TNA ADM 234 360

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MONDAY, 27TH MAY
CHAP. IV
task now is to evacuate to England maximum of your force possible."¹ No
policy had yet been laid down by French G.Q.G., or any other French higher
authority, for a withdrawal northward of the Lys, and, says Lord Gort, "I had
no idea what plans either he [General Blanchard] or Admiral Abrial had in
mind".'
Lord Gort failed to contact General Blanchard either at La Panne, or at the
French naval headquarters, situated at Bastion No. 32, Dunkirk. While at the
Bastion, however, at 2300, he was informed in the course of conversation with
General Koeltz (General Weygand's deputy) that the King of the Belgians
had asked for an armistice from midnight that night. The British Commander-
in-Chief thus found himself suddenly faced with an open gap of 20 miles between
Ypres and the sea, through which enemy armoured forces might reach the
beaches².
Owing to congestion on the roads Lord Gort was unable to reach his head-
quarters at Houtkerque until 0430 on 28th May; he then found that a telegram
had been received from the War Office at 0130/28 saying that the King of the
Belgians was capitulating at midnight, 27th/28th May.³
This was the derelict situation facing Lord Gort in the early hours of the
morning.
Dunkirk locks prepared for demolition
On the 27th May, on the orders of Admiral Abrial, the Royal Naval
demolition party which had arrived at Dunkirk on the 23rd May placed
demolition charges at the New, the Trystram and the Guillain locks in Dunkirk
harbour.
Route Z under fire Route Y adopted Route x prepared
Owing to the great lack of inshore craft for beach work the main naval effort
during the day had been confined to maintaining the flow of personnel vessels
to Dunkirk at the rate of 2 every 31/2 hours. Even this limited transport service
had been seriously interrupted by the fire of shore batteries between Les
Hemmes (east of Calais) and Gravelines. At 0623 the Biarritz and Archangel,
en route for Dunkirk escorted by the destroyer Verity, were shelled 6 miles
E.N.E. of Calais. The Biarritz was hit several times and had 1 killed and 2
wounded. The Archangel was also apparently damaged, and neither ship
took any further part in "Dynamo". At 0640, the M/V Sequacity and the
freighter Yewdale were also shelled off Calais. The Sequacity was hit four
times, and at 1020, when north of Dunkirk channel, after the crew had been
transferred to the Yewdale, the Sequacity went down by the head and sank.
At 0750 the armed boarding vessel Mona's Isle, loaded with troops, suffered
severe casualties and damage from shore guns off Gravelines, and also from
an air attack shortly afterwards, and had to go into dock for repairs. At
0800 the H/C Isle of Thanet was shelled off Calais and returned to Dover. At
0900, the A.B/V King Orry, returning from Dunkirk loaded with troops also
suffered casualties and damage from the Calais guns.
As a result of these happenings the Vice-Admiral, Dover, reported to the
Admiralty that the normal or southern route, Dover to Dunkirk (later known
as Route Z), was impracticable in daylight. Another, more northern route
(later known as Route Y), via the Dyck Whistle buoy, Middelkerk buoy, and
Zuydcoote Pass, was accordingly adopted. This, however, increased the
I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 51.
2 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 49.
3 Lord Gort's Second Despatch 50.
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