TNA ADM 199 792

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time was the question and fear of how long the defence line could hold
and the weather remain fair
30/5
The Grux of the matter was boats, boats' crews and towage to and fro,
x
and at 0630 I signalled the urgent need of these, Intor, about 0730, most
of the ships had loaded up and were leaving and I asked for more ships and
again stressed the need of boats.
About this time I moved down to Dunlcirk to get in comunication with
Tennant and went in alongside the pier in response to a signal.
The outer harbour at Dunkirk (see plan) 10 formed by two breakwaters
approximately at right angles, leaving a narrow entrance between, The
Western arm is built solidly of stone, but the Eastern arm, or East Pier
r
08 it will be called, is only solid for a short part at the inchore end,
The rest of it is built of concrete piles through which the tido flows and
on which is supported a narrow pathway wide enough for four mon walking
abreast, Alongside the East pier is the channel to the Innor harbour and
docks. A short length of piling runs out parallel to the East pior and
encloses the entrance to this channel which is about 150 yords wide.
A now series of docks under construction has an entrance opening off
the outer harbour, and jutting out in the harbour by this entrance is the
West quay.
The Nest quay was used entirely by the French and luckily for 11:3 they
did not consider the East pier suitable for omberkation. It: was from the
East pier that all the British embarked and on the last two days a large
number of French troops also.
The tide had a big riso and fall and at high tide you could step
straight on to a destroyer's dook, but at low tide 10 was a filteen foot
drop. A. lot of ladders were sent over and secured to the sides of the
pier, but 1t took time to get soldiers with their rifles and packs down
these laddors. on Thursday morning when I first went in
trawler (0) sunk alongside the pier and another ship (A) sunk outside
the end. The trawler and drifter shown sank later, SB also the blook ships.
There were four berths alongside the Bast pior which could be used.
The innor one (F) could only be used by small ships at low title, but et