TNA ADM 199 795

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Bastion, the Headquarters of the Amiral Nord.
The town was heavily on fire, the streets being littered with
wreckage of all kinds, and every window was smashed. Great palls of
smoke from the oil depots and refineries enveloped the docks and
town itself., continual bombardment and series of air raids
was being directed against Dunkirk, and on our way up to the
Bastion we had to take shelter from two more raids by enemy
bombers , the bombs from the last of which fell unpleasantly
close. There were a number of British troops in the town, and we
passed a good few dead and wounded in the streets, evidently the
victims of
victims of these air raids.
conference was held at the Bastion with the military
authorities and with the B.N.L.O. who were of the opinion that
it would not be possible to use the port of Dunkirk itself
for evacuating the trooops on account of the fierce air
attacks and bombardment. It was pointed out that if the
embarkation was carried out from the beaches it would take
very much longer, the rate of embarking from & pier or jetty being
five or six times asprapid.
The beach parties had, in the meantime, been landed under
their officers, and they were ordered to rest and to take what
shelter they could.
The S.N.O. ordered the "WOLFHOUND" to sail and anchor in
the roads and to act as Wireless link. "WORCESTER" was already
anchored in the Roads, and visual communication was established
with her from the top of the Bastion.
I proceeded with the S.N.O. and other officers to see the
state of affairs on the beaches, and also to see whether the
Eastern arm could not be used for bringing destroyers and other
ships alongside
We went down the beaches as far as Bray. The sends were thick
with troops, who were clustered together in great groups. They
to be thickest at Malo les Bains, small town fire about
a appeared mile to the eastward of Dunkirk. Malo itself was on and
burning fiercely.