TNA ADM 234 360

THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
CHAP. VII
reached the beaches, and by retrieving the abandoned and drifting pulling boats they were able to do much to increase the rate of lifting¹.
Many more were on the way. The destroyers Basilisk and Venomous from the Western Approaches Command were making for Dover, and the mine sweepers Niger and Dundalk were coming down from the Humber. The attempt to maintain an adequate rate of lift with only the older destroyers soon proved unavailing, and all the modern destroyers of the H, I and J classes which had been withdrawn on the 29th May were ordered back to Dunkirk on the 30th².
Small craft were hastening up from Portsmouth, Newhaven and Sheerness;
six tugs were plodding along from Tilbury (towing 23 motor and 46 rowing lifeboats), and five others had left Gravesend (towing barges). Yachts, drifters and trawlers; launches, lighters and steam hopper barges; car ferries, coasters and cockle boats; train ferries, speed boats and picket boats; seaplane tenders, fishing craft and pleasure craft; steam pinnaces, sailing craft and a
Thames fire float-a host of vessels-were heading in ever-increasing numbers³, for Dover, the Downs, or Dunkirk direct, while the cry more ships, more boats", still went up off. the French coast.⁴
Set-backs were inevitable, but this concourse of ships, big and little, fast and slow, manned by willing and eager crews fired by one purpose of saving the British Expeditionary Force, continued to grow until it assumed the proportions of an armada.
Late on the previous evening the Bideford had sent a call for large quantities of rope for towing to be sent, and within a few hours 9 coils (1080 fathoms)
of 4-inch grass hawser were speeding by lorry from Chatham dockyard to
Ramsgate to help the skoots to haul boats off the beaches, thus speeding up the boat work and compensating for the shortage of boats, 'which would continue", says Vice-Admiral, Dover for at least another 24 hours "5.
Undoubtedly as a result of the messages and signals received on the 29th
May by V.A. Dover with regard to the harbour at Dunkirk, the number of ships sent there on the 30th May was curtailed, with a corresponding reduction in the volume of embarkation. After V.A. Dover's signal to Admiral Abrial late on the 29th May, asking whether it was possible for transports to berth alongside, further signals to the same effect were sent to the Vanquisher and the Codrington and to Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker. Finally, at 1020, the
Wolsey was called upon for a detailed report of conditions alongside the east pier; and by 1524 V.A. Dover was able to inform destroyers that a good berth with bollards exists 400 yards from end of east pier".
In the meantime signals were coming in from Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker and from the Vivacious stating that the beaches were filling up rapidly and more ships and boats were urgently required there.⁶ Although it was known that the destroyers could use Dunkirk, it appeared, says V.A. Dover, that the best division of transport was to send the great majority of destroyers to the beaches, where urgent demands could not be ignored, and the personnel vessels to Dunkirk harbour, only an occasional destroyer being sent to Dunkirk from the reduced number available.⁷
I D.R. p.15, para. 49.
Javelin. 2 Appendices D.9, D.10. Except the Intrepid and Jaguar (in need of repairs) and the
3 Appendices G.20, G.27, G.28.
4 Appendices H.7 to H.10.
5 D.R. p.13, para. 41.
6 Appendices H.7, H.9 and G.22.
7 D.R. p.13, para. 43.
61

CHAP. IX
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
east of Dunkirk. deserted. The too, empty, small seen that the beach to the enemy tanks or As the light grew, at 0330, it was position against
The Rear-Admiral, lorries in along the Keith, the beach, with the was Basilisk for supporting fire and going instructions Panne back was westward, to to England move though westward as intended. sea to were was Dunkirk However, moving whilst ships westward those were boats which a still had loading off Bray vanished were by under La to the men anchored the had been hit by shell fire. she grounded aft and continued at daylight, and at about her motor boat and two She closed the shore ship as the Panne, using
The minesweeper Speedwell whalers was to ferry troops a little to the west of La shortly after low water, fire by aircraft of the thus to embark 0500, and the ship, until minesweeper took off 100 her off. She sailed at boats, under machine-gun the enemy Albury towed troops on shore, the troops for Dunkirk. On the way she troops from the Ivanhoe 0730
made repeatedly damaged up her by but a number bomb unsuccessfully as of the troops Speedwell bombed. to 972 was and steaming The left minesweeper for past Dover her. at 0950 Salamander At Dunkirk after which being was she anchored a mile east of Bray Dunes, similarly engaged in embarking troops was with her boats, and she sailed for Dunkirk astern of the Keith and Skipjack soon after 0600. At Dunkirk she came in for two air attacks in one of which, at about 0820, she was damaged by a near miss, but she reached Dover on one boiler at 1530 and disembarked 479 troops. It was her last trip. A mile east of Bray, too, the minesweeper Sutton embarked 453 troops from the beaches before sailing at 0600 for Dover. She was bombed and machine-gunned, but the only man hit was one wounded soldier. The minesweeper Dundalk was anchored nearer to La Panne, also embarking troops. Having no motor boat, the Speedwell and Salamander both lent a hand to tow her whalers. From
0500 onwards she was subjected to air attacks at regular intervals, and about
0800 she decided to proceed to Margate," where she arrived at 1215 with
280 troops. Still further east, the minesweeper Halcyon was anchored off La
Panne embarking troops swimming off to the ship, paddling in rubber boats, and in her whalers, during which she had one officer (Lieut. N. Thurston, R.N.)
mortally wounded and suffered some casualties amongst the crew from machine gunning by enemy aircraft.
Off Bray, the destroyer Sabre was embarking 451 troops and the minesweeper
Niger 310, pressing into service carley floats and lifebelts with which men swam from the beach. Daylight showed a minesweeper and a paddle minesweeper ashore, and the Rear-Admiral hailed a tug which was on its way homeward with soldiers on board, and told him to go in and try to tow off the minesweepers.
However, the tugs had been sent over from England with pulling boats in tow and told to load up, and they regarded themselves as transports only, whereas
Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker, who knew nothing of these instructions, naturally regarded them as tugs. It was not until a gun was trained on the tug and an
R.N.V.R. Sub.-Lieutenant put on board to take charge, that the master's anxiety to get away was overcome.
A welcome addition to the evacuation craft consisted of the first of a dozen
Belgian fishing boats which now appeared on the scene from seaward down the Zyuidcoote Pass.¹
Early liftings from Dunkirk
At 0241 Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker had given orders for all small craft to
I Probably the 10 Belgian trawlers from Brixham, referred to in Section 176.
86

THE NIGHT 2ND-3RD JUNE
CHAP. XI
Teteghem, the event this was postponed 2000 and when it took place some on a front of two miles. The until French intended to counter-attack at
There was no movement in the port. Later Admiral was in the hands of the enemy, but they had not advanced beyond. Further attacks were expected by the French this day, when the situation regarding munitions might become critical.
Sailing of the night flight from England
The movement from England towards Dunkirk commenced at 1700. The armada consisted of 13 personnel vessels, 2 large store carriers, 11 destroyers,
5 paddle minesweepers, 9 fleet sweepers, 1 special service vessel, 9 drifters,
6 skoots, 2 armed yachts, 1 gunboat, a large number of tugs, lifeboats, etc., formed either in organised tows or proceeding individually. For various reasons, however, not all of these ships evacuated troops.¹
The composition of the French contingent was not known at Dover. Actually,
3 French torpedo boats, two minesweeping trawlers, two patrol vessels, and
17 trawlers and motor fishing vessels landed troops in England on the 3rd June.
One Belgian patrol boat and 16 or 17 trawlers brought troops.
B.E.F. evacuated, 2330/2
The first destroyers to reach Dunkirk were the Sabre and Shikari, which sailed together from Dover at 1845. As the latter ship rounded No. 6 W buoy enemy shore batteries opened fire, but caused no damage. Berthing was carried out by an officer with a loud speaker at the pier head. Both destroyers sailed again at 2200, the Sabre with 500 and the Shikari with 700 troops. The
Venomous, which arrived at 2150, had difficulty in going alongside the East Pier.
This was not a solid jetty, but was built of concrete piles through which the west-going tide set. This, coupled with a fresh easterly wind, made it very
I The following ships (other than those on patrol which picked up survivors and landed them) landed troops in England on 3rd June, (numbers in brackets):-
BRITISH Destroyers - Codrington (44), Esk (500), Sabre (500), Shikari (700), Vanquisher (37),
Venomous (1500), Whitshed (82), Winchelsea (152), Windsor (1022);
Gunboat Locust (800)
Minesweepers - Albury (200), Duchess of Fife (300), Dundalk (399), Gossamer (490),
Halcyon (416), Kellett (364), Marmion (198), Medway Queen (481), Niger (430),
Oriole (750), Pangbourne (47), Speedwell (300), Westward-Ho (48);
Special Service Ship Golden Eagle (1);
Drifters - Forecast (108), Golden Sunbeam (163), Lord Howard (100), Midas (43),
Netsukis (119), Starlight Rays (319), Ut Prosim (49), Yorkshire Lass (103)
Trawler Cayton Wyke (300);
Skoot Doggersbank (50);
Yacht Sargasso (252);
Personnel ships - Côte d'Argent (955), King George V (1460), Newhaven (396),
Lady of Mann (18), Rouen (1286), Royal Sovereign (1500), St. Helier (2000),
Tynwald (1200) H.M.S. Nelson's M.B. (27)
Tugs - St. Olaves (200), Sun X (211), Sun XI (188), War Dept. M.Ls. (69)
Sailing barge Glenway (213)
R.N.L.I. Lifeboats Cecil & Lilian Philpot (51), Michael Stephens (52):
3 motor boats and launches (300).
FRENCH Torpedo boats - Bouclier (340), La Flore (410);
Destroyer Léopard (19);
S/M Chaser 6 (50, apparently disembarked at Havre);
M/S trawlers - Ste. Bernadette de Lourdes (79), Ste. Denise Louise (78);
Patrol vessels - Lucien Gougy (78), Reine des Flots (500);
17 trawlers and M.F.V's. (1663).
BELGIAN Patrol boat A.5 (229);
17 trawlers (1583).
107

THE NIGHT 2ND-3RD JUNE
CHAP. XI
also stopped off the harbour by entered orders at the 0050 harbour and had only 44 troops when she devoid of troops and was by Whitshed found Wake-Walker to return to was sailed at 0250. The Express ordered Rear-Admiral at 0200, found the pier sailed at 0245 with 82 men collected small craft. Finally, the Malcolm and Dover lay outside with orders to hail from stop other ships from entering. She with the Codrington. The and no berth on arrival at 0030
was ordered back at 0248, empty. Thus five destroyer trips were wasted.
Only the minesweepers which berthed at the inner end of the East Pier after the British rearguard had embarked, managed to collect normal quotas from the trickle of French troops.
Dunkirk was the headquarters of a French Naval Command and there was always a considerable number of French marines in evidence. But after the
British naval ratings left at 2300 there was difficulty in getting ships berthed, as the French did not replace them.
The Albury embarked 200 French troops, the Duchess of Fife 300, the Dundalk
399, the Gossamer 490, the Halcyon 416, the Kellett 350 French and 14 British, the Marmion 198, the Medway Queen 481, and the Speedwell 300. The Niger slipped at 0120 with 430 French troops. While turning an unknown French craft crossed her bows and was rammed, though apparently no damage was done to her. A few minutes later the Frenchman returned and rammed the
Niger.
Personnel ships did well. The Royal Sovereign sailed at 2205 with 1500
troops, the King George V at 2225 with 1460, the St. Helier at 2330 with 2,000.
The Côte Argent took 955 men, the Newhaven 396 French, the Tynwald 1,200, the Rouen 1,286; but the Lady of Mann was ordered back for lack of troops and took only 18 French embarked from a small boat.
Amongst the French ships the torpedo-boat Bouclier embarked 340 men and the La Flore 410. The patrol vessel Reine des Flots embarked 500 troops during a violent bombardment" and also reported air attacks (from German strays returning no doubt), en route to England, for which she sailed from
Dunkirk at 2300 on the 2nd. Seventeen French trawlers and motor fishing vessels brought off 1,662 troops and a Belgian patrol boat 229.
Summary of troops evacuated, night 2nd-3rd June
To Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker, who had worked out a programme by which 37,000 men could have been lifted, in addition to those that would get off in small craft, this had been a most disappointing night's work, owing to the long pause when the flow of men to the East Pier ceased for some hours after the British rearguard completed its embarkation, and the difficulty of getting ships berthed owing to the failure of the French to replace the British naval parties after these left Dunkirk. Between midnight on 2nd-3rd and
0300 on the 3rd a lifting capacity of about 10,000 men was left empty.
There were disembarked in England on 3rd June 26,700 troops. Of these,
British ships lifted 21,671, French ships 3,216 and Belgian ships 1,812. The great majority of these, namely 24,830, were embarked in Dunkirk harbour, principally by ships berthed alongside, though a few were ferried to ships waiting outside the port. Most of the remainder were taken out of small craft by ships which were likely to reach England with greater expedition and certainty many of these found in small craft had no doubt come off from the beaches.
109

SIGNALS
APPENDIX Q
APPENDIX Q
SIGNALS RE EVACUATION ON 31st MAY AND
NIGHT OF 31st MAY 1st JUNE
Friday, 31st May
1. VICE-ADMIRAL to Gossamer, Leda, Speedwell, Halcyon, Skipjack, Salamander, Niger,
Ross, Albury, Kellett, Fitzvoy, Sutton, Saltash, Lydd, Dundalk, (R) C.-in-C.
Nore, F.O.I.C. Harwich.
Ships addressed are grouped as follows for special embarkation today Friday.
Group one. Gossamer, Leda, Ross, Albury.
Group two. Halcyon, Skipjack, Speedwell, Dundalk.
Group three. Niger, Salamander, Fitzroy, Sutton.
Spare. Kellett, Saltash, Lydd.
Each ship is to adjust programme forthwith as necessary to rendezvous empty with Senior Officers of groups at W buoy at 2200/31. Object final evacuation of covering force of five thousand troops.
Execution. Groups are to proceed so as to arrive off beach eastward of Dunkirk in following positions vide chart 1872 as close as possible to the shore at 2400/31.
Group One. Bray Dunes Hotel, 5 cables apart.
Group Two. La Panne light 41 cables apart.
Group Three. Niger, Salamander, Rosendael.
Fitzvoy, Sutton, battery longitude 02° 27' E.
Kellet, Saltash, spare ship between Groups One and Three and
Groups One and Two respectively. Lydd is to make rendezvous, and if not required to complete Groups, to lie off Braye.
Troops will be brought off in three fights by waiting motor boats commencing at
0130 or earlier. Maximum speed of embarkation essential. Seven ocean tugs will lie to seaward of minesweepers to take overflow but maximum loading of ships is necessary to ensure complete evacuation. Group One is to return to Sheerness,
Groups Two and Three to Dover. Spare ship to Harwich. Acknowledge.
0400/31
Note: The above signal was amended later-see Appendix Q.18.
2. S.N.O. DUNKIRK to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Every available ship will be required at Dunkirk during next 2 hours to evacuate rest of Army.
0445/31
3. REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Conditions on beach bad. On-shore wind. Whalers capsized.
0651/31
4. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to ADMIRAL [LANDRIAU], Savorgnan de Brazza
Request you will send in all your available destroyers and ships to Dunkirk and to beaches at once.
0819/31
5. ADMIRAL [LANDRIAU] to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
C.-in-C. Dover from French Admiral, Pas de Calais:
This night and tomorrow I continue maximum effort. I request support of aviation on Dunkirk tomorrow as today.
T.O.R. 2104/31
179

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
APPENDIX Q
6. REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) Admiralty very bad owing to freshening on-shore conditions Only small numbers are being are
Majority of boats are broached to and wind. have no crews. Conditions on beach barked even in daylight. Under present any large scale embarkation to form a lee to try to improve only hope of embarking any number conditions. at Will attempt to beach ship from beach is quite impracticable. Motor is Dunkirk. boats cannot get close Consider
1035/31
7. S.N.O. DUNKIRK to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Your 0855. We have been continuously and heavily bombarded and they which are necessary for the flow of troops.
gradually finding the range of our loading berth. I would rather only enter ships are
1044/31
8. REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Dunkirk our only real hope. Can guns shelling pier from westward be bombed and silenced.
1105/31
9. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to Saltash, Queen of Thanet, Westward Ho, Devonia, Plinlimmon,
Sheerness. Brighton Queen, Niger, Dundalk, Fitzroy, Speedwell, N.O.I.C. Margate, C.S.
Ships carrying out Sheerness-La Panne ferry are now to run to Dunkerque beach and Margate instead. This service is to be maintained as long as possible while conforming to my 0400/31 [i.e. Appendix Q.1.].
1114/31
SIGNALS RE EVACUATION ON 31ST MAY AND NIGHT OF 31st MAY-1sr JUNE
10. ADMIRALTY to REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) V.A. Dover, S.N.O. Dunkirk
A paddle minesweeper suggests that much time could be saved if she puts her bows ashore on rising tide and she is then used as a bridge for deeper draught ships coming to her stern.
1134/31
11. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Admiralty's 1134:
Act on this if you judge conditions suitable.¹
1151/31
12. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) S.N.O. Dunkirk
Officers and men of beach parties have returned to Dover under intructions from Dunkirk. All repeat all beach parties must be retained to the last.
1229/31
13. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to Worcester
Land them as allocated and then continue evacuation from La Panne.
Embark beach parties and proceed when ready by Route X with all despatch.
1308/31
14. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to REAR-ADMIRAL, DOVER
Fresh beach parties are being sent in Worcester and have been allocated to beaches.
1405/31
I Note: The minesweeper Devonia was beached at about. 1600.
180

INDEX
Discipline. See British Expeditionary Force and French troops.
Disembarkation ports, 25.
Docksey, Capt. T. E., 21.
Doggersbank, 20, 29n, 32, 45, 47n, 64, 72, 107n.
Dolphin's power boats, 72n.
Donald, Lt. Cdr. C. G. W. Died of wounds, 10.
Dorienta, 71n.
Doris, 71n, 94 (sunk).
Dorrien Rose, 24, 29, 62.
Dove, Cdr. J. S., 50n (reports Dunkirk blocked), 59.
Dover, mined, 38.
Dowling, Lt. Cdr. D. B., 82.
Drifters, 23, 24 (flare burning).
Drogou, Lt. de V., 73.
Duchess, 71n, 95 (sunk).
Duchess of Fife, 28n, 54n, 101, 107n, 109.
Du Guesclin, 62n, 73n.
Dundalk, 86, 107я, 109.
Dunkirk, S.N.O. See Tennant, Capt. W. G.
Dunkirk: water supply destroyed, 8; demolitions, 8, 19, 106; inundations, 12; bridgeeasier, munications 27, 30; limitations, 48; reported blocked, 50; ships not to close, 51; comhead, 15, 18, 35; damaged, 15, 18; out of action, 23; reported fallen, 24; conditions established with Dover, 51; reduced number of ships sent, 61-2 bombarded, 70; harbour deserted, 87; harbour full of ships, 88; growing number of wrecks described, off, 117. 94; pier damaged, 97; blocking of inner harbour, 111-112, 119-20 piers
Duperre, 73.
Dwarf, 60.
Eastbourne Queen, 74.
E-boats, activity). 27-8, 36, 37n, 49 (fail to discover change of route), 68-9, 85 (recrudescence of
Edmond René, rams Kingfisher, 116.
Edvard Nissen, 111-12.
Edward Z. Dresden, 114n.
Eggington, Ldg. Sea., 119.
Eileen Emma, 23n, 83n (damaged), 95 (sunk).
Eilla II, 71n, 74.
Elizabeth Green, 53, 114n.
Ellwood, Cdr. M. 0. D. (i/c Communications), 67.
Emerald Wings, breaks down, 111.
Emile Deschamps, sunk, 119.
Emma, 73.
Emperor of India, 28n, 47n, 54n, 100.
Empire Henchman, 7In.
Endeavour, 73n.
Enterprise, 72n, 75n.
Epervier, 99.
Escaut, 60.
Esk, 28n, 49, 79 (takes across R.A. Dover and Beach parties), 54n, 55, 58, 64n, 92, 97,
102, 107n.
Ethel Everard, 71n, 95 (sunk).
Evans, W. L., 110.
Excellent's A/A M.B., 72n, 75n.
Excellent's 35 ft. M.B., 71n, 75n.
Exhaustion of ships' crews, 29, 113.
Express, back 28n, 41-2, 54n, 55, 59 (flag of R.A. Dover), 62n, 83 (slightly damaged), 109 (sent empty), 112n, 114n, 118.
Fagalde, General, 12, 68, 85.
Fairplay I, 71n.
Fair Breeze, 60, 71n, 95 (sunk).
Feasible, 71n, 73 (disabled).
Fenella, 34, 43 (sunk), 46.
Fidget, 32n, 51n.
"Fifth Column", 24, 100.
198