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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FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
in the Bray and Malo sectors were being thinned out by movements westward towards Dunkirk iteslf. This change of plan involved concentrating the special tows and the minesweepers to which they were to transfer the troops, into the stretch opposite the beach between Zuydcoote Sanatorium and one mile east of La Panne¹, and also advancing the commencement of the operation by one hour².
A risk was involved in this change of plan as the boat tows were not in communication with the Vice-Admiral, and it would therefore be necessary for minesweepers to see that the escorting M.A./S.B.'s shepherded the tows to the new positions It had been explained to the Naval officers in each tow that the minesweepers would be anchored so as to serve as guiding marks³.
" It was always impossible for me to do more than deal with the situation of the moment", says Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker. "I did not know what ships were coming or when-except for the pre-arranged plan of the sloops. Nor was it possible for Dover to give me much information. Ships got back there, unloaded, and were off again, the stream was constant but irregular and it was not possible to see any way ahead. My policy was always to keep only sufficient ships off the beaches and send all the others into Dunkirk, but the situation changed continually."4
Small craft arrive in hundreds
It was in such circumstances that, at about 1900, Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker had proceeded to Dunkirk in the Keith to see how the boat situation was getting on. There he saw for the first time that strange procession of craft of all kinds the story of which was to become famous-tugs, towing dinghies, life-boats and all manner of pulling boats5-small motor yachts, motor launches, drifters, Dutch skoots, Thames barges, fishing boats, pleasure steamers⁶. This was indeed the first time that the small craft had come over in hundreds⁷. Since noon Lt. Cdr. C. J. Wynne-Edwards, R.N. (of R.-A.
Dunkirk's staff), embarked in M.T.B.68, had been directing the tows to the various beaches.
I See Appendix Q.18, observing that D.R. p.20, para. 61 says the beach between Bray and 1 mile east of La Panne."
2 Appendix Q.19.
3 D.R. p.20, para. 61.
4 M.017978/41, p.17.
5 The following 14 tugs (their tows are shown in brackets) reached Dunkirk that evening:
The Racia (12 life-boats), Sun VIII (12 life-boats), Sun XV (6 life-boats), Vincia (3 lifeboats), Sun IV (9 boats), Tanga (6 boats), Ocean Cock (6 M/B's), Sun VII (seaplane tenders
243, 254, 276, 291 and A.M.C.3), Foremost 87 (two sailing barges), Fairplay I (sailing barge
Barbara Jean), Empire Henchman (sailing barge Aidie), Crested Cock (a lighter), Sun XI (a lighter), and the Sun XII (sailing barges Tollesbury and Ethel Everard).
In the early hours of 1st June 4 other tugs arrived. The St. Fagan (auxiliary barges
Pudge and Lady Rosebery, and the sailing barge Doris), St. Abbs (auxiliary barge Thyra and sailing barges H.A.C. and Duchess), Cervia (sailing barge Royalty), and the Persia
(sailing barge Glenway and Lark).
6 M.017978/41, p.19.
7 New arrivals off Dunkirk and the beaches on 31st May included the following The yachts Amulree, Aronia, Glagla, Caleta, Christobel II and Llanthony, the nine yachts of the
Portsmouth Inner Patrol, viz the Ahola, Ankh, Bounty, Caryandra, Eilla II, Lahloo,
Noneta, Seriola and Thele and from the R.N. Air Station, Ford, the yacht Andora.
The drifters Ben and Lucy (towing 4 boats), Dorienta (towing boats), Monarda, Renascent and the 13 drifters of the Yarmouth Base, viz Alcmaria, Feasible, Genius, Gula,
Jeannie MacIntosh, John and Norah, Lord Barham, Lord Hood, Overfalls, Reed, Rewga,
Swift Wing and Taransay. The drifters Fair Breeze and Ocean Breeze were again over, the former towing a motor life-boat and 3 life-boats.
The steam hopper barges Foremost 102 (towing the Excellent's 35 ft. fast motor boat and
71

Ahola Aidie Alcmaria Amulree Ankh Aronia Barbara Barbara Jean Boat Bounty Caleta Cervia Crested Cock Deal Dorienta Doris Duchess Empire Henchman Ethel Everard Evening Excellent's Fair Breeze Fairplay I Feasible Foremost 102 Foremost 87 Genius Glenway Gula H.A.C. Jeannie MacIntosh Lady Rosebery Lahloo Lark Llanthony Lord Barham Lord Hood Monarda Noneta Persia Pudge Racia Reed Rewga Royalty Seriola Sun Sun IV Sun VII Sun VIII Sun XI Sun XII Sun XV Swift Swift Wing Tanga Taransay Thames Thele Thyra Tollesbury Vincia Westward Barge Dover Edwards Ford May Reed Swift Wake Wake-Walker Walker Wynne-Edwards

166

OCR table 1 from document page 166
NAVAL M/Bs (contd.)	TROOPS TRANSPORTED
Nelson's Picket boat
(Actg. S/Lt. J. M. Campbell, R.N.)	16
Vernon's Pinnace (V.4)
V.A. Dover's barge¹	Not known
(Act. S/Lt. C. E.S. Beale, R.N.)	/
Vernon I, M/B
(S/Lt. G. A. Gabbett-Mulhallen, R.N.)	25
Total	96
BLOCKSHIPS. Total 6, of which 2 were lost en route.
Edvard Nissen
(Lt. E. J. King-Wood, R.N.R.)
Gourko² (Cdr. A. V. Hemming, R.N.)
Holland²
(Lt. Cdr. E. C. Coats, R.N.)
Moyle
(Lt. Cdr. R. H. D. Lane, R.N.)
Pacifico
(Lt. Cdr. G. H. F. Owles, R.N.)
Westcove (Lt. Cdr. A. M. McKillop, R.N.)
TUGS. Total 40³ of which 3 were sunk.
C.9. (West Acre)
(J. Treleaven, Master)	23
Cervia (W. H. Simmons, Master)
Challenge	30
Contest
(H. J. Bates, Master)	- 1
Crested Cock (T. Hills, Master)	-
Doria (A. W. Mastin, Master)	90
Dromedary (S/Lt. T. Lawrie, R.N.V.R.)	-
Duke (B. P. Mansfield, Captain) Empire	44
Henchman Fabia (J. (?) E. Fishe, (?Fisher), Master) -	-
(F. Smith, Master)	I
Fairplay I Foremost 22 (S. Wright and G. Finch)	-
(F. M. (C. Fieldgate, Master) (Sick)	30
Foremost 87 Holden, Actg. Master) Fossa¹ (J. Fryer, Master)	100
Gondia (S/Lt. M. H. B. Solomon, R.N.V.R.)	-
Java (C. Pratt, Master)	14
Kenia (W. Jones, Master)	270
(W. Hoiles, Master)	-
1

Betty Boat C.9 Cervia Challenge Contest Crested Cock Doria Dromedary Duke Edvard Nissen Empire Henchman Fabia Fairplay I Foremost 22 Foremost 87 Gondia Hibernia Java Kenia Moyle Pacifico Simla Vernon Vernon I Vernon's Watercock Westcove Bates Beale Coats Dover Fieldgate Finch Fishe Fisher Fryer Gabbett-Mulhallen Hills Hoiles Holden Jones King King-Wood Lane Lawrie Mansfield Mastin McKillop Owles Pratt Smith Solomon Treleaven West Wright

221

INDEX
cut off, 8; to be held, by 13; E-boat), falls, 17.
27 (attacked 32, 46, 47, 54, 88 (shoots down Heinkel), 99'
104, 126.
71n.
Caleta, Calvi, 13n, 39, 43 (sunk), 44.
Canterbury, 16, 22n, 24, 29, 39, 42-3 (damaged), 48n, 54, 114n.
Cameron, Lieut., 79.
Canvey Queen, lost, 53.
Cap d' Antifer, 102.
Carama, 60.
Caribia, 29n.
Cassidi, Cdr. R. A., 51.
Caryandra, 71n, 74.
Casualties: Embarkation, 17, 32, 36, 64, 87 (final), 115.
Cecil and Lilian Philpot, 107n.
Cayton Wyke, 34n, 107n.
Cervia, 71n.
Chamois, 72n.
Chantecler, 54.
Chasse-Marée, 62n, 73n, 102.
Chico, 13n, 60n.
Christabel II, 71n.
Civilians, crews feel strain, 29, 48; supplemented by R.N., 48, 99.
Clan Macalister, sunk 41.
Claude, 59.
Clouston, Cdr., J. C., 44, 105, 110 (drowned).
Coastal Command, XIIIn, 38, 64, 83, 88-9, 93, 99-100, 115.
Coats, Lt. Cdr. E. C., 112.
Cockburn, Lt. Cdr., 49.
Cockle Bawley boats, 73.
Codrington, 28, 54n, 55, 61, 64n, 75, 77, 97, 101, 107n, 108-9 (sent back empty), 112n.
Coggins, Mr. C., 73.
Comfort, 36, 37 (sunk).
Commandant Delage, 35n.
Communications. Difficulties and delays, 57, 60, 122; on beaches, 67; established between Dunkirk and Dover, 67-8; closed down, 76-7.
Commodore, abandoned, 74.
Conidaw, 13, 60n.
Constant Nymph, 60n.
Corap, General 1.
Cordelia, 60n.
Côte d'Argent, 54n, 94, 102, 107n, 109, 112n, 114n, 118.
Coulthard, J. W., 110.
Coxyde. See Beaches.
Crested Cock, 71n.
Crested Eagle, 32n, 39, 43, 44 (beached), 46, 58 (burnt out),
Croswell, S/Lt., E. C., 36, 47 (lands at La Panne), 76n, 77.
Cyclone, 39, 42, 68-9 (damaged).
Dangerfield, Capt., 111, 119-20.
Daylight evacuation abandoned, 97-8; French Admiralty wish resumption, 105.
Decoster, F., 116.
Defender, 73n.
Dench, Mr. A. J., 73.
Denis Papin, sunk, 93.
Denny, Capt. M. M., 94.
Destroyers bombard Calais, 13; brought from W. A. and Portsmouth Commands, 20,
61, and from patrol and escort, 28, 34 not to stop to aid ships, 38; brought off most troops 55; H, 1, J classes withdrawn, 55, and ordered back, 61; G class all out of action,
55; not sent to Dunkirk harbour, 61; exhaustion of crews, 64, 113; heavy losses, 94
sent back empty, 108.
Devonia, beached to form pier, 83.
Diana Mary, 117.
Diligente, 73.
Dill, General Sir John, 10, 12 (becomes C.I.G.S.).
Dinard, 64.
197

Aid Boat Caleta Calvi Canterbury Canvey Queen Caribia Cayton Wyke Cervia Chamois Chantecler Chico Christabel II Clan Macalister Claude Comfort Commandant Delage Commodore Conidaw Constant Nymph Cordelia Crested Cock Crested Eagle Defender Devonia Diana Diana Mary Diligente Dinard Mary Queen Cassidi Clouston Coats Coggins Coulthard Crews Dangerfield Dench Denny Dover