TNA ADM 234 360

CONTENTS
Page
Introduction xiii
CHAPTER I
Preliminary Events, 10th to 18th May, 1940
Germany invades Holland and Belgium
1
Allies reach River Dyle
1
German thrust on French 9th Army front
1
Occupation of Walcheren and Zuid Beveland imminent
2
Germans cross Meuse
2
Dutch Army surrenders
2
Allies withdraw to River Escaut
2
French 9th Army front broken
3
Allied rail communications severed
3
CHAPTER II
The week before Operation "Dynamo", 19th to 25th May, 1940
Compulsory withdrawal of B.E.F. foreseen
4
...
R.A.F. Component begins return to England
4
...
Vice-Admiral Dover, represented at War Office Conference
4
Channel ports the German objective
4
Gerneral Weygand directing Allied operations
5
R.A.F. Component to set up rear H.Q. at Hawkinge
5
Naval Staff at Dover considers large scale evacuation
5
Provision of small craft considered
5
Counter-attack south of Arras
6
Germans approach Boulogne
6
Organisation of the canal line
7
Emergency evacuation again considered at the War Office
7
Canal line occupied
7
Boulogne cut off, Calais threatened
7
"The Operation will be known as 'Dynamo' "
7
Enemy within 20 miles of Dunkirk
8
Calais cut off
8
i

INTRODUCTION
The Dunkirk evacuation looms large in the history of the war. It involved the dual problem of lifting a mass of hard-pressed troops from a continually shrinking perimeter under uncertain conditions of wind and sea, the menace of heavy attacks by air, and the onrush of a great hostile army; and then of transporting them to England in the face of air attacks, shore bombardments, torpedoes, mines, and the dangers of unlit shoals and wreck-strewn channels.
Despite the heavy losses suffered from all these perils, no less than 239,000
troops were embarked from the shattered quays of a wreck-encumbered harbour; while some 99,000 more were lifted from the 10 miles stretch of shoaling beach north-east of the harbour. This was no light task. The evacuation from the beaches was performed by many hundreds of shallow-draught motor boats, fishing craft, lighters, barges, sailing and pulling boats, manned partly by civilian volunteers - which ferried the weary troops to the destroyers, mine-sweepers, skoots, personnel vessels, tugs and other ships lying off in deeper water.
Operation "Dynamo" was essentially a combined operation, requiring the devoted co-operation of the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, and the cheerful courage and steadiness of an exhausted Army waiting on the beaches with hardly anything to eat or drink.
It must at once be said that the stupendous success which crowned Operation
"Dynamo," in the face of the determined onslaught of numbers of hostile bombers, could not have been achieved without the air cover provided by
Fighter and Coastal Command, which performed its task almost invariably against superior numbers, and with the serious handicap of having no base nearer than England. In spite of the most strenuous efforts, however, the inadequate numbers of aircraft available precluded the possibility of continuous cover, and it is significant that the losses of ships by air attacks were greater than the aggregate of losses from all other enemy action, while their severity varied proportionately with the strength of our fighter cover at the time.
I The following five naval aircraft squadrons also operated under Coastal Command
801
815
806
Skuas
825
Swordfish
826 Albacore
These aircraft were the only available British dive bombers They carried out attacks on tanks, transport, batteries, gun emplacements, enemy positions in the Calais and Dunkirk areas, and E-boats. In spite of their relative inadequacy for the purpose the Skuas were also detailed for fighter escort for ships. (M.011883/40)
The incidence of losses by enemy action is given in the two following tables xiii

CHAPTER II
THE WEEK BEFORE OPERATION "DYNAMO,"
19TH - 25TH MAY, 1940
19TH MAY
Compulsory withdrawal of B.E.F. foreseen
Gort was forced to the conclusion Continent possibility of a compulsory with-
A crisis was now approaching. After that considering the various alternatives, Lord
General Staff, Lieut-General H. the R. War Pownall, telephoned to the Director drawal of the B.E.F. from the must be faced, and so his Chief of the
Military Operations and Plans at Office and discussed this possibility. of at Abbeville were still holding, but there was little doubt that enemy armoured
On this 19th day of May communications by road and rail over the Somme forces in that area would shortly break through to the coast. The force could then no longer be supplied through in the ports south of the Somme, and the great be available for maintaining replacements.¹
bulk of the reserves, which were the rearward areas, would shortly cease to
R.A.F. Component begins return to England
The growing failure of communications had now made it impracticable for the British air organisation to function, and by the evening orders had to be given for a large proportion of the R.A.F. Component of the B.E.F. (Air Vice-
Marshal C.H.B. Blount) to return to England.
Equally serious was the fact that, by the evening, German troops had arrived in Amiens. The picture was no longer that of a line bent or temporarily broken, but of a besieged fortress.²
Vice-Admiral, Dover, represented at War Office conference
Meanwhile, in London, following the receipt of General H. R. Pownall's message, a meeting had been held at the War Office at which Vice-Admiral
B. H. Ramsay (Vice-Admiral, Dover), was represented.
This meeting discussed the temporary maintenance of the B.E.F.-and the evacuation other of its personnel through Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne. Among questions considered was the possiblity of "the hazardous evacuation of known very large forces." So little, apparently, was the true military situation then seven of days later it developed into Operation "Dynamo". "The main decision in London that this problem was regarded as "unlikely," though only delegated disposal." to the Vice-Admiral Dover, and available shipping placed at his this meeting," says Vice-Admiral Ramsay, "was that the control must be
Channel ports the German objective enemy down the armoured forces appeared to be directed deepened
On the 20th May the breach south of Arras and widened; the the Channel valley ports. of the Somme on Abbeville, the on other two main doubtless objectives - making one for
2 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 30.
2 I Lord Lord Gort's Second Despatch,
Gort's Second Despatch, para. para, 31. 32.
4

THE WEEK BEFORE OPERATION "DYNAMO"
CHAP. II
General Weygand directing Allied operations
During this day also, Lord Gort became aware that Allied operations were actually being directed by General Weygand (successor to General Gamelin), who announced later, on 23rd May, that he was Commander-in-Chief in all theatres of war.¹
The first move in this so-called "Weygand plan," (see under 23rd-24th May), now became apparent when General Sir Edmund Ironside, the Chief of the
Imperial General Staff, arrived at Lord Gort's G.H.Q. with instructions from the British Cabinet that the B.E.F. was to move southward upon Amiens, attacking all enemy forces encountered and taking station on the left of the
French Army. This move, Lord Gort pointed out, was impracticable because it would involve the disengagement of seven British divisions which were actually in close contact with the enemy on the Escaut, and would be immediately followed up by the enemy. In any case, owing to the prospective interruption by the enemy of the B.E.F.'s line of supply, imminent at any moment, it was unlikely that the B.E.F. could undertake sustained offensive operations.
Lord Gort had, however, already made plans to counter-attack with two divisions southward of Arras, and now proposed that they should make this attack on the following day. The C.I.G.S. agreed with this action.¹
R.A.F. Component to set up rear H.Q. at Hawkinge
Meanwhile, the evacuation of the R.A.F. Component was proceeding, and it was decided to set up its rear headquarters at Hawkinge, in England.2
Naval Staff at Dover considers large-scale evacuation
At Dover, the possiblity of a large-scale evacuation was now definitely foreseen for a meeting of the Naval Staff was held there during the day to consider the emergency evacuation across the channel of very large forces. This meeting, which was attended by Liaison Officers from the War Office Movement Control and the Ministry of Shipping, considered the number of personnel vessels and small craft available; it agreed that the air protection of sailings, embarkations and disembarkations was to be arranged by Vice-Admiral, Dover, direct with
Fighter Command; and it called attention to the necessity, in the event of evacuation, for a large number of small boats to carry the troops from the very gradually shoaling beaches to the off-shore ships. Furthermore, as it was considered extremely doubtful whether the whole of the troops to be evacuated could be lifted from the beaches, it was urged that if at all possible, the ports must be used as well"3. It is evident that, at this date, it was not yet realised that the only port available for the evacuation would be Dunkirk.
Provision of small craft considered
After this meeting at Dover, a long series of telephone conversations took place between the V-A. Dover, the Admiralty, the Ministry of Shipping and the C. in C. Nore, as to the provision of small craft for the final evacuation and the provision of naval personnel for manning the skoots⁴ and small boats required for transport and ferrying.
I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 32.
2 R.A.F. Narrative.
3 D.R.
4 Dutch schuyts or coasters.
5

THE WEEK BEFORE OPERATION "DYNAMO"
CHAP. II
Organisation of the Canal line
On the 21st May, also, steps were taken to defend the south-western flank of the Allied force by organising the defence of the canal line from the Escaut to La Bassée, and to continue it to St. Omer and the sea at Gravelines.¹
From this date all arrangements for air co-operation with the B.E.F. were made by the War Office in conjunction with the Air Ministry, the air liaison work being carried out in England at Hawkinge.2
Emergency evacuation again considered at the War Office
Meanwhile, in London, a meeting was held at the War Office at which, once again, the emergency evacuation across the channel of very large forces, now
100ming close ahead, was under consideration.³
22ND MAY
Canal line occupied
By the 22nd May the 85 miles of canal line from Gravelines, through St. Omer and Aire, to the Escaut (west of St. Amand) had been occupied, so far as was possible, with the 10,000 men available. This line was divided into sectors, for each of which a British commander was responsible,¹ but the number of anti-tank weapons was barely adequate to cover all the crossing places, and no effective watch could be kept against small parties of infantry crossing the canal between the bridges.¹
Boulogne cut off, Calais threatened
The ports of Boulogne and Calais were now no longer working and consequently the supply situation had grown worse than ever. It was found too that, at such short notice, the port of Ostend could not be adapted to military requirements.4
Boulogne was, in fact, by this time completely cut off, and by the evening enemy armoured forces were within 9 miles of Calais.⁵ At Merville, the last remaining advanced landing ground available for the R.A.F. Component was abandoned.
On the night of 22nd/23rd May, according to plan, the Allied withdrawal to the Belgian frontier defences was carried out.⁶
" The operation
...
will be known as Dynamo'
Meanwhile, the Admiralty had begun to make definite preparations for an evacuation from the Continent. There were at this time, lying at Poole and in the Port of London, some 50 Dutch skoots (schuyts), 200 ton-motor coasters which had escaped from Holland. On the 22nd May the Admiralty, after allocating 8 of these vessels to the War Office for use as supply ships, directed the Commanders-in-Chief Portsmouth and the Nore to take over and man the remainder, arrange for their organisation and assembly, and report the names of the vessels as they became ready for service. At the same time it was intimated that, when ready, the skoots would be placed at the disposal of V-A.
I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 34.
2 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 29.
D.R.
4 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 37.
5 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 36.
6 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 39.
7

THE WEEK BEFORE OPERATION "DYNAMO"
CHAP. II
Communication with England was cut, and all messages had to be sent by destroyers.
By 1530 the Germans had occupied the whole of Boulogne except a bridgehead, all anti-tank guns were out of action, and half of Major Holford's force were estimated to be casualties. The destroyers Keith (D. (19), Captain D. J.R.
Simson) and Whitshed went over to Boulogne during the afternoon, and were followed later by the Venetia, Venomous, Vimiera, Wild Swan and Windsor.
The arrival of the first two destroyers was followed by an enemy air attack, together with close range mortar, machine gun and rifle fire, which caused damage and casualties, including Captain D. (19) who was killed, and necessitated breaking off, the work of evacuating wounded and withdrawing temporarily from the port. Fortunately, No. 92 Squadron of the R.A.F. (12
Spitfires) soon encountered the large enemy formation and, with some loss to themselves and much to the enemy, gained a measure of control of the situation;
and by 1955 the destroyers were back in harbour and carrying out the evacuation of the Welsh Guards. The Keith had received a signal at 1749 ordering all troops to be evacuated.
About 2000, while Lieut.-Comdr. Welman was on the point of firing the last of the demolition charges, German tanks towing field guns appeared over the hill north of the harbour and opened heavy fire at the three destroyers coming in to take off Force Buttercup." An amazing engagement, described by eye-witnesses as magnificent, ensued between the German field guns and the destroyers. The Venetia was hit while in mid-channel, but she was got under control and out of the harbour, thus avoiding blocking in the Venomous and Wild who were embarking " Force Buttercup" and the Irish Guards while engaging the enemy tanks and field guns with every gun they had.
It was low water when the destroyers eventually backed out of harbour, loaded down with troops. When the Venomous backed out her wheel jammed and she had to steer with her engines; the Wild Swan, following her, grounded for a moment, but both ships got off and both reached Dover safely. When, at 2234 some 3,000 troops had been brought off, the Wild Swan reported that although a considerable number remained further evacuation was impracticable.
The Windsor, however, which had been ordered at about 2030 to help in the evacuation, arrived after the rest of the destroyers had left; she entered the harbour after dark, filled to capacity and sailed again without damage or much difficulty. On clearing the harbour, the Windsor informed V.-A. Dover that further evacuation under cover of darkness was still possible and that two more destroyers could lift all the soldiers still left at Boulogne.
Vice-Admiral, Dover, therefore, despatched the Vimiera at 0015 on the 24th to try to bring off the remaining troops. She arrived at Boulogne at 0130, and found all silent. At length the Commanding Officer's hail was answered, and it was found that there were more than 1000 troops waiting for a ship.
Going alongside the jetty, the destroyer was crowded to the tiller flat by 0230, the only space left being round the guns; and when she slipped at 0245 she was compelled to leave some 200 men behind. Five minutes later shore batteries opened fire on the jetty, and at 0255 a bomber passed close and a bomb exploded 20 yards away. The Vimiera was so over-loaded that even five degrees of helm made the ship list unpleasantly. She reached Dover safely at 0355
and landed some 1400 men, including Belgian and French troops and some
I The Whitshed had been at Boulogne helping to evacuate wounded from 0630 to 1045
when she left with two transports for Calais.
9

CHAP. III
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
with a view to lifting up to 45,000 of the B.E.F. within two days, at the end of which it was probable that evacuation would be terminated by enemy action".
A further step was taken when, at 1800, Captain W. G. Tennant, M.V.O.,
R.N., was ordered by the Vice-Chief of the Naval Staff, Vice-Admiral T.S. V.
Phillips, C.B., to proceed to Dunkirk to take control of the naval shore embarkation parties. Captain Tennant's appointment as S.N.O., Dunkirk, was promulgated, his duties to commence the following day2, and beach masters and pier parties were ordered to proceed from the Nore to Dover.
Then, at 1857, there went out from the Admiralty, by teleprinter, the historic signal, "Operation Dynamo is to commence "3, which was to save our Army in France, and to have the most momentous results for the Nation, the Empire and the World.
Mona's Isle makes the first round trip
Except for the destroyer Wolsey, which left Dover at 1930 to act as W/T
link ship, the first ship to sail on this great mission was the armed boarding vessel Mona's Isle, which left the Downs at 2116. After some delay with a fouled propeller she berthed at the Quai Félix Faure during an air attack, and embarked 1420 troops. On the return journey, she was straddled by shore guns off Gravelines, and shortly after, was heavily machine-gunned from the air; these attacks caused 83 casualties, including 23 dead. She reached
Dover at noon on the 27th May escorted by the destroyer Windsor, which had put her doctor on board and landed her troops. Mona's Isle was the first ship to complete the round trip in Operation "Dynamo".
Mona's Queen first ship back on 27th May
This, however, was not the first passage on 26th May. Even before the
Admiralty signal, the despatch of personnel vessels to Dunkirk had begun, a flow of 2 vessels every 4 hours having been accepted by the B.E.F.4. The armed boarding vessel King Orry had sailed at 0930, and the Mona's Queen at noon. The Maid of Orleans had sailed at 1100 (with 6,000 two-gallon cans of water), but arriving off Dunkirk during an air attack was unable to effect an entrance and returned to Dover"; she was sailed again at 1726, escorted by the destroyer Wild Swan, which had also taken out the Canterbury at 1728, and escorted her part of the way.
The Mona's Queen (carrying 1200 troops) was the first of these ships to arrive back from Dunkirk, reaching Dover shortly after midnight on the
26th/27th May; the Canterbury arrived at 0309/27 (with 1,340 troops), the store ship Ngaroma at 0500/27 (with a hundred troops), the Maid of Orleans at
0600/27 (with 980 troops), and the King Orry at 1100/27 (with 1,131). As a result of these sailings on the 26th May 6,083 troops were landed in England on the 27th May, of which Mona's Isle had contributed 1,420 towards the two days".
tentative Admiralty target of "lifting up to 45,000 of the B.E.F. within
Hospital carriers under Hague Convention was ignored, and their conspicuous white hulls
The the work of the hospital carriers was specially hazardous; their immunity
I D.R. page ii.
2 Appendix M. 2.
3 Appendix M. 1.
4
D.R.
16

MONDAY, 27TH MAY
CHAP. IV
task now is to evacuate to England maximum of your force possible."¹ No policy had yet been laid down by French G.Q.G., or any other French higher authority, for a withdrawal northward of the Lys, and, says Lord Gort, "I had no idea what plans either he [General Blanchard] or Admiral Abrial had in mind".'
Lord Gort failed to contact General Blanchard either at La Panne, or at the
French naval headquarters, situated at Bastion No. 32, Dunkirk. While at the
Bastion, however, at 2300, he was informed in the course of conversation with
General Koeltz (General Weygand's deputy) that the King of the Belgians had asked for an armistice from midnight that night. The British Commanderin-Chief thus found himself suddenly faced with an open gap of 20 miles between
Ypres and the sea, through which enemy armoured forces might reach the beaches².
Owing to congestion on the roads Lord Gort was unable to reach his headquarters at Houtkerque until 0430 on 28th May; he then found that a telegram had been received from the War Office at 0130/28 saying that the King of the
Belgians was capitulating at midnight, 27th/28th May.³
This was the derelict situation facing Lord Gort in the early hours of the morning.
Dunkirk locks prepared for demolition
On the 27th May, on the orders of Admiral Abrial, the Royal Naval demolition party which had arrived at Dunkirk on the 23rd May placed demolition charges at the New, the Trystram and the Guillain locks in Dunkirk harbour.
Route Z under fire Route Y adopted Route x prepared
Owing to the great lack of inshore craft for beach work the main naval effort during the day had been confined to maintaining the flow of personnel vessels to Dunkirk at the rate of 2 every 31/2 hours. Even this limited transport service had been seriously interrupted by the fire of shore batteries between Les
Hemmes (east of Calais) and Gravelines. At 0623 the Biarritz and Archangel, en route for Dunkirk escorted by the destroyer Verity, were shelled 6 miles
E.N.E. of Calais. The Biarritz was hit several times and had 1 killed and 2
wounded. The Archangel was also apparently damaged, and neither ship took any further part in "Dynamo". At 0640, the M/V Sequacity and the freighter Yewdale were also shelled off Calais. The Sequacity was hit four times, and at 1020, when north of Dunkirk channel, after the crew had been transferred to the Yewdale, the Sequacity went down by the head and sank.
At 0750 the armed boarding vessel Mona's Isle, loaded with troops, suffered severe casualties and damage from shore guns off Gravelines, and also from an air attack shortly afterwards, and had to go into dock for repairs. At
0800 the H/C Isle of Thanet was shelled off Calais and returned to Dover. At
0900, the A.B/V King Orry, returning from Dunkirk loaded with troops also suffered casualties and damage from the Calais guns.
As a result of these happenings the Vice-Admiral, Dover, reported to the
Admiralty that the normal or southern route, Dover to Dunkirk (later known as Route Z), was impracticable in daylight. Another, more northern route
(later known as Route Y), via the Dyck Whistle buoy, Middelkerk buoy, and
Zuydcoote Pass, was accordingly adopted. This, however, increased the
I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 51.
2 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 49.
3 Lord Gort's Second Despatch 50.
19

MONDAY, 27TH MAY
CHAP. IV
beach evacuation impossible; at no time did this happen, but it was not until the fifth day of the operation (May 30th) that small power boats and beach craft began to become available in adequate numbers.¹
The reason for this is to be sought mainly in the need for secrecy enjoined by the British and French Governments, even after the operation had been ordered. The necessity for avoiding any action that might have given rise to talk rendered the collection of small craft slow. It was not until 31st May that the British public learnt from the press that evacuation had begun.
Disembarkation ports designated
In these early days the limiting factors seemed likely to be the scale of enemy attacks at Dunkirk and on the beaches, and the difficulty of concentrating the ships and the troops at a common point or points².
Meanwhile, in order to ensure air protection, Blenheims maintained a patrol by single aircraft over the Dunkirk area during the night.³
At 2330, the Vice-Admiral, Dover, promulgated the names of ports for the disembarkation of troops in England as follows:-
The Calcutta at Sheerness;
destroyers at Dover;
drifters, minesweepers, skoots and coasters
___???___
At Margate or Ramsgate as directed by N.O.I.C. Ramsgate;
personnel vessels at Folkestone.
Throughout the whole course of the operation the despatch of troops from the points of disembarkation in England was directed by the War Office Movements Control Organisation, and proceeded with great smoothness⁴.
Summary of troops evacuated
The ships which had sailed for Dunkirk on the 26th May brought back
6,183 troops and 646 stretcher cases next day.
During the 27th May only two personnel vessels actually made the round trip, viz.: the Royal Daffodil, which brought back 840 troops from Dunkirk, and the St. Helier, which was ordered back before she could embark any troops.
The destroyers Wolsey and Wolfhound, which embarked 206 and 130 troops respectively from Malo beach on the evening of 27th May, did not sail for
England until shortly after midnight.
Thus, the total number landed in England from the commencement of
Operation "Dynamo" to midnight 27th/28th May was:
26th May - Nil;
27th May - 7,669, all of whom were lifted direct from Dunkirk harbour.
I D.R. covering letter, No. A.14/0/876/40, page 2, paras. 3 and 5.
2 D.R. page 3, para. 11.
3 R.A.F. Narrative, p. 320.
4 D.R. covering letter No. A.14/0/876/40, page 2, para. 6.
25

CHAPTER V
TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
First supplies reach the beaches from England arrived at the beaches, landed La spite of many and ammy enition
This was a day of tension. The first supplies and in of food, water action considerable quantities were at Panne and at the north of it.¹
Germans reach Nieuport
Early on the 28th May the leading enemy mobile troops and tanks reached
Nieuport, but the danger that the enemy forces, released by the Belgian armistice, might forestall the B.E.F.'s occupation of the perimeter had been foreseen², and the measures taken by Lord Gort to meet a desperate situation and to delay the enemy proved successful.
At 1100 General Blanchard visited Lord Gort at his headquarters at Houtkerque. It then transpired that General Blanchard, having received no instructions from his Government regarding the evacuation of French troops, declined to contemplate any such operation. Later in the day, however, he consented, and orders were given for part of the French 1st Army to withdraw
SO as to arrive within the Dunkirk perimeter on 30th May.3
Lord Gort's Headquarters move to La Panne
Meanwhile, during the afternoon, Lord Gort moved his headquarters from
Houtkerque to La Panne, which was in direct telephonic communication with
London. There he received from Lt.-Gen. Sir Ronald Adam and the Quarter-
Master-General, Lt.-General W. G. Laidsell, a very unfavourable report:
No ships could be unloaded at the docks at Dunkirk, and few wounded could be evacuated. There was no water in Dunkirk and very little on the beaches.
The Naval plans were not yet in full operation, and some 20,000 men were waiting to be taken off the beaches, 10,0004 having been taken off in the last
2 " days, chiefly from Dunkirk." Also, they stated it as their opinion that given a reasonable measure of immunity from air attack, troops could be gradually evacuated. If, however, intensive air attacks continued the beaches might easily become a shambles within the next 48 hours".⁵
Possibility of surrender is visualised
Lord Gort informed the C.I.G.S. of the gist of this report, and asked that
H.M. " Government should consider the policy to be followed if a crisis arose, as well it might." He received this telegram in reply:
"
H.M. Govt. fully approve your withdrawal to extricate your force in order to embark maximum number possible of B.E.F. If you are cut from all communication from us, and all evacuation from Dunkirk and beaches had, in your judgment, been finally prevented after every attempt to re-open it had failed, you to would become sole judge of when it was impossible to inflict further damage enemy"."
2 I Lord Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 50.
3 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 53.
4 Gort's Second Despatch, 52.
5 Some Lord of these had been taken para. off before operation Dynamo' commenced.
Gort's Second Despatch, para. 54.
26

TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
CHAP V
While a situation that could only mean surrender was now visualised in
England as possibly a stark necessity, General Weygand sent an urgent telegram to Lord Gort appealing to him personally to ensure that the British
Army took a vigorous part in any counter-attack thought necessary; the situation, said General Weygand, made it essential to hit hard.
Lord Gort, who saw the situation more clearly, observes, when he [General
Weygand] sent this message, he could have had no accurate information of the real position or of the powers of counter-attack remaining to either the
British or French."
Germans take Ostend
That evening, at 2030, the Admiralty informed the Vice-Admiral, Dover, that Ostend was reliably reported to be captured. Dunkirk was the only port left in Allied hands.
Situation at Dunkirk becomes easier
Nor were the prospects at Dunkirk very hopeful. When the Wolfhound and the Wolsey left Malo beach for Dover just after midnight on the 27th May the whole of the port appeared to be ablaze¹.
At 0125 the cruiser Calcutta, en route for La Panne, was missed by a torpedo
100 yards astern fired from an E-boat. No further attack took place, and the
Calcutta arrived off La Panne beach an hour later to find that the destroyers
Grafton, Greyhound and Impulsive, and the paddle-minesweepers Sandown and
Gracie Fields, were already there.
Ever since 0030 destroyers making their first trip to the evacuation area had been arriving off the beaches, and only two - the Gallant and the Wakeful -
went to Dunkirk. The Vivacious and the skoot Hebe II reached Malo beach at about 0030, and the Sabre at 0120. The Hebe II, unable to find any troops, entered Dunkirk harbour and embarked 150 from the east pier; the Sabre embarked troops from two drifters. At 0320 the Vimy arrived off the beach at Zuydcoote, 3 miles east of Dunkirk, and sent her boats to assist in filling up the minesweeper Brighton Belle, which was embarking troops with the assistance of the ex-Belgian canal boat Yser and a small pulling boat. The skoot
Lena had been off Zuydcoote since the previous evening and in the early hours of the 28th May transferred the 120 troops she had embarked to a destroyer;
the minesweeper Medway Queen, off La Panne since 2300/27, sailed with 600
troops on board.
By 0400 the situation in Dunkirk harbour appears to have eased, and at
0436 S.N.O. Dunkirk was asking for all vessels to go alongside the east pier.
At 0445 the Vimy, leaving her boats with the Brighton Belle, went into Dunkirk harbour and embarked 613 troops. At 0955 the destroyer Mackay reached
Dunkirk from the Irish Sea, and picked up 600 troops in an hour from the seaward end of Dunkirk east pier, giving up her berth to the destroyer Montrose.
The Sabre, which had in the meantime returned to Dover with a load of 158
troops from Malo beach, berthed outside the Montrose. An hour later, the destroyers Worcester and Anthony arrived, and berthed ahead of the Montrose.
The pier was crammed with troops and several aircraft, attempting to bomb it, were driven off by the destroyers' gunfire. Vast columns of smoke were drifting westwards from the burning oil tanks ashore, and houses on the sea front were bursting into flames from time to time².
I Report by the Wolfhound.
2 Report by the Montrose.
27

TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
CHAP. V
In spite, however, of every effort as more and more ships were drawn into
Operation Dynamo", the pressing demand for beaching craft grew, almost hourly, more insistent. A climax was reached on 1st June¹, when, in spite of the number sent over, the inshore flotilla " - crippled by weather, accidents, mechanical breakdowns, exhaustion of crews and enemy action - was still unable to meet requirements, and the minesweeper Gossamer's urgent request for boats received the curt reply It is now impracticable to send more boats.
You must do your utmost with yours². A perusal of the "Dynamo" signals brings sharply to notice the great driving force of the Vice-Admiral, Dover;
the clamorous signals for more boats" were an indication of the great strain to which he was being subjected.
Beach and harbour evacuation compared
There can be little doubt that had not valid reasons prevented more beach ferrying craft from being made available for the first 5 days of the evacuation, a greater number of troops could have been evacuated. The initial problem", says the Vice-Admiral, Dover, "called for a maximum effort over a limited period, regardless of the future, and accordingly all resources in the way of small boats were thrown on the beaches, before adequate provision had been made for their maintenance off the coast in such matters as relief of the personnel and the provision of large beach parties.
" It was only due, to the foresight of the Admiralty in making arrangements for a continued flow in ever increasing numbers of small power boats and beach craft, which became available on the fifth day onwards, that the continued evacuation from the beaches remained a reasonable proposition after the initial crisis had passed.
A perusal of the signals that passed between Dover and the French coast here reveals the many occasions on which the responsible officers stationed on the coast considered so little had been achieved from the beaches that they advocated restriction of evacuation to Dunkirk harbour. Many complaints of no boats', no ships' might lead a detached observer to the conclusion that the great effort that was being made was proving abortive.
" At Dover, where the whole operation could be viewed in truer perspective because the number and origin of the troops being landed in England was always to hand, it was clear that the evacuation from the beaches required by the military situation was, in fact, achieving a considerable success."3
Admiral Ramsay's view is borne out by these recorded figures: Of the 251,000
troops landed in the United Kingdom between May 28th and June 1st inclusive
- the period during which Dunkirk and the beaches eastward were available day and night except for enemy interference - 90,000 were lifted from the beaches, while 55,000 were lifted by personnel ships and hospital carriers, and
106,000 by other vessels, direct from Dunkirk harbour (see Table 2).
Anti-submarine patrols are maintained
While the lifting of troops from Dunkirk and the beaches was progressing with ever-increasing speed, anti-submarine patrols had been maintained from the North Goodwin to Kwint Bank; but on the 28th May all destroyers except
I Appendices H.17 to H.25.
2 Appendix H.22.
3 Letter from V.A. Dover (A.14/0/876/40 of 18/6/40) covering his Report on Operation
" Dynamo". Italics not in original.
33

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. V
the Vega and the Polish Blyskawica two were destroyers diverted from them to the
On patrol this day with these and eleven A/S trawlers². were the
A/S Thomas Chief 4 Widgeon, survivors. Owing trawler Skipper Bartlett, to Sheldrake, Thuringia a D. misunderstanding which W. Shearwater L. were was Simpson, sunk in company, by the D.S.C., a LL mine carried trawlers D.S.M., early out in R.N.R., Our the a sweep Bairns, a was in not Dunkirk Inverforth among Captain, and the instead of sweeping the war channel. These to vessels were shelled off Calais; roads ran on to a British minefield, and, striking 1017, sank with the guns, loss and the Thomas Bartlett, while endeavouring a mine get at out of range of the of 8 of her crew³.
During the night of 28th/29th May, to strengthen this patrol, all available
M.T.B.'s of the Nore and Dover Commands were ordered to patrol north-east of the line Wandelaar L/V and Whistle Buoy.
Summary of troops landed in England
The figures for May 28th gave grounds for hope. 17,804 troops were transported to England⁴ (of which 11,835 were transported by destroyers). Of these, 11,874 were lifted from Dunkirk east pier, and 5,930 from the beaches.
(See Table 2).
Ships lost or damaged on 28th May
LOST
DAMAGED
The A/S trawler Thuringia
The destroyer Windsor.
The drifter Ocean Reward
The M/S Brighton Belle
LL trawler Thomas Bartlett
P/V Queen of the Channel
The skoot Alice
The H/C Isle of Thanet
Stella 2 Dorado, Wyke, Kingston Alalite, being damaged Galena, Saon, Spurs,
I 2 The The Windsor Cayton had returned to Dover after in an air attack at 1145.
4 D.R. Report gives by Westella, C.M.S., 14,409, Dover Blackburn (R.O. Rovers, II, p.498). Kingston Lady Philomena Andalusite, and Kingston Thuringia.
disembarked by the various but this ships, figure as shown is not in confirmed Tables See also 2 and by Appx. the 3. recorded J.12 numbers of troops
34

CHAPTER VI
WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
FIRST HEAVY ENEMY AIR EFFORT
German bridgehead in Nieuport
Throughout the 29th May, the enemy attempted to cross the canal between the Frenco-Belgian frontier and Nieuport - and, indeed, succeeded in establishing a bridgehead in the town of Nieuport, although everywhere else he was driven back. Some of the enemy attempted to cross in rubber boats; others, disguised as civilians, with the refugees, horses and cattle. The few vital hours gained made it possible, against all expectation, to embark practically the whole British force¹.
Two-day traffic block in perimeter
Large numbers of French troops arriving in the perimeter brought a mass of transport which caused such traffic congestion that for two days the main road between La Panne and Dunkirk became totally blocked with vehicles three deep².
French evacuation not yet ordered
Admiral Abrial (whose headquarters were at Bastion No. 32, near Dunkirk
Mole) had apparently received no orders from his Government that the whole of the British troops were to be embarked, and he professed great surprise when he heard of Lord Gort's intentions. He imagined that British troops would stay and defend the perimeter to the last, side by side with the French².
Meanwhile, the French troops were expecting to embark along with their
British comrades, notwithstanding that only two French ships had so far been provided³; the beaches were becoming crowded with French soldiers, and difficulties might have occurred at any time.² Later in the day, however, three French torpedo boats and one minesweeper sailed to Dunkirk harbour to evacuate troops.4
Dunkirk perimeter established
On the evening of the 29th May the organisation of the perimeter was complete, and General Sir Ronald Adam, his task accomplished, embarked for
England that night.5
Mackay and Montrose out of action
The story of the 29th May is largely one of ships sunk or damaged. Our losses were very heavy and began very early. At 0005, the destroyer Mackay
(en route to Bray beach with the destroyer Harvester) ran aground at the western
I Lord Gort's Second Despatch para. 53.
2 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 55.
3 So far, the French torpedo boat Cyclone had brought back 460 troops, and the minesweeper Commandant Delage 520 - both on 29th May, from Dunkirk harbour.
4 The torpedo boats Cyclone, Mistral and Sirocco and the minesweeper Commandant
Delage.
5 Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 57.
35

WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
out because of the men in the water. By the time the Lydd had picked up
10 survivors, the destroyer Grafton, loaded with about 800 troops from Bray beach, also arrived and ordered the Lydd to circle round her. The Gossamer went on to Dover.
In the meantime, the Comfort had reached the stern portion of the wreck of the Wakeful, and finding that it had fallen over¹, went alongside the Grafton to warn her of the danger of torpedoes. It was then about 0240, and the
Grafton having first sighted a small darkened vessel about 3 cables on the port quarter, signalled it to pick up survivors. Almost at once a torpedo hit the
Grafton's port side and exploded; a second explosion followed, thought to be a shell or grenade hit, which wrecked the Grafton's bridge killing her Captain,
Cdr. C. E. C. Robinson, R.N., and 3 others. The torpedo blew off. the Grafton's stern, abaft the after magazine bulkhead, and broke her back, but she still floated on an even keel. A German submarine, U.69 had fired the torpedo.
The torpedo explosion almost swamped the Comfort; she rose, and Cdr.
Fisher was washed overboard. He seized a rope's end, but with the Comfort going full speed ahead soon had to let go. The Comfort came round in a wide circle until within about 50 yards of the stricken Grafton, whereupon the
Grafton and Lydd, mistaking her in the darkness for an E-boat, opened a heavy raking fire with 4-inch and Lewis guns.²
Comfort cut in half
When the firing ceased Cdr. Fisher, who had reached the bow of the Comfort, endeavoured to get abord; but the Lydd, having circled round to finish off the supposed E-boat, bore down at full speed and, ramming the Comfort amidships (it was then about 0307), cut her in half. Some of the Comfort's crew attempted to spring aboard the Lydd, but the Lydd, mistaking them for boarders, opened up with rifle fire. Two men were, however, taken off the rammed vessel and it was then discovered that she was the Comfort. Altogether, the number saved from this most tragic occurrence, shrouded in the darkness of the night, were only 5, of which 4 were survivors from the Wakeful. As the Grafton then appeared able to look after herself, the Lydd set course for Ramsgate.
When the Comfort went down Cdr. Fisher again sank, but he came to the surface and, after swimming about until 0515, was picked up by a boat lowered from the Norwegian S.S. Hird, which was en route from Dunkirk to England with about 3,500 troops and refugees on board.
Grafton sunk
In the meantime, at 0400, the personnel ship Malines, which was returning empty from Dunkirk, heard S OS signals; she placed herself alongside the torpedoed Grafton and transferred the destroyer's 800 troops. "The Master handled his ship with extreme skill," reported the acting Captain of the Grafton,
Lieut. H. C. J. McRea, R.N.
It was now 0430, just before sunrise, and the destroyers Javelin, Icarus,
Vanquisher, Intrepid and Ivanhoe, en route from Dover to Dunkirk, sighted the sinking Grafton. The Ivanhoe went to her assistance and embarked the
I On the 30th May the corvette Sheldrake was ordered to destroy the Wakeful's asdic apparatus. She found the Wakeful completely capsized with her stern resting on the bottom. As, by then, information was received that the area had been mined, the Sheldrake, to minimise the risk, sank the wreck by gunfire and a pattern of depth charges.
2 Later the Grafton's fire was shifted to another vessel further away on the port quarter, which was observed to blow up with a bright flash. This may well have been the E-boat.
37

CHAP. VI
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
straddled by bombs for and 35 minutes), the seeing burning that Grenade traffic all along the east proceeded out of harbour, out of a into drifter in the Calvi, had ceased, cast off, skirting grounding slightly on sunk and the sunken pier
The troops now of began the Piermaster climbing Cdr. J. one C. Clouston, ship restored the instructions order.
having arrangements of his in the clear of the fairway,', R.N.,
At 1815 made the Grenade was abandoned with the Piermaster and her Captain, to tow her Cdr. R. C. Boyle, embarked with some ship's company Crested Eagle.
Polly Johnson sunk to the five remaining her Oropesa and the John Cattling was instructed on
The burning wreck of the Grenade trawlers. did, The in fact, commence to drift down attempt vivors to pull clear, out of the remaining harbour 4 trawlers, with troops and to on board, proceeded towards the beaches. A surlater, of the near Nieuport caused Bank buoy, miss the in Polly Johnson, leaking badly as a result little engine, was abandoned; Arley embarked her crew and troops and sank damage by a the near the first air attack, and with damaged her by gunfire.
Grenade blown up
She burned fiercely for some hours and then blew up.
The Grenade was guided into a pocket to the westward of the main channel.
Crested Eagle blazing, is beached swung clear of the east pier and proceeded on an easterly course. Shortly
Meanwhile, when the Verity left the harbour at 1755, the Crested Eagle afterwards, she however, she was hit by 4 bombs and caught fire; out of control, about she might transfer her troops; but the Crested Eagle could not stop. At that continued under way. The Verity instructed the Crested Eagle to stop so in Eagle ran aground west of Bray beach. The 200 survivors, who could be seen
1830, blazing fiercely fore and aft (she was a wooden ship) the Crested to the the water, were heavily machine-gunned from the air, and the ships that came rescue were bombed. Some of the survivors, several with severe burns,
Captain and other survivors of the Grenade, by the minesweeper Albury.
were picked up by the minesweepers Hebe and Lydd; others, including the
Among those picked up by the Sabre was the Second Engineer of the Crested
Eagle and a stoker from the Grenade.
Normania sunk gunboat Ross took Mosquito, but then began to sink. The Mosquito and the minesweeper by by a bomb off 11 W buoy. She was towed clear of Dunkirk channel was the
In the course of this third air attack the personnel vessel Normania hit sank off off the crew and the few troops that on board. The Normania
11 W buoy at about 0245 the following were day.
Saladin and attacks The 2000. fourth off severely Ships Bray air attack, returning beach damaged, which to was England Lorina widespread, sunk were bombed. took place There between were about continuous 1830
was so company there were attacked; the destroyers attacked Sabre, 10 times,
Saladin in and its vicinity; the Verity and severely damaged in the engine room by Saladin, a near miss that she had to
44

WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
were the 8 assault which landing had been craft loaded (A.L.C.'s), into, and under brought the command of
Cassidi, R.N., were A.L.C.'s 3, 4, 5, 8, 15, 16, 17 over by,Whe S.S. R. A.
Macalister. They off No. 6 W buoy, at about and 18. Clan was being hoisted causing out, the Clan Macalister to roll passed at speed, and both craft were rendered unfit down on A.L.C.18 did valuable work ferrying ing from six the A.L.C.'s beaches. however, some troops
French troops rush A.L.C.5.
Cdr. Cassidi, who was in A.L.C.5 proceeded some way up the coast and soldiers, SO many of them got on the boat was grounded. French carried on inshore; his craft was board immediately that rushed on all sides by then
The second attempt to embark troops failed, SO A.L.C.5 proceeded of the troops had to be forced off the French boat before she could be got off the beach. Some at the rate of about 3 trips an hour, air 50 men per trip, throughout the day, to La Panne beach¹. Thence, British troops were ferried to off-lying ships except for interruptions by frequent attacks. The A.L.C.5 made 15 trips.
A.L.C.16 is sunk
The A.L.C.16 (S/Lt. R.O. Wilcoxon, R.N.V.R.) made 7 trips, after which
"she was boarded by French soldiers, who overwhelmed the boat to such an extent that she became partially swamped, the starboard battery was flooded and both engines failed. Eventually sufficient French were evicted to enable
A.L.C.16 to be floated off and the port engine started"². In going astern, however, the port stern tube was damaged and water poured into the boat;
nevertheless, continually pumping and bailing, A.L.C.16 continued ferrying for a further 11 hours. She then went alongside the sloop Bideford to transfer a load of troops. S/Lt. Wilcoxon went on board the Bideford to arrange for a tow back to England. Then came the dive-bomb attack in which the
Bideford's stern was blown off. S/Lt. Wilcoxon was mortally wounded.
A.L.C.16 was heavily damaged, and sank in a few minutes; she had ferried about 600 troops.
French troops rush A.L.C.17
A.L.C.17 followed A.L.C.5 up the coast towards Bray beach. "On approaching the beach she was promptly boarded by a crowd of French troops who SO overloaded the boat that she grounded"³. With a falling tide she remained stranded for 3 hours. As the tide rose, the French. again attempted to rush the boat [but] the cox'n of A.L.C.17 procured the assistance of some
British troops, who, drove off the French "3. Ferrying was continued all day and throughout the night from La Panne, until the A.L.C.17's engines broke down; she was towed by a drifter to England next day for repairs.
A.L.C.'s 3, and 8 also ferried troops, and transported 20 and 10 troops respectively to Dover, where they arrived at 0400 next day.
M/B Minikoi sunk was the Minikoi. Unfortunately, at 0015/29, while still in the Downs, she
One of the earliest of the privately owned M/B's to start for the beaches was rammed and sunk by the M.A./S.B.6, which picked up her crew of three.
3 Report by A.L.C.16.
I 2 Report by A.L.C.5.
Report by A.L.C.17.
52

WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
M/B Sceneshifter swamped and lost
The M/B Silver Moon, from Ramsgate, arrived off the beaches at 0800 and ferried troops to ships at anchor. Without charts or compass she returned to
Ramsgate that night. The M/B Sceneshifter, on arrival, was rushed by French troops, swamped, and became a total loss.
M/B Viewfinder dragged aground and lost
The six motor yachts, Advance, Bobeli, Elizabeth Green, Hanora, Reda and
Viewfinder sailed from Dover for La Panne beach and were machine-gunned from the air off Gravelines. They arrived off La Panne beach at about
1500/29, and at once began towing whalers full of troops to off-lying ships.
At 1830, the Viewfinder was dragged aground by Belgian soldiers and became a total loss.
M/B's Hanora and Bobeli abandoned
At 1900, the Hanora fouled her propeller and was abandoned; her crew transferred to the Elizabeth Green and thence to the minesweeper Lydd. At
1900 also, the dr. Sabre requisitioned the Advance and embarked in her a W/T
transmitter and 2 operators for transportation to G.H.Q. at La Panne. The
Reda, having ferried troops, sailed for Ramsgate at 2200 with 21 troops on board. The Bobeli having received some damage while alongside a destroyer which suddenly went full ahead on account of an air attack, subsequently fouled her screw and rudder; she made fast. to the minesweeper Albury, but was abandoned when the Albury departed and became stranded on the beach.
The Elizabeth Green and Advance sailed in company that night for Ramsgate.
M/B Glitter II brings drinking water
The Glitter II arrived off Bray beach at 1600 on the 29th May, loaded with tins of fresh water. She then ferried troops. Next day she lost her rudder and was towed to Dover by a drifter.
M/B Queen of England sunk
A number of other small motor craft left Southend, Sheerness or Dover for the beaches on the 29th May, but did not arrive until 30th May. Among them was the Shamrock, and in company with her were the Princess Maud, Canvey
Queen and Queen of England. On the way over on the night of the 29th/30th
May the Queen of England was rammed amidships by the skoot Tilly and sank immediately; her crew were picked up by the Shamrock and transferred to the Tilly1. The remaining three motor boats were all abandoned and lost next day after ferrying troops to various destroyers, among them the Anthony;
the Canvey Queen and Shamrock fouled their propellers, and the Princess Maud went aground.
The Mirasol², alongside Dunkirk mole, was damaged by a near miss. She was taken in tow by a trawler, but later sank.
Other M/B's that sailed for the beaches on 29th May
The Triton and Silver Queen, with 6 motor launches in company, sailed for
La Panne at 2200. Three of the motor launches broke down on the way over
I Shamrock's report, unconfirmed. The name of the vessel is in doubt; the matter is not referred to in Tilly's report.
2 Commonly, but erroneously referred to in reports as the " Marasole."
53

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VI
and returned to harbour; the remainder Chantecler reached and the La Panne at 0500/30.
Dutch eel-boats Johanna and Chantecler M.B. Golden Lily also The and Ramsgate " compass at which 2200/29. was reached situated The the over beaches, the was engine. however, only capable revolved at 0900 of slowly 4 knots, round and and left her she had no charts, lost way 30th Later darkness, and returned to and brought back 30 troops. her in the Downs in the get over on May, round"¹. She The Johanna did not on the 30th
Ramsgate on the morning of the May. on that day she was towed to the beaches by the skoot Jutland.
Troops transported on 29th May reduction in the number of destroyers available and with failure to achieve
The 29th May closed with a formidable list of ships lost or damaged, a marked the high rate of evacuation hoped for. The effect of the day's occurrences even more marked next day, when instead of the 50,000 to 60,000 British was troops which had been calculated as the probable achievement, only 48,000 odd were in fact transported.²
Nevertheless, 47,310 troops (including some 2,000 casualties) were landed in England on the 29th May (see Table 2), 13,752 having been lifted from the beaches and 33,558 from the harbour. Only about 11 per cent of these were
French troops³, whose organised evacuation had not yet begun. (See Appendices Y.2 to Y.5).
During the morning and forenoon of the 29th May, when there was no bombing of Dunkirk harbour, 1Q personnel vessels⁴ lifted 14,760 troops from the east pier; during the afternoon, in spite of the bombing, the Canterbury lifted a further 1,960.
The development of beach evacuation is indicated by the fact that nearly
21 times the number of troops were lifted from the beaches on 29th May as compared with the number lifted on the previous day. Seventeen destroyers each made one round trip during the 24 hours of the 29th May and an eighteenth destroyer, the Icarus, made two such trips. On these trips the 18 destroyers embarked and transported to England 10,694 troops of which 6,198 were lifted from the beaches and 4,506 from Dunkirk harbour. Nine minesweepers⁶
together lifted 2,426 troops from the beaches although one of them, the Albury did not land her troops in England until the next day.⁷ Among other ships which brought back troops from the beaches was the cruiser Calcutta with
1,200.
The record of troops landed in England now stood as follows:-
From the
From the
Total for beaches harbour the day
26th May
Nil
Nil
Nil
27th May
Nil
7,669
7,669
28th May
5,930
11,874
17,804
29th May
13,752
33,558
47,310
I Report by Chantecler.
40,724. This figure probably puts does not include troops carried by foreign ships (See Prague,
3 2 D.R., D.R. p.11, which para. incidentally 38. the total of troops and casualties landed on 29th Table May 2). as
The Côte d'Argent, Killarney, King George V, Maid of Orleans, Manxman,
Javelin, Malcolm, Express, Verity, Wolsey and Marmion
Royal 5 The Daffodil, Anthony, Royal Codrington, Sovereign, Esk, Scotia, and Tynwald. Greyhound, Harvester, Intrepid, Worcester. Ivanhoe,
6 The Albury, Duchess Sabre, of Scimitar, Fife, Emperor Shikari, of Vanquisher, India, Fitzroy, Halcyon, Hebe, Leda, and Sharpshooter.
7 See Table 3, in conjunction with the reports of ships' proceedings in Vol. II.
54

WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
Ships lost or damaged on 29th May
H.M. SHIPS SUNK
The destroyers Wakeful, Grafton and Grenade.
The armed boarding vessel King Orrry
The Special Service Vessel Crested Eagle.
The Paddle Minesweepers Waverley and Gracie Fields.¹
The Personnel Vessels Normania,1 Lorina, Fenella and Mona's Queen.
The trawlers Polly Johnson and Calvi.
The danlayers Comfort and Nautilus.
The drifter Girl Pamela².
H.M. SHIPS DAMAGED AND PUT OUT OF ACTION.
The destroyers Saladin, Greyhound, Intrepid, Montrose, Mackay, Gallant and Jaguar.
The sloop Bideford.
The minesweeper Pangbourne (required dockyard repairs).
The personnel vessel Canterbury.
The hospital carrier Isle of Guernsey.
OTHER VESSELS
SUNK A.L.C.16, the S.S. Clan Macalister (6,900 tons), the M/B's Minikoi,
Viewfinder, Bobeli, Hanora, Sceneshifter and Queen of England.
DAMAGED AND PUT OUT OF ACTION The tug Sun V.
Destroyers of the "H," "I" and "J" Classes withdrawn
As a result of the heavy casualties and losses amongst the destroyer force, particularly the misfortunes which befell those of the larger and more modern types, a consultation was held between the Admiralty and the Vice-Admiral,
Dover, on 29th May, which led to a decision to withdraw the 7 destroyers of the "H", "I" and "J" Classes from "Dynamo"3; they were the only modern destroyers remaining with Vice-Admiral, Dover. All destroyers of the "G" class⁴ were already out of action.
There remained available for "Dynamo" 15 destroyers::-
Esk
Malcolm
Verity
Express
Whitehall
Vanquisher
Anthony
Winchelsea
Sabre
Keith
Worcester
Scimitar
Codrington
Windsor
Shikari
Excluding any casualties, this number of destroyers might be expected to maintain a flow of one destroyer per hour to the coast and would lift 17,000
troops in 24 hours⁵. It is noteworthy that in spite of their unsuitability for the work of troop carrying, the 39 destroyers so employed in Dynamo"
brought off more troops-96,000-than any other type of ship (see Table 1).
The 45 personnel vessels brought off 87,000; the 36 minesweepers 46,000;
the 39 skoots 22,000; and among the smaller vessels, the 51 drifters brought off 12,000.
I Actually sank on 30th May, as a result of damage received on 29th May.
2 In collision with the Lydd off Dunkirk harbour on the night of 28th/29th May.
3 The Icarus, Impulsive, Intrepid, Ivanhoe, Harvester, Havant and Javelin.
4 The Gallant, Grafton, Grenade and Greyhound.
5 D.R. p.11, para. 37.
55

CHAP. VI
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Ramsgate at 2200/29. situated over the engine. capable of 4 knots, also and left
Dutch eel-boats Johanna The Chantecler was only M.B. Golden Lily The and returned to harbour; and the remainder Chantecler reached and the La Panne at 0500/30.
and brought back lost troops. her in the Downs in the get over on May, and round"¹. She 30 The Johanna did not on the 30th and compass which was reached the beaches, however, revolved at 0900 slowly round her
Ramsgate on the morning on that day she was towed she had no charts, of way the 30th May. Later darkness, and returned to to the beaches by the skoot Jutland.
Troops transported on 29th May reduction in the number of destroyers and with failure to
The 29th May closed with a formidable available list of ships lost or damaged, a marked the high rate of evacuation hoped for. The effect of the day's occurrences achieve even more marked next day, when instead of the 50,000 to 60,000 British was were in fact transported.²
troops which had been calculated as the probable achievement, only 48,000 odd
Nevertheless, 47,310 troops (including some 2,000 casualties) were landed in England on the 29th May (see Table 2), 13,752 having been lifted from the beaches and 33,558 from the harbour. Only about 11/2 per cent of these were
French troops³, whose organised evacuation had not yet begun. (See Appendices Y.2 to Y.5).
During the morning and forenoon of the 29th May, when there was no bombing of Dunkirk harbour, 1Q personnel vessels⁴ lifted 14,760 troops from the east pier; during the afternoon, in spite of the bombing, the Canterbury lifted a further 1,960.
The development of beach evacuation is indicated by the fact that nearly
2½ times the number of troops were lifted from the beaches on 29th May as compared with the number lifted on the previous day. Seventeen destroyers⁵
each made one round trip during the 24 hours of the 29th May and an eighteenth destroyer, the Icarus, made two such trips. On these trips the 18 destroyers embarked and transported to England 10,694 troops of which 6,198 were lifted from the beaches and 4,506 from Dunkirk harbour. Nine minesweepers6
together lifted 2,426 troops from the beaches although one of them, the Albury did not land her troops in England until the next day.⁷ Among other ships which brought back troops from the beaches was the cruiser Calcutta with
1,200.
The record of troops landed in England now stood as follows:-
From the
From the
Total for beaches harbour the day
26th May
Nil
Nil
Nil
27th May
Nil
7,669
7,669
28th May
5,930
11,874
17,804
29th May
13,752
33,558
47,310
I Report by Chantecler.
3 D.R., which incidentally puts the total of and casualties landed on 29th Table May 2). as
2 D.R. p.11, para. 38.
40,724. This figure probably does not include troops carried by foreign ships (See Prague,
4 The Côte d'Argent, Killarney, King George troops V, Maid of Orleans, Manxman,
Royal Daffodil, Royal Sovereign, Scotia, and
Javelin, Malcolm, Sabre, Scimitar, Verity, Wolsey and Worcester. Marmion
5 The Anthony, Codrington, Esk, Express, Tynwald. Greyhound, Harvester, Intrepid, Ivanhoe,
6 The Albury, Duchess of Fife, Emperor Shikari, of Vanquisher, India, Fitzroy, Halcyon, Hebe, Leda, and Sharpshooter.
7 See Table 3, in conjunction with the reports of ships' proceedings in Vol. II.
54

WEDNESDAY, 29TH MAY
CHAP. VI
Ships lost or damaged on 29th May
H.M. SHIPS SUNK
The destroyers Wakeful, Grafton and Grenade.
The armed boarding vessel King Orrry
The Special Service Vessel Crested Eagle.
The Paddle Minesweepers Waverley and Gracie Fields.¹
The Personnel Vessels Normania,1 Lorina, Fenella and Mona's Queen.
The trawlers Polly Johnson and Calvi.
The danlayers Comfort and Nautilus.
The drifter Girl Pamela².
H.M. SHIPS DAMAGED AND PUT OUT OF ACTION.
The destroyers Saladin, Greyhound, Intrepid, Montrose, Mackay, Gallant and Jaguar.
The sloop Bideford.
The minesweeper Pangbourne (required dockyard repairs).
The personnel vessel Canterbury.
The hospital carrier Isle of Guernsey.
OTHER VESSELS
SUNK A.L.C.16, the S.S. Clan Macalister (6,900 tons), the M/B's Minikoi,
Viewfinder, Bobeli, Hanora, Sceneshifter and Queen of England.
DAMAGED AND PUT OUT OF ACTION The tug Sun V.
Destroyers of the "H," "I" and "J" Classes withdrawn
As a result of the heavy casualties and losses amongst the destroyer force, particularly the misfortunes which befell those of the larger and more modern types, a consultation was held between the Admiralty and the Vice-Admiral,
Dover, on 29th May, which led to a decision to withdraw the 7 destroyers of the "H", "I" and "J" Classes from "Dynamo"3; they were the only modern destroyers remaining with Vice-Admiral, Dover. All destroyers of the "G" class4 were already out of action.
There remained available for "Dynamo" 15 destroyers:-
Esk
Malcolm
Verity
Express
Whitehall
Vanquisher
Anthony
Winchelsea
Sabre
Keith
Worcester
Scimitar
Codrington
Windsor
Shikari
Excluding any casualties, this number of destroyers might be expected to maintain a flow of one destroyer per hour to the coast and would lift 17,000
troops in 24 hours⁵. It is noteworthy that in spite of their unsuitability for the work of troop carrying, the 39 destroyers so employed in ' Dynamo "
brought off more troops-96,000-than any other type of ship (see Table 1).
The 45 personnel vessels brought off 87,000; the 36 minesweepers 46,000;
the 39 skoots 22,000; and among the smaller vessels, the 51 drifters brought off 12,000.
I Actually sank on 30th May, as a result of damage received on 29th May.
2 In collision with the Lydd off Dunkirk harbour on the night of 28th/29th May.
3 The Icarus, Impulsive, Intrepid, Ivanhoe, Harvester, Havant and Javelin.
4 The Gallant, Grafton, Grenade and Greyhound.
5 D.R. p.11, para. 37.
55

CHAPTER VII
THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
French and British troops to embark in equal proportions area at 80,000, and the he following set telegram from the plans for their remaining in the
He had received Secretary of remaining in in the
By the 30th May Lord about Gort estimated completing the his British troops
"Continue to defend present perimeter well. to If the we can utmost still in order to cover maximum corder to cover maximum evacuation now proceeding to return to England with corder to cover maximum at the moment we You should your nominate so reduced that it can shall send you an when order deem command such as you may choose we a Corps Commander. now this commander. be handed to fighting force does not equivalent divisions. This is in accordance cations are broken you exceed are to hand over and of three return as specified when your effective with correct military procedure and no personal discretion is left to you in matter. The Corps with Commander French chosen whether by from you should be ordered to carry the on defence and evacuation Dunkirk or beaches.
The problem, as Lord Gort saw it, was to thin out the troops, while maintaining a proper defence of the perimeter, with a force which could be embarked finally in one lift.¹
Meanwhile Lord Gort had received orders from home that French and British troops were to embark in equal proportions, and early next morning this policy of H.M. Government was also promulgated by the Admiralty to the V.A.
Dover, R.A. Dover Straits (i.e. Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker), and S. N. 0.
Dunkirk.²
The adoption of this policy, desirable as it was, made Lord Gort's problem more difficult, and necessitated a prolongation of the time that the existing perimeter, or a smaller one, must be held, to enable all the troops to embark.
Yet the enemy pressure was increasing and there was no depth in our position.
A line on the dunes could only be held during the hours of darkness to cover the final phase of the withdrawal".
After discussing the situation with the Commanders of the 1st and 2nd
Corps, Lord Gort came to the conclusion that the eastern end of the perimeter could not be held much longer, as the enemy had already begun to shell the beach at La Panne. He therefore motored to Dunkirk to inform Admiral
Abrial of his views and to assure himself that the arrangements for embarking
British and French troops in equal proportions were working smoothly. Admiral
Abrial assured Lord Gort of his agreement about the evacuation of the sector, and the problem of embarkation was discussed.
Judging that it would be imprudent to continue to maintain the British position on the perimeter, outside the permanent defences of Dunkirk, for more than another 24 hours, Lord Gort decided to withdraw the 2nd Corps on the night of 31st May/Ist June, and the necessary moves began to take place on the morning of the 31st May.¹
Naval situation
So far as the Navy was concerned it not to appreciate the situation at Dunkirk and off the beaches. As an was example easy of the difficulty of doing so,
2 I Lord Gort's Second Despatch, para. 57.
Appendix Y.3.
56

THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
CHAP. VII
Admiral Ramsay records that, at 0030/301, the S.N.O. on the French coast
(Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker) reported that he had no destroyers, though in fact, at that time, all available destroyers (namely ten) in the Dover Command were either on the coast, or on passage, while the remaining 5 were at Dover discharging troops embarking ammunition, fuelling, etc., and were to " sail within the next 4 hours. Simultaneously, says Admiral Ramsay, the
V.C.I.G.S. reported² that the beaches were well organised, the troops in good heart, and there had been no bombing since dark, but that there was still a great shortage of small craft which were urgently required. This last fact", says Admiral Ramsay, was well known to the Vice-Admiral, Dover'
In fact, on practically every occasion when officers on and off the coast complained of the lack of ships, investigation of ship's reports goes to show that all ships were working to their utmost capacity and that the only reason for their absence in any one place was that they could not be in two places at once.
The sharp rise in the numbers of troops landed in England on consecutive days-e.g., from 17,000 troops on the 28th May, to 47,000 on the 29th, 53,000
on the 30th, and 68,000 on the 31st May-indicates the remarkably effective effort which was being made in spite of the occasional shortage of ships at
Dunkirk or off the beaches.
It was the constantly changing situation which invariably made abortive any attempt-by the authorities either in England or in the evacuation areato centralise the conduct of the operation except in its broadest aspects. Rear-
Admiral Wake-Walker (Rear-Admiral, Dover), states that La Panne was in telephonic communication with England and sometimes he received messages by W/T from Dover about the situation there [i.e. at La Panne]-as for instance one timed 1749 saying that ships were urgently wanted off La Panne though actually at 1900 there were 4 destroyers and one minesweeper there and the situation was constantly changing.
Further, he pointed out that G.H.Q. was in touch with the Admiralty and
Vice-Admiral, Dover, and were constantly presenting their own views and criticisms of what was happening which probably accounts for a signal from the First Sea Lord on the 30th May, asking if boats were distributed along the beaches to the best advantage⁴. Actually at the time whalers were the only boats that could get inshore, (except the pontoons and a few local craft), and their distribution was entirely dependent on the position of their parent ship⁵.
Rear-Admiral, Dover, takes over his Command
Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker points out that where incidents are so crowded it is difficult not to give a confused picture. "The picture was, however, confused, and so far as operations off the beaches were concerned organisation was not possible. The most that could be done was to exercise some control and direction".⁶
This is a just appreciation of the situation, and it provides an explanation of the not infrequent occasions when officers-both senior and junior and whether on or off the beaches-considered that, from their own particular view point, things were going awry. "Dynamo", though termed an operation, was in the nature of a desperate improvisation; but it was carried out with
I Error for 0039/30. (See Appendix H.7.)
2 Appendix H.8.
3 D.R. p.13, para. 40.
4 Appendix G.21.
5 R.A. Dover's report (M.017978/41).
6
R.A. Dover's report of Proceedings. (R.O.III, p.373).
57

THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
CHAP. VII
established-two lights being shown at La Panne and one at Bray-and Dover was informed accordingly.
Later that night Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker transferred from the Worcester, by that time full of troops, to the Express-his fourth transfer in twenty-four hours.
Captain Howson, N.O.I.C., Beaches
On the beaches the progress was better than appeared at the time. Captain
Howson, Naval-Officer-in-Charge of beaches, making his first acquaintance with conditions there, says that on the 30th May, off Bray, in the lightening dawn, a number of destroyers, sloops and skoots were seen to be lying off, and embarkation was proceeding in such boats as were available. Several boats were aground, others were holed, and some had no oars
By about 0600, all destroyers, sloops, etc., had cleared for England and there were no further ships available
Before leaving Dover he had understood that there would be 24 signal ratings along the beaches adequately supplied with Aldis lamps, but he never saw any of them². Communication along so many miles of flat beaches was very difficult, if not impossible, with so many troops on the shore.
there was no communication until Thursday afternoon [30th May] between La Panne and
Bray³, and never any between Bray and Dunkirk⁴".
At about 0600 Captain Howson went to Corps Headquarters in a house at
Bray, where he met one of his party, Commander Gorton, and also some naval officers " who had apparently been working on the beaches for some time before our arrival".
" About 0800", continues Captain Howson, "I proceeded on a motor bicycle to La Panne where I met Commander J. S. Dove, R.N., who took me to see Q.M.G. [Lieut. General Laidsell] with whom I discussed the position.
off La Panne " there were 2 or 3 destroyers and sloops, and embarkation appeared to be proceeding satisfactorily
On the return to Bray an hour later the sky was overcast and a Scotch mist prevailed which was a Godsend, for throughout the forenoon vast masses of French troops, quite apart from
British troops, were proceeding along the beaches, and had aircraft attacked the carnage would have been dreadful. No further ships arrived during the forenoon off Bray or La Panne and a great opportunity was missed for embarking troops undisturbed.
"During the forenoon on my way to Dunkirk I found the water lighter
Claude5 high and dry, but with ample supplies of water, and on my return arranged with the military aurhorities for lorries and cans to collect and distribute this sorely needed requirement".
Meanwhile, during the forenoon also, the sappers and troops of the First
Division had built a long pier of lorries off Bray into the sea⁶ with plank decking.
This was an excellent piece of work, and though not strong enough for use by
I
Report by S/Lt. E. C. Croswell, R.N. (C.W.23187/40).
2 See p. 67.
3 S/Lt. E. C. Croswell, R.N., on shore at La Panne, says, Lt. Cdr. McCullough [?L. Cdr.
J.W. McClelland R.N.] and signal staff arrived at La Panne on the evening of 30th May.
(C.W.23817/40). The Gossamer reports that she embarked a party of signalmen for La
Panne on 30th May, and arrived there at 1930.
4 1st Corps had a H.Q. at Bray.
5 She had been towed over to Dunkirk on 25th May by the tug Fairplay I.
6
This was done at the suggestion of Cdr. H. du P. Richardson R.N., who was in charge of a section of Bray beach. (R.O.III, p.369).
59

THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
CHAP. VII
established-two lights being shown at La Panne and one at Bray-and Dover was informed accordingly.
Later that night Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker transferred from the Worcester, by that time full of troops, to the Express-his fourth transfer in twenty-four hours.
Captain Howson, N.O.I.C., Beaches
On the beaches the progress was better than appeared at the time. Captain
Howson, Naval-Officer-in-Charge of beaches, making his first acquaintance with conditions there, says that on the 30th May, off Bray, " in the lightening dawn, a number of destroyers, sloops and skoots were seen to be lying off, and embarkation was proceeding in such boats as were available. Several boats were aground, others were holed, and some had no oars.
By about 0600, all destroyers, sloops, etc., had cleared for England and there were no further ships available
Before leaving Dover he had understood that there would be 24 signal ratings along the beaches adequately supplied with Aldis lamps, but he never saw any of them². " Communication along so many miles of flat beaches was very difficult, if not impossible, with so many troops on the shore.
there was no communication until Thursday afternoon [30th May] between La Panne and
Bray³, and never any between Bray and Dunkirk⁴".
At about 0600 Captain Howson went to Corps Headquarters in a house at
Bray, where he met one of his party, Commander Gorton, and also some naval officers who had apparently been working on the beaches for some time before our arrival".
" About 0800", continues Captain Howson, " I proceeded on a motor bicycle to La Panne where I met Commander J. S. Dove, R.N., who took me to see Q.M.G. [Lieut. General Laidsell] with whom I discussed the position.
off La Panne " there were 2 or 3 destroyers and sloops, and embarkation appeared to be proceeding satisfactorily
On the return to Bray an hour later the sky was overcast and a Scotch mist prevailed which was a Godsend, for throughout the forenoon vast masses of French troops, quite apart from
British troops, were proceeding along the beaches, and had aircraft attacked the carnage would have been dreadful. No further ships arrived during the forenoon off Bray or La Panne and a great opportunity was missed for embarking troops undisturbed.
"
"During the forenoon on my way to Dunkirk I found the water lighter
Claudes high and dry, but with ample supplies of water, and on my return arranged with the military aurhorities for lorries and cans to collect and distribute this sorely needed requirement".
Meanwhile, during the forenoon also, the sappers and troops of the First
Division had built a long pier of lorries off Bray into the sea⁶ with plank decking.
This was an excellent piece of work, and though not strong enough for use by
I Report by S/Lt. E. C. Croswell, R.N. (C.W.23187/40).
2 See p. 67.
3 S/Lt. E. C. Croswell, R.N., on shore at La Panne, says, Lt. Cdr. McCullough [?L. Cdr.
J.W. McClelland R.N.] and signal staff arrived at La Panne on the evening of 30th May.
(C.W.23817/40). The Gossamer reports that she embarked a party of signalmen for La
Panne on 30th May, and arrived there at 1930.
4 1st Corps had a H.Q. at Bray.
5 She had been towed over to Dunkirk on 25th May by the tug Fairplay I.
6 This was done at the suggestion of Cdr. H. du P. Richardson R.N., who was in charge of a section of Bray beach. (R.O.III, p.369).
59

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VII
thousands of troops, tired, depressed, for the and whole without food or water for broke into a double and kept it up I length of the Eastern Arm days, more than two hours. During that period estimate that more than 15,000 for troops were embarked. The Army certainly responded splendidly".
about 2100, eight destroyers² embarked embarked east pier an aggregate and
Cdr. Maund's estimate was triumphantly from confirmed: the between 1802
and other vessels, including the skoots Reiger well and Doggersbank, also embarked
8,528 troops; four personnel vessels³ an aggregate of 5,694 troops of number of wounded.
troops, while the hospital carrier Dinard, down the pier, embarked a
Anthony and Sabre damaged to Dover was attacked by a single aircraft which dropped 5 when returnich
Of the eight destroyers referred to above, one, the Anthony, extinguished her lights, stopped her engines, and put her compasses and W/T
and the Keith escorted her into Dover.
out of action. She was subsequently able to proceed, steering by her engines, on her way to Dunkirk by Route Z, came under fire from shore batteries and
Earlier in the day another destroyer, the Sabre, when near No. 6 Calais buoy, received several hits on the bridge and upper works. A shell went through the gyro-compass, an oil fuel tank was pierced, the magnetic compass put out of action, and she had to return to Dover for repairs.
The destroyer crews, who had hardly slept since the operation began, were beginning to show signs of exhaustion, and at 2341 (May 30th) the Admiralty ordered reliefs. a spare destroyer's crew to be sent to Dover to provide temporary
Air patrols
In the air low visibility checked the enemy's activity, but as on the previous day patrols were again carried out by Fighter Command at three-or foursquadron strength, the largest number of aircraft on the line at any one time being 44, and the smallest 26. Sixteen squadrons again operated, the total number of sorties amounting to 265. Small Coastal Command patrols operated as before throughout the day along the line North Goodwins-Gravelines
Ostend, and at night the patrol over Dunkirk by single Blenheims continued but the governing factor of the air operations over Dunkirk on the 30th May was the low visibility, which restricted the enemy's activities.⁴
Summary of troops landed in England
Thus the day was one of reviving hope. It ended with the numbers going up, and a record number were embarked from the beaches. (See table P. 65).
Arrangements for evacuation of B.E.F. rearguard of the B.E.F. had attended a conference representatives with the Vice-Admiral, the Dover.
Meanwhile, during the forenoon, of Commander-in-Chief to Ist hold the as the latest reasonable date to which the gave B.E.F. daylight on be expected
The June, Commander-in-Chief's plan was explained it Saturday, eastern perimeter with an up available force of about might 4,000.
Keith 3 The (1200), Anthony Winchelsea (1137), (925) Codrington and (1100), Esk (1041), Vimy (948), Impulsive (1112),
2 I The Cdr. Maund's report (R.O.III, p.443).
4 R.A.F. Prague Narrative, (1039), P. Royal 331. Sovereign Wolsey (1502), (1065). St. Helier (2000) and Tynwald (1153).
64

THURSDAY, 30TH MAY
CHAP. VII
SUMMARY OF TROOPS LANDED IN ENGLAND
From the
From the
Total for beaches harbour the day
26th May
Nil
Nil
Nil
27th May
Nil
7,699
7,669
28th May
5,930
11,874
17,804
29th May
13,752
33,558
47,310
30th May
29,512
24,311
53,823
By that date and time the Vice-Admiral knew that he would have available ocean-going tugs, ships' lifeboats and ships' power lifeboats which he could specially reserve for the climax of this critical operation.
The conference made the following decisions:
(a) That evacuation should proceed with the utmost vigour to ensure that by 0130 on 1st June the British forces ashore should have been reduced to the rearguard of 4,000.
(b) That special boats and tugs should be accumulated and held aside to ensure them being available in the early hours of 1st June.
(c) That the plan should provide for lifting the rearguard of 4,000, plus R.N.
beach parties, in one or more flights between 0130 and 0300 on 1st June.
(d) Final decision, based on the progress of the evacuation of the main body to be made by the Vice-Admiral at 1400 on Friday, 31st May, as to the possibility of adhering to the plan.
Other technical details were settled at the meeeting, and the Military staff were assured that the ever increasing rate of lifting made it probable that an affirmative decision would be reached at the critical hour of 1400 on the 31st
May. In the event, the Military plan was changed on the 31st May, as it was found to be impossible to hold the original covering position with 4,000
troops and then withdraw them to the beaches for embarkation by boat.
65

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VIII
Typical of the urge which characterised sailed from Ramsgate this movement at 0205 of small craft was escorting the trawler motor Strathelliot, boats, 8 which of which were disabled and in tow of on various the 31st May the M/B Skylark, disabled, was in tow of Strathelliot. At 0640 the Skylark's vessels towing bollard tore away and she was taken the in tow stern first. Then the M/B
embarked the Skylark in also the in became Strathelliot. tow-and damaged, later Shortly taken after in tow this stern the first-and M/B Malden crew Annie Lad ber, IV
crew were transferred to the Strathelliot and she and was Mary sunk after Rose was her sunk. Her
Mary Rose, which had been in tow of M/B the Rapid I, was damaged.
had to be taken she arrived water fast, and dritting on to the was She
Dunkirk beaches with her pumps beach choked, she bilge abandoned. full of rubbish fund making off useful purpose, however, by being used as a pier.
It is impossible to give the story of every ship, although each ship has its which went over on the 31st May in company with the lighters X. 217 (S/Lt.
story. Here, for instance, is the unvarnished history of the M/B Marsayru
R.A. W. Pool, R.N.) X. 213 and X. 149. They arrived off Malo beach at about
1600. During an air attack X. 213 and X. 149 were sunk. The Z. 217 was beached and, assisted by the dinghy, embarked 95 troops which were transferred to the yacht Llanthony. The X. 217 continued to embark troops using the
Marsayru and a cutter. At about 2100 that evening, with the Marsayru's skipper and crew and about 200 British and French troops on board, the X. 217
left for home towing the Marsayru and a cutter.
Shortly after sailing the Marsayru broke adrift, and in darkness could not be found. Next day, the 1st June, however, at 1400, S/Lt. T.E. Godman, R.N.V.R.
in a Naval steam pinnace, off La Panne, sighted the Marsayru drifting with the tide and unoccupied. She was found to be in working order; the engine was started up and Sub-Lieut. Godman took an A.B. and a soldier as crew. He left Petty Officer Morrison in charge of the steam pinnace with orders to lay off and wait for the return of the Marsayru.
With the dinghy in tow the Marsayru proceeded to the western end of the beach capacity. and anchored; the dinghy ferried 19 troops to her, which filled her to
In the meantime the crew of the steam pinnace had embarked in the skoot
Doggersbank and had left the steam pinnace anchored near Dunkirk harbour.
Sub-Lieut. Godman decided to leave her there and sailed in the Marsayru for
England; from her. he overtook the Doggersbank on the way and obtained some fuel and in tow waited for daylight. At 0430 on the 2nd June a trawler a took the Marsayru
At 2330 on the Ist June the Marsayru made fast to conical flashing buoy embarked. to Ramsgate, which was reached at 0800, and the 19 troops were disthe Queen's pleasure launches Enterprise and Wave Queen), the Foremost Southborough,
White Heather,Westeriey,A Lansdowne, hopper barge.26. The M/B's. Marsayru, and the 101, Lady Minotaur,
The motor coaster Hythe. M/B, the Dolphin's Balquhain, power Tigris boat, I, Rapid the Nelson's I, picket the motor X lighters launch 95, 149, 209 (towing a boat), 213, Sherfield, motor launches Grouse, Nanette II the lighter Y.C.63. The and War 217. The motor barge seven 30 knot eighth, The skoot the Pigeon, Hilda went Haig, over on Kestrel, 1st June. Marlborough, Swallow, Department's Wolfe and Vulture an
Gipsy Three King, more Golden of towed Spray over II the and motor two life-boats. boats Moss Rose, Rose Marie, Lady Haig, Britannic and the M.F.H. Pickford & Co. Ltd.'s motor vessels went over, viz the Chamois, Hound
72

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
Later on 2nd June, on instructions from the N.O.I.C., the original crew took charge of the Marsayru, but she did not, apparently, make a second trip to Dunkirk. Her skipper (G. D. Olivier) received the D.S.M. for his services, and her engineer (C. Coggins) a mention in despatches.
The Cockle Bawley boats
Of the small craft that went over on this day, Admiral Ramsay speaks in the following terms of the Cockle Bawley boats²:
"The conduct of the crews of these cockle boats was exemplary. They were all volunteers who were rushed over to Dunkirk in one day, probably none of them had been under gunfire before and certainly none of them under Naval discipline.
These boats were Thames estuary fishing boats which never left the estuary, and only one of their crews had been further afield than Ramsgate before. In spite of this fact perfect formation was maintained throughout the day and night under the control of a Sub-Lieutenant R.N.V.R.³ in command of the Unit, and all orders were carried out with great diligence even under actual shell fire and aircraft attack."
One of these cockle boats, the Renown, was blown up by a mine while returning to England disabled and in tow of the drifter Ben and Lucy. Her skipper,
W. H. Noakes, and his crew⁴ were killed. The Ben and Lucy had been towing the drifter Feasible (disabled by a shell hit), 3 life-boats and the cockle boat
Letitia. At 0115 on the 1st June the Renown, by then disabled, attached herself to this tow, but an hour later she was blown to pieces and a hail of wood and splinters came down on the Letitia's deck. The Letitia's skipper (A. J.
Dench) says, In the pitch dark we could see nothing, and after the explosion we hard nothing and we could do nothing, except pull in the tow rope, which was just as we passed it to the Renown about 3 hour before.
French and Belgian ships arrive
Early on the 31st it became known that the Belgian Government were anxious that several small Belgian fishing craft lying at Brixham should take part in the evacuation and steps were taken to arrange this.
At 1335 the French destroyer Léopard routed from the Downs to Dunkirk two French trawlers5, three French motor fishing vessels⁶, and ten Belgian trawlers⁷.
The Belgian trawlers were under the orders of Pilote Malet; the remainder of the ships under Lieutenant de vaisseau Drogou.
Other Allied ships that sailed for Dunkirk on this day were the French cargo ships Ingénieur Cachin and Margaux, the trawlers Pierre et Marie, Emma and
Duperre, and the patrol vessel Diligente; the Belgian trawlers Lydie Suzanne and Yvonne, and the drifters Gerard-Léon (H.64), Anne Marie and Thérèse
Compas. On her return journey the Pierre et Marie picked up 3 English sailors from a drifting motor boat.
I The Marsayru's skipper says that throughout 31st May, and the days and nights that followed (its all a complete jumble in my mind) we were under constant fire but the ship was not hit by anything." It seems, however, that Mr. Olivier was only in the evacuation for 5 hours, i.e. from 1600 to 2100, 31st May.
2 Defender, Endeavour, Letitia, Reliance, Renown and Resolute.
3 S/Lt. M. H. B. Solomon, R.N.V.R.
4 L. V. Osborne, Mate, and F. W. Osborne, Engineer.
5 Chasse-Marée and Angèle Marie.
6 Margaux (D.692), Jeune France (Di.1213) and Du Guesclin (D.G.910).
7 Indépendence (0.308), Victor-Erna (H.63), Louise-Irène (H.80), Pharailde (H.42)
Raphael-Raymonde (H.43), O.L.V. Van Vlaandeven (N.49), John (O.210) Anna Marguerite
(Z.2), Buffalo Bill (Z.4) and the M.41.
73

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
At least fourteen other motor boats¹ were lost by misadventure, e.g. engine failure, grounding, swamping, damaging rudders and/or propellers on floating or submerged wreckage, or breaking adrift and being lost when on tow. The seaplane tender No. 291 managed to get back to England in spite of the damage she had sustained, but was unable to take any further part in "Dynamo".
Conflicting news of La Panne
Meanwhile, as the tows of boats (which Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker now saw for the first time at 1900 on the 31st May), arrived off Dunkirk they were directed to the beaches by Lt. Cdr. Wynne-Edwards, first from M.T.B.68 and later at about 2100, from M.A/S.B. 6. It was found, however, that in the growing darkness, and with no lights to help them, there was a tendency for the boats to stop at the first place they came to where other craft were assembled.
At about 1930 the Codrington, then off, Bray, was warned by Rear-Admiral
Wake-Walker to send on the boats detailed for La Panne, but the bulk of them did not get further than Bray.
The night was dark, and Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker stayed off La Panne,
"wondering how things were going. Everything was black, ships and boats and shore showed no lights", although arrangements had been made for a light to be shown to seaward to guide boats inshore. Shelling was continuous and seemed to be falling among the ships at the anchorage. News was conflicting;
a message from the shore said that thousands of men were waiting but there were no boats, while messages came from ships that their boats could find no one on the beach. the ships and the boats were there, and the troops ashore, and one could do no more.
I do not know to this day", says Rear-
Admiral Wake-Walker, what really took place there".
La Panne beach 31st May/1st June
It is not easy to discover what happened at La Panne, but the following account, based on a report by Lt. Cdr. J. W. McClelland, R.N., who with a party of signalmen reached La Panne in the minesweeper Gossamer at 1930 on the 30th May, gives the main course of events. He was S.N.O., La Panne, for the seven hours prior to its abandonment as a place of embarkation at about
0200 on the 1st June.
About 1600 on May 31st Captain Tennant, who had been visiting Lord Gort at La Panne, decided to return to Dunkirk, but he first instructed Lt. Cdr.
McClelland to arrange for the evacuation of Lord Gort and his staff, to carry out the duties of S.N.O., La Panne³, and to join Major General B. L. Montgomery, then in command of 2nd Corps.
At that time, says Lt. Cdr. McClelland, an enemy battery near Nieuport, assisted by 2 kite balloons, had found the range of the beach and the off lyingships, which had accordingly withdrawn to the westward. Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker asked for the balloons to be shot down, and aircraft came over for that purpose; at times the balloons were hauled down-but they always re-appeared.
I A.L.C.8, A.L.C.15, Enterprise, Excellent's 35 ft. M|B, Excellent's A/A M|B, Golden
Spray II, Princess Lily, St. Patrick, and the Seaplane tender 243 and A.M.C.3; the Sea
Falcon, Sunshine, Triton and the Two Rivers.
2 M.017978/41, p.21.
3 Lt. Cdr. McClelland speaks of the final evacuation of A, B and C beaches La Panne, but this is evidently an error as the beaches were lettered from West to East (See Plan 3)
and must therefore have been M, N and O Beaches.
M.017978/41, p.16.
75

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VIII
of embarkation".
to destroy. At 0200 Saturday [Ist June] La Panne was abandoned as a place
1st June 1940², confirms the
The following extract from above War accounts: Diary General Staff 4 Division, dated the
"[At La Panne] by 0100 hrs. not more be embarked than three had to four hundred men of
Division out of eight thousand to been put on transports. the conference was called at Divisional decided H.Q. that which it was had useless now opened in a house by the A
side of the beach where it was to continue the embarkation from La Panne. Motor Contact officers Dunes were and sent out to inform Brigades that they were to proceed direct to Bray Dunkerque Mole. Whilst were sustained. A Staff Officer was sent warn the French Guards at at the conference was going on the beach was heavily to shelled by 5.9's and a this
Frontier that 4 Division would be passing through them.
was sent to order the men on the beach to make their way along the beach either to Bray or Dunkerque. From this moment H.Q. ceased to operate until follows:- arrived at Dunkerque Mole. Certain officers arrived at Dunkerque Mole as it
GSO II, GSO III, and Camp Commandant at 0500 hrs. 1 June. GOC, GSO I,
AA and QMG, I.O., ADC, Motor Contact Officer at about 0700 hrs."
Captain R. Pim, R.N.V.R., Beach Master
In view of the foregoing outline of events at La Panne, it is necessary, in order to avoid confusion, to refer briefly to a report by Captain Pim who was sent over from the Admiralty to assist in speeding up the embarkation.
After visiting as many of the beaches as possible he assumed the duties of
Beach Master (at Bray beach) and arranged to continue the organisation of ferrying boats until all the troops on the beaches were on board. I told them", he said, that if anything went wrong during the night we would return at dawn".³
Later, Captain Pim stated All the troops that I could find were embarked by midnight and placed in ships which sailed for England. Just before midnight I went along certain beaches to look for stragglers. A Staff Officer informed me that no more troops would embark from these beaches⁴ but that they would march to Dunkirk, as it was anticipated these beaches would be shelled and would probably be in German hands the following day." Captain
Pim estimated that from pontoon bridges and beaches, approximately 5,000
troops were probably embarked.
Although his report is entitled Final evacuation of troops from the beaches of La Panne and Bray", Captain Pim does not say that these 5,000 troops were embarked from La Panne, and it is evident from Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker's report, and particularly from Lt. Cdr. McClelland's report, and the War Diary of the 4th Division, that they were not embarked from La Panne. Vice-Admiral
Dover6, however, assumes from Captain Pim's report that he worked at La to the east and west of it.
Panne, the weight of evidence shows that he worked at Bray and immediately the west, as shells meant for the beaches were ricocheting over the Hilda.
During the night, Captain Pim found it necessary to shift his anchorage to
Then, Captain at 0315 on the 1st June, in accordance with his undertaking to the troops, western Pim sent off all [his] boats. to search the beaches, starting from the end of Bray-Dunes". During the next 3 hours, he says, only about 250
I C.W.23187/40.
3 2 4 Capt. Provided Pim's by report Lt. Col. (R.O. H. IV, F. Joslen, p.52). (Historical Section, War Cabinet).
5 Evidently the La Panne beaches.
6 Capt. Pim's report (R.O. IV, P.52).
D.R., p.20, para.61.
78

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
from the beach, apparently stragglers. A large rearguard party probe to Dunkink.of to the the men the 4th Division) marching along the beach decided
Bray Beach parties return to England
It was on this day that the majority of the beach parties returned to England.
that the enemy were closing in and that it might be expected that the final
Captain Howson records that on the evening of the 30th May he had learnt evacuation would take place during the following day (31st May) or night at latest". As he had received orders that beach parties were not to be taken prisoner², and anticipated that very many troops would be left ashore, he deemed it undesirable for all naval personnel to embark in the final rush".
Accordingly he arranged that half the naval personnel should embark during the early hours of Friday (31st May)3.
This arrangement to some extent accounts for V.A. Dover's 1229/31 to Rear-
Admiral Wake-Walker saying that officers and men of beach parties had returned to Dover on instructions from Dunkirk, and that they must be retained to the last⁴; and his further signals notifying that more beach parties were being sent out with all despatch in the destroyer Worcester5.
An account of the activities of the beach parties at Bray has been given by
Lieutenants G. W. Vavasour and J. G. Wells, R.N. They were among the 12
officers and 60 ratings, who sailed from Dover in the Esk with Rear-Admiral
Wake-Walker and Commodores Stephenson and Hallett on the 29th May
(Page 49).
On the way over the 12 officers were divided into 3 groups of 4 officers, and to each of the 12 officers was allocated a party of 1 P.O., 1 Leading Seaman,
2 Able Seamen and a Signalman. Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker told the officers that on no account were their parties to be captured, and that with this in mind, they were to re-embark when they thought fit.
On arrival off the various beaches at about 2330 on May 29th the Esk stopped off each and the 3 beach parties were landed in whalers; one party went to
La Panne where Cdre. Stephenson was to be S.N.O., Afloat, off the beach⁶, one went west of Bray, and the third went to Bray where Commodore Hallett was to be S.N.O., Afloat, off the beach. There is no report available of the activities of the first two parties.
The 4 officers in Cdre. Hallett's section were Lieuts. Vavasour, Wells, Tibbits and Cameron, R.N., all of H.M.S. Excellent. Cdre. Hallett had previously explained to these officers that he himself would be afloat approximately in front of his sections (E, F, G and H) of the beach, and repeated the warning that the officers were to be the sole judges of when to evacuate the naval parties.
I Capt. Pim's report (R.O. IV, p.52), Italics not in original.
2 Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker says that the V.A. Dover had stressed that Naval ratings
(in beach parties) were not to risk being taken prisoner (M.017978/41, p.3).
3 Capt. Howson's Report (R.O. IV, p.117).
4 Appendix Q.12.
6 5 Appendices Q.13 and Q.14.
Lt. Vavasour's report, R.O.III, p.422. Lt. Vavasour says that Cdre Stephenson was
S.N.O., A.B.C.D. Sections. But the beaches had been lettered A to O, from west to east and so the La Panne beach was L.M.N.O. It was probably because of the almost invariable confusion about the lettering of the beaches that this method of designating beaches was changed by signal at 1906/29 (Appendix 0.11), and the whole length was divided into 3
equal parts, referred to as Malo, Bray and La Panne, from west to east with a mile gap between each part.
79

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
After about an hour the Margate life-boat, the Lord Southborough, appeared.
All destroyers were now under way, and as the life-boat was returning to Margate the party went back in her¹. She reached Margate at 1450 on May 31st.
Thus, by about 0830 on the 31st May all the beach parties of which there are any records had returned or were on their way to England.
Devonia is beached
At 1035 Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker had informed V.A. Dover that he would beach a ship in the hope of improving conditions for boat work, which was then being made difficult by a lop and he instructed Cdre. Stephenson accordingly.
Cdre. Stephenson, then in the yacht Bounty off. La Panne, boarded the minesweeper Devonia at 1600 and gave orders to beach the ship. The
Devonia, already much damaged by near misses at 1230, was beached at full speed off La Panne, and at 1930, on account of the shelling and bombing, she was abandoned. Fortunately by 1700 the weather off the beaches had much improved.
Casualties to H.M. Ships
With the exception of the Devonia none of H.M. ships was lost on this day, but the following were slightly damaged: the Vivacious was damaged by a shell hit and had 3 dead and 12 wounded; the Hebe received slight damage from a near miss; the Wolsey was in collision with the P/V Roebuck; the
Impulsive damaged a propeller on uncharted wreckage; the Malcolm was in collision with Dunkirk pier; and the Scimitar was in collision with the Icarus and later with a drifter².
Air patrols
During the 31st May Fighter Command carried out patrols, as on the 30th
May, at an average strength of three to four squadrons. Eight patrols in all were flown, involving 289 sorties. The periods in the day when the Dunkirk area was not covered were 0620-0800, 0830-1110, 1510-1615, and 1745-1915³.
Coastal Command patrolled the line North Goodwins-Gravelines-Ostend throughout the day, patrols being of one section strength, involving in all
37 sorties⁴.
Shortly before 0930 the Air Ministry intercepted a meassage indicating that the enemy air force had been ordered not to attack the town or harbour of
Dunkirk but to concentrate attacks on shipping at sea, or leaving the coast³.
It was at about 1230 that, off La Panne, the Devonia received extensive damage to her hull from 4 near misses, but the first major attack on our ships occurred about 1415-1430 when one of our squadrons estimated the enemy strength as about 100 aircraft (bombers and fighters). Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker says, "a terrific air battle took place overhead and it seemed to go against us". Actually, we lost 9 aircraft and claimed 7 enemy shot down.6
Air attacks then followed at half-hourly intervals between 1530 and 1730, and at about 1717 the Ivanhoe, Whitehall and Express off Dunkirk harbour were attacked by about 50 bombers. The Whitehall received some damage and the Express slight damage from near misses. At this time also the Hebe was attacked off La Panne by 4 bombers and was damaged by near misses;
I Cdr. Richardson's report (R.O.III, p.370).
2 Probably either the Gervais Rentoul or the Eileen Emma which both returned damaged as the result of collisions.
3 R.A.F. Narrative, p.334.
4 R.A.F. Narrative, p.336.
5 M.017978/41, p.17.
6 R.A.F. Narrative, p.335.
83

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

SATURDAY, 1ST JUNE
CHAP. IX
move westward with boats in tow in the direction of Dunkirk, towards which the troops were now marching from La Panne.
The first loaded ship to leave Dunkirk seems to have been the Whippingham, in time of peace an Isle of Wight paddle ferry boat belonging to the Southern
Railway. She had been embarking troops alongside the mole since 2200 on the previous day, and when she cast off at 0130 on 1st with 2,700 troops on board she was overladen and her sponsons were only about a foot above water.
Disaster nearly overwhelmed her at the start, when she was straddled by shell fire and the troops rushed over to the port side, causing the ship to list 20°.
Fortunately, the sea was calm. The chief mechanician (Ch. Mech. 2nd C1.
F. A. Ford) checked the rush, moved the troops back to starboard, and thereby probably saved the ship.
Another early sailer was the personnel vessel Lady of Mann, who proceeded at 0430 for Dover, with 1500 casualties. The hospital carriers St. Andrew and
St. Julien disembarked in England this day 130 and 287 wounded, respectively, after which no more hospital ships brought wounded from Dunkirk. Space alongside the large-ship berths was too valuable to be occupied by hospital ships, and walking wounded went with the troops, whilst those that could not walk had to be left behind.
The personnel ship Maid of Orleans berthed at the East Mole at about 0330
and for 6 hours, most of the time under air attack, she acted as a floating stage for the embarkation of troops on board the destroyers Icarus, Vanquisher and Windsor, whose upper decks were far below the top of the mole. The pier was crowded and as many troops as possible were embarked over mess tables rigged across the "B" gun decks of inside ships to the outside vessel.
The Vanquisher was the first of the three to leave, at 0630 with 1200 troops.
An hour later the Icarus and Windsor sailed in company, with 1,114 and 493
troops respectively. Finally, at about 0900 the Maid of Orleans herself proceeded, during an air attack, with 1,856 troops, which, like the destroyers, she disembarked at Dover. In six trips, once being diverted without completing the trip and once returning on account of collision, the Maid of Orleans had transported in all 5,461 men; but this was her last crossing, for when leaving
Dover again for Dunkirk at 2030 that day she was rammed amidships by the destroyer Worcester returning from Dunkirk with manoeuvrability impaired through damage to propellers and rudder, caused by air attack at 1630 in which she had 6 men killed and 40 wounded, and shot down two enemy aircraft. No lives were lost in the collision, but the Maid of Orleans was too badly damaged to continue her voyage. For the Worcester, too, this was the final crossing she had evacuated 4,545 troops in 6 trips.
Other destroyers were embarking troops at the same time alongside Dunkirk pier. The Vivacious, after being dive-bombed whilst waiting to enter harbour, went alongside at 0630, embarked 475 troops in a quarter of an hour, and sailed again for Dover at 0645. The Winchelsea was bombed at 0745 and again at 0830, but was not damaged, and she sailed at 0830 with 1150 troops on board.
Despite vicious air attacks, the embarkation of troops continued. The gunboat Locust, after embarking troops for four hours from Malo beach in her whalers, having no power boat, moved to Dunkirk at 0415 and took on board a further 500 at the east pier under air attack before sailing for Dover at 0610.
The corvette Kingfisher left the east pier at 1130 with 210 troops and some wounded, embarked under almost continuous high level bombing.
There were times, however, during the day when the harbour was deserted.
87

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

SATURDAY, 1ST JUNE
CHAP. IX
boiler and engine rooms badly holed, the steering gear jammed with the rudder hard over, the ship took a heavy list to port. The crew of the pom-pom were all killed or knocked out except Acting Leading Seaman Ronald Thirlwall, who, although shockingly badly wounded in at least four places, kept the one undamaged barrel firing until ammunition was exhausted. The 0.5" gun aft was also kept in action by Able Seaman C. A. L. Hirschfield, who went aft and brought the gun into action single handed after all the crew were wounded.
With water pouring into the ship, the Mosquito was abandoned, the survivors being picked up by the Rapid and two drifters. Among the killed was the executive officer Lieutenant A. H. Mainwaring, R.N.
Fifth and sixth air attacks, 1500 and 1610
Between 1230 and about 1500 there was a lull in the air attacks on shipping, and when attacks were renewed at the latter hour R.A.F. and Coastal Command patrols were operating and no damage occurred.
About 1600 the French minesweeping trawlers Président Briand, Denis
Papin, Moussaillon and Vénus, were approaching Dunk'rk after landing troops in England, when gunfire from a shore battery opposite 6 W buoy caused the two former, who were ahead, to turn back. Ten minutes later, a formation of
9 enemy aircraft dived cn them, directing their bombs on the Vénus and the
Denis Papin. The latter apparently sank immediately with total loss of her crew, and the Vénus in four minutes, after a direct hit. Whilst the other two trawlers were engaged in rescuing the survivors of the Vénus, the Moussaillon was hit and sank within a minute.
Losses from mines
On this black day mines were also taking their toll of shipping. Enemy aircraft had been mining the inshore channels during the night 31st May-1st
June, and at 0313 Vice-Admiral Dover informed the Admiralty that he was allowing ships evacuating troops to use Route Y as well as Route X. In the early hours the corvette Sheldrake after a night spent in dodging M.T.B.
torpedoes", was skilfully directed by aircraft to a position between the West
Hinder and Kwint buoys, where she found wreckage with men clinging to it.
This was the remains of the trawler St. Achilleus which had been mined on patrol. The Sheldrake rescued 11 men, but 4 of them died before they could be got to harbour. About the same time, i.e. at 0330, the little Thames Estuary cockle bawley boat Renown was blown to pieces with her crew of 3, on the way back from Dunkirk.
The third ship to be sunk on this day was the F.A.A. training yacht Grive a vessel which, on account of her untiring activity, could ill be spared. Having disembarked 374 troops at Dover at 0100 on the 1st June the Grive sailed again two hours later for Dunkirk without waiting to replenish ammunition, of which she had only 5 rounds per gun remaining. On the way in to the harbour she lent assistance to the Ivanhoe after the latter was bombed and damaged, went alongside the jetty and embarked troops under heavy bombing. At 0800 she left again. On the way out, she passed the sinking destroyer Havant with the
Ivanhoe's troops and survivors of the crew on board; these she transferred, and arrived at Dover with 785 persons about 1300. Three hours later, her indefatigable Captain (Capt. the Hon. L. J. O. Lambart, D.S.O., R.N. (Retired)
sailed once more for Dunkirk. But he never arrived, for at about 2230, when a mile or so outside the harbour, the Grive was blown to pieces by a mine.
Nineteen survivors were picked up, but her Captain was not among them.
93

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

DUSK TO DUSK, 1ST-2ND JUNE
CHAP. x valuable service in the operation. The Glen Avon, which sailed a quarter of ing an hour after the Medway Queen, also picked up 24 Spaniards, from the
Dutch S.S. Alphacca; it is not known how they came to be afloat, for the
Alphacca was not sunk until 4 April 1942. The Lydd left at the same time as the Medway Queen, with 200 troops, but defective degaussing then necessitated and Royal Eagle all sailed within half an hour of one another. The last ship putting an end to her service in Operation' Dynamo". The Niger, Snaefell, to leave Malo beach was, by her own account, the Glen Gower at 0320, as day wa breaking, by which time it was low water. Her Captain, Acting Commander
M. A. O. Biddulph, R.N., S.O. 8th M.S.F., reported that the embarkation had been very trying, for the enemy's gunfire during the night had been mainly directed at the beaches, which had been very heavily shelled¹, and the Glen Gower was continually under fire from guns and howitzers on shore from the time she anchored at 2355. "Sight and hearing were almost overwhelmed by the ruddy glow of flames, the flashes of gunfire, the shrieking of shells all around, and the noise of their explosion as they burst". When the
Glen Gower sailed, with 435 troops, she had lost two of the boats (one from shrapnel hits) which she had brought from England to ferry troops from the beach to the ships, whilst a third was left aground.
Of all the minesweepers that left the beach this night only the Snaefell was filled to capacity.
Embarkations at Dunkirk
Although there were more ships than were required off the beaches there was plenty of room at the East Pier, and during the night Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker, who had come over from Dover and was afloat in M.A /S.B.10, diverted some of the redundant ships from Malo. He met the minesweeper Sutton at
2121 and sent her to load at the East Pier, where she embarked in about 11/2
hours 725 troops, about a third of whom were French. The Duchess of Fife arrived off Malo at 2310, found no troops and was sent on to Dunkirk Pier where she embarked 550 men. The destroyer Venomous had come over to
Malo with a beach party of 10 officers and 90 men; no boats came off from the shore, and at 0200 Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker sent her to Dunkirk, where she took on board 632 troops and sailed for Dover about 0230. The paddle minesweeper Marmion was ordered into Dunkirk Harbour at 0200 on 2nd, after waiting in the roads for four hours, and embarked 225 French troops.
Ships were led into harbour and allocated to their berths by Commander Maund in a motor boat.
French troops, to the number of 285, were also embarked by the trawler
(danlayer) Strathelliot alongside the inner jetty amongst them was General
Nicolle and his staff. The Strathelliot grounded outside the harbour on sailing at 0130 but got off undamaged, by her own efforts. Another small ship to get away early with French troops only on board was the skoot Reiger which left the jetty in the Nouvel Avant Port at 2215 on 1st after lifting 330 men in 45
minutes.
The first pair of destroyers to berth alongside the East Pier were the Codrington at 2300 and the Sabre a quarter of an hour later. The former embarked
878 troops, the latter 756 both ships taking only 45 minutes. The Icarus which left Dover with the Windsor, also berthed at 2300 and took on board
677 troops. On the way home, she was in collision with a trawler in Dunkirk
Channel, and her further service in Operation "Dynamo" was cancelled.
I Report of R. A. Wake-Walker, M.017978/41, p.31.
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THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. X
The Windsor did some quick turns round. From the present night's work she returned to Dover with 493 troops, sailed again for Dunkirk and lifted a further was out, she was once more alongside Dunkirk East Pier embarking troops,
624 men which she disembarked at Dover, leaving about 1900. Before the day and she sailed at 0100 on 3rd June, loaded with 1,022 men.
As the Esk was unable to sail owing to exhaustion of her crew the Shikari proceeded alone. She berthed at Dunkirk at 0125 and left again at 0200 with
470 troops. When the first vessel of the last pair of destroyers, the Whitshed and Winchelsea, arrived at Dunkirk the East Pier was bare of troops; but by using a loud hailer and making a search a total of 512 were collected. The
Winchelsea disembarked 1,100 men at Dover.
On this night personnel vessels were not much in evidence at Dunkirk. The
Côte Argent disembarked 1,250 troops in England on 2nd June, the Newhaven
716 at Dover at 1030. The Royal Daffodil, after bring turned back earlier in the day by a French destroyer, left Margate again at 2200 on the 1st and was back at 0600 on the 2nd with 1,500 troops. The Manxman did not arrive at
Dunkirk until 0506 on the 2nd, long after daylight; she brought back 177 troops and disembarked them at Dover at 1043. The only other considerable lift from Dunkirk pier by a British ship on this night was by the 220 ton coaster
Seine, which arrived at Dunkirk about 2000 and, after an air attack lasting about an hour, went alongside the pier and embarked 250 troops. After landing these at Ramsgate the crew, who had worked continuously for four days and nights, had their first night's sleep.
In addition to the large ships, tugs, skoots, drifters and all manner of small craft evacuated troops on this night. Some lay off and were loaded by smaller boats ferrying troops out to them, others went up harbour, past the large ship berths. Over 4,000 men were brought to England on the 2nd June in this way. Of these the skoot Hondsrug took 421 French and the skoot Reiger
330 French.
French embarkations
During the early part of the night 1st-2nd June French troops embarked as arranged at the West Pier, though none of the French torpedo boats which it was intended to employ disembarked troops in England.¹ Looking shoreward from the sea, the characteristic helmets of the endless line of French troops on the West Pier showed up against the glare of fires inland. The town and harbour lay under a pall of smoke. The minesweeping trawler Chasse-Marée lifted from the harbour 391 troops, the patrol vessel Reine des Flots 350, the cargo ship Cap Antifer 291, and trawlers and motor fishing vessels a further
548; all these were landed in England.
June. Four Belgian trawlers brought over 313 troops from Dunkirk on the 2nd
British Naval base party embarks, 0245/2
the The shore end of the East Pier at Dunkirk, to embark the base party as arranged.
At 0200 on the 2nd Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker in M.A/S.B.10 went up to party arrived and the M. A/S.B. sailed at 0245.
had been haze which had prevented some ships from arriving the morning was
By this time it was beginning to get light, and although at one time there
T.B's. on this night alongside the West quay.
I Rear-Admiral loaded Wake-Walker in his Report M.017978/41 p.32 says, however, French
102

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. X
clearly marked as hospital ships. Neither of the two ever reached Dunkirk.
were despatched from Dover, the Worthing at 1255 and the Paris at 1648, both we should scrupulously observe the Two hospital carriers part en clair asking for hospital ships to be Geneva sent across Convention. and stating that for our
At 1433 the A/S trawler Grimsby Town, on patrol on Route X, reported that had bombed a hospital ship. This was Worthing. Visibility was good.
12 aircraft bearing 90° South Foreland 27 the miles (between V and W buoys)
Nine bombs were dropped and the the Calcutta ship was sent machine the gunned, she was slightly damaged by near misses and corvette Mallard to stand by her. The Worthing returned to harbour.
near W buoy, when two aircraft attacked her, near misses putting out of action
The Paris, after running into thick fog, was in clear visibility at about 1900, her engines and extinguishing all lights. About an hour later the ship was attacked again by 3 aircraft, and received further damage. She was abandoned by all but the Captain and some of the officers, who were shortly afterwards taken off by a fast motor boat which also rescued men from some of the Paris's lifeboats that had been wrecked by bombing. Three tugs, the Sun XV, Sun IV
and Lady Brassey attempted to tow the ship; but at 0400 on 3rd June, after a further air attack, the Paris sank 1 mile east of W. buoy.
Evacuation figures, 2nd June
A total of 26,256 men were landed in England on 2nd June, 19,561 from
Dunkirk harbour and 6,695 from the beaches. Of these totals, French ships working only from the harbour carried 1634, and Belgian trawlers carried 313.
The accumulated total of men evacuated to this date was 285,305.
104

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).
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THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. XI
difficult for ships to get alongside until the tide turned, about 2300. Rear-
Admiral Wake-Walker, who was afloat in M.A/S.B. 10 used the latter to harbour was now filled with numbers of small French craft of every sort, size the Venomous in and tried to get other small craft to do likewise. The narrow push and description. At this moment a defect Venomous developed in the M.A /S.B's clutch, apparently her from going as the astern result and of down pushing made on turning her the from a most both alongside, directions. hazardous which adventure prevented with boats of all sorts bearing The was away again in half an hour, with 1,500
Alexander and his staff who had been taken on
Admiral Wake-Walker and transferred to the had difficulty in getting alongside but managed to clear the harbour with 1,022
troops, one minute before the next destroyer was due to enter. The stream of
British troops was evidently diminishing in volume now, for the Winchelsea, which arrived at the pier at 2300, embarked only 152. The gunboat Locust, however, which sailed two minutes later, carried 800 troops, a proportion of whom were French.
Eight drifters disembarked 1,004 men in England, the Starlight Rays bringing
319 of these. The yacht Sargasso brought 252. Only two personnel vessels lifted British troops from the East Pier; the King George V embarked 1,460
in 27 minutes and sailed at 2225 and the St. Helier embarked 2,000 and sailed at 2330 for England.
This completed the evacuation of the British rearguard.
At 2330 Captain Tennant made the welcome signal "B.E.F. evacuated."
He embarked in M.T.B. 102, together with the demolition party and left for
Dover.
A pause in the embarkation
After the last of the B.E.F. were clear there was a long pause. French troops should have followed the British rearguard on the East Pier, but they did not appear. The West Quay, however, was crowded with French in their distinctive helmets, though there seemed a scarcity of ships on that side of the harbour. The personnel ship Royal Sovereign, which had been joined that afternoon by Commander L.P. Skipwith as adviser to the Master, Captain T.
Aldis, went alongside the West Quay at 2130, handled magnificently, turning and going alongside bows out", as Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker reported. She embarked 1,500 French troops and sailed at 2205 for Margate. The Rear-
Admiral also sent the personnel ship Rouen, a French cross-channel steamer, to the West Quay. In getting away she got broadside on to the wind and grounded just to the westward of the quay, where she lay, on a falling tide, showing up clearly against an oil fuel fire behind her. A tug was sent to help her but drew too much water and could not get near. However, the ship remained unhit throughout the shelling, and she floated off with the next tide in daylight and reached England safely with 1,286 men.
Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker was unable to discover the reason for the cessation of the flow of French troops to the East Pier; it was apparently caused make a counter-attack, for the counter-attack which was to have been made by the necessity either of repelling a German attack or holding them up to at 1500 to restore the line east of Bergues was postponed until 2000. With destroyers waiting to be filled the situation was most exasperating. Five destroyers had to be sent back to England for lack of to fill them. The she Vanquisher was ordered to return to Dover to 0230, taking troops only 37 troops which embarked from a small boat while lying off the harbour. The Codrington
108

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