TNA ADM 199 792

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returned to the beaches, sending in any surplus ships to load at Dunkirk
and from then on I had continually to try to hold the balance between
keeping sufficient ships off the beaches and keeping Dunkirk supplied.
I also reported that until more boats were available for ferrying it was
X
essential to concentrate on evacuating from Dunkirk itself.
tay
It may be as well here to explain why Dunkirk Was being so little used
2
at this time while so much effort was being expended on the beaches. On
28th
Tuesday, 25th May, a heavy bombing attack was made on Dunkirk when the herbour
was full of ships. "GRENADE" was sunk and "KING 29/1700 ORRY" and several other ships p344
Case 5450
alongsido the piers were hit. As a result of this a junior member of the Navel P350
Co.,Dove
Party ashore, whose judgement had been affected by the events of the day, dashed
(Eu Canne
off in'a car to La Panne where he 38W Lord Gort and telephoned to the Admiralty
to say that further embankation from Dunkirk itself WOB impossible. In con-
sequence Dover was sending all ships over to the beaches and none into Dunicirk
and it took us two days to overcome the results of this indiscretion, which had
a considerable temporary effect on the plans.
As a result of a report from a destroyer that Dunkirk WAS usable Vice
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Admiral, Dover, asked me is ships should be sent there, and at 0850 I signalled
from "HCEE" that destroyers could come into Dunkink in succession and that
troops were waiting close to the pier,
Off the beaches loading was proceeding slowly. Conditions were not bad,
though there W&S D. slight swell running in sufficient to make boats liable to
broach to. At In Panne lorries were being driven into the sea to form a sort
of breakwater, and this was also done at Brayo.
About mid-day there was an air attack on ships and on La Panne, and
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later when it cleared a bit overhead there was an attack on Dunkirk. Soverol
Prench destroyers came in by 'y' channel, and were fired on from the north of
X
La Panne, and there were some guns which tried to shell the beach botween
Braye and La Panne but the steep dunets protected it,
On my return to Le Panne I met Commodore Stevenson who had transforrol
to a motor launch and was doing excellent work. Ho had landod and WOO
to the waist. Ashore he had seen Lord Gorth who was anxious to DOC TO, AD