TNA ADM 234 360

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CHAP. IX
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Admiral, When Rear-Admiral Dover, all the Wake-Walker ships which left full had about of not been 0930 sunk to make had contact with
many with the signs and collisions. Some were a theme
the evidence of bumps first few hours at rest in harbour the
1800," he wrote, the of harbour their strenuous was times
all had were for many enjoying days."¹ the that many of them and had
Air Patrols
Consequent on the bombing of at the dawn. day before, As the
had asked for fighter aircraft protection appeared on the and
low over the ships. More and often not they were fighters constantly came
dispersed many than scene,
were not taking chances the nearly always opened
them. In order to stop firing Rear-Admiral
Flag-" Cease fire", and blew the syren to draw spite of which,
however, the after machine gun of his own ship the Keith continued to
nothing.² regardless of the cease fire" gong; once firing started they could hear fire
Route X to Dunkirk was patrolled during the early hours of daylight by the
A.A. cruiser Calcutta, which sailed from Margate at 0315 with the corvettes
Mallow and Shearwater and carried out a patrol between W and V buoys. The
Calcutta was recalled to Sheerness at 0938 in readiness to perform the same
service next night, and at 1015 she shot down a Heinkel which had bombed
and damaged the Mosquito by a near miss 15 miles from Dover.
Fighter Command provided 8 patrols during the 1st June of an average
strength of 3 to 4 squadrons. The main periods when no fighter protection
was afforded were approximately 0730-0850, 1020-1120, 1120-1145, 1545-
1615 and 1715-1845. Coastal Command continued to fly patrols of 3 aircraft
over the North Goodwins-Gravelines-Ostend line throughout the day.
Enemy air attacks begin St. Fagan sunk 0355.
Sporadic enemy air attacks began at early light. Ships alongside the mole
reported being attacked at 0415 and 0500. This was before the first main
R.A.F. air patrol appeared on the scene, for the R.A.F. had been asked to pro-
vide maximum protection from 0500 onwards.
Before the first patrol appeared enemy aircraft claimed what was to prove
the first of a long series of victims that day. The tug St. Fagan had towed over
from Dover during the night three Thames barges. At about 0355, in the
Dunkirk Channel, abreast the town the ship was hit by a bomb and practically
disintegrated. Only two officers, including her Captain, Lieut.-Commander
G. H. Warren, M.B.E., R.N., and 6 ratings, were saved out of a total comple-
ment of 25. They were picked up by the tug Tanga which had come over from
Ramsgate with 6 boats in tow and had hung off outside Dunkirk most of
the night waiting for troops to be brought out to her, and was then on her way
home with 160 men on board and a motor-boat in tow.
Almost simultaneously with the withdrawal of our aircraft at 0730 a heavy
dive bombing attack developed by a compact formation of some 30 or 40 Ju. 75s,
causing the loss of the destroyers Keith and Basilisk, the minesweeper Skipjack,
and the tug St. Abbs.
2 I Report, M.017978/41 p.29.
3 M.017978/41, p.23.
R.A.F. narrative.
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