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

View the archive catalogue entry ↗

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 Ruja. Tags are exact matches from this collection’s OCR tag index. Clear vessel filter ×

3 matching pages. OCR may contain transcription errors.

List page 1 of 1 Showing document pages 138–188 of this collection

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138

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. XI
The Admiralty had already continued (2312/2) for the undertaken evacuation that ships would be night the evacuation 3rd to 4th on June, this and night. they To this the French agreed. complete on the vided and air protection now urged the French of Admiralty trops pro-
Plan for the night embarkation, the hours of 2230/3 and with such ships for
For this last and night the maximum it was decided effort to was cut to down be made, by one hour the time mained available, between to be made by personnel 0230/4. From the as re-
Pier, liftings were to be sent to the entire vessels, destroyers, and East minesweepers; be ships received, were and it was estimated that length of the pier as paddle as they could Drifters and fast thus be provided and for docks 14,000 of men. the inner harbour. small craft were to go would up to the quays be French ships, for which right latter pier the remaining would also lift ships (minesweepers the other than paddle, the beach, the Quai Félix Faure, British Avant Port (West Pier); from numbers could be estimated, were and the to New responsible for evacuation from Malo no boats. Locust was to remain loads ferried out to her by small vettes and skoots) outside and troops, receive to number of 5,000. The gunboat cor-
It was intended to employ on the work a force of 9 personnel vessels, 9
destroyers (all that were available), 4 paddle minesweepers, 7 fleet minesweepers,
9 drifters, the Locust, 2 corvettes, 4 French torpedo boats, and a number of organised motor boats flotillas including lifeboats from Ramsgate and Dover, together with a large number of French and Belgian fishing vessels. Eleven small French ships and 3 small tugs left Cherbourg for Dover on the night
2nd-3rd June; Le Havre was scheduled to send 8 trawlers, 2 minesweepers,
1 tug, and 20 small dinghies; and Fécamp sent 14 trawlers.
During the afternoon of the 3rd the French authorities transmitted the figure of French troops still remaining in Dunkirk. This was about 30,000, a proportion of whom belonged to other than combatant units. The total capacity of the lifting force, if used to the full, was 30,000, but this was about 5,000 more than the facilities within the port would permit of being embarked in 4 hours, even if the French troops moved with the greatest rapidity at all points of embarkation. On previous occasions there had been some instances of difficulty in persuading French troops to embark otherwise than as complete units.
Vice-Admiral Ramsay consequently impressed on the French liaison officers the necessity of speed, and he added a number of French officers and ratings to the augmented pier parties which were despatched to Dunkirk at 2200, in
I The following ships landed troops in England on 4th June (numbers landed in brackets)
British - destroyers Express (611), Malcolm (736), Sabre (592), Shikari (383), Vanquisher
Minesweepers Albury (400), Halcyon (501), Kellett (30), Leda (500), Medway Queen (266), ferred to trawler off Dunkirk on account of collision damage) Gunboat Locust (196)
(414), Venomous (1200), Whitshed (444); Corvettes Guillemot (460), Kingfisher (200, trans-
Princess Elizabeth (329), Queen of Thanet (150), Speedwell (396) Trawler Saturn (418)
Drifters Forecast (123), "L.H.W.D." (90) Skoots Bornrif (96), Hondsrug (308), Pascholl
(255), Ruja (300); Yacht Gulzar (140); Personnel vessels Autocarrier (712), Canterbury
Princess (659), Côte d'Argent (1349), King George V (817), Lady of Mann (1244), Newhaven (729),
(1350), Tynwald (3000); Tugs Racia (123), Sun XV (37) War Dept. M.Ls.
Maud (1270), Royal Sovereign (took the place of Manxman which refused to sail)
Pigeon (23), Swallow (23); Sailing Barge Beatrice Maud (31), Tanga not reach England until 5th and June) launches (260); R.N.L.I. lifeboats Edward Z. Dresden (50), Greater (did London (48); Motor boats
Nayland Bonny Heather (210), Diana Mary (28), Elizabeth Green (10), Meuse (50),
Coliath trawlers (355), 3 patrol vessels (836), 13 trawlers and M.F.Vs. (1416), 1104. Belgian Tug
3 M/S (55), Walker II (76). French 5 Torpedo boats 2 S/M chasers (127),
(183), 5 trawlers (554).
114

Albury Autocarrier Beatrice Maud Bonny Heather Bornrif Canterbury Diana Diana Mary Elizabeth Green England Forecast Guillemot Gulzar Hondsrug King George King George V L.H.W.D. Lady of Mann London Manxman Mary Meuse Nayland Newhaven Pascholl Pigeon Princess Princess Elizabeth Queen Racia Royal Sovereign Ruja Sabre Saturn Speedwell Sun Sun XV Swallow Tanga TS King George V Tynwald Walker II Whitshed Barge Dover George Green King Last Le Malcolm Mann Maud right Walker West

162

OCR table 1 from document page 162
SKOOTS (contd.)	TROOPS TRANSPORTED
Doggersbank (London) (Lieut. D. T. McBarnet, R.N.)	800
Fredanja (Poole) (Lt. Cdr. K. W. Stewart, R.N. (Retd.)	850
Frisco (Poole)	1,002
Gorecht (London) (S/Lt. D. M. Edwards, R.N.R.)	47
Hebe II (Poole) (Lt. Cdr. J. B. G. Temple, R.N.)	515
Hilda (London) (Lieut. A. Gray, R.N.)	835
Hondsrug (London) (Lieut. F.T. Renny, R.N.R.)	1,453
Horst¹ (Poole) (Lt. Cdr. G.E. Fardell, R.N.) (Lt. T. E. Sargent, R.N.R.)	1,150
Jaba (Poole)	469
Jutland (London) (Lieut. G. L. Barwell, R.N. (Retd.) ) (Relieved, 30 May, re-assumed command 31st May) (Lt. Cdr. W. R. T. Clements, R.N.R.) (30th-31st May)	505
Kaap Falga (Poole) (Lieut. C.E.S. B. St. G. Beal, R.N.) (Lieut. H.F. Wykeham-Martin, R.N., 28/5/40)	5
Lena (London) (Lt. Cdr. R. P.C. Hawkins, R.N. (Retd.) )	996
Oranje (London) (Lieut. H.T. Crispin, R.N.)	605
Pacific (Poole) (Lt. Cdr. C.J. Skrine, R.N.)	945
Pascholl (Poole) (Lieut. T. Johnston, R.N.) (Relieved and appointed i/c Portsdown) (Lieut. J.N. Wise, R.N.V.R.) (Cdr. C.E. Hammond, D.S.O., D.S.C., R.N.) (Retd.) (i/c Group)	695
Patria (London) (Lt. Cdr. N.L. J. Pisani, D.S.C., R.N. (Retd.) )	1,400
Reiger (London) (Lieut. A. Tyson, R.N.)	592
Rian (Poole)	257
(Lt. Cdr. J.I. Miller, D.S.O. R.N. (Reported)2 Rika (London) (Lt. Cdr. J.J. Youngs, R.N.R.)	495
Ruja (Poole) (Lt. H. R. Webber, R.N.)	300
San Antonio (Poole) (Lt. Cdr. G. V. Legassick, R.N.R.)	484
Sursum-Corda (Poole) (Lieut. C.L. G. Philpotts, R.N.)	370
Tilly (London) (Lt. Cdr. C.M. Ramus, (Lt. Cdr. W. R. T. Clements, R.N.R.)	602
Tiny (Poole) R.N.R.) (Lt. Cdr. J.M. D.	261
Twente (London) Hunter, R.N.) (Lt. Martin, R.N.) (Lt. Cdr. H. G.	1,139
Vrede (London) Boys-Smith, R.N.R. to 30th May) (Lt. A. W. McMullen (Lt. Cdr. R. T.	R.N.R.) 473
Zeus (Poole) Lampard, R.N.) (Lt. Cdr. C. B. Hoggan, R.D., R.N.R.)	601
Total	22,698

Beal Doggersbank Fredanja Frisco Gorecht Hebe Hebe II Hilda Hondsrug Jaba Jutland Lena London Oranje Pacific Pascholl Patria Portsdown PS Portsdown Reiger Rian Rika Ruja San Antonio Tilly Tiny Twente Vrede Zeus Barwell Beal Boys-Smith Clements Crispin Edwards Fardell Gray Hammond Hawkins Hoggan Hunter Johnston Lampard Legassick Martin May McBarnet McMullen Miller Philpotts Pisani Poole Renny Sargent Skrine Smith Stewart Temple Tyson Webber Wise Wykeham-Martin Youngs

188

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

Abel Tasman Alice Despatch II Emperor of India Fredanja Friso Gravelines Hebe Hebe II Horst Jaba Java KaapFalga London Princess Ruja Sursum Corda Crews Dover Light May Poole