TNA ADM 234 360

TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
CHAP. V
Boy Roy and Paxton damaged and beached
At 1215 German fighters in strength were encountered by our fighter patrols;
during the rest of the day there was no further air fighting¹, but the minesweeper Sandown was bombed off the Gull Light buoy at 1230, and Bray beach was bombed at 1420². In an air raid off Dunkirk channel at about 1800, the prifters Boy Roy and Paxton were damaged by near misses and had to be beached; there were, however, no casualties.
Difficulty of synchronising arrival of ships with flow of troops
Meanwhile, at 0935, 2,000 troops were on Malo beach and 7,000 more were on the sand dunes, waiting anxiously for ships to come³. An hour after midday, 6,000 troops were reported to be on Bray beach, 7 miles east of Dunkirk pier, and 4 minesweepers were sailed from the Downs to embark them. When they arrived at 2130, however, conditions had changed, and three of them, the Salamander, Fitzroy and Skipjack, went to La Panne; the fourth, the
Sutton, went to the beach at Zuydcoote 4 miles east of Dunkirk4. Throughout the whole operation it was never found possible to adjust the arrival of ships, either at Dunkirk or opposite the beaches, to synchronise with the ebb and flow of troop concentrations.
Shortage of drinking water.
At this time the troops were sorely in need of drinking water; joint naval⁵
and military measures were taken to provide it in tanks and cans, and ships off the beaches were directed to do what they could from their own resources.
There was, however, inevitably some delay before all requirements could be met, and as late as the 30th May no water or food had yet reached Malo beach⁶.
Brighton Belle sunk
Meanwhile, at 1230, the Brighton Belle, returning to Ramsgate with the 350
troops she had picked up from the beach at Zuydcoote, struck a submerged wreck off the Gull Light buoy during an air attack and sank. All the crew and troops were transferred to the Sandown, Medway Queen, and Yser. Paymaster Sub.-Lieut. W. J. Butler, R.N.V.R., of the Sandown was killed and
2 ratings were wounded.
Shortage of boats
At 1420, when Bray beach was bombed, S.N.O., Dunkirk, ordered some of the troops there to march to Dunkirk in spite of the congestion in the port.
By 1830, however, there were still several thousand troops at Bray and more were arriving. At this time the Grafton reported that she was off Bray beach
I R.A.F. Narrative, P. 323.
2 Report by S.N.O. Dunkirk, (R.O. III p. 346).
3 Appendix N.2.
4 It is not always possible to record precisely the beaches off which ships were lying.
The 10-miles stretch of beach had arbitrarily been divided up into 3 sections, Malo, Bray and La Panne. In the confusion of the times, and particularly in the darkness of the night, it is not surprising that ships in company sometimes gave different names to the particular section of beach off which they were lying.
5 The Maid of Orleans had landed 6,000 two-gallon cans of water at Dunkirk on the
26th May. The motor boat Glitter II went over with water for the beaches on the 29th
May and the lighter Seine took 5,000 cans of it; the Friso and the Mona's Queen also went over on the 29th with water, but the latter was mined and sunk before she could unload it.
' Appendix P.1.
31

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

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

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

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

INDEX
Fighter Command. 36-7. See Royal Air Force.
Fisher, Cdr. R. L., 51n.
Fisher Boy, 32n,
Fletcher, Lt., 81.
Fitzroy, 31, 54n.
Fog, 115, 118-9.
38.
Ford, Ch. F. A., saves Whippingham, 87.
Ford R.N.A. Station, 71n
Forecast, 23n, 107n, 114n.
Foremost 87, 71n, 111.
Foremost IOI, 72n.
Foremost 102, 71n.
Foudroyant, 62n, 91-2 (sunk).
Fouque, Capt. de Freg. R., 62.
Franklyn, Maj.-Gen. H. E., 6.
Frazer, Capt. Hon. G., 97.
Fredanja, 29n.
French Navy. Failure to supply pier parties, 109.
French ships arrive, 35, 62.
French troops evacuation begins, 35; rush boats, 45, 51, 53; organised evacuation not begun, 54; to embark equally with British, 56, 68; lack of information from, 84
uncertainty as to numbers, 105; pause in embarkation, 108; slow to embark, 128;
12,000 left, 120; discipline, 128.
Friso, 29n, 31n.
Fyldea, 13n, 39, 40n, 44.
Gallant, 23, 24n, 27, 32, 39 (damaged), 55n her motor boat, 110.
Gallion's Reach, 72n.
Gallon, Ch. Stkr. M., 91.
Gandell, Cdre., W. P., P.S.T.O. French Ports, 13.
Gara, 92.
Genius, 71n.
Georges, General, 1.
Gerard Léon, 73.
Gervais Rentoul, 83n (damaged), 95 (sunk).
Getuigt vor Christus, lost, 110.
Gipsy King, 72n.
Girl Gladys, 23n, 62.
Girl Pamela, 23n, 55 (sunk).
Glagla, 71n, 74.
Glen Avon, 60n, 100-1.
Glen Gower, 60n, 100-1.
Glenway, 71n, 107n.
Glitter II, 31n, 53 (towed to England).
Godman, S/Lt., T. E., R.N.V.R., 72.
Golden Eagle, 42, 107n.
Golden Gift, 23n.
Golden Lily, 54, 60n.
Golden Spray II, 72n, 75n.
Golden Sunbeam, 23n, 47n, 62, 107n.
Goliath, 114.
Gort, Lord faces possibility of evacuation, 4; proposal to counter attack, 5, 11, 14, 27
directed to execute Weygand Plan, 10; delays enemy, 26; moves H.Q. to La Panne,
26; refuses to be evacuated, 47; orders piers to be built, 47; plans for final phase,
56; hands over command and embarks, 66, 76; staff embarking, 67.
Gorton, Cdr. H. G., 49, 80n.
Gossamer, 28n, 33, 36, 75, 77, 81, 107n, 109.
Gould, Lieut. P. F. S., 113.
Gourko, 119-20.
Gracie Fields, 23n, 27, 41-2 (abandoned), 47n.
Grafton, 13 (bombards Calais); in Dynamo, 23, 27, 31, 37-8 (sunk), 55n, 85.
Gravelines, evacuated, 18.
Gravesend, sends small craft, 61.
Greater London, 117.
199