TNA ADM 234 360

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TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
CHAP. VI
return to Dover at 15 knots, and could take no further part in "Dynamo."
The personnel vessel Lorina was bombed and sunk at about this period, but
no details are forthcoming.
Icarus damaged
The destroyer Icarus, which had been embarking troops off Zuydcoote, and
in addition had embarked about 470 from the skoot Doggersbank, was attacked
by 10 dive bombers at 1830. She received only slight damage from near
misses but had 1 killed and 25 wounded.
King Orry sunk
The armed boarding vessel King Orry arrived at Dunkirk harbour at about
1900, to find it apparently occupied only by burning and sinking ships. She
herself was immediately subjected to a bombing attack which put her steering
gear out of action and shattered all her instruments. Further air attacks,
and damage by near misses ensued. Realising the risk of the ship blocking
the channel, S.N.O. Dunkirk instructed her Captain, shortly after midnight,
to take her out of harbour. She struggled out at 0230/30, but when clear of the
harbour entrance the King Orry foundered. Several ships, including the drifter
Vivacious, the trawler Lord Grey, and a D.C./M.B., picked up survivors.
Isle of Guernsey deliberately bombed
At about the same time that the King Orry was being bombed, the M/S
Halcyon witnessed the deliberate bombing of the hospital carrier Isle of
Guernsey. She was bombed by 10 planes off Dunkirk harbour while attempting
to pick up an airman. The airman was subsequently picked up by the Halcyon.
Although damaged by near misses, the Isle of Guernsey entered the harbour
after dark and embarked 490 wounded in the early hours of 30th May. She
then proceeded to Newhaven, but was not repaired in time to make another
trip to Dunkirk.
Bideford's stern blown off
The air onslaught had not yet, however, come to an end. The sloop Bideford
had arrived off Bray beach at 1730. At 1750 the first boat loads of troops
(mostly French) came alongside. 'The boats," says her Captain, Lt. Cdr.
J. H. Lewes, R.N., were dangerously overcrowded and several swamped on
the way off from the shore. On arrival alongside, the men would all jump on
board and let their boats drift off on the tide. Paddles were lost overboard,
rendering the boats useless. Bideford's M/B was lowered and ordered to
collect and tow inshore any empty boats. The whaler was lowered and 2
officers and a signalman were sent in to endeavour to take charge on the
beach
this was next to impossible. The men rushed the boats and capsized
them in shallow water, and then left the boats without making any attempt
to right them and use them again. There were only 2 motor landing craft in
the vicinity. One [A.L.C.17] had one engine out of action; the other
[A.L.C.16] was blown up subsequently when lying alongside the ship."
Dive-bombing attacks commenced on the Bideford at about 1915. She was
then machine-gunned by low flying aircraft. At 2007 four bombs were
dropped; one landed 30 yards away one hit the quarter deck; and one hit
or near missed the stern, detonating a depth charge. About 40 feet of the
Bideford's stern was blown away completely; a further 40 feet was reduced
to a tangled mass of metal; the mainmast fell in 3 pieces on the searchlight
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