TNA ADM 234 360

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. V
the Vega and the Polish Blyskawica two were destroyers diverted from them to the
On patrol this day with these and eleven A/S trawlers². were the
A/S Thomas Chief 4 Widgeon, survivors. Owing trawler Skipper Bartlett, to Sheldrake, Thuringia a D. misunderstanding which W. Shearwater L. were was Simpson, sunk in company, by the D.S.C., a LL mine carried trawlers D.S.M., early out in R.N.R., Our the a sweep Bairns, a was in not Dunkirk Inverforth among Captain, and the instead of sweeping the war channel. These to vessels were shelled off Calais; roads ran on to a British minefield, and, striking 1017, sank with the guns, loss and the Thomas Bartlett, while endeavouring a mine get at out of range of the of 8 of her crew³.
During the night of 28th/29th May, to strengthen this patrol, all available
M.T.B.'s of the Nore and Dover Commands were ordered to patrol north-east of the line Wandelaar L/V and Whistle Buoy.
Summary of troops landed in England
The figures for May 28th gave grounds for hope. 17,804 troops were transported to England⁴ (of which 11,835 were transported by destroyers). Of these, 11,874 were lifted from Dunkirk east pier, and 5,930 from the beaches.
(See Table 2).
Ships lost or damaged on 28th May
LOST
DAMAGED
The A/S trawler Thuringia
The destroyer Windsor.
The drifter Ocean Reward
The M/S Brighton Belle
LL trawler Thomas Bartlett
P/V Queen of the Channel
The skoot Alice
The H/C Isle of Thanet
Stella 2 Dorado, Wyke, Kingston Alalite, being damaged Galena, Saon, Spurs,
I 2 The The Windsor Cayton had returned to Dover after in an air attack at 1145.
4 D.R. Report gives by Westella, C.M.S., 14,409, Dover Blackburn (R.O. Rovers, II, p.498). Kingston Lady Philomena Andalusite, and Kingston Thuringia.
disembarked by the various but this ships, figure as shown is not in confirmed Tables See also 2 and by Appx. the 3. recorded J.12 numbers of troops
34

CHAP. IX
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
Admiral, When Rear-Admiral Dover, all the Wake-Walker ships which left full had about of not been 0930 sunk to make had contact with many with the signs and collisions. Some were a theme the evidence of bumps first few hours at rest in harbour the
1800," he wrote, the of harbour their strenuous was times all had were for many enjoying days."¹ the that many of them and had
Air Patrols
Consequent on the bombing of at the dawn. day before, As the had asked for fighter aircraft protection appeared on the and low over the ships. More and often not they were fighters constantly came dispersed many than scene, were not taking chances the nearly always opened them. In order to stop firing Rear-Admiral
Flag-" Cease fire", and blew the syren to draw spite of which, however, the after machine gun of his own ship the Keith continued to nothing.² regardless of the cease fire" gong; once firing started they could hear fire
Route X to Dunkirk was patrolled during the early hours of daylight by the
A.A. cruiser Calcutta, which sailed from Margate at 0315 with the corvettes
Mallow and Shearwater and carried out a patrol between W and V buoys. The
Calcutta was recalled to Sheerness at 0938 in readiness to perform the same service next night, and at 1015 she shot down a Heinkel which had bombed and damaged the Mosquito by a near miss 15 miles from Dover.
Fighter Command provided 8 patrols during the 1st June of an average strength of 3 to 4 squadrons. The main periods when no fighter protection was afforded were approximately 0730-0850, 1020-1120, 1120-1145, 1545-
1615 and 1715-1845. Coastal Command continued to fly patrols of 3 aircraft over the North Goodwins-Gravelines-Ostend line throughout the day.
Enemy air attacks begin St. Fagan sunk 0355.
Sporadic enemy air attacks began at early light. Ships alongside the mole reported being attacked at 0415 and 0500. This was before the first main
R.A.F. air patrol appeared on the scene, for the R.A.F. had been asked to provide maximum protection from 0500 onwards.
Before the first patrol appeared enemy aircraft claimed what was to prove the first of a long series of victims that day. The tug St. Fagan had towed over from Dover during the night three Thames barges. At about 0355, in the
Dunkirk Channel, abreast the town the ship was hit by a bomb and practically disintegrated. Only two officers, including her Captain, Lieut.-Commander
G. H. Warren, M.B.E., R.N., and 6 ratings, were saved out of a total complement of 25. They were picked up by the tug Tanga which had come over from
Ramsgate with 6 boats in tow and had hung off outside Dunkirk most of the night waiting for troops to be brought out to her, and was then on her way home with 160 men on board and a motor-boat in tow.
Almost simultaneously with the withdrawal of our aircraft at 0730 a heavy dive bombing attack developed by a compact formation of some 30 or 40 Ju. 75s, causing the loss of the destroyers Keith and Basilisk, the minesweeper Skipjack, and the tug St. Abbs.
2 I Report, M.017978/41 p.29.
3 M.017978/41, p.23.
R.A.F. narrative.
88

DUSK TO DUSK, IST-2ND JUNE
CHAP. X
Dunkirk and entered harbour at 1530 on 1st June. Whilst there, she was twice hit by shore batteries, though damage was slight and there was only one and troops and finally proceeded at 2230.
light casualty. The ship lay alongside for 7 hours, embarking stretcher cases
Amongst the various classes of ships none had suffered proportionately heavier losses than the personnel vessels to which Vice-Admiral Dover referred in his message to the Admiralty. Their crews had been doing magnificent work in the face of nerve-racking experiences. Up to date 8 of these ships had been sunk and 4 disabled. It was arranged that during this night's evacuation personnel ships in addition to destroyers were to berth at the East Pier in Dunkirk where they were to be given priority.
The danger of sending these valuable ships in to Dunkirk in daylight was too great, and after the 1st of June they were sent in only under cover of darkness, with a naval Ljeutenant-Commander or Commander on board each ship as adviser to the Master and with crews stiffened by 10 seamen for handling the wires and going alongside under fire. It was hoped by these means not only to get the ships to sail to time but also to ensure that they would enter Dunkirk harbour and not linger outside awaiting a quiet interval, or return empty.
To their credit it must be recorded that not all the personnel ships needed the moral support of naval ratings.
Air Operations, morning of 2nd June
The batteries which had brought Route X under fire were between Le
Clipont, near Pointe de Gravelines (see Plan 3), and Les Huttes, about a mile north east of Gravelines; they were attacked by the R.A.F. in 24 Blenheim sorties between first light and 0745 on the 2nd, the object of spreading the attack in this manner being to neutralise the batteries during the period of daylight evacuation. The Blenheims encountered much anti-aircraft fire, and though no aircraft were lost some were damaged and afterwards crash-landed on their airfields.
The Air Ministry were asked to provide strong continuous patrols over
Dunkirk and the beaches from 0430 to 0830 on the 2nd June, with night fighter patrols during the hours of darkness. It was arranged that the fighter patrols should go out over the routes in use by our ships, and on the return journey fly low on the routes to give maximum protection to ships against low flying bomb and machine gun attacks. The concentration of fighter patrols in the dawn and dusk periods resulted in a great decrease in the total number of flying hours on the 2nd June (See Appendix C.)
The early morning was hazy, and the first two main R.A.F. patrols, both at four squadron strength, encountered no enemy aircraft and no ships reported being attacked during this period. The third patrol, the strongest yet flown, consisting of five full squadrons, which was over the Dunkirk area from 0745-
0845, encountered very considerable enemy forces, and claimed to have shot down 18 enemy bombers and 10 fighters, themselves losing 7 Spitfires. Again, no reports of attacks came from the ships; and as far as can be ascertained no attacks occurred until the Calcutta, patrolling near W buoy with the Mallard and Shearwater, was attacked at 1035 by 3 Ju. 88 which dived out of the sun and bombed her, causing slight damage from near misses. A Coastal patrol witnessed the incident and drove off the enemy. The French light cruiser
Epérvier and destroyer Léopard were also on the patrol line, but they apparently left the patrol when bombing began at 1035 and up to 1442 when the Calcutta returned to Sheerness by orders of Vice-Admiral Dover, nothing more was seen
99

INDEX
Royal Air Command, 64, 83-4, 4, 88 (evacuated (fired from France), 17, 20, 30,
(attacks 38 all that was asked of them, concentrated 123. at dawn and dusk): 100,
(patrols Stren batteries); 99 (patrols on by own ships), 89, 93, 99
Royal Daffodil, 20, 25, 100-1. 29, 54n, 62, 102, 110 (damaged).
110-111, 115; did
Royal Royal Sovereign, 29n, 54n, 64n, 107n, 108-9, 114n, 115, 117.
Eagle, 42, 81,
95 (sunk).
Royally,114n,
Sabre, 23, 27, 44, 47n, 49 (takes across with beach parties), 53, 54n, 55, 62n, 64 (damaged), 86,
97, 101, 107, 114n, 118 (crosses compass damaged).
St. Abbs, 71n, 90 (sunk).
Achilleus, sunk, 93.
St. St. Andrew, Shelled, 18: bombed, 20; last trip, 87.
Ste. Bernadette de Lourdes, 107n.
St. Clears, 32, 46.
St. David, damaged, 38, 95.
Ste. Denise Louise, 107n.
St. Fagan, 71n, 88 (sunk).
St. Helier, 20, 25, 64n, 94, 98-9, 108-9.
Ste. Isabelle, 74.
St. Julien, shelled, 17 bombed, 20, 43; crew supplemented, 48n; last trip, 87.
St. Olaves, 107n.
St. Patrick, 75n.
St. Seiriol, 22, 24, 29, 43, 48 (damaged).
Saladin, 44-5 (damaged).
Salamander, 28n, 31, 42, 47, 86 (damaged), 89-90.
Saltash, 91-2.
Sambre, 60.
Sandown, 23n, 27, 31, 42, 105 (forbidden to sail).
Santosy, lost, 117.
Saon, 34n, 110.
Sargasso, 60n, 107n, 108.
Sark, 60.
Saturn, 114n, 118.
S.C.6 (French), 107n.
Sceneshifter, rushed and sunk by French troops, 53.
Schuyts. see skoots.
Scimitar, 20n, 28n, 54n, 55, 62n, 91.
Scotia, 29n, 54n, 83 (in collision), 92 (sunk), 118 (record lift).
Scottish Co-operator, 60.
Sea Falcon, 75n.
Seaplane Tender 243, 71n, 75n, 110 (sunk).
Seaplane Tender 254, 71n.
Seaplane Tender 276, 71n, 110.
Seaplane Tender 291, 71n, 75 (damaged).
Seasalter, 60.
Sea Transport Officials, serve in personnel ships, 48; in Dynamo Room, 74.
Secrecy, effect on supply of small craft, 15.
Seine, 31n, 60, 102.
Sequacity, 19, 28.
Seriola, 71n.
Shamrock, lost, 53.
Sharpshooter, 28n, 54n, 97.
Shearwater, 34, 88, 99.
Sheldvake, 34, 37n, 69 (hunts S/M.), 93.
Shell fire (German): causes serious interruption to shipping, 19; Route Y under fire, 48;
La Panne beach shelled, 60, 76; interrupts sailings of personal ships, 70; danger of, magnified at Dover, 98.
Sherfield, 72n, 90.
Shelland, 60.
Shikari, 20n, 28n, 47n, 54n, 55, 97, 102, 107, 114n, 119-20 (in Operation CK), 127.
Shipmates, 23n.
Signalling, see Communications.
Silver Dawn, 32n, 51n.
205