Website commentary for Coursework.

Operation Dynamo: The Mass Evacuation from Dunkirk

Site:  http://www.battleofbritain.net/section-2/page-5a.html

I have divided the site (Dunkirk website) into sections to match this commentary.

Section I.

The first ships into Dunkirk eg Mona’s isle, Daffodil, Canterbury.

Explains the problems they experienced and why only 7669 men (far short of the target) were safely evacuated.

Section 2.

Explains why the RAF did not playing a more active part at this stage.

Section 3.

At the end of May destroyer escorts were allocated to Operation Dynamo.

Explains the problems the destroyers experienced in picking up men.

Section 4.

Decision taken to go direct to boatyards on the Thames.

(read this section to get an idea of the type of boats which were commandeered)

Section 5.

Talks aboout the confusion in France and why this was

Section 6.

J.B. Priestly’s radio broadcast - describes what the small vessels faced.

Section 7.

Describes the daytime dangers

Describes the nightime dangers.

Section 8.

Christopher Sommerville reports the comments made by one Dunkirk veteran about what he saw.

Interesting to read his comments.

Why was the veteran reluctant to record this?

Section 9.

Gives some key points about the impact of the Luftwaffe’s raids.

Note that there were not many RAF planes involved.

Section 10.

Note the impression Alan Deere gives of the scene.

Section 11.

Note the impression Alan Deere gives of the attitude of people to the RAF.

Section 12 (a)

Note the initial reports made to London about how the evacuation was proceeding.

Contrast this with the reports given by returning Dunkirk officers.

Section 12 (b)

Note that the port is being swamped with many more soldiers than anticipated.

Section 13.

May 29th - withdrawal of Panzers.

Section 14.

Read the account writtten by Sam Meltzer a Private in the Royal Army Service Corps of his experience on a Dunkirk beach.

Pick out anything which adds to your impression of what Dunkirk was actually like.

Section 15.

Withdrawal of 8 destroyers because they were too valuable to be subject to such a hazardous operation..

Section 16 (b)

Gives an impression of the mood of the evacuees.

Section 17.

Weather conditions prevent the Luftwaffe from attacking.

Section 18.

Gives more information about how the loading actually got on and some of the problems experienced.

Section 19.

More information on how the news was reported back at home.

Section 20.

Gives insight into the fact that some of the commanders may not have been as ‘sharp’ as they might have been.

Section 21.

The meeting between Churchill and Petain.

At the meeting, Churchill explained the success of Dunkirk, and informed the meeting that so far, 165,000 men had been lifted out of Dunkirk.

Note that of these only 15,000 were French.

Section 22.

Contains some extraordinaary anecdotes from individuals who were evacuated.

Section 23.

May 31st.  A little more about RAF and Luftwaffe.

Section 24.

June 1st.  Notes things about how the evacuation was going.

Section 25.

Increased RAF activity - more squadrons etc.

Section 26.

More French troops were evacuated but there were still many troops remaining at Dunkirk.

Section 27.

Desperate attempts to hold the perimeter in order to give as much possible protection to the evacuation.

Note the importance of the French in this, although Churchill had actually promised that the British would make the rearguard and protect the troops up to the last minute.

Section 28.

June 2nd

Still queues of men, some standing up to their shoulders in water and note the desperation of those who couldn’t fit in the boats.

Section 29.

Night evacuations only.

Section 30.

The last chance.

Need for absolute control and discipline but the operation was slow and disorganized

Section 31.

Note the attitude of some of the crews.

They had had enough, many felt that their ships, large and unarmed were too much of a target for the Luftwaffe and the safety of the soldiers (and the crew) would be at risk.

Standing room only on these ships.

Note the atmosphere again

“It was an eerie task, the German shells were still hammering away at the port, buildings were burning, explosions could be heard, dense smoke lay over the town.”

Section 32.

Scooping up the last few men.

Section 33.

The perimeter under final threat.

Note that it is the French who were remaining.

Section 34.

Ships had to be sent back for the French who hadn’t been able to get to the beach in time.

Wind and tides made berthing difficult.

Some chaos here too (eg “Troops refused to be separated from their units, and gaggled and shouted out in their native tongue almost to a point of hysteria.”)

Section 35.

Fortunately Hitler’s Luftwaffe and Panzers had gone off to Paris.

Only a small number of German artillery units remained.

Gunfire and sniping continued through the night, but being under threat of German dive bombers had gone and the task of evacuation was made a lot easier.

Section 36.

A last look back at Dunkirk and the state it was in and the French soldiers still remaining.

Section 37.

A review of the final tally of deaths, evacuations etc

France offers an armistice to Hitler - Britain stands alone.

Plus review of the impact that Dunkirk had had on Fighter Command.

 

NB  THE EVENTS TOOK PLACE OVER SEVERAL DAYS.  WAS EVERY DAY THE SAME?                                                                             CJM