TNA / ADM 234 360

TNA ADM 234 360

Collection details

TNA ADM 234 360

Naval Staff History No. 41, the official historical study of the evacuation from Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo, 26 May–4 June 1940, dated 1949.

Holding archive: TNA
Collection reference: ADM 234 360

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 234/360. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

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List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 31–31 of this collection

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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
31	Log in to enlarge	THE WEEK BEFORE OPERATION "DYNAMO" CHAP. II the whole day, might at any time become impossible to close; were this to happen, my last hope of reaching the coast would be gone".' In order to secure the British northern flank Lord Gort decided to issue orders for the occupation, as quickly as troops could be made available, of the line of the Ypres - Comines canal and the positions covering Ypres. In the absence of General Blanchard, who was visiting the Belgian G.Q.G. at Bruges, Lord Gort communicated this decision that evening to the Headquarters of the French First Group of Armies.¹ The necessity of evacuation was becoming a matter of paramount immediacy. British destroyers bombard suburb of Calais Meanwhile, on the 25th May, the trawler Lord Howe sailed to Calais with a cargo of ammunition². She entered the port and discharged part of her cargo in the face of heavy enemy fire from the dunes to the southward. In view of the risk involved, Commodore W. P. Gandell, R.N. (P.S.T.O., French Ports), who was on the quay, then ordered the Lord Howe to sail. Outside Calais the destroyer Greyhound closed the Lord Howe, which was carrying a request for bombardment support of the town. At the same time, the Greyhound received a signal from the Vice-Admiral, Dover, ordering the bombardment of the Calais suburb of St. Pierre. The Greyhound opened fire, and at 2000, an H.A. battery east of Sangatte registered a hit on her, killing 2 and wounding 3. About this time the destroyer Grafton arrived and also opened fire. The 2 destroyers returned to Dover as darkness set in.³ Evacuation of Calais countermanded At 2130 a force of seven trawlers⁴, three yachts⁵ and two drifters⁶, sailed for Calais road, ready to evacuate troops from Calais, the moment an order was received to do so. Five of the trawlers towed motor boats. Commander W. V. H. Harris, R.N. (Commander M/S, Dover), in the Grey Mist, was in command. The destroyers Windsor and Verity left Dover at 2300, to cover the withdrawal of this force. On arrival off Calais, two of the motor boats were ordered into Calais harbour. At about 0300/26, a signal was received that Calais was to be held at all costs; furthermore, it was ordered that this signal was to be sent by hand to the Brigadier commanding on shore. The Conidaw went in to deliver the signal. All ships were then ordered back to the Downs, but the Botanic and Maretta remained behind until the two motor boats and the Conidaw returned.⁷ The Botanic and Maretta were damaged by gunfire when returning on the 26th May, and were unable to take part in Operation "Dynamo". I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 43. 2 Lieut. L. C. Whittle, R.N.R., in the Lord Howe, says it was the 24th May. 3 Vice-Admiral, Dover's 1907/25/5. 4 The Botanic, Fyldea, Maretta, Arley, Polly Johnson, Brock and Calvi. 6 The Grey Mist, Conidaw and Chico. 5 The Playmates and Willing Boys. 7 Report by Commander M/S, Dover (R.O. II, p. 497). 13	Arley Botanic Brock Bruges Calvi Chico Commodore Conidaw Evening Fyldea Grey Mist Lord Howe Maretta Pierre Playmates Polly Polly Johnson Verity Willing Boys Windsor Day Dover Gort Harris Johnson Last May Willing

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 31.

THE WEEK BEFORE OPERATION "DYNAMO"
CHAP. II
the whole day, might at any time become impossible to close; were this to
happen, my last hope of reaching the coast would be gone".'
In order to secure the British northern flank Lord Gort decided to issue
orders for the occupation, as quickly as troops could be made available, of the
line of the Ypres - Comines canal and the positions covering Ypres. In the
absence of General Blanchard, who was visiting the Belgian G.Q.G. at Bruges,
Lord Gort communicated this decision that evening to the Headquarters of
the French First Group of Armies.¹
The necessity of evacuation was becoming a matter of paramount immediacy.
British destroyers bombard suburb of Calais
Meanwhile, on the 25th May, the trawler Lord Howe sailed to Calais with a
cargo of ammunition². She entered the port and discharged part of her cargo
in the face of heavy enemy fire from the dunes to the southward. In view of
the risk involved, Commodore W. P. Gandell, R.N. (P.S.T.O., French Ports),
who was on the quay, then ordered the Lord Howe to sail.
Outside Calais the destroyer Greyhound closed the Lord Howe, which was
carrying a request for bombardment support of the town. At the same time,
the Greyhound received a signal from the Vice-Admiral, Dover, ordering the
bombardment of the Calais suburb of St. Pierre. The Greyhound opened fire,
and at 2000, an H.A. battery east of Sangatte registered a hit on her, killing
2 and wounding 3. About this time the destroyer Grafton arrived and also
opened fire. The 2 destroyers returned to Dover as darkness set in.³
Evacuation of Calais countermanded
At 2130 a force of seven trawlers⁴, three yachts⁵ and two drifters⁶, sailed for
Calais road, ready to evacuate troops from Calais, the moment an order was
received to do so. Five of the trawlers towed motor boats. Commander
W. V. H. Harris, R.N. (Commander M/S, Dover), in the Grey Mist, was in
command. The destroyers Windsor and Verity left Dover at 2300, to cover
the withdrawal of this force.
On arrival off Calais, two of the motor boats were ordered into Calais harbour.
At about 0300/26, a signal was received that Calais was to be held at all costs;
furthermore, it was ordered that this signal was to be sent by hand to the
Brigadier commanding on shore. The Conidaw went in to deliver the signal.
All ships were then ordered back to the Downs, but the Botanic and Maretta
remained behind until the two motor boats and the Conidaw returned.⁷
The Botanic and Maretta were damaged by gunfire when returning on the
26th May, and were unable to take part in Operation "Dynamo".
I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 43.
2 Lieut. L. C. Whittle, R.N.R., in the Lord Howe, says it was the 24th May.
3 Vice-Admiral, Dover's 1907/25/5.
4 The Botanic, Fyldea, Maretta, Arley, Polly Johnson, Brock and Calvi.
6 The Grey Mist, Conidaw and Chico.
5 The Playmates and Willing Boys.
7 Report by Commander M/S, Dover (R.O. II, p. 497).
13