WW2/Battles of WW2/Hour-by-Hour • Curated by Admin Timeline.sg
The World War II defence and evacuation of British and Allied forces from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk, France, codenamed Operation Dynamo.
Chronological Storyline (20 Milestones)
May 26, 1940 CE
Operation Dynamo ordered
Admiral Bertram Ramsay receives the order to commence Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of Allied troops from Dunkirk.
Dunkirk 26-29 May 1940 British troops line up on the beach at Dunkirk to await evacuation. By Unknown author - http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//37/media-37332/large.jpg This photograph NYP 68075 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25312782
May 27, 1940 CE
SS Mona's Queen sinks
The troopship SS Mona's Queen strikes a mine and sinks off Dunkirk, highlighting the extreme danger faced by evacuation vessels.
May 27, 1940 CE
Panzers attack Dunkirk perimeter
German Panzer divisions launch a heavy assault on the Allied defensive perimeter around Dunkirk, nearly breaking through.
Soldiers from the British Expeditionary Force fire at low flying German aircraft during the Dunkirk evacuation. By Unknown author - This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing for more information., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=92158592
May 28, 1940 CE
Evacuation of the beaches begins
With the harbour under heavy fire, troops begin evacuating directly from the sandy beaches east of Dunkirk using small boats.
May 28, 1940 CE
Belgian army surrenders
King Leopold III of Belgium surrenders to Germany, exposing the Allied left flank and accelerating the retreat toward Dunkirk.
Destroyer HMS Grafton is torpedoed by a U-boat while rescuing survivors from the Wakeful, further depleting Royal Navy escort forces. )
HMS Grafton (H89) underway. By Royal Navy official photographer - This photograph FL 22287 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums(collection no. 8308-29), Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7046625
May 29, 1940 CE
Royal Navy destroyers targeted
The Luftwaffe intensifies bombing of the harbour and ships; destroyer HMS Wakeful is torpedoed and sunk with heavy loss of life. )
HMS Wakeful (H88) By Sotnas.San - naval-history, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7047197
May 30, 1940 CE
Little Ships join rescue
Hundreds of civilian 'Little Ships' begin crossing the Channel to ferry soldiers from the shallow beaches to waiting warships.
The Dunkirk Jack is the House Flag of the Association of Dunkirk Little Ships, under permission of the Admiralty, the College of Heralds and the City of Dunkirk. The jack consists of the Cross of St. George (the flag of Admiralty) defaced with the Arms of Dunkirk. This jack can be worn by Member Ships at any time when the owner is aboard. Member Ships are limited to civilian vessels that took part in the Dunkirk rescue operation between 27 May and 4 June 1940. By David B. Gleason - Two public domain sources were used to create this file: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Flag_of_England.svg and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Blason_ville_fr_Dunkerque_(Nord).svg, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=36909360
May 30, 1940 CE
Cloud cover aids evacuation
Overcast weather grounds much of the Luftwaffe, allowing the Royal Navy to evacuate over 47,000 troops in a single day.
May 31, 1940 CE
French troops hold the line
The French 12th Army under General Fagalde fights fierce rearguard actions at Wormhoudt and Cassel to protect the corridor.
Der Plan zeigt die Stadt Kassel und ihre Umgebung um 1760 By Le Prince Frederic Auguste Duc de Brunswic et de Lunebourg - Scan des Plans, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4216074
May 31, 1940 CE
Harbour evacuation peaks
Despite continuous air raids, over 68,000 troops are evacuated as the East Mole proves highly effective for boarding destroyers.
Jun 1, 1940 CE
Night operations resume
Under the cover of darkness, the Royal Navy resumes heavy evacuation traffic, removing over 64,000 personnel overnight.
Jun 1, 1940 CE
Daylight evacuations suspended
Due to devastating Luftwaffe attacks sinking multiple ships, daylight evacuations are suspended until dusk falls.
Jun 2, 1940 CE
Last BEF troops evacuated
The final units of the British Expeditionary Force are withdrawn from the harbour under the cover of night. )
The British Army in France 1939 Scout carriers of 13/18th Royal Hussars during an exercise near Vimy, 11 October 1939. By Keating G (Lt), War Office official photographer - http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//47/media-47965/large.jpg This photograph O 117 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25298985
Jun 3, 1940 CE
RAF loses 10 fighters
RAF Fighter Command loses ten aircraft while providing air cover over Dunkirk, straining British aerial reserves.
Jun 3, 1940 CE
French rearguard embarks
With the British contingent largely gone, the focus shifts entirely to evacuating the remaining French rearguard troops.
Jun 4, 1940 CE
Dunkirk garrison surrenders
The remaining French garrison at Dunkirk, having held the perimeter to the end, surrenders to the German Wehrmacht.
Jun 4, 1940 CE
Churchill addresses Parliament
Winston Churchill delivers his famous 'We shall fight on the beaches' speech, framing Dunkirk as a miraculous deliverance rather than a victory.
Karsh called this picture "The Roaring Lion" at the Wayback Machine By Yousuf Karsh - Flickr: Sir Winston Churchill, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=41991931Video
Jun 4, 1940 CE
Final troops leave Dunkirk
The destroyer HMS Shikari leaves Dunkirk harbour with the last contingent of French troops as German forces close in.
HMS Shikari At a buoy in the Firth of Forth. By Royal Navy official photographer - http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib//18/media-18843/large.jpg This photograph FL 5438 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums., Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=25120190
Jun 4, 1940 CE
Operation Dynamo concludes
Admiral Ramsay officially terminates Operation Dynamo after successfully evacuating 338,226 Allied soldiers.
