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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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
44	Log in to enlarge	CHAPTER V TUESDAY, 28TH MAY First supplies reach the beaches from England arrived at the beaches, landed La spite of many and ammy enition This was a day of tension. The first supplies and in of food, water action considerable quantities were at Panne and at the north of it.¹ Germans reach Nieuport Early on the 28th May the leading enemy mobile troops and tanks reached Nieuport, but the danger that the enemy forces, released by the Belgian armistice, might forestall the B.E.F.'s occupation of the perimeter had been foreseen², and the measures taken by Lord Gort to meet a desperate situation and to delay the enemy proved successful. At 1100 General Blanchard visited Lord Gort at his headquarters at Houtkerque. It then transpired that General Blanchard, having received no instructions from his Government regarding the evacuation of French troops, declined to contemplate any such operation. Later in the day, however, he consented, and orders were given for part of the French 1st Army to withdraw SO as to arrive within the Dunkirk perimeter on 30th May.3 Lord Gort's Headquarters move to La Panne Meanwhile, during the afternoon, Lord Gort moved his headquarters from Houtkerque to La Panne, which was in direct telephonic communication with London. There he received from Lt.-Gen. Sir Ronald Adam and the Quarter- Master-General, Lt.-General W. G. Laidsell, a very unfavourable report: No ships could be unloaded at the docks at Dunkirk, and few wounded could be evacuated. There was no water in Dunkirk and very little on the beaches. The Naval plans were not yet in full operation, and some 20,000 men were waiting to be taken off the beaches, 10,0004 having been taken off in the last 2 " days, chiefly from Dunkirk." Also, they stated it as their opinion that given a reasonable measure of immunity from air attack, troops could be gradually evacuated. If, however, intensive air attacks continued the beaches might easily become a shambles within the next 48 hours".⁵ Possibility of surrender is visualised Lord Gort informed the C.I.G.S. of the gist of this report, and asked that H.M. " Government should consider the policy to be followed if a crisis arose, as well it might." He received this telegram in reply: " H.M. Govt. fully approve your withdrawal to extricate your force in order to embark maximum number possible of B.E.F. If you are cut from all communication from us, and all evacuation from Dunkirk and beaches had, in your judgment, been finally prevented after every attempt to re-open it had failed, you to would become sole judge of when it was impossible to inflict further damage enemy"." 2 I Lord Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 50. 3 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 53. 4 Gort's Second Despatch, 52. 5 Some Lord of these had been taken para. off before operation Dynamo' commenced. Gort's Second Despatch, para. 54. 26	England London Adam Day Few Gort Last Little May

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 44.

CHAPTER V
TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
First supplies reach the beaches
from England arrived at the beaches, landed La spite of many and ammy enition
This was a day of tension. The first supplies and in of food, water
action considerable quantities were at Panne and at the
north of it.¹
Germans reach Nieuport
Early on the 28th May the leading enemy mobile troops and tanks reached
Nieuport, but the danger that the enemy forces, released by the Belgian
armistice, might forestall the B.E.F.'s occupation of the perimeter had been
foreseen², and the measures taken by Lord Gort to meet a desperate situation
and to delay the enemy proved successful.
At 1100 General Blanchard visited Lord Gort at his headquarters at Hout-
kerque. It then transpired that General Blanchard, having received no in-
structions from his Government regarding the evacuation of French troops,
declined to contemplate any such operation. Later in the day, however, he
consented, and orders were given for part of the French 1st Army to withdraw
SO as to arrive within the Dunkirk perimeter on 30th May.3
Lord Gort's Headquarters move to La Panne
Meanwhile, during the afternoon, Lord Gort moved his headquarters from
Houtkerque to La Panne, which was in direct telephonic communication with
London. There he received from Lt.-Gen. Sir Ronald Adam and the Quarter-
Master-General, Lt.-General W. G. Laidsell, a very unfavourable report :
No ships could be unloaded at the docks at Dunkirk, and few wounded could
be evacuated. There was no water in Dunkirk and very little on the beaches.
The Naval plans were not yet in full operation, and some 20,000 men were
waiting to be taken off the beaches, 10,0004 having been taken off in the last
2 " days, chiefly from Dunkirk." Also, they stated it as their opinion that
given a reasonable measure of immunity from air attack, troops could be
gradually
evacuated. If, however, intensive air attacks continued the beaches
might easily become a shambles within the next 48 hours".⁵
Possibility of surrender is visualised
Lord Gort informed the C.I.G.S. of the gist of this report, and asked that
H.M. " Government should consider the policy to be followed if a crisis arose,
as well it might." He received this telegram in reply :
"
H.M. Govt. fully approve your withdrawal to extricate your force in order
to embark maximum number possible of B.E.F. If you are cut from all com-
munication from us, and all evacuation from Dunkirk and beaches had, in your
judgment, been finally prevented after every attempt to re-open it had failed,
you to would become sole judge of when it was impossible to inflict further damage
enemy"."
2 I Lord Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 50.
3 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 53.
4 Gort's Second Despatch, 52.
5 Some Lord of these had been taken para. off before operation Dynamo' commenced.
Gort's Second Despatch, para. 54.
26