TNA ADM 234 360

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 68.

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VI
More Personnel ships feel the strain
In the early hours of 29th May Mercantile information Marine was received at
personnel vessels (manned to by Dunkirk harbour in crews) the
difficulties caused encountered by en route to, and off,
in making the entrance the heavy pall of smoke over a the
one round sail trip and during an officer, the (Lt. A. R. MacKewn, R.N.R.) of the
ing and shelling previous 24 hours, the Captain
and and sailed did not at sail 1100. again. On her return voyage was
unable to the ship
a hospital Parties to carrier² supplement and to ships' various crews drifters were and lent motor to three boats. personnel vessels and
port Officer at took Dover the during place of Officers in says on two occasions Sea Trans-
Commodore E. G. de S. Jukes-Hughes, "Dynamo," R.N., that who was Principal Sea
port Officers 'The effect of the personality personnel of the ships and proceeded Trans- to
noticeable. in them. A strong Master carried succeeded his crew with Master," him and he imbued says, them was with very sea
his spirit. A weak Master only in disturbing his crew."4
Surf. More ships sent to Dunkirk
work⁵. during At early 0709 May that surf on the beaches was retarding reported boat-
S.N.O., the Dunkirk, hours and of 29th other Senior Officers on the French coast
was going on at the rate of 2,000 an hour and asked for all ships to go to Dun-
S.N.O., Dunkirk, reported that embarkation from Dunkirk
kirk harbour⁶. An increased number of H.M. ships was therefore sent to
harbour, in spite of the danger that an accumulation of ships alongside the the
pier at Dunkirk by day might well invite an intensive air attack and, east
been seen, it actually did so. In view, however, of the military situation as has
limitations and the of Dunkirk harbour (with its narrow gangway along the east the
Dover, continued to send a proportion of ships to the beaches.⁷
probability of the surf reducing as the tide rose, the Vice-Admiral, pier),
Route Y under gunfire
and shortly after noon enemy shore batteries near Nieuport brought the
Meanwhile, at 1100, enemy troops were reported north-east of Nieuport,
Zuydcoote Z Pass (on Route Y) under spasmodic gunfire. The southern Route
X was already under fire from the guns at Calais and that Route
beaches. would soon be the only practicable daylight Gravelines, to Dunkirk so and the
it; By 1606 Route X was fully swept, and approach all ordered to use
passage ships from Dover, however, were instructed to use ships Route were Z, provided the
between Calais Bell Buoy and Dunkirk could made in darkness.
point Route Y, the locality in which south-west E-boat attack of the threatened, extreme and the
Route of X passed some 26 miles to the be north-east
report I Authority by the officers for this or is V. A. Dover's Report on Personnel No
apparently did not sail owners of the St. Seiriol Vessels, M011882/40. She
p.213, 2 219). again because her crew were mentions in an overwrought that she was state. damaged. (R.O.III,
3 5 R.O.III, See P.564. Lady in charge of Mann, of No. Princess 3 Party Maud (R.O.III, and the p.416). H/C St.Julien.
6 Appendix 0.1.
Appendix 0.2.
7 D.R., p.6, para. 24.
48