← Document collections
TNA / ADM 234 360

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.

Showing only document page 118. Show all matching pages ×

1 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 118–118 of this collection
Page ImageOCR textOCR tags
118 Page 118 Log in to enlarge

CHAP. IX
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Loadings at Dunkirk during the day
In the space of a
few hours the supply cerned to shipping at at any the as losses time, during of asked the destroyers, whole the of enemy a the type previous had of vessel caused 7 which days. almost was as much damage Noremase and services carrying used of ing personnel attack. 6 only through of power; in no vessels positions In less serious the no than short was other where damage. 15 perhaps view, of vessels they them however, Admiralty equally could could had been manoeuvre the compare serious. to effect lost give to with on The orders the thigh speed under bor them. operation, that possessed Up 9 to by date the sinking great loss the
Dunkirk Nevertheless, through and the despite growing the number increasing of difficulty of threading was throughout day, though not without a series of setbacks. vessels maintained the wrecks, the supply of personnel a way into
The Côte d'Argent, a French mail boat transferred to the orders of
Admiral Dover, disembarked 1,000 troops from Dunkirk harbour on the Vicedisembarked 1,250 troops at Dover in the morning and left again about 0930
June, the King George V 700, the French vessel Rouen 800. The St. Helier. 1st
At 1530 she entered Dunkirk harbour to embark wounded and troops, and was twice hit by shore batteries before sailing for Dover once more at 2230 with
1,334 troops.
The controlling organisation
The organisation which controlled the supply of shipping functioned in a room below Dover Castle, known as the Dynamo Room from the codeword of the Dunkirk operation. In charge was Captain M. M. Denny, R.N. With him there were 20 or more officers, soldiers, naval officers and Board of Trade and Sea Transport officials, and the work they did was marvellous. They were controlling, organizing, fuelling and supplying, not only men-of-war, but a variety of merchant vessels. Sometimes a merchant vessel would need a crew to take her over to Dunkirk again, but within a few hours the Sea the new Transport Officer would get one and the ship would sail. At Ramsgate, collected and various other places besides Dover, ships and boats were where
Nore, and organised, but the head and control of the whole was in this room, they worked continuously and tirelessly against time day and night.¹
for the numerous small craft, working parties, and beach small parties craft were of provided by the Chatham serviced and controlled by N.O.I.C. to assist
Crews Depot. The great majority of the Ramsgate. At
Harwich, which exceptional called there to make a quick turn round their by vessels.
the inshore an flotillas were Naval and Military system was organised relieving the tired those ships' ships companies of the work of cleaning and clearing
NAVAL LOSSES OF THE DAY.
SUNK BY AIR ATTACK.
Destroyers-Basilisk, Havant, Keith, French Foudroyant.
Gunboat Mosquito.
Minesweepers French Minesweeping Brighton Trawlers Queen, Skipjack. Denis Papin, Moussaillon, Vénus.
Personnel vessel Scotia.
Tugs St. Abbs, St. Fagan.
Barges Lady Robinson, Doris.
I Report of R. A. Wake-Walker, M 017978/41, p.27.
94
Boat Doris King George King George V Lady Robinson Mosquito Moussaillon Queen Rouen Scotia Skipjack St. Helier The King TS King George V TSS Scotia Crews Day Denny Dover Few George Head King Robinson Wake Wake-Walker Walker

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 118.

CHAP. IX
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Loadings at Dunkirk during the day
In
the
space
of
a
few
hours
the
supply cerned to shipping at at any the as losses time, during of asked the destroyers, whole the of enemy a the type previous had of vessel caused 7 which days. almost was as much damage Noremase
and services carrying used of ing personnel attack. 6 only through of power; in no vessels positions In less serious the no than short was other where damage. 15 perhaps view, of vessels they them however, Admiralty equally could could had been manoeuvre the compare serious. to effect lost give to with on The orders the thigh speed under bor them. operation, that possessed Up 9 to by date the sinking great loss the
Dunkirk Nevertheless, through and the despite growing the number increasing of difficulty of threading
was throughout day, though not without a series of setbacks. vessels
maintained the wrecks, the supply of personnel a way into
The Côte d'Argent, a French mail boat transferred to the orders of
Admiral Dover, disembarked 1,000 troops from Dunkirk harbour on the Vice-
disembarked 1,250 troops at Dover in the morning and left again about 0930
June, the King George V 700, the French vessel Rouen 800. The St. Helier. 1st
At 1530 she entered Dunkirk harbour to embark wounded and troops, and was
twice hit by shore batteries before sailing for Dover once more at 2230 with
1,334 troops.
The controlling organisation
The organisation which controlled the supply of shipping functioned in a
room below Dover Castle, known as the Dynamo Room from the codeword
of the Dunkirk operation. In charge was Captain M. M. Denny, R.N. With
him there were 20 or more officers, soldiers, naval officers and Board of Trade
and Sea Transport officials, and the work they did was marvellous. They
were controlling, organizing, fuelling and supplying, not only men-of-war, but
a variety of merchant vessels. Sometimes a merchant vessel would need a
crew to take her over to Dunkirk again, but within a few hours the Sea the
new Transport Officer would get one and the ship would sail. At Ramsgate, collected
and various other places besides Dover, ships and boats were where
Nore, and organised, but the head and control of the whole was in this room,
they worked continuously and tirelessly against time day and night.¹
for the numerous small craft, working parties, and beach small parties craft were of
provided by the Chatham serviced and controlled by N.O.I.C. to assist
Crews Depot. The great majority of the Ramsgate. At
Harwich, which exceptional called there to make a quick turn round their by vessels.
the inshore an flotillas were Naval and Military system was organised relieving the
tired those ships' ships companies of the work of cleaning and clearing
NAVAL LOSSES OF THE DAY.
SUNK BY AIR ATTACK.
Destroyers-Basilisk, Havant, Keith, French Foudroyant.
Gunboat Mosquito.
Minesweepers French Minesweeping Brighton Trawlers Queen, Skipjack. Denis Papin, Moussaillon, Vénus.
Personnel vessel Scotia.
Tugs St. Abbs, St. Fagan.
Barges Lady Robinson, Doris.
I Report of R. A. Wake-Walker, M 017978/41, p.27.
94