TNA ADM 199 792

134
13
CONFIDENTIAL.
Page 13.
132
Operation "DYNAMO"
Narrative of Events.
30/5
Thursday, 30th May.
40. As an example of the difficulty of any one man appreciating the situation at Dunkirk and the beaches during the night, at 0030/30 the S.N.O. on the French Coast reported that he had no destroyers. In fact, at that time, all available destroyers, namely 10, in the Dover Command, were either on, or on passage to or from, the coast, and the remaining 5 were at Dover discharging troops, embarking ammunitition, fuelling, etc. and were to sail within the next
4 hours.
Simultaneously the V.C.I.G.S. reported that the beaches were well organised, the troops in good heart, and there had been no bombing since dark, but that there was still a great shortage of small craft - urgently required. This last fact was well known to the Vice Admiral, Dover.
41. Commander-in-Chief, Nore, was requested to send as much grass hawser as possible to Ramsgate, as quickly as possible, for supplying the skoots, to haul boats off the beaches, thus speeding up the boat work to compensate for the shortage of boats, which would continue for at least another
24 hours.
42. At 0500 the 7 modern destroyers remaining with Vice
Admiral, Dover - ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, INTREPID, IVANHOE, HAR-
VESTER, HAVANT and JAVELIN - sailed to Sheerness in accordance with Admiralty instructions. The MONTROSE and MACKAY sailed for repairs.
43. Meantime the Vice Admiral, Dover, had been much exercised regarding the possibility of the continued use of
Dunkirk harbour for personnel vessels and was anxiously awaiting the report from VANQUISHER, who had been sent to investigate the reported obstruction. VANQUISHER'S report was received at 0610 stating entrance was practicable but that obstruction exists towards outer inside end of the EASTERN ARM.
Pending amplifying reports, the sailing of personnel vessels to Dunkirk was resumed, although at this time there were still
4 personnel vessels presumed to be in the vicinity of Dunkirk
Harbour, whose movements and whereabouts throughout the night still remained obscure.
The Vice Admiral asked R.A. Dover, who was in HEBE, whether personnel ships could, in fact, still use Dunkirk. In the meantime a series of signals from Rear Admiral Dover, and destroyers off the coast, were received, stating that the beaches were filling up rapidly and more ships and boats were urgently required there. Although it was known that the destroyers could use Dunkirk, it appeared at this time that the best division of transport was to send the great majority of destroyers to the beaches, where urgent demands could not be ignored, and the personnel vessels to Dunkirk Harbour, only an occasional destroyer being sent to Dunkirk from the reduced number now available for the operation.
44/

APPENDIX I.
160
to
Operation "DYNAMO"
Narrative of Events.
162
-
LIST OF H.M. SHIPS, PERSONNEL SHIPS AND HOSPITAL CARRIERS
TAKING. PART.
A.A. CRUISER:
CALCUTTA
DESTROYERS:
ANTHONY
HARVESTER
MALCOLM
VIVACIOUS
BASILISK
HAVANT
MONTROSE
WAKEFUL
BLYSKAWICA
ICARUS
SABRE
WHITEHALL
CODRINGTON
IMPULSIVE
SALADIN
WHITSHED
ESK
INTREPID
SCIMITAR
WINCHELSEA
EXPRESS
IVANHOE
SHIKARI
WINDSOR
GALLANT
JAGUAR
VENOMOUS
WOLFHOUND
GRAFTON
JAVELIN
VANQUISHER
WOLSEY
GRENADE
KEITH
VERITY
WORCESTER
GREYHOUND
MACKAY
VIMY
(40)
SLOOPS:
BIDEFORD
GUNBOATS:
LOCUST
MOSQUITO
UNESWEEPERS:
ALBURY
HEBE
QUEEN OF THANET
BRIGHTON QUEEN
HALCYON
ROSS
BRIGHTON BELLE
KELLETT
SALAMANDER
DEVONIA
LEDA
SALTASH
DUNDALK
LYDD
SKIPJACK
DUCHESS OF FIFE
MARMION
SANDOWN
EMPEROR OF INDIA
MEDWAY QUEEN
SNAEFELL
EL
FITZROY
NIGER
SPEEDWELL
GLENAVON
ORIOLE
SUTTON
GLENGO
PANGBOURNE
SHARPSHOOTER
GOSSAMER
PLYNLIMMON
WAVERLEY
GRACIE FIELDS
PRINCESS ELIZABETH WESTWARD HO
A/S VESSELS:
ARLEY
COMFORT
MARETTA
BOTANIC
CONIDAW
NAUTILUS
BROCK
FYLDEA
POLLY JOHNSON
CALVI
GULZAR
SANGASSO
CHICO
JOHN CATLING
STARLIGHT RAYS
re
SPECIAL SERVICE CRESTED EAGLE
GOLDEN EAGLE
ROYAL EAGLE
ESSELS:
"LL" TRAWLERS: INVERFORTH LORD INCHCAPE OUR BAIRNS THOMAS BARTLETT
it
A/S TRAWLERS:
ARGYLLSHIRE
KINGSTON ANDALUSITE STELLA DORADO
ore
BLACKBURN ROVERS
KINGSTON OLIVINE
THURINGIA
CAYTON WYKE
LADY PHILOMENA
WESTELLA
an
GRIMSBY TOWN
SAON
WOLVES
ue
KINGSTON ALALITE
SPURS
OLVINA
all
INE RECOVERY
FIDGET
JACKETA
SILVER DAWN
RIFTERS:
FISHER BOY
LORD CAVAN

CONFIDENTIAL.
APPENDIX. VI.
179
to
Operation "DYNAMO" - Narrative of Events.
177
5
Enemy aircraft destroyed by ships' fire.
Ship.
Locality.
Time.
Polish T.B.D. BLYSKAWICA
Dunkirk Roads.
H.M.S. VIVACIOUS
0315/27
Dunkirk Roads.
H.M.S. VIVACIOUS
1130/27
Dunkirk Roads.
H.M.S. WOLFHOUND
1140/27
Dunkirk Roads.
H.M.P.M/S MEDWAY QUEEN
1500/27
North Goodwin.
HcM.Sc MONTROSE
Dawn/28
Near Kwinte Buoy.
M.T.B. 16
1500/28
Bray.
1530/28
H.M.S. SABRE and other ships
Dunkirk Harbour.
1630/29
H.M.S. BIDEFORD
Dunkirk Roads.
1700/29
H.M.S. EXPRESS
Dunkirk Roads.
1700/29
H.M.S. MOSQUITO
Bray.
1900/29
S.S. LEVENWOOD (Store ship}
Bray.
S.S. LEVENWOOD ( - do
1210/31
Bray.
1220/31
H.M. Skoot AMAZONE
Dunkirk Roads.
1440/31
H.M.S. HEBE
La Panne.
1700/31
af
H.M.S. SCIMITAR and other ships
Bray.
1700/31
S.S. LADY OF MAN (Trassport) Dunkirk Roads.
1700/31
nd
H.M.Y. ARONIA
La Panne.
1830/31
H.M.S. WHITSHED
Dunkirk Roads.
1930/31
H.M.S. SALTASH
Bray.
2000/31
S.S. NEPHRITE (Store ship)
On Route X.
2030/31
H.M.Y. GRIVE
Dunkirk Roads.
2030/31
H.M.Y. ARONIA
Dunkirk Harbour.
0500/1
H.M.S. IVANHOE
La Panne.
0530/1
is
H.M.S. LYDD
Bray.
0600/1
H.M.S. HARVESTER
Dunkirk Harbour.
0600/1
H.M.S. HARVESTER and other ships
Dunkirk Roads.
0610/1
H.M.Ships CODRINGTON,
3
HARVESTER and others
Off Gravelines.
0750/1
S
H.M.S. SKIPJACK
La Panne.
0900/1
H.M.S. MALLARD
On Route X.
1015/1
H.M.S. CALCUTTA
Between W and Y Buoys.
1020/1
H.M.P. M/S MEDWAY QUEEN
West of Dunkirk.
1600/1
H.M.Y. ALOUETTE
Off Gravelines.
1700/1
H.M.Y. CRISTOBEL II and other ships
La Panne.
1730/1.
H.M.S. WORCESTER
Dunkirk Roads.
2000/1
TOTAL: 35 enemy aircraft definitely destroyed by ships'
gun fire between 0300/27 and 2000/1.
ery
In addition over the same period 21 others were heavily damaged by ships' fire (and seen in distress but
NOT seen to crash definitely) of H.M. Ships HARVESTI
IVANHOE, VIVACIOUS, WINCHELSEA, WOLFHOUND, SABRE,
LOCUST, FITZROY, LYDD, MALLARD, MOSQUITO, WOLSEY,
EXPRESS, JAGUAR, GLEN AVON, ORIOLE, H.N.Y. ARONIA, as
Storeship NEPHRITE and French M.T.B.24.
)p]
Note: On 30th May flying conditions were bad and few enemy aircraft operated. After the 1st June operations proceeded only between dusk and day.
i

CONFIDENTIAL.
Page 13.
Operation "DYNAMO"
Narrative of Events.
Thursday, 30th May.
40. As an example of the difficulty of any one man appreciating the situation at Dunkirk and the beaches during the night, at 0030/30 the S.N.O. on the French Coast reported that he had no destroyers. In fact, at that time, all available destroyers, namely 10, in the Dover Command, were either on, or on passage to or from, the coast, and the remaining 5 were at Dover discharging troops, embarking ammunitition, fuelling, etc. and were to sail within the next
+ hours.
Simultaneously the V.C.I.G.S. reported that the beaches were well organised, the troops in good heart, and there had been no bombing since dark, but that there was still a great shortage of small craft - urgently required. This last fact was well known to the Vice Admiral, Dover.
41. Commander-in-Chief, Nore, was requested to send as nuch grass hawser as possible to Ramsgate, as quickly as ossible, for supplying the skoots, to haul boats off the beaches, thus speeding up the boat work to compensate for the hortage of boats, which would continue for at least another
14 hours.
42. At 0500 the 7 modern destroyers remaining with Vice dmiral, Dover - ICARUS, IMPULSIVE, INTREPID, IVANHOE, HAR-
ESTER, HAVANT and JAVELIN - sailed to Sheerness in accordance ith Admiralty instructions. The MONTROSE and MACKAY sailed
'or repairs.
43. Meantime the Vice Admiral, Dover, had been much xercised regarding the possibility of the continued use of unkirk harbour for personnel vessels and was anxiously waiting the report from VANQUISHER, who had been sent to nvestigate the reported obstruction. VANQUISHER'S report as received at 0610 stating entrance was practicable but that bstruction exists towards outer inside end of the EASTERN ARM.
ending amplifying reports, the sailing of personnel vessels o Dunkirk was resumed, although at this time there were still personnel vessels presumed to be in the vicinity of Dunkirk arbour, whose movements and whereabouts throughout the night till remained obscure.
The Vice Admiral asked R.A. Dover, who was in HEBE, hether personnel ships could, in fact, still use Dunkirk. In he meantime a series of signals from Rear Admiral Dover, and estroyers off the coast, were received, stating that the eaches were filling up rapidly and more ships and boats were rgently required there. Although it was known that the estroyers could use Dunkirk, it appeared at this time that the est division of transport was to send the great majority of estroyers to the beaches, where urgent demands could not be gnored, and the personnel vessels to Dunkirk Harbour, only an ccasional destroyer being sent to Dunkirk from the reduced umber now available for the operation.
44/

APPENDIX I.
to
Operation "DYNAMO"
-
Narrative of Events.
LIST OF H.M. SHIPS, PERSONNEL SHIPS AND HOSPITAL CARRIERS
TAKING. PART.
RUISER:
CALCUTTA
YERS:
ANTHONY
HARVESTER
MALCOLM
VIVACIOUS
BASILISK
HAVANT
MONTROSE
WAKEFUL
BLYSKAWICA
ICARUS
SABRE
WHITEHALL
CODRINGTON
IMPULSIVE
SALADIN
WHITSHED
ESK
INTREPID
SCIMITAR
WINCHELSEA
EXPRESS
IVANHOE
SHIKARI
WINDSOR
GALLANT
JAGUAR
VENOMOUS
WOLFHOUND
GRAFTON
JAVELIN
VANQUISHER
WOLSEY
GRENADE
KEITH
VERITY
WORCESTER
GREYHOUND
MACKAY
VILY
BIDEFORD
TS:
LOCUST
MOSQUITO
EEPERS:
ALBURY
HEBE
QUEEN OF THANET
BRIGHTON QUEEN
HALCYON
ROSS
BRIGHTON BELLE
KELLETT
SALAMANDER
EL
DEVONIA
LEDA
SALTASH
DUNDALK
LYDD
SKIPJACK
DUCHESS OF FIFE
MARMION
SANDOWN
EMPEROR OF INDIA
MEDWAY QUEEN
SNAEFELL
FITZROY
NIGER
SPEEDWELL
GLENAVON
ORIOLE
SUTTON
GLENGOWER
PANGBOURNE
SHARPSHOOTER
GOSSAMER
PLYNLIMMON
WAVERLEY
GRACIE FIELDS
PRINCESS ELIZABETH
WESTWARD HO
ESSELS:
ARLEY
COMFORT
MARETTA
BOTANIC
CONIDAW
NAUTILUS
BROCK
FYLDEA
POLLY JOHNSON
CALVI
GULZAR
SARGASSO
CHICO
JOHN CATLING
STARLIGHT RAYS
AL SERVICE CRESTED EAGLE
GOLDEN EAGLE
LS:
ROYAL EAGLE
TRAWLERS: INVERFORTH LORD INCHCAPE OUR BAIRNS THOMAS BARTLETT
RAWLERS:
ARGYLLSHIRE
KINGSTON ANDALUSITE STELLA DORADO
BLACKBURN ROVERS
KINGSTON OLIVINE
THURINGIA
CAYTON WYKE
LADY PHILOMENA
WISTELLA
GRIMSBY TOWN
SAON
WOLVES
KINGSTON ALALITE
SPURS
OLVINA
RECOVERY
FIDGET
JACKETA
ERS:
SILVER DAWN
FISHER BOY
LORD CAVAN

Page 2.
HICH TOOK PART IN OPERATION "DYNAMO" - 26TH MAY - 4TH JUNE, 1940.
WHICH TOOK PART IN OPERATION "DYNAMO" - 26TH MAY - 4TH JUNE, 1940
PART I - BRITISH SHIPS.
CRUISER.
TTTA
ROYERS.
ONY
INTREPID
VENOMOUS
LISK
IVANHOE
VERITY
INGTON
JAGUAR
VIMY
JAVELIN
VIVACIOUS
ESS
KEITH
WAKEFUL
ANT
MACKAY
WHITEHALL
TON
MALCOIM
WHITSHED
ADE
MONTROSE
WINCHELSEA
HOUND
SABRE
WINDSOR
ESTER
SALADIN
WOLFHOUND
NT
SCIMITAR
WOLSEY
US
SHIKARI
WORCESTER
LSIVE
VANQUISHER
P.
EFORD
VETTES.
LLEMOT
MALLARD
SHELDRAKE
GFISHER
SHEARWATER
WIDGEON
BOATS.
UST
#
MOSQUITO
ESWEEPERS.
ROSS
URY
HEBE
SALAMANDER
GHTON BELLE
KELLETT
SALTASH
GHTON QUEEN
LEDA
SANDOWN
ONIA
LYDD
SHARPSHOOTER
HESS OF FIFE
MARMION
MEDWAY QUEEN
SKIPJACK
DALK
SNAEFELL
PEROR OF INDIA
NIGER
SPEEDWELL
CZROY
ORIOLE
SUTTON
ENAVON
PANGBOURNE
WAVERLEY
ENGOWER
PLINLIMMON
WESTWARD HO
SSAMER
PORTSDOWN
CIE FIELDS
PRINCESS ELIZABETH
WHIPPINGHAM
LCYON
QUEEN OF THANET
(Continued)
Sunk.