TNA ADM 234 360

THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
CHAP. VII
German battery. When the Bourrasque was about 5 miles north of Nieuport buoy a shock was felt, followed by one more violent; smoke rose from the torpedo firing platform and there was a big escape of steam. The ship stopped and the electricity failed. It was difficult to say if the ship was seriously damaged; there was a breach in the deck and water was entering some compartments, but it was not possible to get to the engine room toassess the damage there. During this time, not unnaturally, a certain degree of panic, which had to be controlled, reigned among this mixed crowd of passengers; some of them threw themselves into the water, while others lowered the boats and threw themselves into them in such numbers that they sank, even the rafts. Order was, however, restored. The Branlebas was approaching. It soon became evident, however, that the Bourrasque was doomed, and abandon ship" was ordered¹.
At 1625 the French torpedo boat Branlebas, which had been 4 cables astern of the Bourrasque, saw a heavy explosion take place in the Bourrasque which disappeared from view in a column of smoke and water. When the column subsided the Bourrasque appeared to have broken in two and was sinking rapidly. She had apparently struck a French mine. The Branlebas, which had already embarked 300 troops from Dunkirk picked up 100 survivors, the drifter Ut Prosim 250, and the drifter Yorkshire Lass (assisted by an English motor launch) 194. At 0530 next morning the motor vessel Bat, en route for
Dunkirk, took off 15 naked and oil-covered survivors from the capsized wreck of the Bourrasque.
It is officially considered by the French Admiralty that the Bourrasque was sunk by a mine, but her Captain was of the opinion that her sinking was the result of one or more shell hits.
Troops embark at the double
Following the disastrous air attacks on massed shipping on the 29th May
S.N.O., Dunkirk, decided on the 30th May that only one destroyer at a time should enter Dunkirk and secure alongside the east pier. This policy was adhered to throughout the forenoon and early afternoon.
At about 1700 Captain Tennant turned over the duties of S.N.O., Dunkirk, to Commander G. O. Maund, R.N., and went by car to G.H.Q. at La Panne
"to confer with Lord Gort.
Cdr. Maund says: "Towards the close of the day [i.e. the 30th] a great number of ships had arrived, and I accordingly decided to accept the risk of further losses, and ordered the vessels waiting in the roads to proceed alongside and embark troops. Strong air attacks were launched by the enemy, but fortunately they were mostly concentrated against wrecks in the roads. Time and again they sent waves of bombers and directed their attack, not against our ships loading troops, but only against these wrecks in the roads. We got a great deal of amusement and satisfaction from this, for loading was proceeding apace with no casualties. At the same time, I decided that the rate of embarkation must in some way be speeded up as the capacity of the ships now alongside was more than adequate for the rate of the flow of troops. This laid our vessels open to attack from the air. I therefore went down to the Eastern Arm and rigged up a loud speaker2 and addressed the troops in the following terms
Remember your pals, boys. The quicker you get on board, the more of them will be saved.' This", continues Cdr. Maund, worked like a miracle. The
I Report by Capitaine de Frégate R. Fouque (French Admiralty Record, Folio 4).
2 A portable loud speaker equipment had been brought to Dunkirk on 30th May.
63

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

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
to the method of embarking the troops, Lieut. Wells found that the best way queues were 3 deep and were spaced available. out groups The of 10, this number being
As to organise them into a long queue at each in of the 3 embarkation points.
The suitable for the type of boat following group could be most used for shoving off a loaded boat, which took a good deal of moving at half tide to a bar running parallel to the sea. The Army pontoon boats proved most owing suitable, because of their draught, double-ended construction and general handiness. The main difficulty, according to Lieut. Wells, lay in the insufficiency of naval boat keepers. As a rule the soldiers detailed to return the boats did not carry out orders and the beach parties had to swim or wade out for drifting boats, which continually delayed and slowed up the operation. Lieut. Wells considered that the troops could hardly be blamed as it was clearly a naval responsibility. More ratings were asked for from outlying ships, but none could be sent.
At 0930 on May 30th there was only one other motor boat working within
5 miles either side of Lieut. Vavasour's beach, i.e. G section. It was a destroyer's motor boat which, being aground when the destroyer sailed, had been left behind.
By about noon, all ships within sight from G beach had departed fully loaded.
About an hour later a destroyer [the Windsor] anchored east of Bray, and as many boats as possible were towed out to her. Lieut. M. A. Hemans R.N., says Lieut. Vavasour closed the destroyer. On board her were two officers,
Lieuts. Stubbs and Fletcher from the beach party which had gone to La Panne
(under Cdre. Stephenson) who said they had been told to leave by their
Commodore. Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker was on board the destroyer and he told Lieuts. Hemans and Vavasour to carry on with the boats.
At about 1300 some 10 trawlers, drifters and minesweepers began to arrive, and evacuation proceeded apace until 2000, in spite of there being only 3 motor boats for towing and ferrying. By 2000 all ships had left except the Special
Service vessel Royal Eagle. By 2100, however, just after dark, many destroyers and minesweepers commenced to arrive.
Lieut. Vavasour went on board the Royal Eagle at about 2000 in response to a signal. While his motor boat was away collecting boat loads of troops for the
Royal Eagle the former broke down and was picked up by a destroyer which was on the way to La Panne. That was the last Lieut. Vavasour saw of his party. He later got on board a minesweeper at 0100/31 and sailed for Harwich.
Subsequently, on arrival at H.M.S. Excellent he found the remainder of Cdre.
Hallett's lieutenants were back. They had been told, he says, to abandon the evacuation about midnight by the S.N.O. of the beach-a Commander".
"I felt most limited in my activities," says Lieut. Vavasour, by the very definite orders that I had received that on no account was the naval party to be left behind. No accurate information was available.
I was unable to obtain any information at all from any single one of the large number of ships to which
I towed boats during the day and night". This is not surprising because in the circumstances, with the situation continually and rapidly changing, no one either ashore or afloat had any accurate information. Thus, for instance, the
Gossamer which anchored one mile west of La Panne at 2207, had sent in the motor boat Handy Billie in charge of S/Lt. M. Phipps R.N. to search for troops.
He found none, and received no answer to his hails. Inside an hour, however, the situation had changed, and thousands were massing abreast the ship".'
I Report by Gossamer (R.O.I, p.264).
D
81

SATURDAY, 1ST JUNE
CHAP. IX
Mascotte to tow the Basilisk, the enemy returned to the attack but made no hits. The French trawler slipped the tow and moved off to a safer distance.
At noon bombers returned for a third time, diving to about 400 feet.
Smothered by hits and near misses the Basilisk shuddered and heeled to starboard, righted herself momentarily, but sank in about 3 minutes, settling on the bottom on an even keel in some 4 fathoms. As soon as she was abandoned the Whitehall completed her destruction by gunfire and torpedoes.
The Jolie Mascotte picked up 6 officers and 71 ratings, the Whitehall 2 officers and 52 ratings. Other survivors got away in the motor boat and a whaler.
Second air attack, 0906: sinking of the Havant
Meanwhile the Havant, after transferring 500 troops from the damaged
Ivanhoe, proceeded down Dunkirk Channel. At 0906, at the western end of the channel, she was hit by 2 bombs which entered the starboard side of the engine room killing every one in it. A third bomb dropped 50 yards ahead and exploded as the Havant passed over it. Out of control and listing to port, the ship continued to steam ahead towards the sandbanks opposite Dunkirk. The engine room and No. 2 boiler room were on fire, there was a heavy escape of steam and all auxiliary machinery was out of action, resulting in a failure of the electric supply. It was impossible to enter the engine room, but Chief
Stoker M. Gallon, in spite of the fire, let the steam out of the boilers and the ship was brought up in 4 fathoms by the starboard anchor.
The Saltash and Grive came alongside and the Havant's troops were transferred during almost continuous bombing. The Saltash took the Havant in tow, but further concussion from near misses increased considerably the destroyer's list to port, so the majority of her ship's company were transferred to the skoot Aegir. A bomb fell between the Havant and the Saltash followed by another close to the Havant's port quarter. By 1000 the list had increased and the decks were almost awash. 'Abandon ship" was ordered, the tow was slipped and the remainder of the ship's company were transferred to the Aegir.
At 1015 the Havant rolled over and sank. 1 officer and 7 men were killed,
25 wounded.
Third air attack, 1009. Prague damaged
The enemy air attacks had not been confined to ships off the beaches. At
1009 the personnel vessel Prague, which had embarked about 3000 French troops from Dunkirk harbour, was attacked by dive-bombers between W and V
buoys and suffered severe damage astern from 3 near misses which put the starboard engine out of action.
The majority of the troops were transferred, whilst the ship continued to go ahead on the port engine, to the Scimitar, the minesweeper Halcyon and the paddle minesweeper Queen of Thanet, the later taking on board no less than
1,500 and the Scimitar 376; and at 1331 the tug Lady Brassey took the Prague in tow to the Downs, where the remaining troops were transferred to the trawlers
Olvina and Lady Philomena. The Prague had ended her service in Operation
' Dynamo", for to save her from sinking she was beached off Sandown Castle,
Deal, at 1730 that day. In three trips, she had taken out from Dunkirk over
6,000 men.
Sinking of the Foudroyant
Before the morning was out yet a fourth destroyer, the French Foudroyant, was sunk by air attack. The ship had sailed from England at 0800. She
91

APPENDIX A
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
TROOPS
MOTOR BOATS, LAUNCHES AND VESSELS (contd.)
TRANSPORTED
Constant Nymph
(Dr. B. A. Smith, Owner/Skipper)
Cordelia (S/Lt. C. A. Thompson, R.N.V.R.)
Couyt Bello IP
Cyb'
Dab II
(Lieut. R. W. Thomson, R.N.V.R.)
Defender
(Skpr. E. A. Turnnidge)
00
Diana Mary
Dreadnought II'
28
Dreadnought III'
Eastbourne Bello
Elizabeth Green
1
(S/Lt. E. T. Garside, R.N.V.R.)
10
Eastbourne Quoon'
Empross
(S/Lt. T. W. Betts, R.N.V.R.)
Enchantrass'
Encore
I
(Lt. Cdr. Wilson,)
44
Endcavour
(Skpr. F.C. Halls)
Enterprise
Escaul' 2
1
Eskburn
Eve'
27
(L/Sea. N. Furse, R.N.R.)
Ferry Nymph
Fervent
44
-
(Lt. Cdr. W.R. T. Clements, R.N.R.)
Fishbourne (I.O.W. Ferry)
Forty Two
I
(Lieut. R. Nimmo, R.N.R.)
Frightened Lady'
1
(S/Lt. S.C. Allen, R.N.V.R.)
Gavines
-
Goy Crusader
-
(S/Lt. T. H. Rodgers, R.N.V.R.)
Gipsy King
-
Glitter11 (A. Botts) (H. Brown) (F. Hook, Deal boatman)
-
(Actg. S/Lt. J. W. S. Culham, R.N.)
Goldon Lily
I
Golden Spray II'
(J. O'Neill and N. Cohen, Deal boatmen)
(A. C, Crowthall, a Lloyd's official)
Gondolier King
Godolior Queen
-
Good
-
Grace Darling 11"
Guen Eagle 1
-
Halfway
Handy nilly
140
Honora' (S/Lt. M. Phipps, R.N.)
-
Hound (S/Lt. C, Minchin, R.N.)
(H. W. Knight, Capt.)
98
1 Lost,
, 4 Ex-Belgian canal boat.
Recorded ns sunk in Home Waters apparently subsequent to Operation " Dynamo."
148

SIGNALS
APPENDIX H
Friday, 31st May-contd.
31. C.-IN-C. NORE to N.C.S.O. SOUTHEND, SHEERNESS F.O.I.C. LONDON, F.O.I.C. D.M.O. HARWICH, CoM-
MODORE IN CHARGE, (R) Admiralty, Sheerness, V.A.
Dover, N.O.I.C. Ramsgate
No more small craft are to be sailed for Ramsgate until further orders. They are to be kept at immediate notice at the places where they now are.
1825/31
32. VICE-ADMIRAL, London. DOVER to ADMIRALTY (R) N.O.I.C. Ramsgate, C.-in-C. Nore, F.O.I.C.
For Admiral Preston.
In view of alteration of plan request 30 motor boats and a number of pulling boats up to 40 may be sent to Ramsgate forthwith. Please advise expected time 2031/31 of arrival.
33. F.O.I.C. LONDON to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) C.-IN-C. Nore, N.O.I.C. Ramsgate,
Admiralty, N.C.S.O. Thames.
V.A. Dover 2031/31. 30 motor boats sailed; expect to arrive Ramsgate 1100.
And 40 lifeboats with 3 tugs should arrive noon 1st June. Crews for lifeboats will be required to join at Ramsgate.
2330/31
Saturday, 1st June
34. ADMIRALTY to F.O.I.C. HARWICH (R) Cdre. i/c Sheerness, V.A. Dover, N.O.I.C.
All motor Ramsgate boats from Burnham if still detained at Harwich and any others available are to be sent at once direct to Ramsgate for operation Dynamo.
0947/1
APPENDIX H
SIGNALS RE LACK OF SMALL CRAFT
Tuesday, 28th May
1. Wakeful to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Plenty of troops few boats. Conditions good alongside Dunkirk east pier protected by smoke.
0507/28
2. Calcutta to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) S.N.O. Dunkirk
Conditions for embarkation at La Panne are very bad owing to heavy surf but may improve with rising tide. Have already lost one and possibly both my whalers.
2225/28
Wednesday, 29th May
3. Leda to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Message from Brigadier-General i/c of embarkation.
Present rate of embarkation from shore to ship quite inadequate. Beach bombed throughout the day.
0210/29
4. D.16 [Malcolm] to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Destroyers motor boats are inadequate to deal with number on beaches.
More boats urgently needed.
Weather is now difficult for boat work.
0428/29
5. Calcutta to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Evacuation at La Panne being seriously delayed by lack of boats.
0805/29
6. M.S. 10 to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Motor landing craft urgently required
Bray strong tide.
1455/29
169