You are now listening to World War 2 Stories. I'm your host Steve Matthews. Today, we explore one of the most remarkable military evacuations in history – the Battle of Dunkirk. This desperate operation in the early days of World War II saw over 338,000 Allied soldiers rescued from the beaches of northern France in what Winston Churchill called a "miracle of deliverance."
The events at Dunkirk have been immortalized in books, documentaries, and most recently, Christopher Nolan's 2017 film "Dunkirk." But to truly understand this pivotal moment in history, we need to examine what really happened on those beaches in May and June of 1940, separating historical fact from dramatic license. By the end of our episode, we'll also explore which elements from Nolan's acclaimed film didn't actually occur during the real evacuation.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You are now listening to World War Two stories.
I'm your host Steve Matthews. Today we explore one of the most
remarkable military evacuations in history, the Battle of
Dunkirk. This desperate operation in the
early days of World War Two saw over 338,000 Allied soldiers
(00:20):
rescued from the beaches of northern France in what Winston
Churchill called a miracle of deliverance.
The events at Dunkirk have been immortalized in books,
documentaries, and most recentlyChristopher Nolan's 2017 film
Dunkirk. But to truly understand this
pivotal moment in history, we need to examine what really
(00:41):
happened on those beaches in Mayand June of 1940, separating
historical fact from dramatic license.
By the end of our episode, we'llalso explore which elements from
Nolan's acclaimed film didn't actually occur during the real
evacuation, the lead up blitzkrieg in the collapse of
Allied defenses. To understand Dunkirk, we must
(01:04):
first grasp the catastrophic military situation that led to
the evacuation. In May 1940, Nazi Germany
launched its offensive against Western Europe.
The German strategy, known as Blitzkrieg or Lightning war,
involved rapid mechanized advances supported by air power
that overwhelm traditional defenses.
(01:26):
On May 10th, 1940, German forcesinvaded the Netherlands,
Belgium, and Luxembourg. The main Allied armies,
including the British Expeditionary Force, BEF, and
substantial French forces, movedinto Belgium to meet this
threat. This was exactly what German
high command had anticipated. The real German breakthrough
(01:49):
came through the Ardennes Forestin southern Belgium and
Luxembourg, terrain that the Allies had considered too
difficult for tanks to traverse in significant numbers.
The German Panzer divisions, ledby generals like Heinz Guterian
and Irwin Rommel, pushed throughthe Ardennes and crossed the
Muse River at Sedan on May 13th.This breakthrough allowed German
(02:11):
forces to swing N behind the main Allied armies, cutting them
off from the rest of France. By May 20th, German tanks had
reached the English Channel, effectively trapping the BEF 3
French field armies and the remains of the Belgian forces
against the sea. The speed of the German advance
was stunning. In just ten days, the carefully
(02:34):
constructed Allied defensive plants had completely collapsed.
The trapped Allied forces, Approximately 400,000 men were
now compressed into a shrinking pocket centered on the French
port of Dunkirk. With German forces closing in
from the east and South, in the sea at their backs, the
situation appeared hopeless. It was in these desperate
(02:57):
circumstances that the British War Cabinet, led by the newly
appointed Prime Minister WinstonChurchill, authorized Operation
Dynamo, the emergency evacuationof as many troops as possible
from Dunkirk. Operation Dynamo Planning the
Impossible Operation Dynamo was hastily organized under the
direction of Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey at Dover Castle.
(03:22):
When planning began on May 20th,1940, military leaders held
little hope for a successful outcome.
Initial estimates suggested thatperhaps 45,000 men might be
saved before German forces overran the pocket.
The operation was named Dynamo after the Dynamo room in Dover
Castle that house the generatorspowering the planning
(03:44):
headquarters. The evacuation faced enormous
challenges. Dunkirk's main harbor had been
severely damaged by German bombing, limiting the number of
large ships that could dock. This meant many soldiers would
need to be evacuated directly from the beaches, a slow and
difficult process requiring smaller vessels to ferry troops
(04:06):
from shore to larger ships waiting in deeper water.
Adding to these difficulties wasthe constant threat of attack
from the air. The Luftwaffe German Air Force
had established air superiority over the region and could strike
at both the beaches and the evacuation fleet at will.
German U boats and surface vessels also threatened ships in
(04:28):
the channel, while artillery andground forces pressed ever
closer to the evacuation zone. Despite these challenges, Ramsey
and his team worked feverishly to assemble a fleet.
Every available Royal Navy vessel was directed to
participate, but it was clear that military ships alone would
be insufficient. In one of the operations most
(04:50):
memorable aspects, civilian vessels were called into
service. Small pleasure boats, fishing
trawlers, merchant ships and even lifeboats were requisition
from ports across southern England to join what became
known as the Little Ships of Dunkirk.
To protect the evacuation, A defensive perimeter was
established around Dunkirk. The responsibility for holding
(05:15):
this perimeter fell primarily toFrench troops who would fight a
series of desperate rear guard actions to buy time for the
evacuation. Their sacrifice would prove
critical to the operation's success.
The Halt Order Controversy and Consequences One of the most
debated aspects of the Dunkirk evacuation involves the
(05:35):
so-called halt order issued by Adolf Hitler on May 24th, 1940.
With German Panzer divisions less than 10 miles from Dunkirk
and the Allied forces in disarray, Hitler ordered his
armored units to stop their advance for three days.
This controversial decision has been the subject of extensive
(05:56):
historical debate. Several explanations have been
proposed. First, there were legitimate
military concerns. The German tanks had advanced
rapidly, outrunning their supplylines and infantry support.
Many units needed maintenance after the grueling advance
across France. The terrain around Dunkirk, with
(06:18):
its canals, marshes, and drainage ditches, was not ideal
for armored warfare. Second, Hermann Goring,
commander of the Luftwaffe, had promised Hitler that his Air
Force could prevent an evacuation and destroy the
trapped Allied forces without risking valuable Panzer units.
Given the Luftwaffe's successes earlier in the campaign, this
(06:40):
seemed plausible. Third, some historians suggest
strategic considerations. Hitler may have wanted to
preserve his armor for the upcoming campaign against the
rest of France, particularly since he believed Britain might
seek terms once its army was defeated.
Whatever the reasons, the halt order provided crucial time for
(07:02):
the Allies to organize their defenses and begin the
evacuation. When German ground forces
resumed their advance on May 27th, they faced much more
coherent resistance, including flooded areas and determined
defensive positions. The three day pause may have
been the difference between total disaster and the miracle
that followed. German General Heinz Guterian
(07:25):
later called it one of the majormistakes of the war.
Field Marshall Gurd von Rundstadt, who had recommended
the halt for military reasons, would later write that if I had
had my way, the English would not have got off so lightly at
Dunkirk. The evacuation 9 days of courage
and desperation. The evacuation officially began
(07:46):
on May 26th, 1940 and would continue until June 4th.
Initially, progress was slow. On the first day, only 7669
troops were evacuated. However, as more ships arrived
and organization improved, the numbers increased dramatically.
(08:08):
By May 31st, approximately 120,000 troops had been rescued.
The evacuation took place from three main locations, the
beaches east of Dunkirk, the beaches West of Dunkirk, and the
Dunkirk Harbor Mole. The Mole, a long, narrow
concrete pier extending into theharbor, proved particularly
(08:29):
valuable as it allowed troops toboard ships directly without the
need for small boats. Soldiers would wait in long,
orderly lines on the mole, oftenunder air attack, for their
chance to board vessels bound for England.
On the beaches, the process was more chaotic.
Soldiers would wade out into theshallow water, sometimes waiting
(08:52):
for hours, as small boats ferry them to larger vessels anchored
offshore. The shallow gradient of the
beaches meant that larger ships couldn't approach the shore,
necessitating the shuttle system.
Throughout the evacuation, the troops endured constant attacks
from the Luftwaffe. German bombers targeted both the
beaches and the evacuation fleet, causing significant
(09:15):
casualties. Anti aircraft fire from ships in
the few anti aircraft guns ashore provided some protection,
as did RAF fighter patrols, but many soldiers on the beaches
felt abandoned as the air battles took place at high
altitude, often out of sight. The ships involved in the
evacuation suffered heavy losses.
(09:37):
In total, the Royal Navy lost 6 destroyers and 24 smaller
vessels. Additionally, more than 200
civilian and military vessels were sunk or damaged during the
operation. Among the notable losses was the
destroyer HMS Wakeful, which wastorpedoed with the loss of about
700 soldiers and sailors in the hospital ship Paris, which was
(10:01):
bombed despite its clear markings.
While British forces were prioritized for evacuation in
the early days, significant numbers of French and other
Allied troops were also rescued.By the operation's end, more
than 100,000 French soldiers hadbeen evacuated to Britain,
though many would later return to France.
(10:22):
Throughout the evacuation, French forces played a crucial
role in holding the perimeter against German attacks.
The French 1st Army, commanded by General Jean Baptiste
Moloney, fought a series of determined rear guard actions
that prevented German forces from overrunning the evacuation
beaches. These actions came at a
(10:42):
tremendous cost. Many of the French defenders
were eventually killed or captured.
The civilian vessels that participated in the evacuation
have become central to the Dunkirk spirit that emerged from
the operation. Approximately 700 Little Ships,
private vessels crewed by their civilian owners or Navy
personnel, crossed the channel to assist.
(11:06):
These ranged from fishing trawlers and ferries to pleasure
yachts and lifeboats. While their direct contribution
to the total number evacuated was relatively small compared to
Royal Navy vessels, their symbolic importance was immense,
representing the direct involvement of civilian Britain
in the war effort, the conclusion and aftermath.
(11:27):
The evacuation officially ended on June 4th, 1940.
In total, 338,226 Allied troops had been rescued, 198,229
British and 139,997 French and other Allied forces.
(11:50):
This number far exceeded even the most optimistic initial
estimates and represented approximately 85% of the forces
that have been trapped in the Dunkirk pocket.
Despite this remarkable achievement, the operation was
still a significant military defeat.
The BEF left behind virtually all of its heavy equipment. 2472
(12:13):
guns, 20,000 motorcycles, and nearly 65,000 other vehicles
were abandoned or destroyed to prevent their capture.
Almost all of the BEFS tanks were lost, with only 28 brought
back to Britain. Additionally, many troops were
left behind. Around 40,000 French troops who
(12:34):
had protected the perimeter during the final stages of the
evacuation were captured when Dunkirk finally fell to German
forces on June 4th. For these men, years of
imprisonment in German POW campsawaited.
The British public initially received news of the evacuation
with jubilation, seeing it as a victory snatched from the jaws
(12:55):
of defeat. However, Winston Churchill was
quick to temper this enthusiasm in his famous speech to the
House of Commons on June 4th. He acknowledged the achievement
but reminded the nation of the reality of their situation.
We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the
attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations,
(13:19):
but there was a victory inside this deliverance which should be
noted, it was gained by the Air Force.
Churchill went on in the same speech to deliver his famous We
Shall Fight on the Beach's passage, making it clear that
despite the successful evacuation, Britain faced a long
and difficult struggle ahead. The military consequences of
(13:41):
Dunkirk were significant. Britain had saved its army, but
that army was now severely underequipped.
It would take months to replace the lost material, during which
time Britain was extremely vulnerable to invasion.
Fortunately for the British, Hitler turned his attention to
finishing the conquest of Francebefore considering an assault on
(14:02):
Britain. France, already reeling from the
German breakthrough, was furtherweakened by the evacuation.
With their best units either evacuated to Britain or captured
at Dunkirk, French forces were unable to establish an effective
defense against the continuing German offensive.
On June 22nd, 1940, less than three weeks after the completion
(14:26):
of the Dunkirk evacuation, France surrendered to Germany.
For the evacuated troops, the story was not over.
Many of the British soldiers would later return to France on
D-Day in June 1944, beginning the long process of liberating
Western Europe. The French troops evacuated to
Britain faced a difficult choice.
(14:48):
Some chose to join Charles de Gaulle's Free French forces,
while others opted to be repatriated to France, where
they were demobilized under the terms of the Franco German
Armistice. The Dunkirk Spirit Myth and
Reality In the aftermath of the evacuation, the Dunkirk spirit
emerged as a powerful concept inBritish national identity.
(15:11):
This idea, encompassing stoicismin the face of adversity,
civilian participation in the war effort, and the ability to
snatch victory from defeat, would sustain Britain through
the dark days of 1940 and 1941, when it stood alone against Nazi
Germany. The involvement of civilian
vessels became particularly central to this mythology.
(15:34):
While the Royal Navy carried outthe bulk of the evacuation, the
image of ordinary citizens sailing their small boats across
the Channel captured the public imagination.
It represented a democratic, allhands on deck approach to
warfare that resonated with British values.
However, historical research hasprovided a more nuanced
(15:55):
understanding of the evacuation.Many of the little ships were
actually commanded by naval personnel rather than their
civilian owners. The large vessels of the Royal
Navy evacuated far more troops than the smaller civilian craft,
and the orderly queues on the beaches portrayed in some early
accounts were often far more chaotic in reality, with
(16:17):
instances of panic and breakdownand discipline.
None of these historical clarifications diminish the
remarkable achievement of the Dunkirk evacuation or the
genuine courage displayed by allthose involved, military and
civilian alike. They simply provide a more
accurate understanding of this pivotal historical event.
(16:38):
The RA FS role has also been reassessed by historians.
Many soldiers on the beaches felt abandoned by the RAF as
they could rarely see the air battles taking place at high
altitude. This led to considerable
resentment among evacuated troops.
In reality, the RAF was heavily engaged throughout the
(16:58):
evacuation, losing 145 aircraft while destroying 156 German
planes. The air battles were simply
taking place beyond the soldiersfield of vision, creating the
false impression of absence. The French contribution to the
evacuation success has also received greater recognition and
(17:20):
recent historical accounts. The sacrifice of French forces
who held the perimeter, many of whom were subsequently killed or
captured, was essential to the operation's success.
Without their determined defense, German forces would
likely have overrun the beaches before the majority of troops
could be evacuated. Fact versus fiction.
(17:42):
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk In 2017, director Christopher Nolan
brought the story of Dunkirk to the big screen in his acclaimed
film Dunkirk. The movie powerfully captures
the tension, fear, and occasional heroism of the
evacuation. However, like most historical
films, it takes certain creativeliberties with the historical
(18:05):
record. Let's examine some of the
elements depicted in the film that didn't actually occur
during the real Battle of Dunkirk.
The timeline compression. Nolan's film presents 3
interlocking narratives operating on different time
scales, one week on the beach, one day at sea, and one hour in
the air. This creates a sense of mounting
(18:27):
tension, but doesn't reflect theactual chronology of the
evacuation, which took place over 9 days with their battles
throughout the sinking destroyerscene.
In one dramatic scene, a destroyer is sunk by a German
aircraft using only machine gunfire.
In reality, no destroyer was lost this way.
(18:48):
Ships were sunk by bombs, torpedoes or mines, but not by
aircraft strafing alone, which wouldn't have the firepower to
sink such a large vessel. The Spitfire gliding sequence
The film shows a Spitfire pilot,played by Tom Hardy, continuing
to fight after running out of fuel, then gliding his aircraft
(19:09):
to a landing on the beach. While RAF pilots certainly
showed extraordinary courage during the battle, this specific
event is fictional. Spitfires did not land on the
beaches during the evacuation and a wheels down landing on
sand would have been extremely difficult.
The burning oil slick The film depicts soldiers struggling
(19:30):
through water covered with burning oil.
While there were oil slicks fromdamaged ships and some did catch
fire, the dramatic scene of numerous soldiers trapped in
burning oil is somewhat exaggerated for dramatic effect.
The civilian boat rescue from a sinking ship.
The sequence where a civilian boat rescue soldiers trapped in
(19:51):
a sinking vessel hit by German bullets is a dramatic creation.
While civilian vessels did rescue troops from the water and
from the beaches, this specific scenario is a composite of
various experiences rather than a documented historical event.
Under representation of French forces, the film focuses
primarily on British soldiers with limited representation of
(20:14):
French troops. In reality, French forces
made-up a significant portion ofboth the evacuees over 100,000.
In the defensive perimeter that made the evacuation possible.
The isolated nature of the evacuation.
The film necessarily focuses tightly on events at Dunkirk
itself, but this can give the impression that the evacuation
(20:37):
occurred in isolation. In reality, fighting continued
to cross a broad front in northern France, with many
actions directly contributing tothe evacuation success.
Despite these creative adaptations, Nolan's film
succeeds in capturing the essential emotional truth of
Dunkirk, the vulnerability of soldiers under air attack, the
(20:59):
claustrophobic fear of troops trapped against the sea, and the
quiet heroism of both military personnel and civilians who
participated in the evacuation. As historian Joshua Levine, who
served as a consultant on the film, noted, it's a painting,
not a photograph, of the events.Conclusion.
The Significance of Dunkirk The evacuation at Dunkirk stands as
(21:23):
one of the most remarkable military operations of World War
2. What began as a potential
catastrophe, the loss of Britain's professional army in a
significant portion of France's best troops, was transformed
into what Churchill called a miracle of deliverance.
The strategic significance of the evacuation cannot be
(21:44):
overstated. Had the BF been lost at Dunkirk,
Britain's ability to continue the war would have been severely
compromised. The preservation of these forces
provided the nucleus around which Britain could rebuild its
army. Many of the soldiers evacuated
from Dunkirk would later return to France on D-Day,
(22:04):
participating in the liberation of Europe.
The psychological impact was equally important.
Coming at Britain's darkest hour, the successful evacuation
provided a crucial morale boost.The Dunkirk spirit that emerged
from the operation, embodying resilience, improvisation and
the involvement of ordinary citizens in the war effort,
(22:27):
helped sustain Britain through the difficult years ahead.
For the French, Dunkirk represents a more complex
legacy. While the evacuation saved a
significant portion of their army, France would surrender
just weeks later. The French forces who held the
perimeter at Dunkirk, many of whom were captured when the port
(22:47):
finally fell, made a sacrifice that has not always been fully
acknowledged in popular accountsof the operation.
For Germany, the failure to capture the Allied forces at
Dunkirk represents one of the war's great missed
opportunities. Had Hitler not issued the halt
order, or had Goring's Luftwaffebeen able to prevent the
evacuation as promised, the course of the war might have
(23:10):
been significantly different. In the broader context of World
War 2, Dunkirk marks the end of the war's first phase and the
beginning of a new chapter. The fall of France followed
shortly after, leaving Britain to face Nazi Germany alone until
the entry of the Soviet Union and the United States into the
conflict. The evacuation provided Britain
(23:32):
with the means and the moral fortitude to continue that
lonely stand. As we look back on Dunkirk from
our vantage point today, what stands out is not just the
military achievement, but the human story, the courage,
endurance, and occasional selflessness displayed by those
who participated. From the Royal Navy sailors who
(23:52):
made repeated dangerous crossings, to the RAF pilots who
fought to protect the beaches, to the French troops who
sacrificed themselves to hold the perimeter, to the civilian
boat owners who risked everything to rescue strangers,
Dunkirk brought out both the worst and the best of human
nature in wartime. This complex, inspiring and
(24:14):
occasionally sobering story reminds us that history rarely
fits neatly into narratives of unalloyed heroism or simple
moral lessons. The miracle of Dunkirk emerged
from defeat, depended on a questionable decision by Hitler,
and succeeded despite moments ofchaos and breakdown.
Yet it remains, in Churchill's words, a deliverance that
(24:36):
changed the course of history. This has been World War Two
stories. I'm Steve Matthews.
Join us next time as we continueexploring the moments that
shaped the greatest conflict in human history.
You are now listening to World War Two stories.
I'm your host Steve Matthews. Today we explore one of the most
remarkable military evacuations in history, the Battle of
Dunkirk. This desperate operation in the
early days of World War Two saw over 338,000 Allied soldiers
(00:20):
rescued from the beaches of northern France in what Winston
Churchill called a miracle of deliverance.
The events at Dunkirk have been immortalized in books,
documentaries, and most recentlyChristopher Nolan's 2017 film
Dunkirk. But to truly understand this
pivotal moment in history, we need to examine what really
(00:41):
happened on those beaches in Mayand June of 1940, separating
historical fact from dramatic license.
By the end of our episode, we'llalso explore which elements from
Nolan's acclaimed film didn't actually occur during the real
evacuation, the lead up blitzkrieg in the collapse of
Allied defenses. To understand Dunkirk, we must
(01:04):
first grasp the catastrophic military situation that led to
the evacuation. In May 1940, Nazi Germany
launched its offensive against Western Europe.
The German strategy, known as Blitzkrieg or Lightning war,
involved rapid mechanized advances supported by air power
that overwhelm traditional defenses.
(01:26):
On May 10th, 1940, German forcesinvaded the Netherlands,
Belgium, and Luxembourg. The main Allied armies,
including the British Expeditionary Force, BEF, and
substantial French forces, movedinto Belgium to meet this
threat. This was exactly what German
high command had anticipated. The real German breakthrough
(01:49):
came through the Ardennes Forestin southern Belgium and
Luxembourg, terrain that the Allies had considered too
difficult for tanks to traverse in significant numbers.
The German Panzer divisions, ledby generals like Heinz Guterian
and Irwin Rommel, pushed throughthe Ardennes and crossed the
Muse River at Sedan on May 13th.This breakthrough allowed German
(02:11):
forces to swing N behind the main Allied armies, cutting them
off from the rest of France. By May 20th, German tanks had
reached the English Channel, effectively trapping the BEF 3
French field armies and the remains of the Belgian forces
against the sea. The speed of the German advance
was stunning. In just ten days, the carefully
(02:34):
constructed Allied defensive plants had completely collapsed.
The trapped Allied forces, Approximately 400,000 men were
now compressed into a shrinking pocket centered on the French
port of Dunkirk. With German forces closing in
from the east and South, in the sea at their backs, the
situation appeared hopeless. It was in these desperate
(02:57):
circumstances that the British War Cabinet, led by the newly
appointed Prime Minister WinstonChurchill, authorized Operation
Dynamo, the emergency evacuationof as many troops as possible
from Dunkirk. Operation Dynamo Planning the
Impossible Operation Dynamo was hastily organized under the
direction of Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsey at Dover Castle.
(03:22):
When planning began on May 20th,1940, military leaders held
little hope for a successful outcome.
Initial estimates suggested thatperhaps 45,000 men might be
saved before German forces overran the pocket.
The operation was named Dynamo after the Dynamo room in Dover
Castle that house the generatorspowering the planning
(03:44):
headquarters. The evacuation faced enormous
challenges. Dunkirk's main harbor had been
severely damaged by German bombing, limiting the number of
large ships that could dock. This meant many soldiers would
need to be evacuated directly from the beaches, a slow and
difficult process requiring smaller vessels to ferry troops
(04:06):
from shore to larger ships waiting in deeper water.
Adding to these difficulties wasthe constant threat of attack
from the air. The Luftwaffe German Air Force
had established air superiority over the region and could strike
at both the beaches and the evacuation fleet at will.
German U boats and surface vessels also threatened ships in
(04:28):
the channel, while artillery andground forces pressed ever
closer to the evacuation zone. Despite these challenges, Ramsey
and his team worked feverishly to assemble a fleet.
Every available Royal Navy vessel was directed to
participate, but it was clear that military ships alone would
be insufficient. In one of the operations most
(04:50):
memorable aspects, civilian vessels were called into
service. Small pleasure boats, fishing
trawlers, merchant ships and even lifeboats were requisition
from ports across southern England to join what became
known as the Little Ships of Dunkirk.
To protect the evacuation, A defensive perimeter was
established around Dunkirk. The responsibility for holding
(05:15):
this perimeter fell primarily toFrench troops who would fight a
series of desperate rear guard actions to buy time for the
evacuation. Their sacrifice would prove
critical to the operation's success.
The Halt Order Controversy and Consequences One of the most
debated aspects of the Dunkirk evacuation involves the
(05:35):
so-called halt order issued by Adolf Hitler on May 24th, 1940.
With German Panzer divisions less than 10 miles from Dunkirk
and the Allied forces in disarray, Hitler ordered his
armored units to stop their advance for three days.
This controversial decision has been the subject of extensive
(05:56):
historical debate. Several explanations have been
proposed. First, there were legitimate
military concerns. The German tanks had advanced
rapidly, outrunning their supplylines and infantry support.
Many units needed maintenance after the grueling advance
across France. The terrain around Dunkirk, with
(06:18):
its canals, marshes, and drainage ditches, was not ideal
for armored warfare. Second, Hermann Goring,
commander of the Luftwaffe, had promised Hitler that his Air
Force could prevent an evacuation and destroy the
trapped Allied forces without risking valuable Panzer units.
Given the Luftwaffe's successes earlier in the campaign, this
(06:40):
seemed plausible. Third, some historians suggest
strategic considerations. Hitler may have wanted to
preserve his armor for the upcoming campaign against the
rest of France, particularly since he believed Britain might
seek terms once its army was defeated.
Whatever the reasons, the halt order provided crucial time for
(07:02):
the Allies to organize their defenses and begin the
evacuation. When German ground forces
resumed their advance on May 27th, they faced much more
coherent resistance, including flooded areas and determined
defensive positions. The three day pause may have
been the difference between total disaster and the miracle
that followed. German General Heinz Guterian
(07:25):
later called it one of the majormistakes of the war.
Field Marshall Gurd von Rundstadt, who had recommended
the halt for military reasons, would later write that if I had
had my way, the English would not have got off so lightly at
Dunkirk. The evacuation 9 days of courage
and desperation. The evacuation officially began
(07:46):
on May 26th, 1940 and would continue until June 4th.
Initially, progress was slow. On the first day, only 7669
troops were evacuated. However, as more ships arrived
and organization improved, the numbers increased dramatically.
(08:08):
By May 31st, approximately 120,000 troops had been rescued.
The evacuation took place from three main locations, the
beaches east of Dunkirk, the beaches West of Dunkirk, and the
Dunkirk Harbor Mole. The Mole, a long, narrow
concrete pier extending into theharbor, proved particularly
(08:29):
valuable as it allowed troops toboard ships directly without the
need for small boats. Soldiers would wait in long,
orderly lines on the mole, oftenunder air attack, for their
chance to board vessels bound for England.
On the beaches, the process was more chaotic.
Soldiers would wade out into theshallow water, sometimes waiting
(08:52):
for hours, as small boats ferry them to larger vessels anchored
offshore. The shallow gradient of the
beaches meant that larger ships couldn't approach the shore,
necessitating the shuttle system.
Throughout the evacuation, the troops endured constant attacks
from the Luftwaffe. German bombers targeted both the
beaches and the evacuation fleet, causing significant
(09:15):
casualties. Anti aircraft fire from ships in
the few anti aircraft guns ashore provided some protection,
as did RAF fighter patrols, but many soldiers on the beaches
felt abandoned as the air battles took place at high
altitude, often out of sight. The ships involved in the
evacuation suffered heavy losses.
(09:37):
In total, the Royal Navy lost 6 destroyers and 24 smaller
vessels. Additionally, more than 200
civilian and military vessels were sunk or damaged during the
operation. Among the notable losses was the
destroyer HMS Wakeful, which wastorpedoed with the loss of about
700 soldiers and sailors in the hospital ship Paris, which was
(10:01):
bombed despite its clear markings.
While British forces were prioritized for evacuation in
the early days, significant numbers of French and other
Allied troops were also rescued.By the operation's end, more
than 100,000 French soldiers hadbeen evacuated to Britain,
though many would later return to France.
(10:22):
Throughout the evacuation, French forces played a crucial
role in holding the perimeter against German attacks.
The French 1st Army, commanded by General Jean Baptiste
Moloney, fought a series of determined rear guard actions
that prevented German forces from overrunning the evacuation
beaches. These actions came at a
(10:42):
tremendous cost. Many of the French defenders
were eventually killed or captured.
The civilian vessels that participated in the evacuation
have become central to the Dunkirk spirit that emerged from
the operation. Approximately 700 Little Ships,
private vessels crewed by their civilian owners or Navy
personnel, crossed the channel to assist.
(11:06):
These ranged from fishing trawlers and ferries to pleasure
yachts and lifeboats. While their direct contribution
to the total number evacuated was relatively small compared to
Royal Navy vessels, their symbolic importance was immense,
representing the direct involvement of civilian Britain
in the war effort, the conclusion and aftermath.
(11:27):
The evacuation officially ended on June 4th, 1940.
In total, 338,226 Allied troops had been rescued, 198,229
British and 139,997 French and other Allied forces.
(11:50):
This number far exceeded even the most optimistic initial
estimates and represented approximately 85% of the forces
that have been trapped in the Dunkirk pocket.
Despite this remarkable achievement, the operation was
still a significant military defeat.
The BEF left behind virtually all of its heavy equipment. 2472
(12:13):
guns, 20,000 motorcycles, and nearly 65,000 other vehicles
were abandoned or destroyed to prevent their capture.
Almost all of the BEFS tanks were lost, with only 28 brought
back to Britain. Additionally, many troops were
left behind. Around 40,000 French troops who
(12:34):
had protected the perimeter during the final stages of the
evacuation were captured when Dunkirk finally fell to German
forces on June 4th. For these men, years of
imprisonment in German POW campsawaited.
The British public initially received news of the evacuation
with jubilation, seeing it as a victory snatched from the jaws
(12:55):
of defeat. However, Winston Churchill was
quick to temper this enthusiasm in his famous speech to the
House of Commons on June 4th. He acknowledged the achievement
but reminded the nation of the reality of their situation.
We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the
attributes of a victory. Wars are not won by evacuations,
(13:19):
but there was a victory inside this deliverance which should be
noted, it was gained by the Air Force.
Churchill went on in the same speech to deliver his famous We
Shall Fight on the Beach's passage, making it clear that
despite the successful evacuation, Britain faced a long
and difficult struggle ahead. The military consequences of
(13:41):
Dunkirk were significant. Britain had saved its army, but
that army was now severely underequipped.
It would take months to replace the lost material, during which
time Britain was extremely vulnerable to invasion.
Fortunately for the British, Hitler turned his attention to
finishing the conquest of Francebefore considering an assault on
(14:02):
Britain. France, already reeling from the
German breakthrough, was furtherweakened by the evacuation.
With their best units either evacuated to Britain or captured
at Dunkirk, French forces were unable to establish an effective
defense against the continuing German offensive.
On June 22nd, 1940, less than three weeks after the completion
(14:26):
of the Dunkirk evacuation, France surrendered to Germany.
For the evacuated troops, the story was not over.
Many of the British soldiers would later return to France on
D-Day in June 1944, beginning the long process of liberating
Western Europe. The French troops evacuated to
Britain faced a difficult choice.
(14:48):
Some chose to join Charles de Gaulle's Free French forces,
while others opted to be repatriated to France, where
they were demobilized under the terms of the Franco German
Armistice. The Dunkirk Spirit Myth and
Reality In the aftermath of the evacuation, the Dunkirk spirit
emerged as a powerful concept inBritish national identity.
(15:11):
This idea, encompassing stoicismin the face of adversity,
civilian participation in the war effort, and the ability to
snatch victory from defeat, would sustain Britain through
the dark days of 1940 and 1941, when it stood alone against Nazi
Germany. The involvement of civilian
vessels became particularly central to this mythology.
(15:34):
While the Royal Navy carried outthe bulk of the evacuation, the
image of ordinary citizens sailing their small boats across
the Channel captured the public imagination.
It represented a democratic, allhands on deck approach to
warfare that resonated with British values.
However, historical research hasprovided a more nuanced
(15:55):
understanding of the evacuation.Many of the little ships were
actually commanded by naval personnel rather than their
civilian owners. The large vessels of the Royal
Navy evacuated far more troops than the smaller civilian craft,
and the orderly queues on the beaches portrayed in some early
accounts were often far more chaotic in reality, with
(16:17):
instances of panic and breakdownand discipline.
None of these historical clarifications diminish the
remarkable achievement of the Dunkirk evacuation or the
genuine courage displayed by allthose involved, military and
civilian alike. They simply provide a more
accurate understanding of this pivotal historical event.
(16:38):
The RA FS role has also been reassessed by historians.
Many soldiers on the beaches felt abandoned by the RAF as
they could rarely see the air battles taking place at high
altitude. This led to considerable
resentment among evacuated troops.
In reality, the RAF was heavily engaged throughout the
(16:58):
evacuation, losing 145 aircraft while destroying 156 German
planes. The air battles were simply
taking place beyond the soldiersfield of vision, creating the
false impression of absence. The French contribution to the
evacuation success has also received greater recognition and
(17:20):
recent historical accounts. The sacrifice of French forces
who held the perimeter, many of whom were subsequently killed or
captured, was essential to the operation's success.
Without their determined defense, German forces would
likely have overrun the beaches before the majority of troops
could be evacuated. Fact versus fiction.
(17:42):
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk In 2017, director Christopher Nolan
brought the story of Dunkirk to the big screen in his acclaimed
film Dunkirk. The movie powerfully captures
the tension, fear, and occasional heroism of the
evacuation. However, like most historical
films, it takes certain creativeliberties with the historical
(18:05):
record. Let's examine some of the
elements depicted in the film that didn't actually occur
during the real Battle of Dunkirk.
The timeline compression. Nolan's film presents 3
interlocking narratives operating on different time
scales, one week on the beach, one day at sea, and one hour in
the air. This creates a sense of mounting
(18:27):
tension, but doesn't reflect theactual chronology of the
evacuation, which took place over 9 days with their battles
throughout the sinking destroyerscene.
In one dramatic scene, a destroyer is sunk by a German
aircraft using only machine gunfire.
In reality, no destroyer was lost this way.
(18:48):
Ships were sunk by bombs, torpedoes or mines, but not by
aircraft strafing alone, which wouldn't have the firepower to
sink such a large vessel. The Spitfire gliding sequence
The film shows a Spitfire pilot,played by Tom Hardy, continuing
to fight after running out of fuel, then gliding his aircraft
(19:09):
to a landing on the beach. While RAF pilots certainly
showed extraordinary courage during the battle, this specific
event is fictional. Spitfires did not land on the
beaches during the evacuation and a wheels down landing on
sand would have been extremely difficult.
The burning oil slick The film depicts soldiers struggling
(19:30):
through water covered with burning oil.
While there were oil slicks fromdamaged ships and some did catch
fire, the dramatic scene of numerous soldiers trapped in
burning oil is somewhat exaggerated for dramatic effect.
The civilian boat rescue from a sinking ship.
The sequence where a civilian boat rescue soldiers trapped in
(19:51):
a sinking vessel hit by German bullets is a dramatic creation.
While civilian vessels did rescue troops from the water and
from the beaches, this specific scenario is a composite of
various experiences rather than a documented historical event.
Under representation of French forces, the film focuses
primarily on British soldiers with limited representation of
(20:14):
French troops. In reality, French forces
made-up a significant portion ofboth the evacuees over 100,000.
In the defensive perimeter that made the evacuation possible.
The isolated nature of the evacuation.
The film necessarily focuses tightly on events at Dunkirk
itself, but this can give the impression that the evacuation
(20:37):
occurred in isolation. In reality, fighting continued
to cross a broad front in northern France, with many
actions directly contributing tothe evacuation success.
Despite these creative adaptations, Nolan's film
succeeds in capturing the essential emotional truth of
Dunkirk, the vulnerability of soldiers under air attack, the
(20:59):
claustrophobic fear of troops trapped against the sea, and the
quiet heroism of both military personnel and civilians who
participated in the evacuation. As historian Joshua Levine, who
served as a consultant on the film, noted, it's a painting,
not a photograph, of the events.Conclusion.
The Significance of Dunkirk The evacuation at Dunkirk stands as
(21:23):
one of the most remarkable military operations of World War
2. What began as a potential
catastrophe, the loss of Britain's professional army in a
significant portion of France's best troops, was transformed
into what Churchill called a miracle of deliverance.
The strategic significance of the evacuation cannot be
(21:44):
overstated. Had the BF been lost at Dunkirk,
Britain's ability to continue the war would have been severely
compromised. The preservation of these forces
provided the nucleus around which Britain could rebuild its
army. Many of the soldiers evacuated
from Dunkirk would later return to France on D-Day,
(22:04):
participating in the liberation of Europe.
The psychological impact was equally important.
Coming at Britain's darkest hour, the successful evacuation
provided a crucial morale boost.The Dunkirk spirit that emerged
from the operation, embodying resilience, improvisation and
the involvement of ordinary citizens in the war effort,
(22:27):
helped sustain Britain through the difficult years ahead.
For the French, Dunkirk represents a more complex
legacy. While the evacuation saved a
significant portion of their army, France would surrender
just weeks later. The French forces who held the
perimeter at Dunkirk, many of whom were captured when the port
(22:47):
finally fell, made a sacrifice that has not always been fully
acknowledged in popular accountsof the operation.
For Germany, the failure to capture the Allied forces at
Dunkirk represents one of the war's great missed
opportunities. Had Hitler not issued the halt
order, or had Goring's Luftwaffebeen able to prevent the
evacuation as promised, the course of the war might have
(23:10):
been significantly different. In the broader context of World
War 2, Dunkirk marks the end of the war's first phase and the
beginning of a new chapter. The fall of France followed
shortly after, leaving Britain to face Nazi Germany alone until
the entry of the Soviet Union and the United States into the
conflict. The evacuation provided Britain
(23:32):
with the means and the moral fortitude to continue that
lonely stand. As we look back on Dunkirk from
our vantage point today, what stands out is not just the
military achievement, but the human story, the courage,
endurance, and occasional selflessness displayed by those
who participated. From the Royal Navy sailors who
(23:52):
made repeated dangerous crossings, to the RAF pilots who
fought to protect the beaches, to the French troops who
sacrificed themselves to hold the perimeter, to the civilian
boat owners who risked everything to rescue strangers,
Dunkirk brought out both the worst and the best of human
nature in wartime. This complex, inspiring and
(24:14):
occasionally sobering story reminds us that history rarely
fits neatly into narratives of unalloyed heroism or simple
moral lessons. The miracle of Dunkirk emerged
from defeat, depended on a questionable decision by Hitler,
and succeeded despite moments ofchaos and breakdown.
Yet it remains, in Churchill's words, a deliverance that
(24:36):
changed the course of history. This has been World War Two
stories. I'm Steve Matthews.
Join us next time as we continueexploring the moments that
shaped the greatest conflict in human history.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Special Summer Offer: Exclusively on Apple Podcasts, try our Dateline Premium subscription completely free for one month! With Dateline Premium, you get every episode ad-free plus exclusive bonus content.
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!