TNA ADM 199 792

Collection details

TNA ADM 199 792

Admiralty records concerning Operation Dynamo and the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, covering 1940–1941.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: ADM 199 792

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199/792. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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

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1 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 130–130 of this collection

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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
130	Log in to enlarge	187 SECRET. Page 3. 189 apparently unopposed by any British Aircraft. On the third occasion an intense air battle could be heard in progress above the clouds and no effective bombing took place. I would also like to state that from my observation the enemy aircraft even when opposedcwere always more numerous than our own and in the subsequent air battles our fighters although outnumbered fought most courageously and effectively but generally lost more planes than the enemy. From our point of view the B.B.C. Bulletins describing the air actions off Dunkirk entirely misrepresent the true situation. 11. The courage and behaviour of my officers and men was a great inspiration to me during the four hours while the ship drifted without help under the threat of destruction. Their cheerfulness and efficiency under these trying conditions was extraordinary. That so few were lost was almost miraculous but may be put down to some extent to the trained courage of the ship's company who fought their guns where possible and took cover when they could not otherwise be of use. It is most difficult where all conducted themselves valiantly to choose those specially conspicuous for their behaviour, but these I append a list of those specially worthy of mention. 12. The following Appendices are attached:- Appendix I:- Verbatim statement by various officers and ratings Appendix II:- List of known survivors and known killed. Appendix III- List of officers and men specially mentioned. Appendix IV:- Copy of preliminary report sent to the Flag Officer Commanding Dover. I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, Whachmond The Commander in Chief, Commander, Western Approaches, Royal Navy. Copies to:- The Flag Officer Commanding, Dover. Captain (D), 19th Destroyer Flotilla. Captain (D), Plymouth. COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF 3-JUN1940 * * WESTERN APPROACHIES	Progress Dover Few May Page

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 130.

187
SECRET.
Page 3.
189
apparently unopposed by any British Aircraft. On the third
occasion an intense air battle could be heard in progress
above the clouds and no effective bombing took place. I would
also like to state that from my observation the enemy aircraft
even when opposedcwere always more numerous than our own and in
the subsequent air battles our fighters although outnumbered
fought most courageously and effectively but generally lost
more planes than the enemy. From our point of view the B.B.C.
Bulletins describing the air actions off Dunkirk entirely
misrepresent the true situation.
11.
The courage and behaviour of my officers and
men was a great inspiration to me during the four hours while
the ship drifted without help under the threat of destruction.
Their cheerfulness and efficiency under these trying conditions
was extraordinary. That so few were lost was almost miraculous
but may be put down to some extent to the trained courage of the
ship's company who fought their guns where possible and took
cover when they could not otherwise be of use. It is most
difficult where all conducted themselves valiantly to choose
those specially conspicuous for their behaviour, but these I
append a list of those specially worthy of mention.
12.
The following Appendices are attached:-
Appendix I :-
Verbatim statement by various officers and ratings
Appendix II:-
List of known survivors and known killed.
Appendix III-
List of officers and men specially mentioned.
Appendix IV:-
Copy of preliminary report sent to the Flag
Officer Commanding Dover.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
your obedient servant,
Whachmond
The Commander in Chief,
Commander,
Western Approaches,
Royal Navy.
Copies to:- The Flag Officer Commanding, Dover.
Captain (D), 19th Destroyer Flotilla.
Captain (D), Plymouth.
COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF
3-JUN1940
*
*
WESTERN APPROACHIES