TNA ADM 234 360

FRIDAY, 31ST MAY
CHAP. VIII
in the Bray and Malo sectors were being thinned out by movements westward towards Dunkirk iteslf. This change of plan involved concentrating the special tows and the minesweepers to which they were to transfer the troops, into the stretch opposite the beach between Zuydcoote Sanatorium and one mile east of La Panne¹, and also advancing the commencement of the operation by one hour².
A risk was involved in this change of plan as the boat tows were not in communication with the Vice-Admiral, and it would therefore be necessary for minesweepers to see that the escorting M.A./S.B.'s shepherded the tows to the new positions It had been explained to the Naval officers in each tow that the minesweepers would be anchored so as to serve as guiding marks³.
" It was always impossible for me to do more than deal with the situation of the moment", says Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker. "I did not know what ships were coming or when-except for the pre-arranged plan of the sloops. Nor was it possible for Dover to give me much information. Ships got back there, unloaded, and were off again, the stream was constant but irregular and it was not possible to see any way ahead. My policy was always to keep only sufficient ships off the beaches and send all the others into Dunkirk, but the situation changed continually."4
Small craft arrive in hundreds
It was in such circumstances that, at about 1900, Rear-Admiral Wake-
Walker had proceeded to Dunkirk in the Keith to see how the boat situation was getting on. There he saw for the first time that strange procession of craft of all kinds the story of which was to become famous-tugs, towing dinghies, life-boats and all manner of pulling boats5-small motor yachts, motor launches, drifters, Dutch skoots, Thames barges, fishing boats, pleasure steamers⁶. This was indeed the first time that the small craft had come over in hundreds⁷. Since noon Lt. Cdr. C. J. Wynne-Edwards, R.N. (of R.-A.
Dunkirk's staff), embarked in M.T.B.68, had been directing the tows to the various beaches.
I See Appendix Q.18, observing that D.R. p.20, para. 61 says the beach between Bray and 1 mile east of La Panne."
2 Appendix Q.19.
3 D.R. p.20, para. 61.
4 M.017978/41, p.17.
5 The following 14 tugs (their tows are shown in brackets) reached Dunkirk that evening:
The Racia (12 life-boats), Sun VIII (12 life-boats), Sun XV (6 life-boats), Vincia (3 lifeboats), Sun IV (9 boats), Tanga (6 boats), Ocean Cock (6 M/B's), Sun VII (seaplane tenders
243, 254, 276, 291 and A.M.C.3), Foremost 87 (two sailing barges), Fairplay I (sailing barge
Barbara Jean), Empire Henchman (sailing barge Aidie), Crested Cock (a lighter), Sun XI (a lighter), and the Sun XII (sailing barges Tollesbury and Ethel Everard).
In the early hours of 1st June 4 other tugs arrived. The St. Fagan (auxiliary barges
Pudge and Lady Rosebery, and the sailing barge Doris), St. Abbs (auxiliary barge Thyra and sailing barges H.A.C. and Duchess), Cervia (sailing barge Royalty), and the Persia
(sailing barge Glenway and Lark).
6 M.017978/41, p.19.
7 New arrivals off Dunkirk and the beaches on 31st May included the following The yachts Amulree, Aronia, Glagla, Caleta, Christobel II and Llanthony, the nine yachts of the
Portsmouth Inner Patrol, viz the Ahola, Ankh, Bounty, Caryandra, Eilla II, Lahloo,
Noneta, Seriola and Thele and from the R.N. Air Station, Ford, the yacht Andora.
The drifters Ben and Lucy (towing 4 boats), Dorienta (towing boats), Monarda, Renascent and the 13 drifters of the Yarmouth Base, viz Alcmaria, Feasible, Genius, Gula,
Jeannie MacIntosh, John and Norah, Lord Barham, Lord Hood, Overfalls, Reed, Rewga,
Swift Wing and Taransay. The drifters Fair Breeze and Ocean Breeze were again over, the former towing a motor life-boat and 3 life-boats.
The steam hopper barges Foremost 102 (towing the Excellent's 35 ft. fast motor boat and
71

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. X
clearly marked as hospital ships. Neither of the two ever reached Dunkirk.
were despatched from Dover, the Worthing at 1255 and the Paris at 1648, both we should scrupulously observe the Two hospital carriers part en clair asking for hospital ships to be Geneva sent across Convention. and stating that for our
At 1433 the A/S trawler Grimsby Town, on patrol on Route X, reported that had bombed a hospital ship. This was Worthing. Visibility was good.
12 aircraft bearing 90° South Foreland 27 the miles (between V and W buoys)
Nine bombs were dropped and the the Calcutta ship was sent machine the gunned, she was slightly damaged by near misses and corvette Mallard to stand by her. The Worthing returned to harbour.
near W buoy, when two aircraft attacked her, near misses putting out of action
The Paris, after running into thick fog, was in clear visibility at about 1900, her engines and extinguishing all lights. About an hour later the ship was attacked again by 3 aircraft, and received further damage. She was abandoned by all but the Captain and some of the officers, who were shortly afterwards taken off by a fast motor boat which also rescued men from some of the Paris's lifeboats that had been wrecked by bombing. Three tugs, the Sun XV, Sun IV
and Lady Brassey attempted to tow the ship; but at 0400 on 3rd June, after a further air attack, the Paris sank 1 mile east of W. buoy.
Evacuation figures, 2nd June
A total of 26,256 men were landed in England on 2nd June, 19,561 from
Dunkirk harbour and 6,695 from the beaches. Of these totals, French ships working only from the harbour carried 1634, and Belgian trawlers carried 313.
The accumulated total of men evacuated to this date was 285,305.
104

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

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