TNA ADM 234 360

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. IV
round trip from 80 to 172 miles, and the for route the had to be swept before it and thence into the Dunkirk Impulsive, the THE
be used. Orders were therefore given the North Goodwin route (the middle Route X), from road, and at 1140
commenced by the destroyer Vessel Patricia. This advantage of shortening the round trip to 108 miles.
Halcyon, and the Trinity House from 172 route X had the great and
Helier¹ and Royal Daffodil, which left at 1054 under escort of the des- St.
Among the earliest ships to use the Dover northern Route Y were the P/V's
The convoy was joined en route by the hospital carriers St. Andrew and St.
troyer Vimy; in company was the destroyer Anthony, escorting the S.S. Kyno.2
Julien. Route Y was certainly, at that time, out of range of gunfire, but two bombing attacks were made on the hospital carriers between the West Hinder and Kwint Bank buoys, and when the convoy arrived off Dunkirk heavy air attacks were in progress there. The Royal Daffodil and the St. Helier entered the harbour, but the latter was ordered to withdraw, and she and the 2 hospital carriers returned empty to the Downs under escort of the Vimy. The Royal
Daffodil embarked 840 troops before returning to Dover.
Sea and Air Patrols
The principal patrol line covered in the morning of the 27th May by Fighter
Command, was Calais-Dunkirk, as it was not known that the Calais garrison had ceased fire. From 1450 onwards, however, Calais fell out of the picture, and it became possible to concentrate fighter protection more exclusively on the work of evacuation³. Sixteen squadrons, varying in strength from 9 to 20
aircraft, were engaged on these activities from 0500-2130; patrols were, however, limited to squadron strength. Most squadrons carried out 2 patrols, and 287 sorties in all were flown during the day.4
To cover the passage of ships between Dunkirk and the Downs destroyer patrols had been established to the northward during the forenoon, and Vice-
Admiral, Dover, asked for 6 additional destroyers to strengthen the Dover forces. The Admiralty immediately ordered 4 destroyers from the Western
Approaches Command, and 2 from the Portsmouth Command, to proceed to Dover.⁵
Ex-Dutch skoots for Dunkirk
Other vessels were on their way to Dunkirk during the day, among them being 15 skoots⁶. Of these the Lena, Hebe II, and later the Oranje, arrived off the beaches and embarked troops during the night of 27th/28th May the
Abel Tasman, Alice and Kaap Falga, loaded with ammunition and food, arrived off La Panne early in the morning of 28th May; the Hilda and Doggersbank reached Dunkirk by noon the 28th May, and were sent to the beaches;
while the remainder⁷, in error, returned to the Downs, after having got within a few miles of Dunkirk.
2 Off R buoy the Anthony, with the Kyno, was ordered back to the Downs and sub-
I Eleven of the St. Helier's crew had been replaced by naval ratings.
sequently 3 to Portsmouth. The Kyno took no further part in Operation "Dynamo".
R.A.F. Narrative, p. 319.
5 4 R.A.F. Narrative, P. 320.
Scimitar were sent.
Appendices D. 1 and D. 2. The Wakeful, Mackay, Worcester, Montrose, Shikari and
6 7 See Appendix F.
The Bornrif, Brandaris, Hondsrug, Jutland, Patria, Tilly, and Twente.
20

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

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
APPENDIX F
5. VICE-ADMIRAL, DOVER to Emperor proceed of India, direct Princess minefield Elizabeth [10th M.S.F.] (R)
troops. Emperor of India is to over to La Panne to embark C.M.S.
northward to be at your discretion depending place. clear to
Princess of Elizabeth Gravelines is to Point proceed where over enemy minefields batteries to may Dunkirk be in keeping well troops. Return route on the state
APPENDIX F
SIGNALS RE BUILD-UP OF SKOOTS
22nd May
F.1. ADMIRALTY V.A. to Dover C.-IN-C. PORTSMOUTH, (R) F.O.I.C. Portland, F.O.I.C. Southampton,
200-300 tons, are to be sent immediately These to Docks, Southampton, where
From the following list of Dutch coasters lying New in Poole, four empty and of about will be loaded with military supplies. will be manned by naval crews after they arrival at Southampton, and will work under the War Office.
manned by naval crews and ready will be at the disposal of V.A. Dover.
2. As many of the remainder when as are in light condition will be taken over and of these vessels reporting names of vessels as they became ready for service.
3. C.-in-C. Portsmouth, is requested to arrange for the organisation and assembly
Chart Depot.
4. Arrangements are being made for sets of charts to be sent to Portsmouth
5. Further signal will be made regarding provision of naval personnel and disposal of Dutch crews on taking over.
6. It is a matter of great importance that these vessels should be got ready for service as soon as possible.
7. Despatch II
Horst
Brem'
Jaba
Sursum Corda
Bockelo'
Ruja
Abel Tasman
Hebenobel1
Java
Virgo
Kaapfalga
Friso
Alice
Aldo'
Dourswold
Nottingham1
Fredanja
Hebe II
1703/22
F.2. ADMIRALTY to C.-IN-C. NORE (R) F.O.I.C. London, V.A. Dover in Wharf ballast and of about 200-300 tons, are to be sent immediately to Victualling
1. From the following list of Dutch coasters lying in the Port of London, four after Deptford to load military supplies. These will be manned by naval crews arrival at Deptford, and will work under the War Office.
over manned by naval crews.
2. and As many of the remainder which [?as] are in light condition are to be taken these 3. C.-in-C. Nore is requested to for the and assembly of vessels which when ready will be arrange placed at the disposal organisation of V.A. Dover.
4. Names of ships to be reported as they became ready for service.
Sheerness. 5. Arrangements are being made for sets of charts to be sent to Chart Depot personnel 6. Further for manning. signal will be made re dispoasl of Dutch crews and provision of
I Was not available.
164

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