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TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
CHAP. VI
1650, she left the harbour, but soon after was damaged by a near miss. She
was able to reach Dover, but took no further part in "Dynamo." At 1720
the berth vacated by the Canterbury in Dunkirk harbour was taken by the
destroyer Verity.
Intrepid severely damaged
Meanwhile, at 1700, the Intrepid, hurrying back to Dunkirk from Dover
(where she had disembarked 661 troops), was bombed between Middelkerke
Bank and La Panne. A near miss caused severe damage, started fires, and
killed 2 and wounded 19. The Intrepid had to return to Dover, and took no
further part in Operation "Dynamo."
Hospital ship deliberately bombed
At 1700 also, the H/C St. Julien, en route for Dunkirk harbour, was de-
liberately bombed for a considerable period" in the vicinity of Nieuport
Bank buoy1; she was slightly damaged by near misses. The St. Julien lay
off Dunkirk harbour for about 1/2 an hour waiting for an opportunity to enter;
when air attacks recommenced, however, she sailed for Dover without having
entered the harbour.
At 1730 the Siroco sailed from Dunkirk harbour with 500 troops and a little
later was joined outside by the Mistral which had only embarked 4 troops.
Both the French destroyers proceeded to Dover. The Mistral took no further
part in "Dynamo."
Grenade hit, Calvi and Fenella sunk
At about 1750 the third air attack was made over Dunkirk harbour by waves
of bombers; some 100 bombs were dropped. Allied fighters, being engaged
by enemy fighters, were unable to interfere with the bombing². A near miss
blew a hole in the Grenade's side; the trawler Calvi, lying outside the John
Cattling, received a direct hit and sank immediately. Her masts and funnel
were above water, and her ensign remained flying from the foremast. The
personnel vessel Fenella, which by then had 650 troops on board, was hit on
the promenade deck; a second bomb hit the pier, and blew some concrete
through the Fenella's side below the waterline; a third bomb, falling between
the pier and the Fenella's side, wrecked the engine room. The Fenella's
troops were disembarked on to the pier and re-embarked in the Crested Eagle.
The Fenella was abandoned while sinking. The P/V St. Seiriol, which shortly
before had secured alongside the outer east pier, astern of the Crested Eagle,
cast off and shifted eastward to the beaches.
Grenade hit, set on fire, and abandoned
Then five minutes after the third air attack had begun the Grenade received
two direct hits; her engines were put out of action and she caught fire. As
she swung round, some of her ships company were able to step on board the
damaged trawler Polly Johnson. The Verity (which had been continuously
I Reports by Pangbourne and Lydd.
2 According to the R.A.F. Narrative, p.327, two Hurricane squadrons which arrived at
1710 were attacked by large numbers of Me. 109's ; one Spitfire squadron was attacked
from above and behind at 1715, and another was in combat with enemy fighters at 1740.
" None of our squadrons encountered enemy bombers, and the attacks on our shipping
between 1630 and 1745 hours (resulting, amongst other casualties, in the Crested Eagle
being hit and beached off Bray) can thus not have been interfered with by our patrols'
R.A.F. Narrative, p.327).
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