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

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
Cyclone, was on her way to Dunkirk when, apparently between T buoy and the
West Hinder, the track of a torpedo was seen at 0121 crossing from port to starboard 10 yards ahead; a minute later another track was seen to port, and although avoiding action was taken the torpedo struck forward and considerably damaged her, but the Cyclone was still able to steam and she proceeded back to Dover at 4 knots escorted by an English vessel; later, the
French torpedo boat Bouclier and then the French minesweeper Arras took over the duty of escort. The Cyclone reached Dover at 1600, having transferred two serious casualties to an English M/B while on passage. She took no further part in "Dynamo".
Siroco sunk
At 0145, some 20 minutes after this attack, the French destroyer Siroco, on her way to Dover with 770 troops from Dunkirk, was hit near T buoy by 2
torpedoes fired by an E-boat which had stopped and was unseen in the darkness; the destroyer Vega, on patrol 4 miles to the south-east, saw a column of flame 200 feet high. The Siroco capsized shortly after. Survivors to the number of 252 were picked up, 50 by the trawler Wolves, 21 by the trawler
Stella Dorado, 166 by the corvette Widgeon and 15 by the Polish destroyer
Blyskawica.
At 0700, the Vega, which had been on patrol since noon 28th May, was relieved by the destroyer Jackal.
It was on this morning that clear evidence of the presence of enemy submarines was obtained, for the Vimy, en route to Dunkirk, sighted the periscope and conning tower of one between the North Goodwin buoy and the North-
West Goodwin buoy. A depth charge was dropped, and a hunt began in which the trawlers Westella and Spurs, the corvette Sheldrake, and the Jackal joined, but without success.
Conditions on the beaches
Meanwhile, conditions on the beaches were by no means favourable. Already at 0400 a lop had started. At about 0600 the R.N.L.I. life boat Lord Southborough was ferrying troops to the destroyer Icarus off Bray. 'There was a nasty surf," said the coxswain of the life boat. "Troops were rushing out to us from all directions and were being drowned close to us and we could not get to them it seemed to me we were doing more harm [than good] by drawing the men off the shore, as with their heavy clothing, the surf was knocking them over and they were unable to get up.
The whaler from the destroyer.
was swamped, so was the motor pinnace that was working with the whaler, and so it was all along the sands as far as I could see, both sides of us, and there was not a boat left afloat".
At 0600 also, Lt. Col. R. L. Hutchins, M.C., Grenadier Guards, in command of the War Department motor launch Swallow, arrived off Dunkirk, and described the situation as follows: Dunkirk was under a pall of smoke from fires which appeared to be mainly to the south and west of the port. There were numerous wrecks outside the harbour, and along the beaches. There were large numbers of troops on the shore as far as it was possible to see to the eastward, and the beach was strewn with all forms of motor transport. Along the foreshore were a very large number of pulling boats, aground, capsized or damaged, and abandoned. There were also a considerable number of motor
I Appendix J.2.
69

CHAP. XI
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
79, Of these 808 and 211,137 casualties were 1,129. Allied fit numbered 305,078.
At noon on the 3rd June British the fit total and of 13,004 troops casualties. evacuated had reached
Naval losses 2nd June harbour at from motor boat sunk off Malo, and by enemy action,
The brightest Dunkirk feature had been of the carried night out was without that embarkation disturbance in the and apart one losses off by enemy act from small craft from collision or other misadventure, sinkings were confined to
In marked contradistinction attack the from 2nd. the heavy This losses of the 1st June only ship was sunk from by air Calshot R.A.F. on station, which was the fast motor boat Seaplane one at 1500 with Commander from J. C. the Clouston, situation R.N., pier master of the mole,
Tender 243, sailed from Dover for Dunkirk was returning discussing with the staff at Dover, and a who embarkation that the party; boats should she was be in used company with S.T. 276, the intention naval being
Walker during the night's work. At 1855, about 6 miles from Gravelines, 4
two as runners" for Rear-Admiral Wakeenemy aircraft attacked S.T. 243, which received severe damage from a miss and was abandoned in a sinking condition. Commander Clouston ordered near
S.T. 276 to proceed as the enemy aircraft were still continuing to attack, and she subsequently arrived at Dunkirk though too badly damaged to be of service.
rating from S.T. 243 were picked up and saved.
Commander Clouston was seen later, drowned, and only one officer and one
The transport Royal Daffodil nearing Dunkirk from England was attacked all movable gear to port and filling boats with water she was listed to bring by aircraft about an hour after S.T. 243. The ship was holed but by shifting the damage above water. The engineers, J. W. Coulthard and W. L. Evans kept the motors running although the water had risen in the engine room, and the ship returned to Margate under her own steam. Another personnel ship, the Ben-My-Chree, was in collision on the evening of the 2nd shortly after leaving Folkestone for Dunkirk, and took no further part in the operation.
Two further ships were sunk by mines on Route Y on the 2nd June, although it was at first thought they had been torpedoed. At about 1600 the trawlers
Blackburn Rovers and Westella were on patrol near T buoy, when the former blew up on a mine and sank instantly. As the Westella closed the position, explosions from the Blackburn Rovers' depth charges lifted the ship out of the water and put her asdic installation and pumps out of action. About 40
minutes later the Westella was herself blown up by a mine between S and T
buoys, and commenced to sink. Her depth charges were set to 'safe', and the trawlers Saon and Grimsby Town sank her and picked up her survivors and those of the Blackburn Rovers, some badly injured. (Appendix J.9, J.10).
Two other trawlers met with misadventure on the 2nd, but neither was sunk.
Details are lacking but it is known that the Spurs and another trawler, probably either the Kingston Alalite or Kingston Olivine, were both damaged by gunfire.
The Spurs was on the patrol line, and it is not known how she came close enough to the coast to be damaged by shore gunfire. Gunfire also sank the
Gallant's motor boat off Malo at 0210.
known. These were the Getuigt Vor Christus, the O.L.V. van Vlaandaren,
Three Belgian trawlers were lost on th 2nd June, though no details are and the Sunny Isle.
Air co-operation, night 2nd-3rd June
The R.A.F. flew a patrol over the approaches to Dunkirk from about 2010
110

INDEX
Silver Moon, crosses to France without charts or compass, 53.
Silver Queen, 53, 60n.
Simpson, Ch. Skpr. D. W. L., R.N.R., lost, 34.
Simson, Capt. D. J. R., Capt. D. (19), killed, 9.
Siroco, 39, 43, 62n, 69 (sunk), 85.
Skipjack, 20, 28n, 31, 60, 86, 90 (sunk).
Skipwith, Cdr. L. P., handling of Royal Sovereign, 108.
Skoots: Commissioned, 7; return to Downs in error, 20; reach Dunkirk and beaches, 29;
continuous service, 30.
Skylark, sunk, 72.
Small craft: provision of 5, 15, 17, 21, 32, 51 manning difficulty, 17; sent to Dover, in error, 21, 22; shortage of, 24-5, 32-3, 61, 76, 80-82, 127 losses of 32, 36; difficulties due to weather, 36, 48, 69-70; overcrowding, 36; supply increases, 51, 61, 71
ordered to move towards Dunkirk, 86-7; return empty to England, 100.
broached to and stranded, 58, 69-70; cast adrift and lost, 60; all vanished, 86;
Snaefell, 100-1.
S.N.O. Afloat, see Bush, Capt, E. W. and Wake-Walker, Rear-Adm. W. F.
S.N.O. Dunkirk, see Tennant, Capt. W. G.
Solomon, S/Lt. M. B. H., R.N.V.R., 73n.
Spanish refugees, 100-1.
Speedwell, 86, 90, 107n, 109, 114n, 117.
Spurs, 32n, 69 (hunts S/M.), 110 (damaged).
Starlight Rays, 60n, 107n, 108.
Stella Dorado, 34n, 69, 85 (sunk).
Stella Reigel, 85.
Stephenson, Vice-Adm. G. O., 49 (act. Cdre.), 58 (takes charge off La Panne), 66-7, 79,
83; effect of his arrival, 126.
Strathelliot, 72, 101.
Stubbs, Lt., 81.
Submarine Chaser 6, 107n.
Submarines (German): believed minelaying, 38; sighted, 69.
Sunshine, 60n, 75n.
Sun IV, 71n, 104n, 117.
Sun V, 32, 36 (put out of action).
Sun VII, 71n.
Sun VIII, 71n.
Sun X, 107n, 111.
Sun XI, 71n, 107n, 111.
Sun XII, 71n.
Sun XV, 71a, 104, 114n, 117.
Sunny Isle, lost, 110.
Surcouf, 62n.
Sursum Corda, 29n.
Survivors, machine gunned, 44, 90, 92.
Sutton, 28n, 31, 42, 47, 86 (attacked), 101.
Swallow, 69-70, 72n, 114n.
Swift Wing, 7In.
Tanga, 71n, 88, 114n, 117.
Tanks, British worn out, 6.
Taransay, 71n.
Taylor, Rear-Adm. (act. Cdre.), A. H., (Dynamo Maintenance Officer), 21, 97.
Tennant, Capt. W. G., 16, 50 (appointed S.N.O. Dunkirk); 21-22 (assumes duty)
22 (sends dramatic signal) 24, 48 (asks for all ships to be sent to Dunkirk); 50 (responsible England). under R.A. Dover); 50n (false report sent in his absence); 108 (embarks for
Thark, lost, 117.
Thele, 71n.
Thérèse Compas, 73.
Thérèse Louis, 62n.
Thirlwall, A/Ldg. Sea. R., 93.
Thomas Bartlett, sunk, 34.
Thornton, Lt. Cdr. M., 47n.
Thuringia, sunk, 34, 38.
Thurston, Lt. N., mortally wounded, 86.
Thyra, 71n.
Tibbits, Lieut., 79.
206