TNA ADM 234 360

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VII
heavy craft, nor even by small craft similar in a pier lop, was it was invaluable ing troops into small boats. A was completed and commenced in use on the morning of later for embarkthe 30th May at La Panne, and by the the same day the the same same d the morning day the morning day
(See p. 47).
2 or 3 motor yachts and paddlers to
Bray; none proceeded east of the Bray pier, where the
Captain Howson goes on to say that arrived in the and afternoon anchored one Fortwo skoots and the weskoots and waited many hours patiently. One tried or two without destroyers or sloops passed from had the westward to La Panne, and he he success with a lamp to
Admiral Wake-Walker asking him to arrange for this. Captain Howson also them to anchor off the pier. Eventually managed to get a signal to Rear- tell sent an officer to Dunkirk to represent learned the urgent need for destroyers off Bray.
It was not until 2 days later that he that all the destroyers, etc., had been given specific instructions as to which beach they were to anchor off.
Later a certain number of destroyers, sloops and skoots anchored off Bray and the embarkation proceeded satisfactorily. Unfortunately, time after time, owing to a lack of naval ratings, he saw a procession of boats going off loaded with troops, only to be cast adrift and left floating empty out to seaward¹.
Later that evening Captain Howson got in touch with Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker, then in the Worcester, and obtained permission to embark the following day in a motor boat off the beaches SO as to prevent a recurrence of this waste of beaching craft².
In spite of the difficulties and shortcomings emphasised in the above reports great progress was being made. In fact, beach evacuation reached its peak on this day; 29,500 troops were lifted from the beaches (as against 24,300
from the harbour); and some 50 ships, including destroyers, minesweepers, skoots, trawlers, drifters, personnel and special service vessels, were engaged continuously in the arduous work.
The armada grows, but service of ships to Dunkirk is slowed up
Meanwhile the build-up of ships continued, and some 31 additional craft reached of Dunkirk and the beaches this day. They included two minesweepers of the 8th M.S.F.³, the Fleet Air Arm training vessel Grive, 4 yachts and a drifter the Dover M/S Command4, the corvette Kingfisher, (with the ex-Belgian canal the boat Sambre in tow), the Yarmouth Examination Service yacht Laroc, and M/V Scottish Co-operator, the S/M tender Dwarf, the drifters Fair Breeze minesweeper barge Skipjack), the motor coasters Seine and Sheila, (in the coasting
Ocean Breeze, the ex-Belgian canal boats Ambleve and Escaut tow of the the Viking, the ex-Dutch eel-boat Johanna (in tow Lady of the skoot Jutland), water, and (R.N.L.I.) lifeboat Prudential (towing barges 7 Sark and with fresh
Ramsgate sailing barge Beatrice Maud, and the dumb Shetland. hopper The the oyster dredging smacks Seasalter and Vanguard, the steam W.24, borough, the punt Carama), and the Margate wherries loaded Lord Southwherries. were The manned by their own crews, but (R.N.L.I.) naval lifeboat manned the appeared on the scene. and picked up 244 troops. Another A/S patrol, to
Bray beach in error trawler Olvina, which should have been on ratings went
I At long last a dozen of the long awaited important motor contingent boats
R.O.III, p.396.
2 R.O.III, p.397.
4 3 The The Glen Avon and Glen Gower.
and 5 The the danlaying danlaying Constant yachts drifter Gulzar and Sargasso, the echo and Conidaw
Triton, Silver Pauleter Adventuress, and sounding Ma Black Joie. yachts Arrow, Chico Sunshine, Reda,
60

SIGNALS
APPENDIX G-
14 ADMIRALTY to C.-in-C. Sheerness. PORTSMOUTH, C.-in.-C. NORE (R) V.A. Dover, N.O.I.C. Ramsgate, Cdr. i/c
Investigate as a matter of urgency provision of additional small craft which can be made available within 48 hours from all ports in your command for Operation
Dynamo including X-lighters and other self-propelled lighters. Any available in
Portsmouth Command to be sent to Dover forthwith.² Those in Nore Command to be sent to Ramsgate. V.A. Dover to be kept informed.
All craft are to be provided with charts and if necessary manned by naval crews.
S.T.O.'s have been informed and have full requisitioning powers.
1115/29
15. (ADMIRALTY) D.S.V.P. to C.-in-C. Portsmouth, Nore, Vice-Admiral, Dover (R), N.O.I.C.-
Ramsgate, C.S. Sheerness, S.N.O. Yarmouth, S.N.O. Newhaven.
My 0940/29 and Admiralty 1115/29:
Officers of S.V.P. now in area mentioned have been ordered to co-operate with your organisations.
They are to supply records from S.V.P. of boats available, and to send boats as ordered in Admiralty 1115/29 and not repetition not as in my 0940/29.
1130/30
16. ADMIRALTY to VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER (R) C.-in-C. Nore.
20 Thames barges in tow of 5 tugs expected to arrive Ramsgate 1700 today May
29th
It is for consideration that they be used as piers.
1255/29
17. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to Hebe for CAPTAIN BUSH
20 Thames barges in tow are being sent. Can they be usefully used as piers for loading troops at points on the beaches or do you consider they would be more usefully employed for ferrying troops
1456/29
18. C.-in-C. NORE to A/S CHATHAM, COMMODORE IN CHARGE, Sheerness, D.M.O. (R),
N.O.I.C. Ramsgate.
All available X-lighters which can be released without disorganising dockyards are to be sent to Ramsgate forthwith.
1210/29
19. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to C.-in-C. PORTSMOUTH
All small craft should be route-ed direct to Ramsgate and not repeat not to Dover.
1618/29
Thursday, 30th May
20. C.-in-C. PORTSMOUTH to ADMIRALTY, N.O.I.C. Ramsgate, Vice-Admiral, Dover
Small craft for Belgium operations due Ramsgate approximately as follows:
0600 3 fast M/B's.
0700 Dutch Mok I.
0900 2 fast paddle steamers, 1 M/B, 1 Picket boat.
1000 H.M.S. Dwarf, tug Grappler towing lighter and launches, tug Emprise towing launch, and 2 coaling tugs.
1100 3 Hopper barges.
1200 2 picket boats, 1 diesel boat.
1300 2 small cargo carriers, 1 launch, 1 small tug.
1400 1 Dutch M/B and 2 M/B's.
1500 2 I.O.W. car ferries and 2 drifters.
1600 1 small tug towing launch.
1900 5 Hoppers.
2400 2 launches.
All above times are 30th May. No ships are degaussed.
0005/30
21. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to Hebe.
Rear-Admiral [Dover] from 1st Sea Lord.
Report conditions on beaches and whether boats are distributed to best advantage.
1019/30
2 See Appendix G.22.
167

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