TNA ADM 234 360

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THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
CHAP. VII
reached the beaches, and by retrieving the abandoned and drifting pulling boats
they were able to do much to increase the rate of lifting¹.
Many more were on the way. The destroyers Basilisk and Venomous from
the Western Approaches Command were making for Dover, and the mine
sweepers Niger and Dundalk were coming down from the Humber. The
attempt to maintain an adequate rate of lift with only the older destroyers
soon proved unavailing, and all the modern destroyers of the H, I and J classes
which had been withdrawn on the 29th May were ordered back to Dunkirk
on the 30th².
Small craft were hastening up from Portsmouth, Newhaven and Sheerness;
six tugs were plodding along from Tilbury (towing 23 motor and 46 rowing
lifeboats), and five others had left Gravesend (towing barges). Yachts, drifters
and trawlers; launches, lighters and steam hopper barges; car ferries, coasters
and cockle boats; train ferries, speed boats and picket boats; seaplane
tenders, fishing craft and pleasure craft; steam pinnaces, sailing craft and a
Thames fire float-a host of vessels-were heading in ever-increasing numbers³,
for Dover, the Downs, or Dunkirk direct, while the cry more ships, more
boats", still went up off. the French coast.⁴
Set-backs were inevitable, but this concourse of ships, big and little, fast
and slow, manned by willing and eager crews fired by one purpose of saving
the British Expeditionary Force, continued to grow until it assumed the pro-
portions of an armada.
Late on the previous evening the Bideford had sent a call for large quantities
of rope for towing to be sent, and within a few hours 9 coils (1080 fathoms)
of 4-inch grass hawser were speeding by lorry from Chatham dockyard to
Ramsgate to help the skoots to haul boats off the beaches, thus speeding up
the boat work and compensating for the shortage of boats, 'which would
continue", says Vice-Admiral, Dover for at least another 24 hours "5.
Undoubtedly as a result of the messages and signals received on the 29th
May by V.A. Dover with regard to the harbour at Dunkirk, the number of
ships sent there on the 30th May was curtailed, with a corresponding reduction
in the volume of embarkation. After V.A. Dover's signal to Admiral Abrial
late on the 29th May, asking whether it was possible for transports to berth
alongside, further signals to the same effect were sent to the Vanquisher and
the Codrington and to Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker. Finally, at 1020, the
Wolsey was called upon for a detailed report of conditions alongside the east
pier; and by 1524 V.A. Dover was able to inform destroyers that a good
berth with bollards exists 400 yards from end of east
pier".
In the meantime signals were coming in from Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker
and from the Vivacious stating that the beaches were filling up rapidly and
more ships and boats were urgently required there.⁶ Although it was known
that the destroyers could use Dunkirk, it appeared, says V.A. Dover, that the
best division of transport was to send the great majority of destroyers to the
beaches, where urgent demands could not be ignored, and the personnel vessels
to Dunkirk harbour, only an occasional destroyer being sent to Dunkirk from
the reduced number available.⁷
I D.R. p.15, para. 49.
Javelin. 2 Appendices D.9, D.10. Except the Intrepid and Jaguar (in need of repairs) and the
3 Appendices G.20, G.27, G.28.
4 Appendices H.7 to H.10.
5 D.R. p.13, para. 41.
6 Appendices H.7, H.9 and G.22.
7 D.R. p.13, para. 43.
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