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TNA / ADM 234 360

TNA ADM 234 360

TNA ADM 234 360
Collection details

TNA ADM 234 360

Naval Staff History No. 41, the official historical study of the evacuation from Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo, 26 May–4 June 1940, dated 1949.

Holding archive
TNA
Collection reference
ADM 234 360
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Source: The National Archives, Kew, ADM 234/360. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Showing only pages tagged with the vessel name Roebuck. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

4 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 107–228 of this collection
Page ImageOCR textOCR tags
107 Page 107 Log in to enlarge

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
Boat Bounty Devonia Eileen Eileen Emma England Gervais Rentoul Gravelines Hebe Ivanhoe Major Roebuck The Lord Southborough Vivacious Wolsey Day Dover Malcolm May Richardson Wake Wake-Walker Walker
164 Page 164 Log in to enlarge
OCR table 1 from document page 164
PERSONNEL SHIPS (contd.) TROOPS TRANSPORTED
Ben-My-Chree (Capt. G. Woods, Master) 4,095
Biarritz (Capt. W. H. Baker, Master) /
Bullfinch (M/V) Canterbury 600
(Capt. C. Hancock, Master) 4,416
City of Christchurch (Capt. A. W. Wooster, O.B.E.) /
Clan Macalister1 (Capt. R. W. Mackie, Master) 1
Côte d' Argent2 Dorrien Rose (store ship) 5,754
(Capt. W. Thompson, Master) 1,494
Fenella (Capt. W. Gubbon, Master) /
Foam Queen (Capt. A. T. Mastin, Master) 98
Hythe (coaster) (R. W. Morford, Master) 749
Killarney (Capt. R. Hughes, Master) 900
King George V (Capt. R. M. Maclean, Master) 4,300
Lady of Mann (Capt. T.C. Woods, Master) 4,262
Levenwood (store ship) (Capt. W. O. Young, Master) 60
Lochgarry (Capt. E. Mackinnon, Master) 1,001
Lorina (Capt. A. Light, Master) -
Maid of Orleans (Capt. A. E. Larkins, Master) (Sick) (Capt. G. D. Walker, Master) 5,461
Malines 1,500
Manxman (Capt. G. Mallory, Master) (quitted Opn. Dynamo 2 June) 2,394
(Capt. P. B. Cowley, Master) (disembarked 2 June) Mona's Queen (Capt. R. 1,200
Nephrite (store ship) Duggan, Master) (Capt. A. Holkham, Master) (Capt. C.G. West, O.B.E., 504
Newhaven2 Master) (Lt. Cdr. L. H. Phillips, 1,841
Ngaroma R.N.,) I Master) Normania (Capt. J. W. Dickinson, Master) 100
Porisdown (Capt. M. C. Whiting, Master) (S/Lt. R. H. Church, R.N.R.) - 618
Prague (Capt. C. R. Baxter, 3,039
Princess Maud Master) (Capt. H. Clark, Master) 1,270
Queen of the Channel Roebuck (Capt. W. J. O'Dell, Master) -
Rouenz (Capt. W. Y. Larbalestier, Master) 500
Royal Daffodil 2,886
(Capt. G. Johnson, Master) 7,552
Ben-my-Chree Biarritz Bullfinch Canterbury City of Christchurch Dorrien Rose Fenella Foam Queen Hythe Killarney King George King George V Lady of Mann Levenwood Lochgarry Lorina Maid of Orleans Malines Manxman Nephrite Ngaroma Normania Prague Princess Princess Maud Queen Roebuck Rose Royal Daffodil TS King George V TSS Princess Maud Baker Baxter Church Clark Cowley Dickinson Duggan George Gubbon Hancock Holkham Hughes Johnson King Larbalestier Larkins Light Mackie MacKinnon Maclean Mallory Mann Mastin Maud Morford O'Dell Phillips Rose Thompson Walker West Whiting Woods Wooster Young
185 Page 185 Log in to enlarge
OCR table 1 from document page 185
TYPE How SUNK DATE
NAME Torpedo boat Shell fire 30/5
Bourrasque Destroyer Air attack 1/6
Foudroyant Destroyer E.-Boat 31/5
Siroco Denis Papin M/S trawler Air attack 1/6
Joseph Marie M/S trawler Air attack 29/5
La Majo M/S trawler Air attack 29/5
Moussaillon M/S trawler Air attack 1/6
Vénus M/S trawler Air attack 1/6
Douaisien Cargo ship Not known Not known
St. Camille Cargo ship Not known Not known
Emile Deschamps Fleet auxiliary Mine 4/6
Pierve Trawler Shell fire 31/5
Yvonne St. Moabe Not known Air attack 1/6
OCR table 2 from document page 185
Belgian Ships etc.
Getuigt Vor Christus Trawler Not known 2/6
Maréchal Foch Trawler Collision 4/6
O.L. V. Van Vlaandaren Trawler Not known 2/6
Sunny Isle Trawler Not known 2/6
OCR table 3 from document page 185
DATE 26/5 PATROLS 22 TOTAL FLYING HOURS DAILY 480 ENEMY AIRCRAFT DESTROYED 30 ENEMY AIRCRAFT DRIVEN DOWN 20
27/5 23 536 48 32
28/5 11 576 20 6
29/5 9 674 78 8
30/5 9 704 I I
31/5 8 490 36 4
1/6 8 558 69 I
2/6 4 231 16 6
3/6 4 339 I I
4/6 3 234 I I
Total flying hours 4,822
Ben-my-Chree Boat Douaisien Emile Isle of Thanet Joseph Marie La Majo Mackay Maid of Orleans Marie Montrose Moussaillon Roebuck Sharpshooter Wolsey Yvonne
228 Page 228 Log in to enlarge

INDEX
Phillips, Vice-Admiral T.S. V., 16.
Phipps, L/St. M., 81.
Pickford & Co., 72n.
Pierre, set on fire, 74.
Pierre et Marie, 73.
Piers (beach) built at La Panne, 47, 60, 76; of barges impracticable, 49; built at Bray,
59, 82.
Pigeon, 72n, 114n.
Pim, Capt. R., R.N.V.R., 78.
Playmates, 13n.
Polly Johnson, 13n, 39, 40 (damaged), 43, 44 (sunk).
Pool, S/Lt. R. A. W., 72.
Port of London Authority, 32.
Porter, Col., 47.
Portsdown, 100, 103.
Portsmouth, C. in C.: sends destroyers, 20; provision of boats, 51 Inner Patrol yachts,
71 A.S.'s. barge, 117 (abandoned).
Pownall, Lt. Gen. H. R., 4.
Prague, 29n, 54n, 64n, 91 (damaged).
Président Briand, 93.
Preston, Vice-Adm. Sir L. (D.S.V.P.), 21.
Princess Elizabeth, 47n, 89, 114n.
Princess Lily, 75n.
Princess Maud, 48n, 53 (goes aground), 62 (damaged), 114n, 118.
Prudential, 60.
Pudge, 71s.
Queen of England, sunk, 53.
Queen of Thanet, 91, 114m.
Queen of the Channel, 22, 24, 29 (sunk).
Queen's Channel, 72n.
Racia, 71n, 114я, 117.
R.A. Dover, see Wake-Walker, Rear Admiral W.F.
Ramsay, Vice-Adm. Sir B. (V.A. Dover): to control evacuation, 4; to arrange air cover,
5; asks for more destroyers, 20; driving force, 23, 33; promulgates disembarkation ports, 25; efforts to increase supply of small craft, 23, 32; plan for night 29/30th
May, 50; orders all ships to beaches, 51; concern at losses of destroyers, 94; calls for volunteers, 105; reports exhaustion of crews, 113.
Ramsgate, N.O.I.C. Administers in shore flotilla, 21, 94; services skoots, 30.
Raphael-Raymonde, 73n.
Rapid I, 72, 92.
Reda, 53, 60n.
Reed, 7ln.
Refugees, 37, 100-1, 119.
Reiger, 32, 47m, 64, 101-2, 116.
Reine des Flots, 102, 107n, 109.
Reliance, 73n.
Renascent, 71n.
Renown, 73, 93 (sunk).
Resolute, 73n.
Revoir, Capt. de, 115.
Rewga, 71n.
Reynaud, M., 10, 11.
Richardson, Cdr. H. du P., 80n, 82, 83n.
Riggs, Mr. H. C., 21.
Rika, 41.
Rina, 117.
Robinson, Cdr. C. E. C., killed, 37.
Roebuck, in collision, 83.
Rope for towing, 61.
Rose Marie, 72n.
Ross, 28n, 44, 97.
Rouen, 94, 107n, 108 (goes aground), 109, 112n, 120 (aground).
Route, X prepared, 20; mined, 38; tested by destroyers, 39 taken into use, 48; last route to come under fire, 96-7; traffic suspended, 98.
Route, Y adopted, 20, 29; under fire, 48; E-boats, on 85; in use, 93; mines on, 110.
Route, Z under fire, 20, 48; to be used in darkness, 29, 48.
204
England Lily London Marie Pierre Pierre et Marie Pigeon Playmates Polly Polly Johnson Portsdown Prague Princess Princess Elizabeth Princess Lily Princess Maud PS Portsdown Pudge Queen Racia Rapid I Reda Reed Reiger Reliance Renascent Renown Resolute Rewga Rika Rina Roebuck Rose Rose Marie Rouen TSS Princess Maud Barge Crews De Dover Goes Johnson Last Maud May Phillips Phipps Pool Porter Reed Revoir Richardson Robinson Rose Ross Wake Wake-Walker Walker