TNA ADM 234 360

CHAPTER IX
SATURDAY, 1ST JUNE
GERMANS RENEW THEIR HEAVY AIR EFFORT
E-Boat activity: sinking of the Stella Dorado and Argyllshire
During the night of 31st May-1st June there was a recrudescence of enemy
E-boat activity. After the torpedoing of the destroyers Grafton and Wakeful off Nieuport in the early hours of the 29th May M.T.B. patrols had been established during the dark hours to prevent enemy E-boats from using the inshore channels.
It was, however, in the less confined waters along Route Y that the enemy obtained their successes, despite intensive air and surface patrols. Route Y
was patrolled that night by 2 corvettes and 6 trawlers, while Coastal Command provided 6 aircraft with bombs and parachute flares; and owing to magnetic mines ships evacuating troops were given permission in the early hours of 1st
June to use that route as well as Route X.
At 0230 on the 1st June the A/S trawler Stella Dorado, which 24 hours earlier had picked up 55 survivors from the Siroco, torpedoed by an E-boat near
T buoy, was herself torpedoed in the same position and sunk whilst on patrol.
About a quarter of an hour later the A/S trawler Argyllshire, on patrol in company with the Lord Melchett and Stella Rigel about 2 miles east of S buoy, commenced an attack on what appeared to be a submarine. Within 5 minutes she was struck by a torpedo fired by an E-Boat and sank immediately. Five survivors, including her Captain, Sub-Lieutenant J. S. Weddle, R.N.R., S.O.
11th A/S Striking Force, were picked up by the trawler Malabar.
At the time there were many trawlers and other small craft in the neighbourhood, and one of the two E-Boats responsible for these sinkings was reported to have been disguised as a sailing boat.
Final evacuation postponed
Already on the afternoon of the 31st May ships in Dunkirk road had come under fire from guns on shore at Mardyck, and early on 1st June it became evident that Major General Alexander's force could not be evacuated completely on the night of 1st/2nd June. At 0800, therefore, he agreed on a modified plan with Admiral Abrial and General Fagalde which involved holding his present line till midnight 1st/2nd June, so as to cover Dunkirk and to enable the French to evacuate as many of their troops as possible. Subsequently
Major General Alexander was to withdraw to a bridgehead round Dunkirk with all available A/A and anti-tank guns and such troops as had not yet embarked.
Embarkations over Bray beaches
It was not only in Dunkirk roads that the ships had been under fire on the previous day; off Bray they had the same experience. Troops were moving westward, and embarkation at La Panne was no longer possible. It was clear to Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker that beach work at Bray would be costly, and he so informed Vice-Admiral, Dover (0235/1), who concurred, whilst pointing out the necessity of using the beaches up to the last possible moment.
85

SATURDAY, 1ST JUNE
CHAP. IX
SUNK BY E-BOAT TORPEDOES.
Trawlers Argyllshire, Stella Dorado.
SUNK BY MINES.
Trawler St. Achilleus, small craft Renown.
SUNK BY GUNFIRE.
Drifter Lord Cavan.
SUNK BY COLLISION OR OTHER MISADVENTURE.
Drifters Eileen Emma, Fair Breeze, Gervais Rentoul.
Yachts Amulree, Pellag II.
Barges Aidie, Barbara Jean, Duchess, Ethel Everard, Lark, Royalty.
Small craft, number unknown.
DAMAGED BY AIR ATTACK.
Destroyers Ivanhoe, Worcester.
Minesweepers Ross, Salamander, Westward-Ho.
Corvette Kingfisher.
Personnel vessel Prague.
DAMAGED BY MINE.
Hospital carrier St. David.
DAMAGED BY GUNFIRE.
One trawler, name uncertain.
DAMAGED BY COLLISION OR GROUNDING
Destroyer Vimy.
Personnel vessel Maid of Orleans.
The evacuation figures for the day
Little ships added their quotas to those of the big ships, though not without casualties they suffered heavy losses from collision or other misadventure, although in the circumstances it was not always possible to obtain details
(See App. B.I.)
On this day there were lifted from the beaches and from Dunkirk harbour:
by motor boats and the like 2334 persons, by hopper barges 1470, by tugs 736, by yachts 1,831, by skoots 3,170, of which almost all were from the beaches, by special service vessels 1,250, by drifters 2,968, and by trawlers 1,876 practically all of whom were lifted from Dunkirk harbour. French ships lifted
3,967, Belgian trawlers 402, and a Dutch yacht 114; all troops evacuated by foreign ships were embarked in Dunkirk harbour, none coming from the beaches.
Though losses of ships had been highest this day the total of troops lifted was the second highest of the operation, no less than 64,429 being landed in England.
Of these, 47,081 had been embarked in Dunkirk harbour and 17,348 from the beaches.
95

APPENDIX B
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Part V. List of Dutch Ships.
TRANSPORTED
Demok I (yacht)
M.74 (motor boat)
(Lt. Cdr. H.G. Boys-Smith, R.N.R. from Kestrel 1st June)
214
(L/Sea. R. W. Legg, Coxswain)
Part VI. List of Norwegian Ships.
S.S. Hird
(Capt. A. M. Fredhjem)
3,500
APPENDIX B
NAMED SHIPS AND VESSELS LOST AND DAMAGED DURING
OPERATION "DYNAMO "
(Dates in brackets)
Note: Large numbers of unnamed boats were also lost and damaged.
Part I. Ships and vessels lost
BY AIR ATTACK
DESTROYERS
GUNBOAT
Basilisk (1/6)
A.B./V.
Mosquito (1/6)
Grenade (29/5)
King Orry (30/5)
Havant (1/6)
Keith (1/6)
MINESWEEPERS
TRAWLERS
Brighton Queen (1/6)
DRIFTERS
Devonia (31/5)
Calvi (29/5)
Nautilus (29/5)
Boy Roy (27/5)
Gracie Fields (30/5)
Paxton (27/5)
Skipjack (1/6)
Polly Johnson (29/5)
Waverley (29/5)
PERSONNEL VESSELS
Clan Macalister (29/5)
HOSPITAL CARRIER
SEAPLANE TENDER
Crested Eagle (sp. S/V) (29/5)
Paris (3/6)
S.T. 243 (2/6)
Fenella (29/5)
Lorina (29/5)
Normania (29/5)
Queen of the Channel (28/5)
Scotia (1/6)
MOTOR LIGHTERS
X.149 (31/5)
LANDING CRAFT
TUGS
X.213 (31/5)
A.L.C. 16 (29/5)
St. Abbs (1/6)
St. Fagan (1/6)
BARGES
Lady Rosebery (1/6)
SMALL CRAFT
Doris (1/6)
Commodore (31/5)
Mirasol (1)
Southern Queen (P.L.17) (1)
DESTROYERS
BY TORPEDOES (E-BOATS)
Grafton (29/5)
TRAWLERS
Wakeful (29/5)
Argyllshire (1/6)
Stella Dorado (1/6)
I Date not known.
158

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
APPENDIX J
to return the to effect England. that a was at Dunkirk telling Margate boats to
During the evening skoot of the 1st going June a along report the was beaches recieved from S.N.T.O.
Antje The intended Antje was to hailed get confirmation and told with to from survivors return. her, when A warship the troop was carrier Scoficinity, sarrier Scoticinity, and skoot Oranje with boats in tow was England and complied.
close to her; so Antje filled up told to return and to returned. is understood sunk that another skoot was of these details. was hands. It has not occasion been
In view of these informed reports, message that Dunkirk 2335/1 was in sent German out. On an earlier possible to get confirmation
2332/3
APPENDIX J
SIGNALS RE PATROLS IN THE NORTH SEA SOUTH AND ON THE
ROUTES TO DUNKIRK
Sunday, 26th May
1. ADMIRALTY to C.-IN-C. NORE, (R) V.A. Dover, F.O.I.C. Harwich, F.O.I.C. Humber
All available forces are to be used for covering operation Dynamo tonight Sunday.
1937/26
2. Widgeon to C.-IN-C. NORE
Siroco was torpedoed by 2 M.T.B.'s
0200/31
Saturday, 1st June
3. Malabar to ANY-BRITISH MAN-OF-WAR
explosion 2 miles? S buoy.
Argyllshire sunk by torpedo. Survivors report submarine submerged before
0310/1
4. Kingston Galena to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) Capt. A.P.
to Dover.
Stella Dorado torpedoed. Picked up 5 survivors, 1 badly injured. Proceeding
0430/1
5. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to SHIPS & AUTHORITIES NORE & DOVER COMMAND
Magnetic mines reported to have been laid vicinity of buoy F.G. on route X.
2310/1
Sunday, 2nd June
6. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to Epervier (R) Léopard, Savorgnan de Brazza.
N. Goodwin L.V. 8 miles. Caused by shell fire. Vanquisher left Dover 1305 B.S.T.
Three aux. patrol vessels reported out of action at 1214 B.S.T. in position 090°
to investigate and report.
1315/2
7. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to Calcutta, (R) C.-in-C. Nore, Admiralty, Savorgnan de Brazza patrol to that carried out today Sunday is to be carried out tomorrow Monday,
Return to Sheerness and revert to 1 hours notice for steam. An exactly similar provided patrol line. C.-in-C. Nore can provide a screen. Inform the French vessels on your
1247/2
were was not already sufficient ships in Dunkirk harbour and that was Oranje's complete, tow of 4 boats,
I A skoot informed Oranje that beach evacuation that there required. About an hour later the Oranje did in fact return to England.
172