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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 Shipmates. 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 41–229 of this collection
Page ImageOCR textOCR tags
41 Page 41 Log in to enlarge

MONDAY, 27TH MAY
CHAP. IV
meantime at 2025, the Vice-Admiral, Dover, received another signal sent only a few minutes later:
" Port continuously bombed all day and on fire. Embarkation possible only from beaches east of harbour A.B.C.D.¹ Send all ships and passenger ships there to anchor. Am ordering Wolfhound to load there and sail. T.O.O.2005."
To the Vice-Admiral, Dover, the situation must have appeared critical when, later that evening, he received a report from two military officers from
G.H.Q., that the plight of the B.E.F. was precarious and that the enemy might, indeed, succeed in cutting it off from Dunkirk.²
All ships diverted to the beaches
Such was the grim picture presenting itself to the Vice-Admiral, Dover, that night - the B.E.F. in grave and very real danger of being cut off altogether from
Dunkirk, and possibly only a bare 24 hours available for its evacuation. Admiral
Ramsay reacted to these dire tidings with characteristic drive and energy, and a period of intense activity ensued. Every effort was concentrated on sending as many craft as possible to the beaches without delay². Order followed order in rapid succession. Personnel ships were diverted to the beach, code letters A, B, C and D (i.e. Malo beach). Four paddle minesweepers³
were sailed from the Downs to La Panne beach. Destroyers were rushed to the beaches and urged to embark as many British troops as possible, as this was the last chance of saving them "; the Gallant, and Vivacious, then on patrol, the Windsor, Vimy, Anthony, Impulsive, Sabre and the cruiser Calcutta, were all ordered to proceed with the utmost despatch to the beach at Malo-les-Bains and the beach at Zuydcoote, just east of it; the Grafton and Greyhound, on patrol between Fairy Bank and Kwint Bank buoys, and the Wakeful, just arrived at Dover from Plymouth, were hurried to the beach at La Panne.
The wording of some of the signals4 conveying these orders reflects the desperation felt that night, a desperation which, in spite of the course of subsequent events, was at the time only too well-founded. " Had the situation appeared less critical," observes Admiral Ramsay, an organised flow of large and small craft, working in reliefs, would have been arranged."⁵
Yet a further batch of vessels arrived off the beaches that evening; the
17 available flare-burning drifters of the Dover Auxiliary Patrol⁶ had sailed for Dunkirk during the afternoon, and on arriving were diverted to the beaches by the Wolfhound, in accordance with a signal from the Vice-Admiral, Dover⁷, and anchored close inshore. The boats from the Wolfhound and Wolsey, and
I These letters refer to an arrangement, whereby at the commencement of Dynamo'
the Dunkirk beaches were described by a letter code referring to Map G.S.G.S. 4040,
Sheet 29, 1/50,000. The lengths of beach lying in each 1000 metre map square were lettered, west to east, commencing with "A" at square 2686 in sequence to "0" at square 3990. (Appx. N. 10). Under this arrangement, A.B.C.D. actually refers to the beach at Malo-les-Bains.
This arrangement appears to have fallen into disuse on and after 29th May, when the stretch of beach, one mile east of Dunkirk to one mile east of La Panne, was divided into
3 equal parts, referred to as La Panne, Bray and Malo, from east to west, with a mile gap between each part. (Appendix O. 11).
2 D.R. page 3, para. 8.
3
The Sandown, Medway Queen, Brighton Belle and Gracie Fields.
4 See Appendices D. 3, D. 4, D. 5, D. 7, and D. 8.
5 D.R., p.3, para. 38.
6 They were the Netsukis, Lord Howard, Lord Howe, Golden Sunbeam, Midas, Golden
Gift, Girl Pamela, Paxton, Boy Roy, Eileen Emma, Girl Gladys, Forecast, Ut Prosim, Yorkshire Lass, Young Mun, Shipmates and Torbay II.
7 Appendix D.6.
23
Anthony Boy Roy Calcutta Cruiser Eileen Eileen Emma Evening Forecast Gallant Girl Gladys Girl Pamela Golden Gift Golden Sunbeam Grave Lord Howard Lord Howe Midas Netsukis Paxton Queen Sabre Sandown Shipmates Sunbeam Torbay II Vivacious Windsor Wolsey Day Dover Few Last May Page West Young
159 Page 159 Log in to enlarge
OCR table 1 from document page 159
TROOPS TRANSPORTED
DRIFTERS (contd.)
110
Gula (Tempy.-Skipper A. W. West, R.N.R.)³
Jacketa (Ty. Skipper D. Tause, R.N.R.) 651 120
Jackeve (Skipper C.E. F. Reynolds, R.N.R.) Jeannie MacIntosh Not known
(Skipper J. W. Nicholson, R.N.R.)3
& Norah 61
John (Skipper R. A. Sims, R.N.R.)³
Kindred Star I
(T. W. Sheridan, Tempy. Skip. R.N.R.) (G. Corney, Temp. Skipper, R.N.R.) (Lieut. A. J. Dunbar, R.N.V.R., Unit Officer)
Lord Barham 388
(Tempy.-Skipper J. Masterton, R.N.R.)³
Lord Cavan I
(Ty. Skipper J. H. Muggridge, R.N.R.)
Lord Collingwood 332
Lord Hood I
(Skipper J. W. Lawn, R.N.R.)³ 379
Lord Howard
(Tempy-Skipper D. Davidson, R.N.R.)³
Lord Howe 277
(Skipper W. H. Pollock)
Lord Keith 323
(R. Pye, Master)
Lord Rodney Not known
(R. Durrant, Master)
Lord St. Vincent 150
L.H.W.D. 90
Mare 219
(Skipper A. H. W. Pendle, R.N.R.) (Group Offr. Cdr. J. W. D. Powell, D.S.C.(Bar), R.N.R.) 360
Midas
(Skipper H. Holden, R.N.R.) 190
Monarda
(Lieut. P. T. Lovelock, R.N.V.R.) 483
Netsukis (Tempy.-Skipper A. V. Muffett, R.N.V.R.)3 Ocean Breeze 259
(Lieut. V.A. de Mauny, R.N.) (Skipper Bailey (?)) Overfall Not known
(Tempy.-Skipper D. Miller, R.N.R.)3
Paxton (Lt. Cdr. R. M. Prior, R.N.) (Skipper A. M. Lovis, R.N.R.) Reed I Not known
(Skipper G. Hatton, R.N.R.)³ 260
Renascent
(Skipper R. E. Hannaford, R.N.R.) Rewga 162
(Tempy.-Skipper J. W. Macanley, R.N.R.)3 Rig 60
(Skipper E. Beckham, R.N.R.)
Robert Cliff |
Sarah Hyde 100
(Skipper H. G. Meen, R.N.R.) (Unit Officer Lt. J. I. Cruickshank, R.N.V.R.) Shipmates 196
(Ty. Skipper H. E. Ward) Silver Dawn (Skipper S. A. White, R.N.R.) 694
Dawn Gula Jacketa Jackeve Jeannie MacIntosh Kindred Star L.H.W.D. Lord Barham Lord Cavan Lord Collingwood Lord Hood Lord Howard Lord Howe Lord Keith Lord Rodney Lord St. Vincent Mare Midas Monarda Netsukis Overfall Paxton Reed Renascent Rewga Rig Robert Cliff Shipmates Silver Dawn Beckham Corney Cruickshank De Dunbar Durrant Hannaford Holden Lawn Lovelock Lovis Mauny Miller Muggridge Nicholson Pendle Pollock Powell Prior Pye Reed Reynolds Sheridan Tause Ward West White
229 Page 229 Log in to enlarge

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
Bernadette Dawn Falcon Royal Daffodil Royal Sovereign Sabre Sambre Sandown Santosy Saon Sargasso Sark Saturn Sceneshifter Scotia Scottish Co-operator Sea Falcon Seasalter Seine Sequacity Seriola Shamrock Sharpshooter Shearwater Sherfield Shipmates Silver Dawn St. Andrew St. Helier St. Julien St. Patrick St. Seiriol TSS Scotia De Dover Last Patrick