TNA ADM 199 792

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122
CONFIDENTIAL,
120
OPERATION "DYNAMO".
26/5-
NARRATIVE OF EVENTS.
Sunday, 26th May, 1940.
Admiralty ordered Operation DYNAMO to commence at
1857. Prior to the receipt of this order, the despatch of
Personnel Vessels to Dunkirk had already commenced at 1500.
At this time a flow of 2 vessels every 4 hours had been agreed
to by the B.E.F., the first of these reached Dover on the
return trip at 2230 and 1312 personnel were landed.
2. On this day the only Inshore Craft available to
Vice Admiral, Dover, were 4 Belgian Passenger Launches and the
Naval Small Craft of the Dover Command such as drifters, and
Motor Boats from the Contraband Control Base at Ramsgate. The
only ones capable of lifting personnel direct from a beach
ty had been asked
ers and cutters,
for the
12-1
t, the
119
king them
vailable
CONFIDENTIAL.
Page ii.
Operation "DYNAMO" - Narrative of Events.
els,
at the Admiralty.
Meantime, on the 23rd May, evacuation of Boulogne was
a
started and completed on the 24th. The position was more
complicated at Calais where evacuation was limited to non-
fighting personnel; the fighting personnel having to hold on
in order to assist the main B.E.F. Further, a supply ship
ip.
with stores and transport had to be unloaded at Calais for
OF
this Force.
1e
a
It was then apparent from all these events that if the
B.E.F. was to be evacuated the only port available would be
B
Dunkirk.
had
e
10
P.M. Sunday, the 26th: The military situation was
thought to have deteriorated so rapidly that the Vice Admiral
was informed by the Admiralty that it was imperative for
p a
DYNAMO to be implemented with the greatest vigour, with a
ence
view to lifting up to 45,000 of the B.E.F. within two days, at
172
the end of which it was probable that evacuation would be
terminated by enemy action.
ety
left
ers
e to
Ar
n