TNA MT 40 66

ST OF SHIPS WHICH TOOK PART IN OPERATION "DYNAMO" - 26TH MAY - 4TH JUNE, 1940
PART I - BRITISH SHIPS.
A.A. CRUISER.
CALCUTTA
DESTROYERS.
ANTHONY
INTREPID
VENOMOUS
BASILISK
IVANHOE
VERITY
CODRINGTON
JAGUAR
VIMY
ESK
JAVELIN
VIVACIOUS
EXPRESS
KEITH
WAKEFUL
GALLANT
MACKAY
WHITEHALL
GRAFTON
MALCOLM
WHITSHED
GRENADE
MONTROSE
WINCHELSEA
GREYHOUND
SABRE
WINDSOR
HARVESTER
SALADIN
WOLFHOUND
HAVANT
SCIMITAR
WOLSEY
ICARUS
SHIKARI
WORCESTER
IMPULSIVE
VANQUISHER
SLOOP.
BIDEFORD
CORVETTES.
GUILLEMOT
MALLARD
SHELDRAKE
KINGFISHER
SHEARWATER
WIDGEON
GUNBOATS.
LOCUST
f
MOSQUITO
MINESWEEPERS.
ALBURY
HEBE
BRIGHTON BELLE
ROSS
KELLETT
BRIGHTON QUEEN
SALAMANDER
LEDA
DEVONIA
SALTASH
LYDD
DUCHESS OF FIFE
SANDOWN
MARMION
DUNDALK
SHARPSHOOTER
MEDWAY QUENEN
EMPEROR OF INDIA
SKIPJACK
NIGER
FITZROY
SNAEFELL
ORIOLE
GLENAVON
SPEEDWELL
PANGBOURNE
GLENGOWER
SUTTON
PLINLIMMON
GOSSAMER
WAVERLEY
PORTSDOWN
GRACIE FIELDS
WESTWARD Ho
HALCYON
PRINCESS ELIZABETH
WHIPPINGHAM
QUENN OF THANET
Sunk.
Conti

owned collision by I went the with Great to the spot and found that the
The H.M. been Helier" in
I
alo wind, and The weather visibility was was fine, fairly sea smooth. good. There was very little him isfa very
Destroyer with "St. Helier" her stem. struck the starboard bow of the until vessels When The were I arrived together. at the sceme of the collision the two and th me to take I Officer hold of in his charge vessel of as the quickly Destroyer as possible. hailed me, and asked to m
then made at fast. once ordered my crew to get out the tow rope, and and passed I backed the my end stern of the close wire up aboard. to the stern of the Destroyer shackled The to tow 50 rope fathoms consisted of 5" wire. of 60 fathoms of 16" manilla rope,
Destroyer, The end and of the the manilla wire was was made on our fast towing to the hook. stern of the her could stern. see the Destroyer had a number of tow depth rope charges because on
I had to use care in passing the I
backed As away I passed and carried the tow on rope with to her the business. Destroyer, the "St. Helier"
in a westerly
I made fast direction. at about 11.20 p.m. and at once commenced towing her bows very severly damaged.
The were Destroyer had been hit just forward of her bridge, and
The bridge of the Destroyer was well forward.
and let go 10.35 a.m. on the 31st May.
I towed at the Destroyer stern first and arrived off Dover
He left the job of towing in my hands.
The Captain of the Destroyer did not use his engines.
and I asked her Master to hold the Destroyer's stern to the
The Tug "Empire Henchman" was following us into Dover, tide so that I could get my tow rope in.
At 11.35 a.m. I moored alongside the starboard side of the "Sharpshooter" and steered her to No. 10 buoy inside the
Eastern entrance to Dover Harbour.
The "Empire Henchman" had a short scope of rope to the stern of the tow and assisted me to get the Destroyer through the Eastern entrance.
We took the Destroyer in stern first.
We moored her to the buoy at 1.20 p.m. and then proceeded alongside the Prince of Wales Pier.
/I
-2-

On the following day, Thursday, May 30th, the "St.
173
Helier" again left for Dunkirk, accompanied by two French troopships, the "st.Helier" being the leading ship, and halfway across was subjected to a fierce attack by three planes. Nino bombs fell on the port bow about twenty yards off the vessel, four bombs right ahead were even closer and many fell on the starboard side. One of the planes was shot down by anti-aircraft fire from the "St.Helier" Over 2,000
troops were embarked and the vessel turned to Dover at 7-0 a.m.
Friday, May 31st, arrived at Dunkirk again and loaded 30/5
1,600 French troops. On coming out the H.N.S. "Sharpshooter", a mine layer, went across the "St.Helier's" bows and there was a collision. At the request of the Captain of the "sharpshooter"
the St.Helier" did not withdraw but steamed into her at half speed on one engine for forty minutes to ease the pressure on the bulkheads. It was now quite dark and enemy planes came over dropping flares to locate the ships. A tue came to attend to the H.II.S. "Sharpshooter" Enemy planes were continually around the ships and in the confusion the "Princess Eleanora"
struck the St.Helier" on the starboard bow. After ascertaining this vessel required no assistance the voyage was just proceeding when the Helier" ran over a wreck, but fortunately without doing any underwater damage. The troops were landed at Dover.
On Saturday, June 1st, arrived at Dunkirk 3-30 p.m.,
1/6
16 planes being overhead dropping bombs. The Master of the
'St.Helier" was asked if he would wait and load stretcher cases, to which he agreed and at 6-0 p.m. the vessel shifted and while moving was shelled from the beach, two shells striking the docking bridge and slightly wounding the second mate, but it did not interfere with his duties. The "st.Helier" lay alongside the quay in all for seven hours, the Harbour being fiercely bombarded the whole time from planes and shore batteries. The vessel embarked 40 stretcher cases and filled up with troops, and left the berth at 10-15 p.m. being shelled from coast batteries for thirty minutes before getting out of range. The shells all went over the ship, most of them dropping within thirty yards. Flames from fires on the shore lit up the sea so that the ship was plainly visible.
OARDIFF.
After landing the troops on the Sunday morning the 2/6
Naval Authorities informed the Master that they considered he had done enough and stated they were prepared to put a Naval
Commander in charge. Captain Pitman refused relief. A Naval
Commander and ten ratings were put on board to assist in case the ship was required to take off troops from beaches. The vessel, however, again proceeded to Dunkirk and loaded a full complement of troops. The vessel had now become very difficult to manoeuvre and it was afterwards found that the fore peak was full of water, evidently arising from the collision damage followed by underwater explosions, though this was not discovered until the vessel had returned to Folkestone as it ed was too dangerous to allow any of the crew forward. The fore peak was pumped out at Folkestone. The vessel was shelled while she was alongside the quay at Dunkirk but fortunately of the aim was poor and all the she Is fell just short.
cor the
Though other ships came to Dunkirk after this and took aft
French troops, the S.S. "st.Helier" on this occasion loaded the last of the B.E.F. numbering over 2,000. These British troops were landed on Monday morning and the Helier" stood