Evacuated from beaches: 22,942
Evacuated Dunkirk harbour: 45,072
Daily total: 68,014
Accumulated total: 194,620
Source: Thompson, Julian. Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory. New York: Arcade, 2011.
Monthly Archives: May 2015
Russians Build Three 33,540 ton Nuclear Icebreakers
Russia is building three new nuclear-powered icebreakers. USA falling behind.
Russia’s ’50 let Pobedy’ is currently the world’s largest icebreaker, displacing over 25,000 tons. Photo: Creative Commons
gCaptain reports the Russians are building three huge 33,540 ton 173.3 meter (569 foot) nuclear powered icebreakers that are expected to be delivered by 2020, with the first to be completed in 2017.
These ships will be almost two and a half times as large as the Polar Class.
British naval losses at Dunkirk on 30 may 1940
There were fewer losses of major vessels on 30 May compared to the previous day, due in part to the decision of Capt Wm. Tennant, SNO Dunkirk, to only allow one destroyer at a time to enter the harbour. This ensured that there was less congestion and fewer targets were presented to German aircraft.
HMS King Orry (Cdr J. Elliot, RNR), a passenger steamer from the Isle of Man Steam Packet company requisitioned by the Royal Navy for use as an Armed Boarding Vessel (ABV) in both the First and Second World War, attacked and badly damaged by German dive bombers. Scuttled clear of the harbour.
Isle of Man Steam Packet Tynwald passes wreck of sister ship King Orry at Dunkirk.
French destroyer Bourrasque struck a mine off Nieuwpoort, Beligium (ironically, a French-laid minefield). Survivors taken off by French torpedo boat Branlebas, Admiralty drifter Yorkshire Lass, and armed trawler HMT Ut Prosim.
French destroyer Bourrasque mined and sunk off Nieuwpoort on 30 May 1940
French destroyer Bourrasque sunk off Nieuwpoort, Belgium on 30 May 1940 during Operation Dynamo. She had sailed from Dunkirk at 1530 with over 600 troops embarked. She struck a mine 5-miles north of Nieuwpoort and began to sink. Survivors were taken off by the French torpedo boat Branlebas, Admiralty drifter Yorkshire Lass, and the armed trawler HMT Ut Prosim.
French destroyer Bourrasque sunk by mine off Nieuwpoort on 30 May 1940. IWM HU 2280.
Pier constructed of British Army lorries on beach at La Panne, 1940
Ad hoc pier constructed of British Army lorries topped with decking at La Panne, 1940. Construction of piers was suggested by Cdr Richardson, RN on the morning of 30 May. The piers – built by British sappers from 1st Division – were constructed at Bray-Dunes and La Panne. They enabled Dunkirk’s “little ships” to continue the evacuation regardless of tides.
Bridge constructed of British army lorries topped with decking, La Panne, 1940.
Dunkirk evacuation 30 May 1940
Evacuated from beaches: 29,512
Evacuated Dunkirk harbour: 24,311
Daily total: 53,823
Accumulated total: 126,606
Source: Thompson, Julian. Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory. New York: Arcade, 2011.
HMS Hebe embarked RAdm Wake-Walker, SNO Afloat, off Dunkirk on 30 May 1940
Halcyon-class minesweeper HMS Hebe embarked Rear Admiral Frederic Wake-Walker on 30 May 1940. Wake-Walker assumed role as Senior Naval Officer (SNO) Afloat, supervising shipping offshore during the evacuation. Later that day, Hebe lifted 633 troops from the beaches.
THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR© IWM (A 1434)
British naval losses #OTD 29 May 1940 during Operation Dynamo
Passenger vessel MV Mona’s Queen (Capt A. Holkham) struck a mine outside Dunkirk harbour and sunk in two minutes. http://www.wrecksite.eu/wreck.aspx?153
MV Mona’s Queen struck by mine off Dunkirk.
Admiralty W-class destroyer HMS Wakeful torpedoed & sunk by E-boat S.30 off Dunkirk. Survivors rescued by destroyer HMS Grafton (sunk later that day), minesweepers HMS Gossamer and HMS Lydd, and Admiralty drifter HMT Comfort (also sunk).
G-class destroyer HMS Grafton (Cdr C. Robinson, RN) torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-62 off Nieuwpoort, Belgium.
Admiralty drifter HMT Comfort rammed and sunk by HMS Lydd who mistook the drifter for a German E-boat.
Passenger vessel SS Clan MacAlister bombed and sunk off Dunkirk. Crew and embarked troops taken off by HMS Malcolm and HMT Pangbourne.
Auxiliary minesweeper HMS Gracie Fields carrying 750 troops bombed off La Panne beach. Survivors rescued by HMT Pangbourne and Dutch skoots Twente and Jutland.
Auxiliary paddle minesweeper HMS Waverley bombed and sunk by German aircraft off Dunkirk.
M/S trawler HMT Calvi bombed and sunk off Dunkirk. Survivors rescued by HMT John Cattling.
G-class destroyer HMS Grenade (Cdr R. Boyle, RN) bombed by German aircraft while embarking troops. Towed from harbour and sunk.
M/S trawler HMT Polly Johnson bombed and sunk by German aircraft off Dunkirk.
Auxiliary minesweeper HMS Crested Eagle bombed and sunk off Dunkirk. Survivors rescued by HMT Pangbourne.
Auxiliary minesweeper HMS Crested Eagle, photo by Paul Reed 2010.
French passenger vessel SS Normannia bombed in the Dunkirk harbour channel by German aircraft. Towed clear of the channel by Royal Navy gunboat HMS Mosquito, Nomannia‘s crew and her embarked troops were taken off by minesweeper HMS Ross.
French minesweeper FS Joseph Marie bombed and sunk at Dunkirk.
Royal Navy destroyer HMS Wakeful lost at Dunkirk on 29 May 1940
Admiralty W-class destroyer HMS Wakeful (Cdr R. Fisher, RN) was torpedoed and sunk off Dunkirk on 29 May 1940. Wakeful was carrying 640 soldiers evacuated from Dunkirk. Only one soldier and 25 of the ship’s company survived the sinking. Survivors from Wakeful were rescued by the destroyer HMS Grafton (herself sunk later that day), minesweepers HMS Gossamer and HMS Lydd, and the Admiralty drifter HMT Comfort (also sunk that day).
HMS Wakeful (naval-history.net)
Dunkirk evacuation, 29 May 1940
Evacuated from beaches: 13,752
Evacuated Dunkirk harbour: 33,558
Daily total: 47,310
Accumulated total: 72,783
Source: Thompson, Julian. Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory. New York: Arcade, 2011.
Naval Matters 