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 pages tagged with the vessel name Aire. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

6 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 25–241 of this collection

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Page	Image	OCR text	OCR tags
25	Log in to enlarge	THE WEEK BEFORE OPERATION "DYNAMO" CHAP. II Organisation of the Canal line On the 21st May, also, steps were taken to defend the south-western flank of the Allied force by organising the defence of the canal line from the Escaut to La Bassée, and to continue it to St. Omer and the sea at Gravelines.¹ From this date all arrangements for air co-operation with the B.E.F. were made by the War Office in conjunction with the Air Ministry, the air liaison work being carried out in England at Hawkinge.2 Emergency evacuation again considered at the War Office Meanwhile, in London, a meeting was held at the War Office at which, once again, the emergency evacuation across the channel of very large forces, now 100ming close ahead, was under consideration.³ 22ND MAY Canal line occupied By the 22nd May the 85 miles of canal line from Gravelines, through St. Omer and Aire, to the Escaut (west of St. Amand) had been occupied, so far as was possible, with the 10,000 men available. This line was divided into sectors, for each of which a British commander was responsible,¹ but the number of anti-tank weapons was barely adequate to cover all the crossing places, and no effective watch could be kept against small parties of infantry crossing the canal between the bridges.¹ Boulogne cut off, Calais threatened The ports of Boulogne and Calais were now no longer working and consequently the supply situation had grown worse than ever. It was found too that, at such short notice, the port of Ostend could not be adapted to military requirements.4 Boulogne was, in fact, by this time completely cut off, and by the evening enemy armoured forces were within 9 miles of Calais.⁵ At Merville, the last remaining advanced landing ground available for the R.A.F. Component was abandoned. On the night of 22nd/23rd May, according to plan, the Allied withdrawal to the Belgian frontier defences was carried out.⁶ " The operation ... will be known as Dynamo' Meanwhile, the Admiralty had begun to make definite preparations for an evacuation from the Continent. There were at this time, lying at Poole and in the Port of London, some 50 Dutch skoots (schuyts), 200 ton-motor coasters which had escaped from Holland. On the 22nd May the Admiralty, after allocating 8 of these vessels to the War Office for use as supply ships, directed the Commanders-in-Chief Portsmouth and the Nore to take over and man the remainder, arrange for their organisation and assembly, and report the names of the vessels as they became ready for service. At the same time it was intimated that, when ready, the skoots would be placed at the disposal of V-A. I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 34. 2 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 29. D.R. 4 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 37. 5 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 36. 6 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 39. 7	Aire England Escaut Evening Gravelines Holland London Gort Last May Miles Poole West
26	Log in to enlarge	THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK CHAP. II Dover.¹ It was added that "Dynamo"2 the operation the for first which these ships were prepared word. would be known as mention of the now famous being 18 lying at Poole were London were commissioned Portsmouth on of these, As a result of this direction, commissioned 40 skoots by the in all C. were in C. commissioned; the May, 25th and and 22 lying 27th at May. by the C. in C. Nore between 23RD MAY Enemy within 20 miles of Dunkirk May which (see to have changed enemy hands twice bridgeheads at Aire, at St. 23rd Over in Plan France, 2), and the situation the on established the canal line deteriorated during the mediately east of St. Omer), and, during the forest of Clairmarais German seems tanks were reported harbouring during in the the day"3), and near Watten. Omer vehicles within 3 miles of Hazebrouck; day, hostile armoured (im- Dunkirk. enemy was then within some 20 miles these of movements came had been checked,3 the and though by the evening fighting Calais cut off gallant was conducted under the orders of the War Office". of Calais defence was now of Calais finally cut off, and, said Lord Gort, the remainder the Dunkirk, available though for its water supply was destroyed,⁴ was by this time the and port small unloading supplies. Even the small supply by air of only craft arms ammunition now ceased, as it had become impossible rations (Licut.-General to land. Accordingly, on the advice of the Quarter-Master-General for air- During completed. day the evacuation of the R.A.F. Component of the B.E.F. rations.⁴ was the W. G. Laidsell), Lord Gort put the B.E.F. on half Dunkirk Naval demolition parties were ready at the Nore, and one was landed XD(E)). during the day to prepare the locks for demolition. (Operation at Boulogne evacuated Comdr. Early A. on E. the same day a demolition party (Operation XD under Buttercup", destroyer Vimy, to Boulogne, together with despatched, in the P. Welman, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N., (Retd.), was (G) also Lieut.- consisted Major of C. F. L. Holford, R.M. was in cover the demolition party; to restore control of the docks area and a force known as Force guns and a medical 4 platoons of seamen, 2 Marine platoons command with a of section this force, of machine and it attacked battery drawn When to had "Force by the been enemy Buttercup" sent tanks party. on the and Two arrived, previous battalions the day. and town the of Irish was under Guards shell and fire an and anti-tank being orders jetty in readiness infantry, for Army forces were being with- I during the afternoon that the evacuation, troops were although to stay the and War fight Office it out⁵. sent 2 Appendices F.1 and F.2. Appendix F.3. 4 5 3 Lord Lord Gort's Gort's Second Despatch, Admiralty Second Despatch, para. 39. Message 1422/23, War para. Diary 37. 23.5.40, p. 356. 8	Aire Evening Gallant London Major Day Dover Gort May Miles Poole
30	Log in to enlarge	THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK CHAP. II Defences of Dunkirk It was would be Dunkirk¹. Its local were under the only port du now obvious that if the B.E.F. defences was to be evacuated the available Nord, Admiral Abrial, whose command included the Boulogne, Calais and Dunin these areas to General Fagalde. kirk, but on this day (24th May) he delegated command of military forces and comprised an inner and an outer sector; inner on The French defences of Dunkirk extended only the as far as the Belgian frontier, Mardyck Canal to Spyker, thence to Bergues to the frontier and so to the the outer on the line of the river Aa to St. Omer, thence by Cassel and Steen- sea voorde to the frontier.¹ the inundations which formed part of the defence scheme of Dunkirk.² The French now took over the British posts on the Aa and began to operate Belgian line penetrated In the late evening the enemy attacked the Belgian line on the Lys, penetrating to a depth of 1] miles on a 13 mile front3 and endangering the security of the British left flank. It had become a matter of vital importance to keep open the B.E.F.'s line of communication to the coast through a corridor of withdrawal which was hourly narrowing. The penetration of the Belgian line made it certain that before long the whole area east of the Yser canal would be in the hands of the enemy, with the serious risk of the Belgian right becoming separated from the British left at Menin, and of the Belgian Army being forced to fall back in a northerly, rather than a westerly direction.³ 25TH MAY Enemy pincer attack On the 25th May enemy activity intensified. He was across the canal at St. Venant, and was developing the bridgeheads between that place and Aire and also at St. Omer, while further north the situation on the river Aa remained obscure. During the day the Belgians continued to withdraw in a north-westerly direction under enemy pressure. General Sir John Dill, who had now succeeded General Sir Edmund Ironside as C.I.G.S., visited Lord Gort in the morning. He then informed the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for War that there could be no disguising the seriousness of the situation.3 By 1800, says Lord Gort, "I was convinced that the steps I had taken to secure the north. my left flank would prove insufficient to meet the growing danger in held; ment the the south-west on Dunkirk had already and being The from pattern of the enemy pincer attack was becoming clearer. One movebetween counterpart was now developing on the developed, front. was The gap the British left and the Belgian right which Belgian had been threatening D.R. 3 Lord Lord Gort's Second Despatch, 41. Gort's Second Despatch, para. para. 42. 12	Aire Evening Security Day Gort Long May Miles right West
239	Log in to enlarge	PLAN 1 Soate of Miles 10 5 o 10 20 30 40 N The German break-through on 17th.18th KENT OSTEND ANTWERP DUNKIRK LA PANNE NIEUPORT BRUGES 18th MAY may 13th MAY ON MAPS IN LORD CORTS DESPATCH R.M. FURNES Yser GAND MALINES GRAVELINES a BERGUES CALAIS SPYKE RIYS R.Senna ALOST WORMHOUTE th F. LOUVAIN YPRES 18MAY Phyle WATTEN COURTRAI MENIN Escaut BRUSSELS 13th MAY CASSEL COMINES BOULOGNE StOMER R.Dendre WAVRE HAZEBROUCK ARMENTIERES P.LYS AIRE MERVILLE LILLE ATH R.Meuse EXOLISH NAMUR StAMAND LA BASSEE R.Sambre VALE CIENNES DOUAI Fscaut RRA R. 18th MAY 18thMAY 13th:MAY CAMBRAI DOULLENS ABBEVILLE R 2.50mm ALBERT DIEPPE PERONNE AMIENS st QUENTINE 18th MAY MEZIERES SEDAN R.Oire Approximiste BritishFrenchead Belgiadine on 13ᵗʰ May: R.Aisne " " " 18th ": German break break-through shewn in blue RMass TSD/HS (655) C.B.H. 16675- Wt.41534 Dd. -625-6/49	Aire Amiens Antwerp Bruges Escaut Gravelines Malines Meuse Sambre Kent May Miles
240	Log in to enlarge	PLAN 2 Scale ofMiles to 5 o 10 20 30 40 N The Allied withdrawal into 18th MAY the Dunkirk KENT GSTEND . 30ᵗMAY BRUGES ANTWERP PANNE perimeter on the + NIEUPORT 23rd MAY 30th May May + 4. FURNES MALINES Yser GAND BASED ON MAPS IN LORD GORT'S DESPATCH LINES C GRAVE STATES BERGUES R.Lys ALOST R WORMHOUTE LOUVAIN CHANNEL YPRES COURTRAI Escant R.Dyle WATTE MENIN BRUSSELS . R St. OMER CASSEL COMINES Dandre WAVRE BOULDONE . ZEBROUCK INS ARMENTIERES R. R AIRE MERVILLE ATH LILLE 23rd:MAY Meuse 23rd MAY St. AMAND NAMUR . BASSEE CARVIN . 18th MAY R. Sambre St.POL . VALENCIENNES DOUAI BARRAS Escaut a CAMBRAI OULLENS BEVILLE B ALBERT R.Somme PERONNE him AMIENS StQUENTIN French 10th Arm MEZIERES SEDAN R.Oise Mause The Dunkirk Perimeter on 30th May. Allied line on 18th Щау French 3rd Army R.Aisne Approximate British, French and Belgiantine on 23rd May German progress shewn in blue TSD/HS (ESG) C.B.H.16675	Aire Amiens Antwerp Bruges Escaut Grave Malines Meuse Progress Sambre Gort Kent May
241	Log in to enlarge	PLAN 2 Scale ofMiles to 5 o 10 20 30 40 & The Allied withdrawal into 18th MAY the Dunkirk KENT GSTEND 30thmay BRUGES ANTWERP PANNE perimeter on the NIEUPORT 23rd MAY + 30th May May + + x FURNES GAND MALINES LINES Yser BASED ON MAPS IN LORD GORT'S DESPATCH C SAYKER BERGUES R.Lys ALOST a WORMHOUTE LOUVAIN CHANNEL YPRES COURTRAI R.Dyle WATTE MENIN BRUSSELS . R St. OMER CASSEL COMINES WAVRE BOULDONE . Dandre ZEBROUCK IVS ARMENTIERES R. AIRE LALT MERVILLE ATH LILLE 23rd:MAY Meuse 23rd MAY . St. AMAND NAMUR BASSEE CARVIN . 18th MAY R Sambre St.POL VALENCIENNES DOUAI ARRAS R.Escaut CAMBRAI DOULLENS BEVILLE B ALBERT Somme PERONNE AMIENS him St.QUENTIN French 10th Army MEDIERES SEDAN R.Oise RMause The Dunkirk Perimeter on 30th May Allied line on 18th Щау French 3rd Army R.Aisne Approximate British, French and Belgiantine on 23rd May German progress shown in blue TSD/HS (E56) C.B.H.16675	Aire Amiens Antwerp Bruges Escaut Malines Meuse Progress Sambre Gort Kent May