TNA ADM 199 792

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DMS
OPERATION "DYNAMO".
bas
H.M.S. # GOSS AMER ",
5th June, 1940.
L
1
D
The Commander in Chief,
H.M.Ships and Vessels at the Nore.
ir,
I have the honour to submit the following despatch on the operations J
£ H.M.Ship # GOSSAMER # under my command during the evacuation of
unkirk, for the information of Their Lordships.
1
We made six trips in all, and transported, as accurately as can be
scertained, 3214 British and French troops to this country. A list E
18 recomendations for awards is appended. At the same time the entire
hips company did as much to deserve a medal as tose few I was able to
ingle out.
When this operation is compared with the glordous feat at Zecbrugge
in 1918, I am inclined to believe that it imposed greater strain on the
ficers and men. This was particularly 80 due to the constant
repetition in the belief that each one was the last. Again there were
the long hours off the beaches in momentary expectation of the arrival
x enemy aircraft(en expectation which was seldom disappointed ). Then
the six hour passage home with constant reports of the presence of enemy
L.T.B.'s on the route, and in the knowledge that we had six or sevenhu
undred souls on board and no boats whatever.
"GOSSAMER" sailed from Harwich at 1230 on 28th May, 1940, in
company with H.M.Ships "KELLETT", "ALBURY", "ROSS", "LYDD", "PAINGBOURNE",
sand "LEDA". H.M.S. "SALTASH" was left in the Tyne boiler cleaning.
flotilla arrived at EUIDCOTE addititis Pass at 2030 and stapped off
BRAY at 2115. There cared to be a large wood close to the shore
but on neurer approach this was seen to be a mass of troops on the and.
Two ships were left there and the remainder proceeded to the East Pier
at Dunkirk which at that time was intact.
As it was low water it took half on hour to embark troops down 1m-
provised ladders, but "GOSSAMER" sailed at 2215 with 430 on board.
from now on it was impossible to exercise control over the fiotilla as
a unit, and this narrative is concerned with "GOSSAMER" alone.
Just outside the 2UIDCOTE PASS we come upon the "MANNIAN" aground,
and S.S. "PRAGUE" stopped, without charts. "MANXMAN" was given direct-
dons, and a boat was sent to "PRAGUE" with a chart of Dunkirk. As
will be seen this delay seved our lives.
Proceeding towards KWINT DOUY we soon came into a patch of water
filled with mom crying BHelp", and heads could be seen all round in the
Ben.
I stopped and lowered boats ( three whalers and a skiff ).
I
WED then halled by Commonder R.L. Fisher of H.M.S. "WAKEFUL" who said he
had been torpedoed and that the Submerine vas still near by.
In
actual fact I believe he was attacked by on M.T.B. Dut my boats and
almost all my officers were now lost in the night, and it took some
time to recover them with such few men as they had been able to pick up.
The skiff was loft alongside a drifter. No doubt we were wrong to
stop, but at the time I thought otherwise. We then steered so as to
evoid KWINT BUOY, and proceeded without further incident to Dover,
arriving there at 0655 an Wednesday 29th May.