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.

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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
203	Log in to enlarge	SIGNALS APPENDIX Q APPENDIX Q SIGNALS RE EVACUATION ON 31st MAY AND NIGHT OF 31st MAY 1st JUNE Friday, 31st May 1. VICE-ADMIRAL to Gossamer, Leda, Speedwell, Halcyon, Skipjack, Salamander, Niger, Ross, Albury, Kellett, Fitzvoy, Sutton, Saltash, Lydd, Dundalk, (R) C.-in-C. Nore, F.O.I.C. Harwich. Ships addressed are grouped as follows for special embarkation today Friday. Group one. Gossamer, Leda, Ross, Albury. Group two. Halcyon, Skipjack, Speedwell, Dundalk. Group three. Niger, Salamander, Fitzroy, Sutton. Spare. Kellett, Saltash, Lydd. Each ship is to adjust programme forthwith as necessary to rendezvous empty with Senior Officers of groups at W buoy at 2200/31. Object final evacuation of covering force of five thousand troops. Execution. Groups are to proceed so as to arrive off beach eastward of Dunkirk in following positions vide chart 1872 as close as possible to the shore at 2400/31. Group One. Bray Dunes Hotel, 5 cables apart. Group Two. La Panne light 41 cables apart. Group Three. Niger, Salamander, Rosendael. Fitzvoy, Sutton, battery longitude 02° 27' E. Kellet, Saltash, spare ship between Groups One and Three and Groups One and Two respectively. Lydd is to make rendezvous, and if not required to complete Groups, to lie off Braye. Troops will be brought off in three fights by waiting motor boats commencing at 0130 or earlier. Maximum speed of embarkation essential. Seven ocean tugs will lie to seaward of minesweepers to take overflow but maximum loading of ships is necessary to ensure complete evacuation. Group One is to return to Sheerness, Groups Two and Three to Dover. Spare ship to Harwich. Acknowledge. 0400/31 Note: The above signal was amended later-see Appendix Q.18. 2. S.N.O. DUNKIRK to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER Every available ship will be required at Dunkirk during next 2 hours to evacuate rest of Army. 0445/31 3. REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER Conditions on beach bad. On-shore wind. Whalers capsized. 0651/31 4. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to ADMIRAL [LANDRIAU], Savorgnan de Brazza Request you will send in all your available destroyers and ships to Dunkirk and to beaches at once. 0819/31 5. ADMIRAL [LANDRIAU] to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER C.-in-C. Dover from French Admiral, Pas de Calais: This night and tomorrow I continue maximum effort. I request support of aviation on Dunkirk tomorrow as today. T.O.R. 2104/31 179	Albury Dundalk Fitzroy Lydd Savorgnan de Brazza Skipjack Speedwell De Dover Landriau Light May Ross Senior

Raw OCR

Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 203.

SIGNALS
APPENDIX Q
APPENDIX Q
SIGNALS RE EVACUATION ON 31st MAY AND
NIGHT OF 31st MAY 1st JUNE
Friday, 31st May
1. VICE-ADMIRAL to Gossamer, Leda, Speedwell, Halcyon, Skipjack, Salamander, Niger,
Ross, Albury, Kellett, Fitzvoy, Sutton, Saltash, Lydd, Dundalk, (R) C.-in-C.
Nore, F.O.I.C. Harwich.
Ships addressed are grouped as follows for special embarkation today Friday.
Group one. Gossamer, Leda, Ross, Albury.
Group two. Halcyon, Skipjack, Speedwell, Dundalk.
Group three. Niger, Salamander, Fitzroy, Sutton.
Spare. Kellett, Saltash, Lydd.
Each ship is to adjust programme forthwith as necessary to rendezvous empty
with Senior Officers of groups at W buoy
at 2200/31. Object final evacuation
of covering force of five thousand troops.
Execution. Groups are to proceed so as to arrive off beach eastward of Dunkirk
in following positions vide chart 1872 as close as possible to the shore at 2400/31.
Group One. Bray Dunes Hotel, 5 cables apart.
Group Two. La Panne light 41 cables apart.
Group Three. Niger, Salamander, Rosendael.
Fitzvoy, Sutton, battery longitude 02° 27' E.
Kellet, Saltash, spare ship between Groups One and Three and
Groups One and Two respectively. Lydd is to make rendezvous, and if not re-
quired to complete Groups, to lie off Braye.
Troops will be brought off in three fights by waiting motor boats commencing at
0130 or earlier. Maximum speed of embarkation essential. Seven ocean tugs will
lie to seaward of minesweepers to take overflow but maximum loading of ships is
necessary to ensure complete evacuation. Group One is to return to Sheerness,
Groups Two and Three to Dover. Spare ship to Harwich. Acknowledge.
0400/31
Note: The above signal was amended later-see Appendix Q.18.
2. S.N.O. DUNKIRK to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Every available ship will be required at Dunkirk during next 2 hours to evacuate
rest of Army.
0445/31
3. REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Conditions on beach bad. On-shore wind. Whalers capsized.
0651/31
4. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to ADMIRAL [LANDRIAU], Savorgnan de Brazza
Request you will send in all your available destroyers and ships to Dunkirk and
to beaches at once.
0819/31
5. ADMIRAL [LANDRIAU] to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
C.-in-C. Dover from French Admiral, Pas de Calais:
This night and tomorrow I continue maximum effort. I request support of aviation
on Dunkirk tomorrow as today.
T.O.R. 2104/31
179