TNA ADM 234 360

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THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
CHAP. VII
German battery. When the Bourrasque was about 5 miles north of Nieuport
buoy a shock was felt, followed by one more violent; smoke rose from the tor-
pedo firing platform and there was a big escape of steam. The ship stopped
and the electricity failed. It was difficult to say if the ship was seriously
damaged; there was a breach in the deck and water was entering some com-
partments, but it was not possible to get to the engine room toassess the damage
there. During this time, not unnaturally, a certain degree of panic, which
had to be controlled, reigned among this mixed crowd of passengers; some of
them threw themselves into the water, while others lowered the boats and threw
themselves into them in such numbers that they sank, even the rafts. Order
was, however, restored. The Branlebas was approaching. It soon became
evident, however, that the Bourrasque was doomed, and abandon ship" was
ordered¹.
At 1625 the French torpedo boat Branlebas, which had been 4 cables astern
of the Bourrasque, saw a heavy explosion take place in the Bourrasque which
disappeared from view in a column of smoke and water. When the column
subsided the Bourrasque appeared to have broken in two and was sinking
rapidly. She had apparently struck a French mine. The Branlebas, which
had already embarked 300 troops from Dunkirk picked up 100 survivors,
the drifter Ut Prosim 250, and the drifter Yorkshire Lass (assisted by an English
motor launch) 194. At 0530 next morning the motor vessel Bat, en route for
Dunkirk, took off 15 naked and oil-covered survivors from the capsized wreck
of the Bourrasque.
It is officially considered by the French Admiralty that the Bourrasque was
sunk by a mine, but her Captain was of the opinion that her sinking was the
result of one or more shell hits.
Troops embark at the double
Following the disastrous air attacks on massed shipping on the 29th May
S.N.O., Dunkirk, decided on the 30th May that only one destroyer at a time
should enter Dunkirk and secure alongside the east pier. This policy was
adhered to throughout the forenoon and early afternoon.
At about 1700 Captain Tennant turned over the duties of S.N.O., Dunkirk,
to Commander G. O. Maund, R.N., and went by car to G.H.Q. at La Panne
"to confer with Lord Gort.
Cdr. Maund says: "Towards the close of the day [i.e. the 30th] a great
number of ships had arrived, and I accordingly decided to accept the risk of
further losses, and ordered the vessels waiting in the roads to proceed alongside
and embark troops. Strong air attacks were launched by the enemy, but
fortunately they were mostly concentrated against wrecks in the roads. Time
and again they sent waves of bombers and directed their attack, not against
our ships loading troops, but only against these wrecks in the roads. We got
a great deal of amusement and satisfaction from this, for loading was proceeding
apace with no casualties. At the same time, I decided that the rate of embarka-
tion must in some way be speeded up as the capacity of the ships now alongside
was more than adequate for the rate of the flow of troops. This laid our vessels
open to attack from the air. I therefore went down to the Eastern Arm and
rigged up a loud speaker2 and addressed the troops in the following terms
Remember your pals, boys. The quicker you get on board, the more of them
will be saved.' This", continues Cdr. Maund, worked like a miracle. The
I Report by Capitaine de Frégate R. Fouque (French Admiralty Record, Folio 4).
2 A portable loud speaker equipment had been brought to Dunkirk on 30th May.
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