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.

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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
181	Log in to enlarge	Hms.wakeful. Dynamo 6. A22/ BS 223 SECRET Royal Naval Barrasks, 230 Chathem. 48 30th May 1940. 5 WAKEFUL r, H.M.S. "Wakeful" while under my command at 0045 on 29th May 1940 I much regret to inform you of the loss, by enemy action, 1 have the honour to report my proceedings 9.8 follows. 2. At 1430 on Monday, 28th April, while at Plymouth at short a the ship sailed half an hour later. tice, orders were received to proceed to Dover with all dispatch 3. On passage all Confidential Books and all except a few sential Signal Publications were put in sealed bags. 4. Dover was reached at 0100 on Tuesday, 28th May and the ip proceeded alongside the oiler but, before she had secured, 28/5 ders were received to proceed to the beach east of Dunkirk with most dispatch to embark troops. 5. Six bags of Confidential Books and Signal Publications : mediately. re handed to the Master of "War Sepoy" and H.M.S. "Wakeful" sailed 6. The Southern route was taken and as the ship passed Dunkirk rbour a signal from Senior Naval Officer, Dunkirk was read ordering r to proceed alongside the East Pier. Six hundred and thirty-nine oops were embarked in about 25 minutes. These were landed at Dover 0930 on Tuesday, 28th May. 7. H.M.S. "Wakeful" sailed for Dunkirk again unaccompanied at 30 with orders to proceed by the Northern route and embark troops om the beach at Le Braye. 8. At about 1300, near the Kwinte Whistle Buoy, a level bombing tack by nine four-engined German aircraft developed. They attacked ne times in groups of three. The ten rounds per gun of barrage minition carried was quickly expended and I regret to report that no mage was inflicted on the enemy, but the bombs were avoided by waiting r their release and then putting the wheel hard over. Out of about d made a hole in the engine room above the water line, wounding one rty or fifty bombs one fell about thirty yards from the ship's side n b= seriously and two slightly. The coolness and efficiency of identified the aircraft in the first place and informed me of each Lieutenant Percival-Jones during this attack were highly commendable re mb release. 0 Tuesday, 28th May and, during the next eight hours, embarked about 9. H.M.S. "Wakeful" anchored off the Braye Sanatorium at 1500 28/5 troops by ship's boats. Sub-Lieutenant Percival-Jones volunteered go in the boats and did splendid work on the beach marshalling troops, hi one time at the point of the revolver. or 10. All mess-tables and stools and other available timber was cod on the upper deck for life-saving purposes and the troops were qu wed as low in the ship as possible to preserve sufficient stability 8 rapid manoeuvring in case of air attack. Engine-room, boiler rooms 0 store rooms were all utilised. si ed for Dover by Zuydcoote Pass and North Channel. The night was 11. At 2300 on Tuesday, 28th May H.M.S. "Wakeful" weighed and	Dover Few Jones Le May Percival-Jones Read Senior

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 181.

Hms.wakeful.
Dynamo 6.
A22/
BS
223
SECRET
Royal Naval Barrasks,
230
Chathem.
48
30th May 1940.
5
WAKEFUL
r,
H.M.S. "Wakeful" while under my command at 0045 on 29th May 1940
I much regret to inform you of the loss, by enemy action,
1 have the honour to report my proceedings 9.8 follows.
2. At 1430 on Monday, 28th April, while at Plymouth at short
a the ship sailed half an hour later.
tice, orders were received to proceed to Dover with all dispatch
3. On passage all Confidential Books and all except a few
sential Signal Publications were put in sealed bags.
4. Dover was reached at 0100 on Tuesday, 28th May and the
ip proceeded alongside the oiler but, before she had secured,
28/5
ders were received to proceed to the beach east of Dunkirk with
most dispatch to embark troops.
5. Six bags of Confidential Books and Signal Publications
:
mediately. re handed to the Master of "War Sepoy" and H.M.S. "Wakeful" sailed
6. The Southern route was taken and as the ship passed Dunkirk
rbour a signal from Senior Naval Officer, Dunkirk was read ordering
r to proceed alongside the East Pier. Six hundred and thirty-nine
oops were embarked in about 25 minutes. These were landed at Dover
0930 on Tuesday, 28th May.
7. H.M.S. "Wakeful" sailed for Dunkirk again unaccompanied at
30 with orders to proceed by the Northern route and embark troops
om the beach at Le Braye.
8. At about 1300, near the Kwinte Whistle Buoy, a level bombing
tack by nine four-engined German aircraft developed. They attacked
ne times in groups of three. The ten rounds per gun of barrage
minition carried was quickly expended and I regret to report that no
mage was inflicted on the enemy, but the bombs were avoided by waiting
r their release and then putting the wheel hard over. Out of about
d made a hole in the engine room above the water line, wounding one
rty or fifty bombs one fell about thirty yards from the ship's side
n b= seriously and two slightly. The coolness and efficiency of
identified the aircraft in the first place and informed me of each
Lieutenant Percival-Jones during this attack were highly commendable
re
mb release.
0 Tuesday, 28th May and, during the next eight hours, embarked about
9. H.M.S. "Wakeful" anchored off the Braye Sanatorium at 1500 28/5
troops by ship's boats. Sub-Lieutenant Percival-Jones volunteered
go in the boats and did splendid work on the beach marshalling troops,
hi
one time at the point of the revolver.
or
10. All mess-tables and stools and other available timber was
cod on the upper deck for life-saving purposes and the troops were
qu
wed as low in the ship as possible to preserve sufficient stability
8
rapid manoeuvring in case of air attack. Engine-room, boiler rooms
0
store rooms were all utilised.
si
ed for Dover by Zuydcoote Pass and North Channel. The night was
11. At 2300 on Tuesday, 28th May H.M.S. "Wakeful" weighed and