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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List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 65–65 of this collection

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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
65	Log in to enlarge	WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY CHAP. VI Calcutta contacts Lord Gort On receipt of this signal at 0345 the Calcutta, which had already been embarking troops from La Panne beach, sent her boats in again, in charge of Mr. F.J. March, Gunner. Mr. March made personal contact with Lord Gort about 8 miles inland, and placed the Calcutta at his disposal for his or his staff's evacuation. Lord Gort, however, courteously refused to be evacuated at this stage¹. La Panne beach cleared of troops Meanwhile the Calcutta was proceeding with the embarkation, having enlisted the assistance of the minesweepers Sutton and Salamander, the tug Java, five drifters2, and three motor launches³. By 1357 the Calcutta had embarked 1200 troops, with whom she proceeded to Sheerness. In addition to the ships assisting the Calcutta, 7 minesweepers4, 4 skoots5, and 5 destroyers⁶ also embarked troops from La Panne beach. Of the destroyers, the Greyhound was bombed and severely damaged (see p.42). The minesweepers embarked, in all, 3415 troops, the skoots 1137 and the destroyers 2100. The tramp Yewdale and the motor vessels Beal and Bullfinch between them brought off 1,854. The assault landing craft A.L.C.15 ferried about 750 troops from the beaches to off-lying ships, and finally transported 25 to Dover; the A.L.C.5 also ferried troops throughout the day. The paddle-minesweeper Oriole had beached herself at La Panne at about 0600, thus permitting about 2,500 troops to pass over her decks to be embarked by other ships before she refloated at about 1800. In this connection, Sub- Lieut. Croswell, who had been landed at La Panne at about 0600 with a small beach party in the Harvester's motor skiff, says: " On the beach we found 14 boats which we launched. A line ferry was established from a paddlesteamer [the Oriole] which was aground close inshore, and this steamer served as a pier alongside which other boats were able to come. Throughout the day embarkation continued." Later in his report, Sub-Lieut. Croswell says " About 1400 bombing commenced - there were no casualties though 8 heavy bombs fell within 100 yards of the place of embarkation. A supply ship [the danlayer Nautilus] to the right of the beach was fired and destroyed by a near miss, and a destroyer [the Greyhound] was hit by an incendiary bomb [in fact she was severely damaged by a near miss] but continued in action. I joined up with the Army Staff controlling evacuation - there were no other naval officers at La Panne.⁷ About 2300 I requested that piers should be built but was told nothing could be done that night. Lord Gort arrived on the beach on Thursday morning [30th May] and asked what could be done to assist. I again suggested erection of piers, and under Colonel Porter's direction this was begun, the pier at La Panne being ready and in use by 1400". I Calcutta's report. 2 The Golden Sunbeam, Lord Rodney, Lord Keith, Lord St. Vincent, and Lord Collingwood. 3 The Angler II, Nayland and New Britannic. 4 The Emperor of India, Gracie Fields, Halcyon, Hebe, Oriole, Princess Elizabeth and Waverley. 5 The Reiger, Doggersbank, Jutland and Oranje. 6 The Shikari, Harvester, Anthony, Sabre and Greyhound. 7 Sub. Lt. Croswell was not given orders by his commanding officer to remain ashore. He says as at La Panne there was no liaison between Army and Navy, I realised I could do a much more useful job by remaining there," and he stayed there until 1st June. Commenting on this, Lt. Cdr. M. Thornton, R.N., Captain of the Harvester says: " This young officer wisely accepted responsibility of missing his ship and then took charge of the beaches and embarkation. (C.W.23187/40.) 47	Angler Angler II Anthony Beal Britannic Bullfinch Calcutta Doggersbank Emperor of India Golden Sunbeam Hebe Java Jutland Lord Collingwood Lord Keith Lord Rodney Lord St. Vincent Nautilus Nayland New Britannic Oranje Princess Princess Elizabeth Reiger Sabre Sunbeam The Angler Yewdale Beal Day Dover Gort March May Miles Porter right Thornton Young

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 65.

WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
Calcutta contacts Lord Gort
On receipt of this signal at 0345 the Calcutta, which had already been embark-
ing troops from La Panne beach, sent her boats in again, in charge of Mr. F.J.
March, Gunner. Mr. March made personal contact with Lord Gort about
8 miles inland, and placed the Calcutta at his disposal for his or his staff's evacua-
tion. Lord Gort, however, courteously refused to be evacuated at this
stage¹.
La Panne beach cleared of troops
Meanwhile the Calcutta was proceeding with the embarkation, having en-
listed the assistance of the minesweepers Sutton and Salamander, the tug Java,
five drifters2, and three motor launches³. By 1357 the Calcutta had embarked
1200 troops, with whom she proceeded to Sheerness.
In addition to the ships assisting the Calcutta, 7 minesweepers4, 4 skoots5,
and 5 destroyers⁶ also embarked troops from La Panne beach. Of the
destroyers, the Greyhound was bombed and severely damaged (see p.42).
The minesweepers embarked, in all, 3415 troops, the skoots 1137 and the des-
troyers 2100. The tramp Yewdale and the motor vessels Beal and Bullfinch
between them brought off 1,854. The assault landing craft A.L.C.15 ferried
about 750 troops from the beaches to off-lying ships, and finally transported
25 to Dover ; the A.L.C.5 also ferried troops throughout the day.
The paddle-minesweeper Oriole had beached herself at La Panne at about
0600, thus permitting about 2,500 troops to pass over her decks to be embarked
by other ships before she refloated at about 1800. In this connection, Sub-
Lieut. Croswell, who had been landed at La Panne at about 0600 with a small
beach party in the Harvester's motor skiff, says : " On the beach we found
14 boats which we launched. A line ferry was established from a paddle-
steamer [the Oriole] which was aground close inshore, and this steamer served
as a pier alongside which other boats were able to come.
Throughout
the
day embarkation continued."
Later in his report, Sub-Lieut. Croswell says " About 1400
bombing
commenced - there were no casualties though 8 heavy bombs fell within 100
yards of the place of embarkation. A supply ship [the danlayer Nautilus]
to the right of the beach was fired and destroyed by a near miss, and a destroyer
[the Greyhound] was hit by an incendiary bomb [in fact she was severely
damaged by a near miss] but continued in action. I joined up with the Army
Staff controlling evacuation - there were no other naval officers at La Panne.⁷
About 2300
I requested that piers should be built but was told nothing
could be done that night.
Lord Gort arrived on the beach on Thursday
morning [30th May] and asked what could be done to assist. I again sug-
gested erection of piers, and under Colonel Porter's direction this was begun,
the pier at La Panne being ready and in use by 1400".
I Calcutta's report.
2 The Golden Sunbeam, Lord Rodney, Lord Keith, Lord St. Vincent, and Lord Collingwood.
3 The Angler II, Nayland and New Britannic.
4 The Emperor of India, Gracie Fields, Halcyon, Hebe, Oriole, Princess Elizabeth and
Waverley.
5 The Reiger, Doggersbank, Jutland and Oranje.
6 The Shikari, Harvester, Anthony, Sabre and Greyhound.
7 Sub. Lt. Croswell was not given orders by his commanding officer to remain ashore.
He says as at La Panne there was no liaison between Army and Navy, I realised I could
do a much more useful job by remaining there," and he stayed there until 1st June. Com-
menting on this, Lt. Cdr. M. Thornton, R.N., Captain of the Harvester says: " This young
officer wisely accepted responsibility of missing his ship and then took charge of the beaches
and embarkation.
(C.W.23187/40.)
47