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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332 "maximum number or French and British may be evacuated. Impossible from here to judge local situation. In close co-operation with Admiral Abrial you must act in this matter on your own judgment. At 2315 I made the following signal:- "Withdrawal now proceeding according to plan. Shall have certain reserves here to-morrow to assist French. Intend to complete evacuation to-morrow by midnight." A motor boat was sent to the mouth of the harbour at dusk and allocated berths to the ships as they entered, the requisite number or the personnel vessels being sent to the embarkation pier in the Western harbour to embark French troops. A good number of ships entered harbour and embarked troops, and the seamanship displayed by destroyers, sloops and transports was most praiseworthy under exceedingly difficult conditions. I gave orders to evacuate a large proportion of naval personnel during the night. the final All those that did remain until, withdrawal had performed their duties magnificently. Sudday 2nd June. 0800/2 - from SIN.O.Dunkirk. "Request again maximum number of transports for British and French. At 2130 June 2nd it is intended that all British shall be evacuated by midnight. Request M.A.S.B. at 2300. At 0405 - from S.N.O.Dunkirk. "Admiral, an Nord requess that block ships will arrive at 6300 to-morrow night. He will signal if their placing is to be postponed. At 0730 - from S.N.O. Dunkirk:- "Wounded situation acute. Hospital ships should enter during day. Geneva Convention will be honourably attack (This signal was made "en clear") observed. It is felt that the enemy will refrain from At 0830 - from S.N O. Dunkirk:- "About 5000 British remain. Bofore ammunition short. would assist. Early this morning the drifter Lord Cave of fast motor boats at 2130 at inner end of Long Pier Sporting chance of embarking to-night. Maximum number our depot ship, was sunk by shell fire.