Admiralty reports on naval operations off the Dutch, Belgian and French coasts during 1940.
Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 199/795. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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- 8 - 25. I had previously arranged that 90,000 rations, as well as ammunition, should be sent up to CHERBOURG, as this was the port on which NORMAN Force would be based. Any altera- tions to this plan at this stage would have caused & break- down in the supply arrangements which were very difficult because the roads were congested and the railways working. spasmodically. 26. During that evening I was in touch with Ma.jor-General J.S. DREW commanding the 52nd Division. He informed me that he had embarked one of his brigades and expected to proceed to the United Kingdom with his second brigade. get the other away the next day. I gave him orders to ) 27. Brigadier J.G. des R. SWAYNE, Head of No. 2 Mission, reported to me on his way to the United Kingdom. I also dispatched Brigadier N.M. RITCHIE, B.G.S., 2nd Corps to the United Kingdom that night, as there was no longer need for his services in France on account of the reduction of the number of troops. 28. Throughout the day the Germans maintained evening their pressure on received from General MARSHALL-CORNIALL in the Tenth French Army. In the & message which he was it as his opinion that the Tenth French This Army would disintegrate gave if it were seriously attacked. R. was R.T.R.) who called at my Headquarters front the opinion confirmed by his G.S.O.1 (Lieutenant-Colonel about German hours continued, and the gap between the Tenth miles 2300 Briggs, that night. On the rest of the wide. Army German forces were in this gap it was impossible and French advance and the Army of Paris was well over 50 air say, reconnaissance as no was much hampered by low to What allied fighting troops were in cloud the area and thunderstorms. 29. the previous 24 hours about 47,000 have troops been and 250 vehicles During of all kinds were reported to embarked. 17 JUNE 30. morning I received a message from French General was in full retreat troops to CHERBOURG. His own CHEREOURG. Headquarters MARSHALL-CORNWALL on LAVAL and RENNES, and Early that to the effect that the Tenth that he was Army withdrawing his AVRANCHES and would go next explained to the were At 1015 moving hours, to I spoke to the C.I.G.S. and situation to him. / On to FOOTNOTE: ( ) a Operations).