TNA ADM 199 792

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CONFIDENTIAL
113
Report OR Operation "DYNAMO".
Page 2. 111
as to any termination of the operation which threatened to
drag on painfully, and finally to lose momentum and expire
through the exhaustion of Naval personnel and the liquidation
of shipping.
It will be seen, therefore, that the initial problem
called for a maximum effort over a limited period regardless
of the future, and accordingly all resources in the way of
small boats were thrown on the beaches, before adequate
provision had been made for their maintenance off the coast
in such matters as relief of the personnel and the provision
of large beach parties.
It was only due to the foresight of the Admiralty
in making arrangements for a continued flow in ever increasing
numbers of small power boats and beach craft, which became
available on the fifth day onwards, that the continued
evacuation from the beaches remained a reasonable proposition
after the initial crisis had passed.
4. A perusal of the signals that passed between Dover
and the French coast reveals the many occasions on which the
responsible officers stationed on the coast considered so
little had been achieved from the beaches that they advocated
restriction of evacuation to Dunkirk Harbour. Many compaints
of "no boats", "no ships", might lead a detached observer to
the conclusion that the great effort that was being made was
proving abortive.
At Dover, where the whole operation could be viewed
in truer perspective, the number and origin of the troops being
landed in England being always to hand, it was clear that the
evacuation from the beaches required by the military situation,
was, in fact, achieving a considerable success, as the
following figures will show. Of the 226,000 troops landed in
the United Kingdom, between May 28th and June 1st inclusive -
the period during which both Dunkirk and the beaches eastward
were available day and night except for enemy interference -
49,000 were landed by personnel vessels and hospital carriers
direct from Dunkirk Harbour, 95,000 were lifted from the
beaches, leaving 82,000 as having been lifted from Dunkirk
Harbour by vessels other than troop transports.
5. WEATHER CONDITIONS.
The operation was favoured by extremely good weather.
It was found, however, that any northerly wind caused a surf,
which greatly reduced the rate of lifting from the beaches.
It must be fully realised that a wind of any strength in the
northern sector between South West and North East would have
made beach evacuation impossible. At no time did this happen.
6. DISPOSAL OF TROOPS AFTER REACHING ENGLAND.
On arrival in England the despatch of troops from the
points of disembarkation proceeded with great smoothness under
the War Office movement control organisation.
7./