Tag Archives: World War 2

“Pluto” ship’s dog of Tribal-class destroyer HMS Cossack

Posted on by

ON BOARD THE DESTROYER HMS COSSACK DURING TORPEDO AND ANTI-SUBMARINE EXERCISES. 1940.
Onboard Royal Navy Tribal-class destroyer HMS Cossack, 1940. Petty Officer Scott with “Pluto”, the destroyer’s mascot. Pluto has been in all the ship’s battles including Narvik and Altmark episode.© IWM (A 1597)

Dunkirk evacuation 3 June 1940

Posted on by

Evacuated from beaches: 1,870

Evacuated Dunkirk harbour: 24,876

Daily total: 26,746

Accumulated total: 312,051

Source: Thompson, Julian. Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory. New York: Arcade, 2011.

Dunkirk evacuation 1st June 1940

Posted on by

Evacuated from beaches: 17,348

Evacuated Dunkirk harbour: 47,081

Daily total: 64,429

Accumulated total: 259,049

Source: Thompson, Julian. Dunkirk: Retreat to Victory. New York: Arcade, 2011.

British naval losses at Dunkirk on 30 may 1940

Posted on by

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.

HMS Hebe embarked RAdm Wake-Walker, SNO Afloat, off Dunkirk on 30 May 1940

Posted on by

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
THE ROYAL NAVY DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR© IWM (A 1434)

Royal Navy destroyer HMS Wakeful lost at Dunkirk on 29 May 1940

Posted on by

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)