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SECRET
Dynams 135.
FROM
COMMANDING OFFICER, H.M.Y. "CHRISTOBELLI".
178.
DATE
June 2nd 1940.
167
TO
EXTENDED DEFENCES OFFICER, SHEERNESS.
NARRATIVE OF EVENTS FROM FIRST SIGNAL TO ARRIVING AT SHEERNESS.
Sir,
I beg to submit the following report:-
On receipt of your signal passed to me by H.M.Y. "Caleta" I
proceeded to Outer Bar Buoy and met H.M.Y. "Caleta", "Amulree", and
"Glala", I was handed your letter by "Glala" instructing me to take
these yachts to the North Goodwin Light Vessel, there to close the
Examination Vessel for further instructions, we proceeded in line
ahead led by "Caleta" as Sub. Lieutenant Dunning knew the channel,
owing to non appearance of Examination Vessel I decided to anchor my
ships for the night, at 0400 I ordered my engines to be started and
to go and see if I could findthe Examination Vessel, as it was now
dawn, at 0500 my engineman reported a defect, I gave orders for
remainder. of yachts to close Examination Vesselsat 0600 and proceed
according to instructions received.
We eventually got one engine running and I decided to proceed to
Ramsgate for repairs, which I reported to the Examination Vessel,
just before arriving at Ramsgate at 1000 my engineman reported that he
had the Port engine running, I anchored off Ramsgate Pier and
immediately proceeded ashore in ship's dinghy for my routing instruction
these I was given without delay and at 1015 were underway for Dunkirk.
When we were in position approximately 51 degrees 12' N. 2 degrees
28' E we were attacked by a Junkers 87 and machine gunned, his burst
of fire fell all. round the ship, I gave orders to my gun layer not to
open fire on him until he was well within range as I did not think he
would be able to see our Lewis gun at his height, immediately we
opened fire he sheered off.
I anchored off the Casino at Dunkirk at 1530, as I saw a lot of
troops waiting to be embarked, I went off in the ship's dinghy to see
how Iscould get some of these troops on board, there was too much surf
running tolland, I was also informed that these troops were French and
would crowd the boat so much, that she would be swamped, I learnt that
a party of about 50 British troops would arrive at about 1700 at that
part of the beach, I returned to the ship and decided to cruise about
to see I could find a boat of some description to embabk these men,
I went as far as La Panne and was there spoken by a sloop who asked
me to take his boat and try and get troops off to him, from that part
of the beach, we were being continually shelled and bombed, at about
this time a salvo of bombs fell across our stern the last bomb falling
about 30 ft away, the only effect was to drag our stern down a few feet
in the water. We opened fire on this aeroplane which was a heavy
bomber type Dornier 17 we registered a direct hit with our Lewis gun
and his Starboard engine burst into flames and he crashed into the sea,
asriniter ships
were also firing I cannot claim this aeroplane
As I had promised to embark the British troops at Dunkirk I
steamed back at all possible speed hoping to find a boat to bring them
off, we were fortunate in finding a Whaler adrift which we magaged to
pick up with our dinghy, I immediately sent these two boats ashore
and started to embark troops at approximately at 1750, this was very
continued over