. 1820, severe air raid commenced, several bombs falling very close to ship. Observed two raiders shot down by A.A. fire from H.M. Ships. 1930, raiders driven off, I endeavoured to locate "KEITH", but could not so proceeded to Bray Beach and anchored close in shore in company with other small craft. The number of launches at this beach had become insufficient to embark troops with reasonable despatch, so I lowered the ship's small motor boat and lifeboat - sending her ashore in charge of Sub Lieut. J.G. Llewellyn R.N.R. When inshore heavy surf partially swamped boat and wreckage fouled propeller. Motor boat was towed back to ship by lifeboat; the crew working magnificently against a strong tide. Report was received from shore that a large detachment of British troops were on the beach Eastward of La Panke. 2200 weighed anchor and proceeded there in the gathering darkness - going dead slow. 2240 closed British escort vessel, who advised me to go further West as present position was extremely dangerous. I therefore turned and proceeded slowly back towards Dunkirk. The night was calm and very dark with slight haze. A few minutes after turning, aircraft were heard approaching from the Eastward. Ship was at once attacked by machine-gun fire, bullets falling in the water on either side but none striking the ship. On opening fire with the Lewis gun, the first raider passed off. These attacks occurred at short intervals for about an hour; in every case the enemy attacked from astern. One appeared to release a large object like a torpedo which struck the water astern and did not explode. Bombs of varying calibre were dropped all round the ship; one falling approximately 100 feet away, shaking the ship severely and which breaking electric lights. The Port side was struck by splinters bent a frame and loosened several rivets. During these attacks, our fire was witheld until burst. aircraft Our tracer bullets appeared to bounce off the underside the came within good range one of which was hit by a good of	Aronia Boat Few Lewis Llewellyn May West

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 859.

Dynam. INS.
375
H.M.Y. "ARONIA".
6th June, 1940.
352
Sir,
I have the honour to submit the following. At 1910
30th May Got received orders to proceed to Ramsgate for routeing to
Dunkirk. under weigh and cleared harbour at 1919. 2210
anchored off the Foreland due to darkness and poor visibility.
0400 31st May commenced to weigh, windlass broken down.
0500 windlass repaired, weighed and proceeded to Ramsgate. 0800
received route orders from N.C.S.O. and proceeded to Dunkirk.
1205 Off Dunkirk harbour, fine and clear weather strong
N.E. wind and heavy swell. 1220, ordered alongside H.H.S. "KEITH"
instructed by her to intercept arrivals of small Launches at S.W.
Ruytingen Buoy and direct them to the various beaches. This
work was carried out under frequent air raids until 1755 when
no more launches arrived.
I asked inward-bound ship if they had sighted any more
launches; reply was negative, so at 1800 I decided to return to
Dunkirk for further orders. 1820, severe air raid commenced,
several bombs falling very close to ship. Observed two raiders
shot down by A.A. fire from H.M. Ships.
1930, raiders driven off, I endeavoured to locate "KEITH",
but could not so proceeded to Bray Beach and anchored close in
shore in company with other small craft. The number of launches
at this beach had become insufficient to embark troops with
reasonable despatch, so I lowered the ship's small motor boat
and lifeboat - sending her ashore in charge of Sub Lieut. J.G.
Llewellyn R.N.R.
When inshore heavy surf partially swamped boat and
wreckage fouled propeller. Motor boat was towed back to ship by
lifeboat; the crew working magnificently against a strong tide.
Report was received from shore that a large detachment
of British troops were on the beach Eastward of La Panke. 2200
weighed anchor and proceeded there in the gathering darkness -
going dead slow. 2240 closed British escort vessel, who advised
me to go further West as present position was extremely dangerous.
I therefore turned and proceeded slowly back towards Dunkirk. The
night was calm and very dark with slight haze.
A few minutes after turning, aircraft were heard
approaching from the Eastward. Ship was at once attacked by
machine-gun fire, bullets falling in the water on either side but
none striking the ship. On opening fire with the Lewis gun, the
first raider passed off. These attacks occurred at short
intervals for about an hour; in every case the enemy attacked from
astern. One appeared to release a large object like a torpedo
which struck the water astern and did not explode. Bombs of
varying calibre were dropped all round the ship; one falling
approximately 100 feet away, shaking the ship severely and which breaking
electric lights. The Port side was struck by splinters
bent a frame and loosened several rivets.
During these attacks, our fire was witheld until burst. aircraft
Our tracer bullets appeared to bounce off the underside the
came within good range one of which was hit by a good of