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
209	Log in to enlarge	SIGNALS APPENDIX R 18. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to ADMIRALTY, S.N.O. C.-IN-C. NORTHERN NAVAL FORCES GENERAL ALEXANDER, DUNKIRK My 1609/1 [Appx. R.8] and S.N.O. Dunkirk 1754/1 [Appx. R.11]: Casualties to shipping are now being caused by heavy artillery. All shipping has been ordered to withdraw before daylight tomorrow Sunday. 2214/1 19. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to ADMIRALTY A.M. 2025/1 [Appx. R.16] paras. (a) to (f), S.N.O. Dunkirk 1754/1 stating General concurs that evacuation for transports is to cease at 0300: Channels to Dunkirk now all under fire of German batteries. New battery came into action this evening, suspending traffic on only remaining daylight route, namely X, maintaining heavy barrage, sinking transports Mona's Queen and Brighton Queen1 and a trawler in the fairway near No. 5 buoy. French destroyer nearby turned back Royal Daffodil and " Royal Scot' [?Royal Sovereign]. Eight transports have now been lost and eight disabled. Crews of others difficult to keep on service. The above facts coupled with recent naval losses and also military losses by drowning have convinced me that any attempt to continue evacuation during the day is unwise. Permission is therefore requested in accordance with A.M. 2021/1 [Appx. R.15] para. (G) to withdraw all forces at 0300 until the following 2329/1 night. Sunday, 2nd June 20. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to S.N.O. DUNKIRK Admiralty has directed that evacuation by personnel steamers from Dunkirk pier shall continue until 0700. 0055/2 21. ADMIRALTY to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) R.A. Dover Straits, S.N.O. Dunkirk Your 2329/1 (a) Evacuation up to 0700 in accordance with Admiralty telegram 2025/1 to V.A. Dover, and 2021/1 to R.A. Dover Straits and S.N.O. Dunkirk, is to be carried out using destroyers only. (b) Destroyers to be ready to open fire on any batteries. (c) If further experience shows that the channel is prohibitively dangerous due to gunfire, evacuation by day is to cease and Admiralty informed immediately. 0115/2 22. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to FORCE K Evacuation by destroyers is to continue until 0700 from Dunkirk harbour. Transports are to leave Dunkirk at 0300. Destroyers inform transports. Fire of shore batteries should be returned. 0125/2 23. Winchelsea to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER Your 0055 and your 1729/1 not passed to S.N.O. Dunkirk. 0416/2 24. S.N.O. DUNKIRK to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) Admiralty, War Office Your 1609/1/6 [Appendix R.8] not received until 0430. Large proportion naval personnel evacuated. Estimated approximately 20,000 British and French evacuated, greater (proportion?) being French. I No transports were sunk by gunfire on 1st June. The Mona's Queen was sunk by magnetic mine on 29th May the A.B/V Mona's Isle was straddled by shore guns on 1st June and sustained some damage. The minesweeper Brighton Queen was sunk by aircraft on 1st June. The minesweeper Sandown came under fire of Nieuport guns on 31st May. 185	Evening Mona's Isle Queen Royal Daffodil Royal Scot Royal Sovereign Sandown Alexander Crews Day Dover May

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Unformatted machine-generated OCR for document page 209.

SIGNALS
APPENDIX R
18. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to ADMIRALTY, S.N.O. C.-IN-C. NORTHERN NAVAL FORCES
GENERAL ALEXANDER, DUNKIRK
My 1609/1 [Appx. R.8] and S.N.O. Dunkirk 1754/1 [Appx. R.11] :
Casualties to shipping are now being caused by heavy artillery. All shipping
has been ordered to withdraw before daylight tomorrow Sunday.
2214/1
19. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to ADMIRALTY
A.M. 2025/1 [Appx. R.16] paras. (a) to (f), S.N.O. Dunkirk 1754/1 stating
General concurs that evacuation for transports is to cease at 0300 :
Channels to Dunkirk now all under fire of German batteries. New battery came
into action this evening, suspending traffic on only remaining daylight route,
namely X, maintaining heavy barrage, sinking transports Mona's Queen and
Brighton Queen1 and a trawler in the fairway near No. 5 buoy.
French destroyer nearby turned back Royal Daffodil and " Royal Scot' [?Royal
Sovereign]. Eight transports have now been lost and eight disabled. Crews of
others difficult to keep on service.
The above facts coupled with recent naval losses and also military losses by
drowning have convinced me that any attempt to continue evacuation during the
day is unwise. Permission is therefore requested in accordance with A.M. 2021/1
[Appx. R.15] para. (G) to withdraw all forces at 0300 until the following 2329/1 night.
Sunday, 2nd June
20. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to S.N.O. DUNKIRK
Admiralty has directed that evacuation by personnel steamers from Dunkirk
pier shall continue until 0700.
0055/2
21. ADMIRALTY to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) R.A. Dover Straits, S.N.O. Dunkirk
Your 2329/1
(a) Evacuation up to 0700 in accordance with Admiralty telegram 2025/1 to
V.A. Dover, and 2021/1 to R.A. Dover Straits and S.N.O. Dunkirk, is to be
carried out using destroyers only.
(b) Destroyers to be ready to open fire on any batteries.
(c) If further experience shows that the channel is prohibitively dangerous due
to gunfire, evacuation by day is to cease and Admiralty informed immediately.
0115/2
22. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to FORCE K
Evacuation by destroyers is to continue until 0700 from Dunkirk harbour. Trans-
ports are to leave Dunkirk at 0300. Destroyers inform transports. Fire of shore
batteries should be returned.
0125/2
23. Winchelsea to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Your 0055 and your 1729/1 not passed to S.N.O. Dunkirk.
0416/2
24. S.N.O. DUNKIRK to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) Admiralty, War Office
Your 1609/1/6 [Appendix R.8] not received until 0430. Large proportion naval
personnel evacuated. Estimated approximately 20,000 British and French evacu-
ated, greater (proportion ?) being French.
I No transports were sunk by gunfire on 1st June. The Mona's Queen was sunk
by magnetic mine on 29th May the A.B/V Mona's Isle was straddled by shore
guns on 1st June and sustained some damage. The minesweeper Brighton Queen
was sunk by aircraft on 1st June. The minesweeper Sandown came under fire of
Nieuport guns on 31st May.
185