TNA ADM 234 360

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VI
seriously wounded. Ivanhoe The Grafton fired 3 was shells by into then her listing at 500 heavily, and had her end awash; the where she berthed alongside the yards range and after proceeded troops. to Dunkirk, east pier and embarked then assist ships in
Following the distress.¹ loss of the Grafton, destroyers were ordered not to stop to
Mona's Queen sunk by mine the Vanquisher had anchored ahead of the The Intrepid, waiting for a and
In the meantime the Javelin off and Malo Icarus beach. had entered Dunkirk harbour, was loaded with water mine and troops. sank in Then, at about 0530, the Mona's which anchored off the fresh harbour, for the personnel vessel Mona's Queen, berth, and whaler 31 and of the the crew. Intrepid's motor picked up the Master, Captain A. Holkham
Queen blew up on a magnetic boat two minutes. The anquisher's
The German minelaying effort the night 28th/29th May, was maintained with great intensity during the
Minelaying by the enemy and during the dark hours probably took place during following two nights. Not only was the Dunkirk road mined, including the
Zuydcoote Pass, but also Route X and the area round the Kwint buoy. Folkestone and Dover Harbour entrances were also mined. In spite of the large number of mines laid, only one British ship other than the Mona's Queen known for certain to have been sunk by magnetic mines - the Fleet Air Arm was yacht Grive which was sunk on 1st June. On that date, also, the hospital by a LL. trawler sweeping close at hand. The A/S trawlers Thuringia, estella carrier St. David was damaged at anchor off Dover when a mine was exploded and Blackburn Rovers were believed at the time to have been sunk by moored mines laid by a U-boat, although at first it was thought that the last two at rate had been torpedoed. If the enemy had been able to lay moored contact any mines different². by aircraft, instead of magnetic mines, the results would have been very
Allied air cover, 29th May hostile The remainder of the long list of naval losses on this day was caused by and Dunkirk- was up of The 10 to 28th 44, miles 4 Dunkirk bombers. the squadrons; May, Furnes- of smallest Dunkirk, led area The on Cassel³. 25. actually was the except odds covered All 29th which fighter the for to largest a a Hurricane our further patrols fighters number strengthening were patrol had of concentrated fighters at encountered midday of on the within any covering fighter on one the a patrols radius patrol a 27th line mately 1450. the following times 0440 during 0610, the 0720 day by fighter patrols at approxi- 1400, patrols 1620, 1700 1800, 1930 2030, 2000 0925, 1030 1200, 1300 Command the day; covered the line North Goodwins - 2110³. Coastal throughout down by Me. all three 109's aircraft at about of 1130³. one of the Coastal Gravelines - Command Ostend patrols were shot
2 I Appendix 0.6.
2 R.A.F. V.A. Dover's Narrative, letter, p.326. No. A.14/0/876/40, p.3, paras. 7(a) and 7 (c).
38

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

CHAP. IX
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
side by two further hits, within a few inches of the to port, which the bomb hit. It seems probable for the that ship serious took a damage heavy list was now caused to until the upper deck was with one anchor down. water. Steam was increased lost and the ship stopped, depth charges set to safe and Torpedoes were gradually no range on and all were jettisoned.
As the ship was now settling, the order Rear-Admiral to abandon Wake-Walker transferred the Keith to M.T.B. 102 this moment a further series ship was given, and from shook the ship with near misses amongst the men in the water.
the men left her. At which landed of dive bombing most attacks of took off survivors and picked up men water. The skoot Hilda
About 0830 the tug St. Abbs came alongside in the and assisted by the tug Vincia was bombed and sunk. As late as 1100 men were still struggling in the oil rescued 7 ratings. An unidentified grey yacht which was picking up survivors
Lt. Gen. Laidsell, 2 officers, and 20 ratings. The minesweeper Salamander rescued slick, and the motor barge Sherfield, which had arrived off the coast with a small convoy of 2 X lighters and a motor launch, rescued 15.
At about 0940 aircraft again appeared, and the Keith was sunk in a salvo of bombs from about 50 of the enemy. Three officers and 33 men were reported lost.
Ten minutes later the St. Abbs, by this time off Dunkirk, was hit by bombs and sank in 45 seconds. Of the 135 officers, ratings and trcops on board, 30
were left swimming in the water, including the Captain of the Keith, Capt. E. L.
Berthon, D.S.C., R.N., who was saved.
Meanwhile the Skipjack, which had been busy off Malo embarking troops and fighting off continuous air attacks from 0530 which had reduced her ammunition supply to about 12 rounds a gun, was dive-bombed at 0845 by 10
aircraft and hit by 2 bombs. A minute later 3 more bombs hit her. She turned turtle and floated bottom upwards for about 2 minutes before finally sinking. A few survivors were picked up by the Hilda and the St. Abbs. Nearly all the 275 troops on board were below decks and had no chance to escape.
Enemy aircraft machine-gunned men in the water.
Ivanhoe damaged, Basilisk sunk.
Already, by this time, another destroyer had been put out of action. At
0800 off Dunkirk harbour, the Ivanhoe, with 1,000 troops on board which she had embarked from La Panne, was dive-bombed and hit amidships. Damage was severe and she had 26 killed and 30 wounded. The troops and wounded the were transferred to the Havant, the Speedwell and the yacht Grive; and proceeded to Sheerness. tug While within radius of 1 mile of No. 6 W buoy,
Ivanhoe, assisted by the Persia and escorted by the War Dept. M. L. Haig, 3
waves (each of 21 bombers) attacked the a Ivanhoe and other vessels in that area for half an hour, but the Ivanhoe received no further damage.
and Dunkirk, the Basilisk the also Keith and bombed off La Panne. Three room,
At about the time that Ivanhoe were under attack off attacks Bray were made. In the first was being exploded in No. 3 boiler out of action; six other bombs auxiliary exploded steam underneath lines the ship, causing the upper cutting the main and attack one bomb and putting all machinery deck and the ship's sides to buckle.
Torpedoes and depth charges were jettisoned and at 0845 the ship was floating on an even keel.
An hour later, while efforts were being made by the French trawler Jolie
90

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

INDEX
Greatwood, Lt., 76.
Grenade, 28, 43-4 (damaged), 46, 50n (reported sinking), 55 (sunk).
Greyhound, 13 (bombards Calais); in Dynamo, 23, 27, 42 (damaged), 47 (remains in action), 54n, 55n.
Grey Mist, 13.
Grimsby Town, 104, 110.
Grive, 38, 93 (sunk), 60, 90-1.
Grouse, 72n.
Guillemot, 114n, 117.
Gula, 71n.
Gulzar, 17, 60n, 114n, 118.
H.A.C., 71s.
Haig, 72n, 90.
Halcyon, 20, 28n, 45, 47n, 54n, 82, 86 (attacked), 91, 107n, 109, 114n, 117.
Hallett, Vice-Admiral T. J., (act. Cdre.), 49 (takes charge off Bray), 58, 79; leaves, 80;
effect of his arrival, 126.
Hancock, Capt. C. A., 29.
Handy Billie, 81.
Hanora, abandoned, 53: sunk, 55.
Harris, Cdr. W. V. H., 13.
Harvester, 28n, 35-6, 47, 54n, 55n.
Harwich, F.O.I.C., 70; assistance to ships at, 94.
Havant, 46, 55n, 91 (sunk), 93.
Hawkinge, 5, 7.
Hebe, 44, 47n, 49, 50 (flag of R.A. Dover), 54n, 58 (hoists flag), 66, 67, 70, 76 (Whaler),
76n, 83 (slightly damaged), 84 (shoots down Heinkel).
Hebe II, 20, 24, 27, 28n.
Hemans, Lt. M. A., 81.
Henderson, Comdr. H. P., 22.
Hilda, 20, 29n, 32, 72n, 78, 90.
Hird, 37.
Hirschfield, A. B., C.A.L., 93.
Holford, Maj. C.F. L., R.M., 8.
Holkham, Capt. A., 38.
Holland, 111-2.
Holland, invaded, 1; surrenders, 2.
Holland-Martin, Lt. Cdr. D. E., 21.
Holmes, Maj.-Gen. W. G., 82.
Hondsrug, 20n, 24, 102, 114n, 116-7.
Hospital carriers, attacked, 16, 17, 43, 45, 104; space too valuable for them, 87.
Hound, 72n.
Howson, Capt. J. M.: S.N.O. Beaches, 49, 59; stops waste of boats, 60; returns to
Dover, 74; orders beach parties to embark, 79, 80; effect of his arrival, 126.
Hutchins, Lt. Col. R. L., 69-70.
Hythe, 32, 72n.
Icarus, 37-8 (damaged), 54 (makes two trips in 24 hours), 55n, 69, 83 (in collision), 87, 97
101 (in collision).
Impulsive, 20, 23, 27, 55n, 64n, 70, 83 (damages propeller).
Indépendence, 73n.
Ingénieur Cachin, 73.
Intrepid, 37, 38, 43 (damaged), 54n, 55n, 61n.
Inverforth, 34.
Ironside, General Sir Edmund (CIGS), 5.
Isle of Guernsey, 17, 45 (damaged).
Isle of Thanet, 19, 22n, 24, 28, 34 (sunk).
Ivanhoe, 37n-8, 54n, 55n, 77n, 83 (bombed), 86, 90-1 (damaged), 93.
Jackal, hunts submarine, 69.
Jacketa, 32n, 51n.
Jaguar, 28, 39, 41 (damaged), 42, 61n (in need of repair).
Java, 32, 42, 47.
Javelin, 28, 37-8, 54n, 55n, 61n, 105 (forbidden to sail).
Jeannie MacIntosh, 71n.
Jeune France, 62n, 73n.
200