TNA ADM 234 360

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WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
Mistral damaged
At 1555 a bomb struck the west quay and damaged the Mistral, killing 3 and
seriously wounding 4, including her captain.
Jaguar severely damaged
Meanwhile, at 1550, the Jaguar was ordered out of Dunkirk harbour, to act
as escort to the Lochgarry then waiting outside. While taking station ahead
of the Lochgarry at about 1630 the second air attack over Dunkirk took place¹.
Dive-bombers attacked with salvoes of 4 bombs. About 14 salvoes were
aimed at the Jaguar and one at the Lochgarry. A near miss severely damaged
the Jaguar, holing her near the waterline and putting her engines and steering
gear out of action; a list to port developed. The destroyer drifted helplessly
until, at 1645, she was in danger of drifting on to a wreck 50 yards away. The
destroyer Express then sighted her and taking her in tow alongside transferred
some of her troops. The skoot Rika, en route for La Panne beach, although
she had been severely shaken by bombs off Middelkerke buoy, closed the
Jaguar and took off 295 troops. The Jaguar eventually reached Dover at
2350 (in spite of further high level bombing attacks at 2014 and 2026), making
the last part of the passage under her own power. She was unable to take any
further part in ' Dynamo."
Clan Macalister sunk
In the attack which damaged the Jaguar, the Lochgarry was also damaged
by a near miss; she was, however, able to proceed, and did so unescorted.
Near 6 W buoy, she passed the S.S. Clan Macalister which, after having hoisted
out 6 motor landing craft earlier in the day and subsequently embarked troops,
had just been bombed and was on fire and sinking. The destroyer Malcolm
had already taken off, the wounded members of the Clan Macalister's crew and
some of her troops, and the minesweeper Pangbourne had embarked the re-
mainder. The Clan Macalister settled on the sea bed on an even keel with
her upper works above water, and remained on fire for days. For days also,
she acted as a target for enemy airmen, who thought she was still afloat.
Gracie Fields abandoned
Continuing on her way near Kwint Bank buoy, the Lochgarry saw the paddle-
minesweeper Gracie Fields (which was carrying about 750 troops from La
Panne beach) hit amidships by a bomb. The Gracie Fields, unable to stop
her engines, and with her upper deck enveloped in clouds of steam, continued
underway at 6 knots with her helm jammed with 15° starboard wheel on.
Nevertheless, the skoot Twente, which was on her way to La Panne beach,
secured alongside the circling Gracie Fields and transferred as many injured
and others as she could. The skoot Jutland, returning from La Panne beach
with 275 French troops, also secured alongside the Gracie Fields' disengaged
side and took off some more of her troops.
Later, at about 1830, the minesweeper Pangbourne (which had just been
holed on both sides above and below the waterline and had had 13 killed and
11 wounded by near misses off Bray beach) went alongside the Gracie Fields,
transferred about 80 British troops, and took her in tow. The M/S Kellett,
carrying 550 troops from Bray beach, led the Pangbourne, whose compasses
had been put out of action by bomb blast. At 0130 next morning the Gracie
I At 1630 hours, a renewed spell of Luftwaffe activity began,
fighters was on the line.
when none of our
(R.A.F. Narrative, p.327).
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