TNA ADM 234 360

CHAP. IV
THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
attacked misses, and, twice arrival by dive-bombers at Dunkirk en at route, 1655, receiving found some damage was in progress. on an air attack by 21 from aircraft near enveloped air raid casualties lying about depots the and The was investigate in the a vast pall of smoke from the oil area of Naval Headquarterters to
Captain Tennant local proceeded situation. ashore The whole to the Bastion with was blazing, masses of wreckage. were streets, which were littered town
Parminter; On arrival at Colonel the Bastion, Whitfeld, Captain Sub-Area Tennant Commandant; held a meeting and with Brigadier
H. P. Henderson, R.N., the B.N.L.O. It to was retain decided that the harbour Commander as a W/T link.
untenable, and that it was impracticable the Wolfhound at Dunkirk was
At 1900 Captain Tennant assumed the duties of S.N.O. Dunkirk, ordered the Wolfhound and Wolsey to proceed to the beach east of Dunkirk and and embark troops, using their own boats. This they proceeded to do, but did not get away unscathed; the Wolfhound grounded as she left Dunkirk harbour and received further damage from a bomb which struck the jetty six feet away. She made no more trips to Dunkirk, but on that evening she and the Wolsey became the pioneers of beach evacuation.
Beach evacuation begins
Meanwhile, during the afternoon, four personnel vessels and two hospital carriers had sailed for Dunkirk¹. Of these, the personnel vessels Queen of the
Channel and St. Seiriol left Dover at 1330, by Route Y, and entered Channel Dunkirk at about 1930, during an air raid. The Queen of the beaches. had At harbour barely embarked 50 troops when both boats ships were had started diverted ferrying, to the S.N.O. Dunkirk to troyers' passed 2230, boats, embark signalled however, which this motor 1,000 order were the boats. before men. Wolfhound manned to the the The The St. St. as Queen to Wolfhound, Seiriol's necessary Seiriol send of a beach by the personnel by then megaphone Channel, naval and with ship then, ratings the using to and Wolsey returning the or her commandeered east towed own off pier, to the by except boats, Dunkirk, Dunkirk the beaches des- em- the her she harbour, destroyers barked was about unfortunately picked Wolfhound 150 up troops a and further sunk Wolsey, from by 700 aircraft the to troops. embark early She next troops was morning from the first the (May ship, beaches, 28th) shortly though after leaving Dunkirk.
" tomorrow night is problematical "
S.N.O. local By 1958, Dunkirk, and Captain he sent Tennant this dramatic had arrived signal to at immediately.
Evacuation on 27th May, only an hour after he a the duties of the of situation, available craft to beaches T.O.Of.1988."kirk
" Evacuation tomorrow transmission, night is was not received until 2055, but in and the
Please send every problematical.
This I The signal, Queen delayed of the Channel, in St. Seiriol, Canterbury, Maid of Orleans, Isle of Thanet
Worthing.
22

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. IV
from the St. Seiriol and Queen of the Channel, in addition to the drifters'
beaches during the night dinghies, enabled these drifters of the to 27th/28th lift some May. 2,000 troops from Malo and Bray own
Results of S.N.O. Dunkirk's 2005/27
assembling off the beaches on 1 cruiser, 27th/28th May the Wolfhound,
As a result of the action taken the on night S.N.O. of Dunkirk's signals, there
3 Channel skoots and (the the Lena, St. Hebe Seiriol). other II and All small Oranje) these ships boats, were ordered to use Queen of thers, their own
Wolsey and 6 other destroyers¹, a pulling boats, were yet available.
boats for ferrying, as no power cutters, whalers or other
S.N.O. Dunkirk's signals had therefore a big result; but owing to the difficulty of passing orders at night in a shattered harbour his decision to divert vessels to the beaches had unforeseen repercussions, and it was associated with a false report that Dunkirk had fallen, and the failure of one personnel vessel and 7 skoots to reach the beaches that night. The circumstances are described below.
The P/V Canterbury, which had entered Dunkirk harbour at 2000, left at
2058 with 457 troops, including 140 stretcher cases. Before leaving, she was ordered by the Sea Transport Officer to turn back ships attempting to enter Dunkirk the order, evidently intended to divert ships to the beaches, was misunderstood. In the Dunkirk road, the Canterbury passed the order to the P/V Maid of Orleans and to the H/C's Isle of Thanet and Worthing, and those vessels thereupon turned back to Dover. Later the order became definitely garbled, for the skoot Tilly (which was in company with the 4 skoots
Hondsrug, Jutland, Patria and Brandaris) met the Canterbury (in company with the 2 hospital carriers) 8 or 9 miles from Dunkirk, and received from her the signal "Dunkirk is in enemy hands. Keep clear." This signal was variously recorded by some of the other skoots, as Dunkirk has fallen. Return"; and all five of them, as well as the skoots Bornrif and Twente, did in fact return to the Downs, although the Jutland and the Patria first closed
Nieuport Bank buoy in an unsuccessful endeavour to obtain more definite information. Some of the skoots, in turn, promulgated this false report to other ships, notably to the P/V Dorrien Rose; this ship, which received the signal, unsafe to approach Dunkirk," did at first alter course to the northward, but, shortly after, again set course for Dunkirk. It was subsequently thought by some of the vessels concerned that the false information had been passed by fifth columnists," though there is very little proof of this.³
Chronic shortage' of beaching boats
Such was the beginning of the great build-up of ships4 and of the inauguration of beach evacuation. The successful development of the latter was necessarily good in into I the The of northern situation the dependent chronic having sector shortage changed on between the by continuation the south-west of beaching and of boats⁵. fine north-east weather, A wind would and and of any Wakeful the have strength making made went from Dunkirk. The Windsor remained time they arrived, Anthony the Gallant had not yet returned
2 Portsmouth whither she had escorted on the patrol. S.S. Kyno. The
Canterbury's report.
4 3 See Appendices H.30 and H.32.
5 Appendices D, E and F.
D.R. page 3, para. 11.
24

TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
CHAP. V
had all come under fire from the shore guns at Calais and Gravelines. At
0415 on the 28th May the Queen of the Channel, loaded with 904. troops, was attacked by one aircraft; 3 or 4 bombs were dropped, which straddled the ship abaft the mainmast and broke her back, the starboard propeller shaft and the rudder. By good fortune the Dorrien Rose, en route for Dunkirk, was in the vicinity and rescued the troops: the Queen of the Channel sank about 1/2 hour later. The St. Seiriol, which left Dunkirk at about 0415 with 494 troops, reached Folkestone in safety.
Civilian crews feel the strain
Some 45 personnel vessels were used during operation "Dynamo"
Of these eight were sunk, at least six were so damaged by bombing or gunfire as to render them unfit for further use during the operation, and two were damaged in collision. Nine of the largest of these personnel vessels had been engaged prior to "Dynamo" in operations at Dunkirk, Calais and Boulogne, and their Captains and crews were beginning to feel the strain when Operation
"Dynamo" started.
Thus it was that the Master of the Canterbury, which had already completed
2 round trips to Dunkirk in operation "Dynamo", reported, on the 28th May, that he was too worn out to make a third trip. The P.S.T.O. went on board and explained the gravity of the situation to the Master, and the Canterbury sailed at 0930 the next day. On her return voyage from Dunkirk she was bombed and damaged, and after landing her 1960 troops went into dock for repairs. In the 3 trips she made the Canterbury brought back 4,416 troops;
her Master, Captain C. A. Hancock, was awarded the D.S.C.
Personnel vessels not to be employed during full daylight
On the 28th May, however, it had become apparent that development of the German air threat over the evacuation area, and the increasing artillery fire from shore batteries covering the sea approaches to Dunkirk, prohibited the employment of personnel and similar vessels during daylight, until the position was restored, and that evacuation from Dunkirk by day must for the moment be confined to warships and small vessels².
It was not, therefore, until later in the day, that the P/V Royal Daffodil sailed for Dunkirk, and eight other personnel vessels and a hospital carrier³
received their sailing orders during the afternoon and evening.
The northern Route Y was by this time in general use⁴, but ships proceeding from Dover to Dunkirk were ordered to use the southern and shorter Route Z, if the passage from Calais Bell buoy to Dunkirk could be made in darkness.
N.O.I.C. Ramsgate responsible for servicing skoots
In these circumstances some 20 skoots reached Dunkirk, or arrived off the beaches during the day and evening of the 28th May; others were on the way.
Their speed varied, but most of them were very slow. Eight of them went into Dunkirk harbour⁵, and four to Bray beach⁶. The Abel Tasman, loaded with ammunition, the Alice and Kaap Falga, loaded with food, and three
I This number includes 3 store ships, 3 motor vessels and a few freighters, coasters and tramps.
2 D.R. p. 4, para. 13.
3 The Scotia, Malines, Prague, Manxman, Royal Sovereign, Tynwald, Lochgarry, Killarney and the H.C. Paris.
4 Appendix K.1.
5 The Caribia, Fredanja, Friso, Jutland, Tilly, Patria, Sursum-Corda, and Twente.
6 The Amazone, Doggersbank, Hilda, and Oranje.
29

TUESDAY, 28TH MAY
CHAP. VI
1650, she left the harbour, but soon after was damaged by a near miss. She was able to reach Dover, but took no further part in "Dynamo." At 1720
the berth vacated by the Canterbury in Dunkirk harbour was taken by the destroyer Verity.
Intrepid severely damaged
Meanwhile, at 1700, the Intrepid, hurrying back to Dunkirk from Dover
(where she had disembarked 661 troops), was bombed between Middelkerke
Bank and La Panne. A near miss caused severe damage, started fires, and killed 2 and wounded 19. The Intrepid had to return to Dover, and took no further part in Operation "Dynamo."
Hospital ship deliberately bombed
At 1700 also, the H/C St. Julien, en route for Dunkirk harbour, was deliberately bombed for a considerable period" in the vicinity of Nieuport
Bank buoy1; she was slightly damaged by near misses. The St. Julien lay off Dunkirk harbour for about 1/2 an hour waiting for an opportunity to enter;
when air attacks recommenced, however, she sailed for Dover without having entered the harbour.
At 1730 the Siroco sailed from Dunkirk harbour with 500 troops and a little later was joined outside by the Mistral which had only embarked 4 troops.
Both the French destroyers proceeded to Dover. The Mistral took no further part in "Dynamo."
Grenade hit, Calvi and Fenella sunk
At about 1750 the third air attack was made over Dunkirk harbour by waves of bombers; some 100 bombs were dropped. Allied fighters, being engaged by enemy fighters, were unable to interfere with the bombing². A near miss blew a hole in the Grenade's side; the trawler Calvi, lying outside the John
Cattling, received a direct hit and sank immediately. Her masts and funnel were above water, and her ensign remained flying from the foremast. The personnel vessel Fenella, which by then had 650 troops on board, was hit on the promenade deck; a second bomb hit the pier, and blew some concrete through the Fenella's side below the waterline; a third bomb, falling between the pier and the Fenella's side, wrecked the engine room. The Fenella's troops were disembarked on to the pier and re-embarked in the Crested Eagle.
The Fenella was abandoned while sinking. The P/V St. Seiriol, which shortly before had secured alongside the outer east pier, astern of the Crested Eagle, cast off and shifted eastward to the beaches.
Grenade hit, set on fire, and abandoned
Then five minutes after the third air attack had begun the Grenade received two direct hits; her engines were put out of action and she caught fire. As she swung round, some of her ships company were able to step on board the damaged trawler Polly Johnson. The Verity (which had been continuously
I Reports by Pangbourne and Lydd.
2 According to the R.A.F. Narrative, p.327, two Hurricane squadrons which arrived at
1710 were attacked by large numbers of Me. 109's; one Spitfire squadron was attacked from above and behind at 1715, and another was in combat with enemy fighters at 1740.
" None of our squadrons encountered enemy bombers, and the attacks on our shipping between 1630 and 1745 hours (resulting, amongst other casualties, in the Crested Eagle being hit and beached off Bray) can thus not have been interfered with by our patrols'
R.A.F. Narrative, p.327).
43

THE EVACUATION FROM DUNKIRK
CHAP. VI
More Personnel ships feel the strain
In the early hours of 29th May Mercantile information Marine was received at personnel vessels (manned to by Dunkirk harbour in crews) the difficulties caused encountered by en route to, and off, in making the entrance the heavy pall of smoke over a the one round sail trip and during an officer, the (Lt. A. R. MacKewn, R.N.R.) of the ing and shelling previous 24 hours, the Captain and and sailed did not at sail 1100. again. On her return voyage was unable to the ship a hospital Parties to carrier² supplement and to ships' various crews drifters were and lent motor to three boats. personnel vessels and port Officer at took Dover the during place of Officers in says on two occasions Sea Trans-
Commodore E. G. de S. Jukes-Hughes, "Dynamo," R.N., that who was Principal Sea port Officers 'The effect of the personality personnel of the ships and proceeded Trans- to noticeable. in them. A strong Master carried succeeded his crew with Master," him and he imbued says, them was with very sea his spirit. A weak Master only in disturbing his crew."4
Surf. More ships sent to Dunkirk work⁵. during At early 0709 May that surf on the beaches was retarding reported boat-
S.N.O., the Dunkirk, hours and of 29th other Senior Officers on the French coast was going on at the rate of 2,000 an hour and asked for all ships to go to Dun-
S.N.O., Dunkirk, reported that embarkation from Dunkirk kirk harbour⁶. An increased number of H.M. ships was therefore sent to harbour, in spite of the danger that an accumulation of ships alongside the the pier at Dunkirk by day might well invite an intensive air attack and, east been seen, it actually did so. In view, however, of the military situation as has limitations and the of Dunkirk harbour (with its narrow gangway along the east the
Dover, continued to send a proportion of ships to the beaches.⁷
probability of the surf reducing as the tide rose, the Vice-Admiral, pier),
Route Y under gunfire and shortly after noon enemy shore batteries near Nieuport brought the
Meanwhile, at 1100, enemy troops were reported north-east of Nieuport,
Zuydcoote Z Pass (on Route Y) under spasmodic gunfire. The southern Route
X was already under fire from the guns at Calais and that Route beaches. would soon be the only practicable daylight Gravelines, to Dunkirk so and the it; By 1606 Route X was fully swept, and approach all ordered to use passage ships from Dover, however, were instructed to use ships Route were Z, provided the between Calais Bell Buoy and Dunkirk could made in darkness.
point Route Y, the locality in which south-west E-boat attack of the threatened, extreme and the
Route of X passed some 26 miles to the be north-east report I Authority by the officers for this or is V. A. Dover's Report on Personnel No apparently did not sail owners of the St. Seiriol Vessels, M011882/40. She p.213, 2 219). again because her crew were mentions in an overwrought that she was state. damaged. (R.O.III,
3 5 R.O.III, See P.564. Lady in charge of Mann, of No. Princess 3 Party Maud (R.O.III, and the p.416). H/C St.Julien.
6 Appendix 0.1.
Appendix 0.2.
7 D.R., p.6, para. 24.
48

INDEX
Royal Air Command, 64, 83-4, 4, 88 (evacuated (fired from France), 17, 20, 30,
(attacks 38 all that was asked of them, concentrated 123. at dawn and dusk): 100,
(patrols Stren batteries); 99 (patrols on by own ships), 89, 93, 99
Royal Daffodil, 20, 25, 100-1. 29, 54n, 62, 102, 110 (damaged).
110-111, 115; did
Royal Royal Sovereign, 29n, 54n, 64n, 107n, 108-9, 114n, 115, 117.
Eagle, 42, 81,
95 (sunk).
Royally,114n,
Sabre, 23, 27, 44, 47n, 49 (takes across with beach parties), 53, 54n, 55, 62n, 64 (damaged), 86,
97, 101, 107, 114n, 118 (crosses compass damaged).
St. Abbs, 71n, 90 (sunk).
Achilleus, sunk, 93.
St. St. Andrew, Shelled, 18: bombed, 20; last trip, 87.
Ste. Bernadette de Lourdes, 107n.
St. Clears, 32, 46.
St. David, damaged, 38, 95.
Ste. Denise Louise, 107n.
St. Fagan, 71n, 88 (sunk).
St. Helier, 20, 25, 64n, 94, 98-9, 108-9.
Ste. Isabelle, 74.
St. Julien, shelled, 17 bombed, 20, 43; crew supplemented, 48n; last trip, 87.
St. Olaves, 107n.
St. Patrick, 75n.
St. Seiriol, 22, 24, 29, 43, 48 (damaged).
Saladin, 44-5 (damaged).
Salamander, 28n, 31, 42, 47, 86 (damaged), 89-90.
Saltash, 91-2.
Sambre, 60.
Sandown, 23n, 27, 31, 42, 105 (forbidden to sail).
Santosy, lost, 117.
Saon, 34n, 110.
Sargasso, 60n, 107n, 108.
Sark, 60.
Saturn, 114n, 118.
S.C.6 (French), 107n.
Sceneshifter, rushed and sunk by French troops, 53.
Schuyts. see skoots.
Scimitar, 20n, 28n, 54n, 55, 62n, 91.
Scotia, 29n, 54n, 83 (in collision), 92 (sunk), 118 (record lift).
Scottish Co-operator, 60.
Sea Falcon, 75n.
Seaplane Tender 243, 71n, 75n, 110 (sunk).
Seaplane Tender 254, 71n.
Seaplane Tender 276, 71n, 110.
Seaplane Tender 291, 71n, 75 (damaged).
Seasalter, 60.
Sea Transport Officials, serve in personnel ships, 48; in Dynamo Room, 74.
Secrecy, effect on supply of small craft, 15.
Seine, 31n, 60, 102.
Sequacity, 19, 28.
Seriola, 71n.
Shamrock, lost, 53.
Sharpshooter, 28n, 54n, 97.
Shearwater, 34, 88, 99.
Sheldvake, 34, 37n, 69 (hunts S/M.), 93.
Shell fire (German): causes serious interruption to shipping, 19; Route Y under fire, 48;
La Panne beach shelled, 60, 76; interrupts sailings of personal ships, 70; danger of, magnified at Dover, 98.
Sherfield, 72n, 90.
Shelland, 60.
Shikari, 20n, 28n, 47n, 54n, 55, 97, 102, 107, 114n, 119-20 (in Operation CK), 127.
Shipmates, 23n.
Signalling, see Communications.
Silver Dawn, 32n, 51n.
205