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BRITISH, FRENCH, BELGIANS ARRIVING IN ENGLAND UNDER THE FIRE OF FIGHTING SHIPS AND PLANES (5/31/40)
Microfiche-New York Times archives, McHenry Library, U.C. Santa Cruz | 5/31/40 | Raymond Daniell, Hanson W. Baldwin, G.H. Archambault, George Axelsson

Posted on 05/31/2010 5:48:50 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson

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TOPICS: History
KEYWORDS: milhist; realtime; worldwarii
Free Republic University, Department of History presents World War II Plus 70 Years: Seminar and Discussion Forum
First session: September 1, 2009. Last date to add: September 2, 2015.
Reading assignment: New York Times articles delivered daily to students on the 70th anniversary of original publication date. (Previously posted articles can be found by searching on keyword “realtime” Or view Homer’s posting history .)
To add this class to or drop it from your schedule notify Admissions and Records (Attn: Homer_J_Simpson) by freepmail. Those on the Realtime +/- 70 Years ping list are automatically enrolled. Course description, prerequisites and tuition information is available at the bottom of Homer’s profile.
1 posted on 05/31/2010 5:48:50 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
Selections from West Point Atlas for the Second World War
CAMPAIGN IN THE WEST, 1940, Situation 4 June, and Operations Since 21 May
The Far East and the Pacific, 1941 – The Imperial Powers, 1 September 1939
2 posted on 05/31/2010 5:49:46 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
MIRACLE AT DUNKIRK – Part IV

Part I (5/24/40, reply #3)
Part II (5/26/40, reply #3)
Part III (5/30/40, reply #3

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To be continued.

William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

3 posted on 05/31/2010 5:50:41 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
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William L. Shirer, The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich

4 posted on 05/31/2010 5:51:18 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
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Winston S. Churchill, Their Finest Hour

5 posted on 05/31/2010 5:51:54 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: r9etb; PzLdr; dfwgator; Paisan; From many - one.; rockinqsranch; GRRRRR; 2banana; henkster; ...
Ships Aid Rescues – 2-3
Belgian War Supplies Turned Over to Nazis – 3
They Have Not Died in Vain – 3
British Airmen Bomb ‘Interesting Personalities’ – 3
Italian Entry Held Near As Hitler Calls Goebbels – 3
Retreat Orderly – 4
Nazis Praise B.E.F. – 5
French Press Hails Pledge of War Unity – 5
Not Enough Planes, Say Fugitives Telling of the Horrors of Flanders – 6
French Town Behind Front Blasted by Nazis; Bombings There Halt After Allied Reprisal – 7
575,000 at Major Sports Events; Giants Win Twice From Dodgers – 7
The International Situation – 8
The Texts of the Day’s War Communiques – 9-10
Rationing in Reich Is Eased by Invasion; More Butter, Cheese and Eggs Promised - 10

6 posted on 05/31/2010 5:52:55 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

http://www.onwar.com/chrono/1940/may40/f31may40.htm

Evacuation of Dunkirk peaks

Friday, May 31, 1940 www.onwar.com

On the Western Front... This is the most successful day of the Dunkirk evacuation, with 68,014 men being taken to Britain. The ships lost include one destroyer and six more are damaged. General Gort returns to Britain after handing over command of the remnant of the BEF to General Alexander as ordered. There are considerable air battles over the beaches at various stages during the day in which the RAF claim to shoot down 38 German aircraft for the loss of 28. In fact the figures are nearer equality.

In Norway... The British blocking force is evacuated from Bodo.

In Britain... A series of measures, including the removal of all direction signs from crossroads, is taken to counter worries about fifth-column and parachute attacks.

In Washington... President Roosevelt introduces a “billion-dollar defense program” which is designed to boost the United States military strength significantly.


7 posted on 05/31/2010 6:02:23 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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Ping


8 posted on 05/31/2010 6:04:06 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/andrew.etherington/month/thismonth/31.htm

May 31st, 1940

UNITED KINGDOM:
U-13 (Type IIB) is believed sunk in the North Sea north of Newcastle, in position 55.26N, 02.02E, by depth charges from the sloop HMS Weston. There are some survivors. (Alex Gordon)

RAF records show that Boulton Paul Defiants have shot down 65 enemy aircraft, mainly over Dunkirk against bomber formations.

RAF Bomber Command: 2 Group. 21 Sqn. Attacks on pontoon bridges near Nieuport. 107 Sqn. Bombs MT at Oostvleteken, Flak intense, 1 Bf109 shot down and one turned away by a lucky shot from a Blenheim’s nose blister gun. Blenheims escorted by Hurricane’s of 145 Sqn. which shot down two Bf109s. In the evening 24 crews from Wattisham bomb bridges in the Nieuport area and stop a German attack.

Signposts are removed from crossroads to confuse any invasion force.

Lieutenant General Alan Brooke arrives in Dover.

Detling, Kent: Cpl Joan Daphne Mary Pearson (b. 1911), WAAF, rescued the pilot of a burning bomber. She went back for the wireless operator, but found him dead. (Empire Gallantry Medal).

Minesweeping trawler HMS Blackthorn commissioned.

River Class destroyers HMCS St Laurent, Restigouche and Skeena arrived at Devonport and were assigned Western Approaches Command(.DS)

WESTERN FRONT: Operation Dynamo: Destroyer FS Sirocco sunk off Dunkirk by German MTBs S-23 and S-26. (Dave Shirlaw)

Lord Gort hands over the command of British troops still in France to Major-General Harold Alexander, and departs for Dover; 68,014 troops also leave today. In the air over Dunkirk the RAF looses 28 fighters, and claims 28 German fighters.

Nursing Sister Catherine Mary Butland, who was evacuated from Dunkirk after two weeks at a clearing station in Belgium, has accused the Germans of ignoring the universal Red Cross sign and bombing ambulance trains. She and seven other nurses were driven to Dunkirk in a truck by a colonel.

“We were being attacked from the air all the way down,” she said later: “The towns were being bombed constantly and the fact that we were an ambulance made no difference. It they wanted to bomb it they’d bomb it. If they wanted to come down and machine-gun while you were getting patients off the ambulances they came down and machine-gunned.” Sister Butland and her companions were taken aboard the converted hospital ship ‘Worthing’. “We got our bedding rolls down and we went to work because there were casualties being brought in all states of injury, wanting treatment” she added. “The whole way through the atmosphere was one of: I want to get back to the unit.”

Dunkirk: Capt. Harold Marcus Ervine-Andrews (b. 1911), East Lancs Regiment, led a delaying attack from a barn on vastly superior forces. (VC).

GERMANY: Germany’s economy is being reshaped to bolster its military campaigns. The Ministry of Armaments and Munitions was set up under Fritz Todt in March to improve the flow of arms to the front line.

Unlike the other warring powers, Germany was preparing for war as early as 1936, when a four-year economic plan was introduced which included large-scale investment in armaments. Despite this, Germany’s reserves are not geared to cope with a protracted war; this is one reason behind Hitler’s Blitzkrieg strategy. With other heavy industries, armaments have been hit by shortages of labour and raw materials, although the latter should be eased by the occupation of areas rich in iron-ore, such as Norway and Luxembourg.

NORWAY: The British blocking force evacuates Bodo.
HMS Ark Royal et al arrive in Scapa 0529 and commence refueling operations. At 0830, the two carriers depart, HMS Ark Royal still flying the flag of Vice-Admiral Wells. Escort is provided by five DDs, HMS Acasta, HMS Arden, HMS Acheron, HMS Highlander, and HMS Diana. The first task at sea is to embark aircraft. On this trip, the two carriers will carry the following aircraft:

HMS Ark Royal:

800 Squadron: 12 Skuas

803 Squadron: 12 Skuas

810 Squadron: 12 Swordfish

820 Squadron: 9 Swordfish

HMS Glorious:

802 Squadron (-): 6 Sea Gladiators

823 Squadron (-): 6 Swordfish

On this, the last trip to Norway, Admiral Wells mission is three-fold.: First, to cooperate with the forces ashore to cover the evacuation of all ground forces in the Narvik are. Second, to cover the movement of all troop convoys to the British Isles. Finally, HMS Glorious is to re-embark the surviving Gladiators of 263 Squadron, RAF as well as the Walrus amphibians of 701 Squadron, FAA. At this point, the belief is that the surviving Hurricanes of 46 Squadron will have to be destroyed. (Mark Horan)

JAPAN: Launching a bombing campaign against south-east China, Japan says that it will bomb Chungking until the Nationalist spirit breaks.

CANADA: Patrol vessel HMCS Moose (ex-US yacht Cleopatra) commissioned.

Yachts Cleopatra and Conseco purchased by RCN and were converted to patrol craft HMCS Moose and Otter respectively in Quebec City.(Dave Shirlaw)

U.S.A.: Washington: Roosevelt asks Congress to authorise an extra $1,300 million in defence spending, for “acceleration and development of our military and naval needs as measured in both machines and men” .
Boston: A US team achieves the first successful automatic tracking of an aircraft in elevation and azimuth using a prototype centimetric radar on the roof of the MIT Radiation Lab. (Cris Wetton)

The motion picture “Buck Benny Rides Again” is released in the U.S. This western musical comedy directed by Mark Sandrich, stars Jack Benny, Ellen Drew, Andy Devine, Phil Harris, Dennis Day, Eddie “Rochester” Anderson, Ward Bond, Fred Allen and Don Wilson. The plot has New Yorker Jack Benny going to a ranch in Nevada and trying to convince singer Drew that he is 100% cowboy. (Jack McKillop)

Destroyers USS Nicholson and Wilkes launched. (Dave Shirlaw)

BATTLE OF THE ATLANTIC: U-boats start returning to the Western Approaches. As they do, one of the first ‘Flower’ class corvettes, HMS Arabis, attacks one of their number in defence of a Gibraltar/UK convoy.

With the closure of the Mediterranean to Allied shipping, the trade routes around Africa and the ports to sustain them take on a new importance. Particularly vital is the West African base at Freetown Sierra Leone.

Losses. 10 ships of 55,000 tons.

MERCHANT SHIPPING WAR:

Losses. 90 ships of 231,000 tons.

At 1402, the Orangemoor in Convoy HGF-31 was hit amidships by one torpedo from U-101 and sank within a short time southwest of Roches Doures. 18 crewmembers were lost. The master and 21 crewmembers were picked up by the Brandenburg and landed at London. (Dave Shirlaw)


9 posted on 05/31/2010 6:06:49 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

bump


10 posted on 05/31/2010 6:33:38 AM PDT by beebuster2000
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
One of our experts may be able to correct the details, but it's my recollection that much of the communication between the BEF and Dover had to pass through commercial exchanges in Belgium and London. Seems that the Belgian king had a summer place on the coast, and he needed a cable from there to London so he could keep in touch with his brokers. That worked better than the military communications availble to the British commanders.

Date

From the beaches

From Dunkirk Harbour

Total

Running Total

Monday 27 May

 

7,699

7,699

7,699

Tuesday 28 May

5,930

11,874

17,804

25,473

Wednesday 29 May

13,752

33,558

47,310

72,783

Thursday 30 May

29,512

24,311

53,823

126,606

Friday 31 May

22,942

45,072

68,014

194,620

http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/operation_dynamo.html#5

11 posted on 05/31/2010 7:05:15 AM PDT by PAR35
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To: Homer_J_Simpson
I have two reports by Bernard Stubbs. One on the evacuation of troops from Dunkirk, and one on their arrival to London.

BBC - Bernard Stubbs on Evacuation of Troops from Dunkirk

BBC - Bernard Stubbs on Evacuated Troops in London

12 posted on 05/31/2010 7:28:51 AM PDT by CougarGA7 (In order to dream of the future, we need to remember the past. - Bartov)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

Probably the greatest retreat in history.


13 posted on 05/31/2010 3:45:14 PM PDT by GeronL (Political Correctness Kills)
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To: Homer_J_Simpson

http://worldwar2daybyday.blogspot.com/

Day 274 May 31, 1940

Operation Dynamo. After the carnage of German bombing of the last 2 days, cloudy weather restricts Luftwaffe activity & the Admiralty returns the modern destroyers to Dunkirk. Despite the clouds, French destroyer Leopard and British destroyers HMS Express, Icarus, Keith & Winchelsea are damaged by German bombing. The evacuation continues in full swing embarking 68,014 Allied troops including General Lord Gort, commander of the BEF (45,072 from Dunkirk harbour & 22,942 off the beaches). http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk/10169745.stm

In addition to the British small craft, 39 Dutch coasters (that escaped the German occupation) assist the evacuation, saving a total of 22,698 men during the whole operation.

French destroyer Sirocco and Cyclone are torpedoed by German Schnellboote. Sirocco is then sunk by German bombing with 180 crew and 700 men of the 92nd French Infantry Regiment on board (59 crew and over 600 French troops die). Sirocco goes down flying the 92nd Regiment’s colours.

14 miles Southeast of Lowestoft, England, Sloop HMS Weston sinks U-13 with depth charges (all 26 crew, are rescued and taken prisoner).

At 2 PM, U-101 attacks convoy HG-31F and sinks British SS Orangemoor carrying 8150 tons of iron ore 25 miles West of Guernsey (18 crew lost). 22 survivors are rescued by the Brandenburg and landed at London. U-101 is then attacked for 8 hours with 41 depth charges by the convoy escorts, but survives. http://www.uboat.net/allies/merchants/ships/332.html


14 posted on 06/02/2010 5:13:14 AM PDT by Homer_J_Simpson ("Every nation has the government that it deserves." - Joseph de Maistre (1753-1821))
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