Tuesday 4 June 1940

Winston Churchill.

Western Front: The Dunkirk bridgehead collapses on 4 June 1940 and the Germans occupy the port at 10:20. There are still 40,000 French soldiers and stragglers from all of the Allied armies who go into captivity. There also are piles of British and French equipment which the Germans will put to use.

The Germans immediately re-deploy their forces for an operation south towards Paris. The new attack will be Operation Fall Rot ("Case Red").

The French try attacking at Abbeville again at 03:00 pursuant to General Georges' plan. Little reconnaissance is performed beforehand, and communication - especially between French and British formations - is inadequate. The French tanks and British infantry attack at different times, and some of the attacking formation arrive only at the last moment.

French tanks of 2nd Armoured Division, part of the 4th Army Group under General Huntziger, advance at Abbeville but run into a minefield in a sector they mistakenly believe still to be held by the 51st Highland Division. Instead, the highlanders have pulled back during the night, and the Germans planted mines in the evacuated territory. The Allies lose at least fifty tanks, numerous other armored vehicles and take 1000 casualties. The Germans retain the high ground northwest of Caubert and the attack is a complete fiasco.

Dunkirk: Operation Dynamo ends at 03:40. The Allied navies have rescued 338,226 men, of which 112,000 are French. The evacuation greatly exceeded expectations of perhaps 50,000 evacuees and thus is considered a great victory. Destroyer HMS Ivanhoe is one of the last ships out and is hit with a bomb on its deck crowded with French soldiers.

Besides the tens of thousands of Allied troops who now are POWs, left behind in Dunkirk are

• 880 field guns, 
• 310 guns of large calibre, 
• some 500 anti-aircraft guns, 
• about 850 anti-tank guns, 
• 11,000 machine guns, 
• nearly 700 tanks, 
• 20,000 motorcycles, and 
• 45,000 motor cars and lorries.

Altogether, the Allies leave behind 2,472 artillery pieces, 84, 427 vehicles and 657,566 tons of supplies. In addition, the Allies have lost at least 89 merchant ships (126,518 tons), with 9 destroyers sunk and 20 damaged. In addition, the RAF has lost 80 scarce pilots killed.

Air losses by both sides are a subject of great controversy. The RAF lost 106-135 planes, while losses for the Luftwaffe vary from 100-240.

Dunkirk after the battle.

European Air Operations: In retaliation for the Luftwaffe's Operation Paula of 3 June, the French air force bombs Munich and Frankfurt, while the RAF sends 57 bombers to attack the Ruhr and Rhineland munitions factories.

The Luftwaffe bombs the port of Le Havre.

General Weygand asks the British for 20 RAF fighter squadrons, and the request is refused.

Battle of the Atlantic: Kriegsmarine pocket battleships Gneisenau, Scharnhorst, and Admiral Hipper, along with a squadron of destroyers (destroyers Karl Galster, Hans Lody, Erich Steinbrinck & Hermann Schoemann), depart for Norwegian waters under Admiral Wilhelm Marschall.

British Government: Prime Minister Winston Churchill gives a stirring speech in the House of Commons. He states that Operation Dynamo, which brought 350,000 troops back to England, had turned a defeat into a victory:

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender... until, in God's good time, the New World, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and liberation of the Old.

The speech, Churchill's most famous, receives a mixed reception. The British love it, and it is considered the height of jingoistic rhetoric. On the other hand, the French find little to cheer about in the idea that England now envisions itself fighting alone despite the fact that its troops are still fighting and dying.

The Dunkirk docks are now quiet.

Norway: The evacuation of Narvik and Harstad begins pursuant to Operation Alphabet. The evacuation takes time because considerable military infrastructure has been created by the British. There are about 4900 Allied troops on the first ships out of Narvik, which is composed of 6 fast transport ships escorted by Royal Navy training cruiser Vindictive. The transports, actually passenger liners, hide in the fjords and small craft bring them the soldiers.

The Norwegians continue attacking General Dietl's mountain troops near the Swedish border.

Ireland: The government sets the size of the army at 40,000 troops.

Italy: The Italian high command sends its submarine fleet to sea.

China: The seesawing Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang continues. The Chinese 5th War Area counterattacks and recovers Nanchang and Yicheng.

Chiang Kai-shek sends representatives to Macau to discuss peace terms with Japanese representatives. There is no progress.

Soviet Military: General Andrei Eremenko becomes the leader of the Soviet 3rd Mechanized Corps, while Konstantin Rokossovsky takes over the Soviet 5th Cavalry Corps.

French Homefront: The refugee crisis is increasing, and it becomes known as L'Éxode ("The Exodus"). Tens of thousands of French citizens inhabiting northern French cities such as Chartres and Lille are heading south, while southern French cities such as Marseilles and Bordeaux are swelling in size.


June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2020

Monday 3 June 1940

An RAF photograph of the Dunkirk beach taken on 3 June 1940, showing the beach littered with British equipment.

Western Front: The shrinking bridgehead at Dunkirk as of 3 June 1940 has been the focus of most land operations for the past week, but that is rapidly changing. The obvious next move is for the Wehrmacht to head south toward Paris, as the Maginot Line is holding up well - buttressed by the overwhelming majority of French troops sitting idly behind it. French General Georges readies a spoiling attack against the most advanced German positions along the Somme, but his preparations are disorganized and, despite having had several days to prepare, not all of the troops are near their launch points yet.

Dunkirk: General Harold Alexander visits Dunkirk port to personally assure that the British are all evacuated. At 10:50, Royal Navy "Beachmaster" Captain William “Dunkirk Joe” Tennant signals "Operation completed; returning to Dover.”

With all the British troops out, the Admiralty decides to spend another day evacuating French and Belgian troops. All Royal Navy evacuations continue taking place at night - except for small boats. There 26,175 men taken off during the night of 3/4 June, which is about what the Admiralty has been led to believe is the total number of men remaining - but in fact, there are tens of thousands of Allied men more than that. Stragglers appear from basements and under the quays, from every which way, as the front-line troops approach the harbor. Many of the stragglers are in very poor shape, suffering from battle fatigue and PTSD.

The French defenders continue giving ground. The perimeter shrinks to about a square with each side 2 miles.

The RAF carries out 171 reconnaissance missions during the day over the beachhead, 651 bombing sorties and 2,739 fighter sorties.

The RAF also sends 142 aircraft against targets in Germany during the night.

German Stuka dive bombers attacking Allied attempt to evacuate Dunkirk, France, June 1940; still from Frank Capra's 1943 documentary film Why We Fight #3.

Battle of the Atlantic: The British Admiralty issues a summary communiqué on Operation Dynamo, which is winding down rapidly. It states that the Royal Navy committed 222 naval vessels and 665 smaller boats. The Royal Navy admits to 24 losses of warships.

U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) sinks 2,317-ton Finnish freighter Snabb about 300 miles off Cape Finisterre at 04:56. There are 20 survivors and 1 crew perishes.

Convoy OA 161G departs from Southend, Convoy OB 161 departs from Liverpool.

European Air Operations: The Luftwaffe launches Operation Paula. This is the planned destruction of the Armée de l'Air (ALA), or French Air Force. The objectives include eliminating French airfields and aircraft factories. The operation has been postponed since 30 May due to poor flying weather. The Germans use both Luftflotte (Air Fleet) 2 and Luftflotte 3. The French have some warning of this operation from intercepted Enigma transmissions.

The Germans use 640 bombers and 460 fighters in three waves. They attack 28 railways and marshaling yards, 22 train stations, and 15 factories, causing slight damage. The Luftwaffe loses 4 bombers and a total of 10 aircraft, while the French Air Force loses 20 aircraft on the ground and 15 in combat. Josef Kammhuber, Geschwaderkommodore of KG 51, is shot down and taken prisoner and replaced by Johann-Volkmar Fisser, Geschwaderkommodore (Wing Commander) of KG 77. The Luftwaffe generally has air superiority despite causing little lasting damage on the ground. There are 54 French killed in the Paris suburbs.

Norway: The Allies know that their position at Narvik is untenable in the long run. They now prepare to evacuate their troops there pursuant to Operation Alphabet. French, Polish and Norwegian troops continue to harass General Dietl's mountain troops near the Swedish border - he has no idea how close he is to relief and is seriously considering crossing the Swedish border to be interned.

Anglo/US Relations: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill requests war supplies from President Roosevelt to replace the vast equipment stocks lost at Dunkirk. Roosevelt immediately sets in motion plans to send rifles, machine guns, field guns, and ammunition.

French/US Relations: French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud requests that the US sends aircraft to help with the defense of France.

British Military: Air Marshal Dowding calculates that the RAF will run out of Hurricane fighters - the backbone of British air defense - within two weeks if the rate of losses continues. Of course, that high loss rate covers the Dunkirk evacuation, when the RAF has suffered huge losses (and inflicted the same or worse, of course).

Applied Science: German physical chemist Dr. Paul Harteck conducts experiments with a uranium oxide-dry ice reactor in Hamburg. These experiments are unsuccessful due to insufficient uranium.

France: Pierre Fournier, President of the Bank of France, oversees the continued evacuation of French gold in cooperation with US Ambassador William Bullitt. French armed merchant cruiser Ville D'Oran is loaded with 212 tons of French gold from the reserves at Pauillac and sets off for Casablanca.

China: The Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang continues, with the Japanese 11th Army capturing Nanchang and Yicheng.

American Homefront: The US Supreme Court hands down its decision in Minersville School District v. Gobitis, 310 U.S. 586 (1940). It holds that students could be compelled to salute the American Flag and recite the Pledge of Allegiance despite religious objections (Jehovah's Witnesses).

Burning oil tanks at Dunkirk, taken by the RAF on or around 3 June 1940.

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2020

Saturday 1 June 1940

Sundowner at Ramsgate.

Western Front: The main ground effort remains at Dunkirk on 1 June 1940. The BEF decides to take its men out of the line and leave the port defense to the French. The Wehrmacht breaks through at the canal at Bergues and elsewhere and is held from the beaches with difficulty. The ground defense is maintained by the French while the British board the ships.

There are still BEF forces in action to the south. The 51st Highland Division, the Composite Regiment and 1st Support Group assume the defense against the Germans' Abbeville–St. Valery bridgehead. The 153rd Infantry Brigade also is standing in reserve on the Bresle from Blangy to Senarpont. An improvised British formation, the Beauman Division, holds a 55-mile (89 km) section of the line from Pont St. Pierre, an 11-mile section southeast of Rouen to Dieppe, and 55 miles of the Andelle–Béthune line.

General Georges continues to plan a major effort on 4 June.

Dunkirk: The weather clears up by the morning, which is bad news for Operation Dynamo. While 64,429 troops are evacuated (47,081 Allied troops embark from Dunkirk harbour and 17,348 from the beaches), which is just under the peak total for 31 May, Allied shipping losses mount. The Allies lose four destroyers, a large transport ship, and have five other destroyers damaged.

British orders have been to allow only British troops on board. There is only about 25% or less of the BEF left in the beachhead. The French high command expects all these British soldiers to be routed back to Cherbourg. So far, that is not happening, but it is early. The British are leaving almost all their equipment behind, so they would have little to fight with anyway.

Numerous large vessels such as Channel ferries are damaged by air attack. Conditions are so bad that, after dark, the Admiralty takes the difficult decision to abandon evacuation during daylight hours. Soldiers are frustrated by the incessant Luftwaffe attacks and take potshots at the passing planes with their rifles.

Charles Lightoller's 61-foot yacht Sundowner, requisitioned by the Admiralty, leaves the Port of Ramsgate at 10:00 in the company of five other boats. They spot the motor cruiser Westerly, which has broken down and is on fire. When he arrives at Dunkirk, Lightoller realizes that the piers are too high, so he moves next to destroyer HMS Worcester and takes on passengers from it. He squeezes a total of 75 men below deck and 55 topside. Lightoller then returns to Ramsgate with his 130 men, dodging Luftwaffe attacks on the way. After depositing the soldiers, Sundowner is prevented from returning to Dunkirk because daylight operations from slower vessels have been banned. Sundowner is retained by the Admiralty for other operations as a coastal patrol boat.

European Air Operations: The RAF is occupied over Dunkirk. It launches 8 large aerial patrols that provide excellent cover, but the Luftwaffe has success in between them. It also sends 56 planes in ground attacks against the encroaching German ground forces during the day, and 16 against them during the night.

The Luftwaffe is not just active over the evacuation area, but also is implementing a strategic bombing effort against France. German planes bomb the Lyons-Marseilles railway line that is the main north-south route and also sink the 20,000-ton British passenger liner Orford in Marseilles. Cities all along the Rhône valley are raided, along with Marseilles and Lyon. Altogether, 46 people perish and over 100 are injured.

The RAF also launches raids against Dutch harbors being used by German surface raiders.

During the night, the RAF sends 65 bombers against targets in Germany.

Douglas Bader scores his first victory near Dunkirk.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-58 (Kapitänleutnant Herbert Kuppisch) torpedoes and sinks 8,401 boom defense vessel HMS Astronomer 30 miles southeast of Wick, Scotland. There are 101 survivors, picked up by nearby trawlers, and 4 crew perish.

U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) torpedoes and sinks 950 ton Greek freighter Ioanna 120 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain. Everybody survives, making land at Vigo, Spain.

At Dunkirk, the Allies lose French destroyer Foudroyant (19 killed) and British destroyers HMS Keith (36 killed), Basilisk (9 killed) and Havant (8 killed). British destroyers HMS Ivanhoe, Venomous, Vimy, Vivacious, and Whitehall and sloops Bideford and Kingfisher are damaged. Minesweeper HMS Skipjack (full of troops, most drown, nobody knows how many), gunboat HMS Mosquito, and transport Scotia (200-300 troops and all 32 crew killed) also are sunk, while smaller British ships (Brighton Queen) and various other smaller vessels go down, both from the Luftwaffe attacks and German S-boats (fast boats) operating out of Dutch harbors.

Convoy OA 159 departs from Southend, Convoy OB 159 departs from Liverpool.

U-101 (Kapitänleutnant Harro von Klot-Heydenfeldt) becomes operational.

General Dietl.

Norway: While the British and French have been planning Operation Alphabet, the evacuation of their forces from Norway, for some time, they only tell the remaining Norwegian troops today (British ambassador to Norway, Sir Cecil Dormer, informs King Haakon VII). The Allied evacuations are intended to be a gradual process but a complete operation, with no troops left anywhere in the country. The Norwegians have no real alternatives and continue attacking the German forces despite the ephemeral nature of any successes in the long run. The King and government consider whether to leave the country.

The Germans, of course, do not know any of this, and General Dietl continues his desperate defense near the Swedish border. He has a scattering of units, including elements of German 3rd Mountain Division, naval troops, and the reinforcements which he continues to receive by air and rail. The 2d Mountain Division, coming to Dietl's rescue, enters Bodo, just evacuated by the British.

Anglo/Italian Relations: The Italians break off negotiations for a new contraband agreement.

German Military: General Guderian, who has been leading XIX Corps with great success since the beginning of the war, receives the honor of his own Panzer Group - Panzer Group Guderian.

Soviet Military: General Zhukov, having returned from the Far East, where he led the successful defense at Khalkin Gol, takes command of the Kyiv Special Military District.

British Military: General Ironside, in charge of the Home Forces, considers a proposal by General Wingate to form "special night squads" for operations against German sabotage within England.

US Military: The Navy concludes a Minor Landing and Base Defense Exercise on San Clemente Island.

US Government: Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles responds to Ambassador Wilson in Uruguay that the government will see "if some way can be found by which at least three or four heavy cruisers and a reasonable number of destroyers can be kept on the East Coast [of South America] this summer." Heavy cruiser Quincy (CA 39) already is en route to Rio de Janeiro and then Montevideo, and Welles tells ambassador to Brazil Jefferson Caffery that this is "to furnish a reminder of the strength and the range of action of the armed forces of the United States."

British Government: Sir Samuel arrives in Madrid to take up his post as ambassador to Spain.

Kenya: Gold Coast 4th Infantry Brigade arrives by sea.

China: At the Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang, the Japanese 11th Army captures Hsiangyang.

Future History: René Auberjonois is born in New York City. He becomes famous in the '70s and '80s as an actor and singer.

Charles Lightoller's yacht Sundowner remained under Admiralty control throughout the war, serving on the River Blackwater and River Clyde, until being returned to the family in 1946. After additional use by the Lightollers and subsequent owners, Sundowner ultimately was purchased by the East Kent Maritime Trust in the late 1980s and restored. It remains operational and takes part in occasional celebrations of Operation Dynamo, including as recently as June 2012.

A heap of British motorcycles abandoned at Dunkirk, June 1940.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

June 1940

June 1, 1940: Devastation at Dunkirk
June 2, 1940: Hitler Visits France
June 3, 1940: Operation Paula
June 4, 1940: We Shall Fight
June 5, 1940: Fall Rot
June 6, 1940: Weygand Line Crumbling
June 7, 1940: British Evacuating Narvik
June 8, 1940: Operation Juno
June 9, 1940: Norway Capitulates
June 10, 1940: Mussolini Throws Down
June 11, 1940: Paris an Open City
June 12, 1940: Rommel at St. Valery
June 13, 1940: France Goes Alone
June 14, 1940: Paris Falls
June 15, 1940: Soviets Scoop Up Lithuania
June 16, 1940: Enter Pétain
June 17, 1940: The Lancastria Sinks
June 18, 1940: A Day of Leaders
June 19, 1940: U-boats Run Wild
June 20, 1940: Pétain Wilts
June 21, 1940: Hitler's Happiest Day
June 22, 1940: France Is Done
June 23, 1940: Hitler in Paris
June 24, 1940: Six Million Jews
June 25, 1940: German Celebrations
June 26, 1940: USSR Being Belligerent
June 27, 1940: Malta in Peril
June 28, 1940: Channel Islands Bombed
June 29, 1940: Gandhi Insists on Independence
June 30, 1940: Channel Islands Occupied

2020

Friday 31 May 1940

An evacuated British soldier, wearing a French overcoat, changes his socks and boots at Dover. 31 May 1940.

Western Front: General John Vereker Lord Gort returns to England on 31 May 1940, handing over command of the BEF to Lt. General Harold Alexander. The Supreme Allied War Council meets in Paris. French Prime Minister Paul Reynaud remonstrates with British Prime Minister Churchill about the relatively few French troops being evacuated.

Another British Member of Parliament dies at Dunkirk, Arnold Wilson, in a plane crash.

The Germans round up the last French stragglers at Lille.

General Alphonse Joseph Georges (Commander North-Eastern Front [including the BEF, though that is largely out of his hands]) orders a pause in Seventh Army actions against the German positions along the Somme. So far, the attacks, such as those by General de Gaulle with 4th Armoured Division, have been piecemeal and in some ways promising. Georges intends to make a major effort against the German bridgeheads to the south of the river in a few days.

There is some repositioning of Wehrmacht forces for the conquest of the rest of France.

Spitfire Mk I ZD-G. P/O Graham GA "Dave" Davies landed it on Dunkirk beach on 31 May 1940, wheels down and taxiing to the dunes. French soldiers fired on him, thinking it was a Ju 87. The 21-year-old pilot got a lift into town, and was ordered to go back and burn his aircraft, which he did. He then returned to No 222 Squadron RAF at RAF Hornchurch via a paddle steamer.

Dunkirk: Operation Dynamo has its best day, with 68,014 more men taken off (45,072 from Dunkirk harbor, 22,942 off the beaches).

General von Kuechler assumes command of all Wehrmacht forces at Dunkirk. He plans to launch a major offensive on 1 June.

The Germans make progress against the British perimeter at Nieuport. There are many individual instances of heroism, such as two British battalion commanders personally manning a Bren gun to stop the penetration.

The 2nd Battalion, Coldstream Guards has to move in quickly at Fumes to stop British troops from retreating. In a manner reminiscent of NKVD blocking forces, they set up positions behind the British forces and fire on those retreating, shooting some. The British soldiers return to their positions and hold the line against the Germans.

During the afternoon, the Germans make a penetration at the canal near Bulskamp, but the Durham Light Infantry stops them.

The Germans are throwing everything into the effort to stop the evacuations, and having some effect. E-boats torpedo French destroyers Sirocco and Cyclone, and the Luftwaffe damages 6 British destroyers (RN destroyers Express, Harvester, Icarus, Impulsive, Malcolm, and Scimitar and minesweeper Hebe). Both sides lose dozens of planes.

Charles Lightoller, the 66-year-old retired officer from the Titanic, owns a large motor yacht named Sundowner. Lightoller has done some work before for the Royal Navy in surveying the coast of the Continent. The Admiralty requisitions the Sundowner on the 31st, and Lightoller volunteers to sail it with his eldest son Roger (his youngest son perished on an RAF bombing raid on the first night of the war) to Dunkirk on the 1st of June.

There are 39 Dutch ships in the Allied cause assisting the evacuation.

Operations are cool and orderly - but enforced with iron discipline. Any solder not obeying orders is shot as necessary and left on the beach or in the water.

Approaching one of the "little ships," 31 May 1940. This is only possible with effective air cover.

European Air Operations: The focus remains on the Dunkirk perimeter, where poor flying weather continues to aid the evacuation. German Gen. Halder notes that "Bad weather has grounded the Luftwaffe - now we must watch countless thousands of enemy getting away to England under our noses."

Eighteen RAF bombers attack the German at Nieuport during the night, inflicting major damage and spoiling plans for an attack there in the morning. Overall, 93 RAF planes attack the Germans around the perimeter during the night.

Operations slightly to the south continue as the French begin to worry more and more about a Wehrmacht breakthrough to the heart of France. The French send 20 LeO-451s against the German bridgeheads at Amiens and Abbeville. The attacks accomplish little - the panzers are at Dunkirk and Lille - and they lose 9 planes.

Douglas DB-7/A-20 Havocs strafe a German column near St. Quentin.

Battle of the Atlantic: For the month of May, shipping losses are:

In Atlantic:
100 Ships
 285,893 tons

 In Pacific: 
 1 Ship
 2,568 tons

The Kriegsmarine has lost 1 U-boat.

In fact, that one loss during May 1940 happens today. U-13 (Oberleutnant zur See Max-Martin Schulte) is sunk by depth charges in the North Sea, 11 miles southeast of Lowestoft by sloop HMS Weston (L 72).

U-101 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim) torpedoes and sinks 5,775-ton freighter Orangemoor southwest of Roches Doures in the English Channel. There are 22 survivors, while 18 crew perish. U-101 then survives an 8-hour depth charge attack with 41 depth charges.

French destroyer Sirocco is attacked by German S-boats (Schnellboote) and Luftwaffe planes and sinks. About 600 French troops and 59 crew perish.

Norwegian ship Jadarland hits a mine and sinks. The mine had been laid by French submarine Rubis.

Convoy HG 32 departs from Gibraltar, Convoy SL 34 departs from Freetown, and Australian/New Zealand convoy US 3 departs from Cape Town for the UK.

Minesweeping trawler HMS Blackthorn (T 100) (J. G. Hilliard) is commissioned.

This rare color photograph was taken by Generalmajor Erwin Rommel personally around 31 May 1940. Rommel took it from his Fieseler Fi 156 "Storch" observation plane. It shows the mechanized column of his 7th Panzer-Division, perhaps on the way to Lille. Allied air intervention obviously was not a major factor at this stage, especially with the main thrust of air operations along the coast at Dunkirk. Rommel was an amateur photographer who took many snapshots like a tourist, without using fancy lenses and so forth - this is one of his more interesting shots from a technical standpoint.

Norway: The British complete the successful evacuation from Bodo. Colonel Gubbins comes off on the last destroyer during the night. The Norwegian 1st battalion, 15th Regiment is taken off by small boats and sent to the Lofoten Islands in the north.

General Auchinleck ultimately awards Gubbins the DSO. Gubbins goes next to organize the Auxiliary Units, a Home Guard force to defend against a German invasion of Britain.

Lieutenant Colonel Stockwell, who successfully led the ground troops during the retreat, also is awarded a DSO. His next command is to run the Commando Training Center at Lochailort.

The British Army Independent Companies are disbanded. However, some of their troops become the embryo for the commandos.

The Allies are still pressing General Dietl's mountain troops near Narvik as he slowly retreats toward the border. He is patiently awaiting the arrival of 2d Mountain Division troops, which today reach Sorfold north of Bodo. Dietl is reinforced by 80 German troops who arrive on the train from Sweden.

War Crimes: There are reports of Luftwaffe aircraft machine-gunning hospital ships at Dunkirk, which are clearly marked. It is very difficult to prove such attacks, and some or all may be accidental.

US Government: President Roosevelt sends a message to Congress. He states that the changing nature of war, with expensive tanks and planes, requires a "billion-dollar defense program." He sends a supplementary $100 million defense bill to Congress as part of his $1.3 billion plan. He also states that he wants a law giving him authority:

call into active service such portion of the National Guard as may deemed necessary to maintain our position of neutrality and to safeguard the national defense, this to include authority to call into active service the necessary Reserve personnel.

In Montevideo, Uruguay, the US ambassadors to Uruguay (Norman Armour) and Argentina (Edwin C. Wilson) confer. They send a telegram to Secretary of State Cordell Hull. In it, they suggest that "if the situation in the Far East permits," that the US might send a "large U.S. naval force, 40 or 50 vessels...to the east coast of South America." The purpose would be to "strengthen the position of those who desire to combat Hitlerism, as well as restore the confidence of those who are now wavering." They state that a US presence  "more or less permanently in these waters would be an added assurance that we are prepared to give effective and immediate assistance if required."

The telegram is supported by the Chief of the Division of the American Republics (Laurence Duggan) in a conversation with the Undersecretary of State Sumner Welles. Duggan suggests that a higher profile be put on US interest in Latin American political developments. He says that a decision "to detach two or three cruisers to go down the east coast [of Latin America]" be made public "in order to put a little iron in the veins of our friends in those countries."

The telegram from the two ministers echoes one on 30 May from Wilson alone. To that one, Hull responds that the US is sending heavy cruiser Quincy (CA 39) to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and then to Montevideo for "friendly visits of courtesy."

US Military: General Spaatz arrives in London to take up his position as Military Air Observer.

China: The Japanese announce plans to launch a terror bombing campaign against Chiang Kai-shek's capital Chungking "until the spirit of Chinese resistance is broken."

At the Battle of Tsaoyang-Ichang, the Japanese 11th Army attacks across the Han River at Yicheng and Ouchiamiao.

Italian Homefront: Private cars are banned to conserve gasoline - for the coming offensive against France.

British Homefront: Among other things, all street signs at crossroads are removed as a precaution against paratroopers.

The Lowell Sun, 31 May 1940.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

Thursday 30 May 1940

The Bourrasque, deck crowded with men, in its last moments.

Western Front: Operation Fish is implemented on 30 May 1940. This is the shipment of British gold and securities to the Bank of Canada in Ottawa. Battleship HMS Revenge carries £40 million in gold, while troopships Antonia and Duchess of Richmond carry £10 million in gold apiece.

General de Gaulle calls off his attack on Abbeville. The French have recovered about half the ground of the bridgehead, but lost 105 tanks in the process. One must chalk the victory up to the strength of the German artillery and the clever way in which it is handled.

Another view of the Bourrasque.

Dunkirk: The weather is poor, limiting air operations over Dunkirk. On balance, this helps the Allies. It is estimated that, to date, 134,000 men have been taken off.

The evacuation is picking up steam. An additional 53,823 men are taken off (24,311 Allied troops embark from Dunkirk harbor and 29,512 men from the beaches). For the first time, some French troops are picked up.

Smaller vessels are used primarily to transport men out to the larger transport ships standing offshore. General Sir Alan Brooke of British 2d Corps leaves today for Dover, where he will meet with General Dill and receive a new command. Bernard Montgomery, commander of the 3rd (Iron) Infantry Division, replaces him.

The Germans are close enough to start scoring artillery hits on the rescue ships. Despite a constant RAF presence, the Luftwaffe is getting through just enough to cause problems.

Conditions within the beachhead are orderly, but crude. Hospital Services for the wounded are sketchy at best. Many badly wounded men (lost arms or legs) are given morphine or heroin and allowed to drift off.

Men in a trench at Dunkirk, May 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: The main focus remains on the English Channel due to Operation Dynamo. Numerous smaller vessels are sunk or damaged from a variety of causes, including Luftwaffe and small-arms attacks. The Admiralty removes all modern destroyers from the vicinity (H, I, J class), leaving about 10 older destroyers to rescue the roughly 300,000 men left in the shrinking bridgehead. Ronald Cartland, a Member of Parliament, is killed in the fighting at Dunkirk.

French destroyer/torpedo ship Bourrasque is damaged by striking a mine off Nieuwpoort, and then sunk by artillery fire off Ostend. It is loaded with BEF troops, and 660 men either drown or swim ashore and are captured. There are about 300 survivors picked up by other ships.

Three large transport ships are sunk off of Dunkirk.

Three Royal Navy destroyers (HMS Anthony, Sabre, and Worcester) are damaged off of Dunkirk.

Numerous smaller vessels are damaged near Dunkirk, including minesweeper HMS Kellet, armed boarding vessel HMS King Orry and steamers St. Julien & Normannia.

U-101 (Kapitänleutnant Fritz Frauenheim) torpedoes and sinks 4,831 ton British freighter Stanhall about 35 miles northwest of Ile d'Ouessant, France. There are 36 survivors, one man perishes.

U-boats U-100 (Kapitänleutnant Joachim Schepke) and U-123 (Kapitänleutnant Karl-Heinz Moehle) are commissioned.

Convoy OA 158GF departs from Southend, Convoy OB 158 departs from Liverpool.

30 May 1940: more men are being taken off from the beaches than from the docks.

European Air Operations: RAF sends 68 aircraft to attack the advancing Germans at Dunkirk during the day, and 28 more at night.

RAF Bomber Command attacks Hamburg and Bremen during the night with 18 bombers.

Norway: The British continue the evacuation of Bodø, taking another group of men off to Harstad. Colonel Gubbins remains in the port. The German 2d Mountain Division is still working its way up the lengthy road which the British were able to skip by using the ferry.

General Dietl and his mountain troops remain in the middle of nowhere in northern Norway. The Allies continue to press them, and the German mountain troops are retreating slowly toward the Swedish border at Bjørnfjell, which is only 18 miles away. During the day, Dietl receives another 57 men of the 1st Fallschirmjaeger Regiment. His main hope is the slow, painful advance of the 2nd Gebirgsjäger Division.

Once at the border, Dietl will have to make a decision whether to stand and fight to the end or cross the border and be interned - and cloud the entire campaign. Hitler is not giving him the option to be interned - the Fuhrer is focusing as much on Narvik as on the much more vital campaign in France. From the broadest possible perspective, Dietl's troops have served as a capital decoy to divert attention away from the main front in France - on both sides.

Ethiopia: The Duke of Aosta is in command of Italian forces in Addis Ababa. He is instructed to mobilize his forces.

German/Italian Relations: Mussolini tells Hitler that Italy will declare war on the side of the Axis on 5 June 1940.

US Government: President Roosevelt decides to keep the US fleet in the Pacific rather than bring it to the Mediterranean as has been suggested by US Ambassador to France William Bullitt, Jr. He has Secretary of State Cordell Hull tell Bullitt:

 The presence of the fleet in the Pacific at this time is a very practical contribution to the maintenance of peace in the Pacific.

In Montevideo, US Minister Edwin C. Wilson notes in a telegram to Hull that the political situation is "deteriorating." He portrays a Uruguayan government that is "drifting," with ordinary people "climbing on the German bandwagon." He cautions that if things continue, an "armed movement is a possibility."

German Homefront: Food rationing is easing due to an influx of supplies from Denmark, Norway, and the Low Countries.

A destroyed Cruiser Mk IV tank after an engagement on 30 May 1940.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

2020

Wednesday 29 May 1940

A formation of German Ju 87 Stuka dive bombers, May 29, 1940.

Western Front: The French on 29 May 1940 are beginning to realize how much trouble they are in now that the Belgians have surrendered. While the Maginot Line is holding as designed for the most part, the BEF and accompanying French forces are taking a royal beating to the north. French counterattacks along the Somme are not going well, either. In a sign of this growing pessimism, the French load auxiliary cruiser Ville d'Oran with 200 tons of Gold from the French reserve and send it to Casablanca, Morocco - where it will be available for transfer to the United States if necessary.

There are endless lines of BEF troops on the beaches and hiding in the dunes, but the Wehrmacht is assaulting the British line on the and banging it in. By the end of the day, the British troops are behind the final line of canals. A weak spot is developing at Nieuport, but there are endless amounts of British reinforcements from the hundreds of thousands of men trapped in the pocket. The British have nowhere to retreat to, so it is stand and fight, or die. So far, the line is holding.

The fighting at Lille comes to an end, with the capitulation of the 40,000 French Troops who have been drawing Wehrmacht attention away from the beachhead. General Prioux of French 1st Army is captured at Steenwerck, while General Alphonse Juin is captured and his French 15th Infantry Division eliminated at Lille. General Rommel's 7th Panzer Division is prominent in the final stages, surrounding five French divisions.

Brigadier General Charles de Gaulle attacks the German positions near Abbeville again with the French 4th Armoured Division (4e Division cuirassée). There also are some tanks of the British 1st Armoured Division in support roles. The main German defense is formed by over a dozen 88 mm Flak guns of Flak-Abteilung 64. There also are some 105 mm howitzers. The smaller anti-tank weapons, which have been found to be useless against the French tanks, are withdrawn to other purposes.

Seeking the high ground, the French tanks attack Mont de Caubert with initial success. They get to a plateau near the summit before running into serious opposition. There, the French Char B1s suddenly find themselves facing the German artillery near the summit at point-blank range and withdraw with casualties. Another group of French R35 tanks had more success on a different route and caused unreliable Wehrmacht troops of the 57th Infantry Division (Lieutenant-General Oskar Blümm) to flee across the Somme in a panic. Seeing this, General de Gaulle believes that the battle is won and orders a general advance, but the German artillery on Mont de Caubert is still intact and firing down on the French.

Faced with a potential disaster, Generalleutnant Erich von Manstein, the XXXVIII Corps commander in Abbeville, rallies his troops, who soon return to their positions. He uses his artillery to pick off more Char B1 tanks, which are the heart of the French attack. The French tanks are capable but vulnerable to the German artillery fired at close range. German infantry then counterattacks around Cambron, pushing back the 51st (Highland) Division. The day ends with the French giving the Germans a severe fright, but the positions of the two sides barely changed.

Werner Mölders is awarded the Knight's Cross on 29 May 1940 as Hauptmann & Gruppenkommandeur of III./Jagdgeschwader 53.

Dunkirk: BBC newsreader Alan Howland broadcasts an extraordinary and deliciously British understated appeal to the nation:

A number of appeals for recruits have been issued today. The Admiralty want men experienced in marine internal combustion engines for service as engine-men in yachts or motorboats. Others who have had charge of motorboats and have good knowledge of coastal navigation are needed as uncertified second hands. Application should be made to the nearest registrar, Royal Naval Reserve, or to the Fishery Officer. 

No explanation as to why these men are suddenly needed is given, perhaps not to give the Germans a propaganda coup.

Operation Dynamo ramps up, with 47,310 men taken off (33,558 from the port, 13,752 from the beaches) under fierce Luftwaffe, E-boat and artillery attack. The British lose three destroyers and have another 9 damaged (Royal Navy destroyers Gallant, Jaguar, Greyhound, Intrepid, Saladin, Mackay, Montrose and Wolfhound, and French destroyer Mistral).

The Miracle of Dunkirk continues, with numerous small private craft taking men off the beaches. About 15 of these smaller vessels go under due to Luftwaffe and shore attacks. The French begin to participate in the evacuation and send their own vessels to take men off. Everybody understands that it easily could turn into a one-way trip.

The Luftwaffe clearly is over-matched. They face the determined RAF air cover from unmolested bases in England, anti-aircraft fire from the besieged troops, and Royal Navy ships putting up additional anti-aircraft fire. Still, many planes get through despite the intense crossfire.

The BEF troops wait patiently in the surf. Discipline remains strong, with lines of men stretching out into the deep water waiting for expected ships. The tide, of course, rolls in and out, the waves crash about, and the men are attired in heavy uniforms. They stand still, waiting, risking drowning (some indeed drown), knowing that if they break ranks and return to the beach, they will lose their spot and perhaps not get back to England at all.

A13 Cruiser Mk IV tank on guard at Huppy, France (just south of Abbeville), 26-29 May 1940.

Battle of the Atlantic: U-37 (Kapitänleutnant Victor Oehrn) continues its successful patrol off Vigo, Spain. It is spotting so many ships that it begins using its deck gun. Captain Oehrn stops 2,477-ton French freighter Marie José, uses its deck gun, and finishes it off with a torpedo.

U-37 then spots 7,406-ton British tanker Telena, which is carrying petrol to Pauillac, France. This time, Oehrn uses his gun to sink the ship. There are 18 survivors and 18 crew perish.

U-62 (Kapitänleutnant Hans-Bernhard Michalowski) torpedoes and badly damages destroyer HMS Grafton (H 89) just off of Dunkirk. Four men perish. The men are rescued by destroyer HMS Ivanhoe, which finishes off the sinking Grafton with gunfire.

German E-Boat S-30 torpedoes and sinks destroyer HMS Wakeful (H 88) just off of Dunkirk. The Wakeful is full of BEF troops, and 640 of them perish along with 97 crew, with only 25 crew and one of the BEF men rescued.

The Luftwaffe sinks British destroyer HMS Grenade just off Dunkirk during the evacuation. It is hit by three bombs, one going down the stack, and 18 are killed.

The scene off of Dunkirk is controlled chaos. HMS Lydd mistakes HMS Comfort for a German ship and rams it, with four killed. Destroyers HMS Mackay and Montrose collide, damaging both. HMS Jaguar is bombed with 13 killed; minesweeper HMS Waverley is carrying BEF men back to England when it is bombed, with about 350 men killed. Boats approaching Dunkirk report seeing half-sunk ships everywhere.

The British commission destroyer HMS HMS Fernie (L 11) (Lt. Commander Ronald M. P. Jonas).

European Air Operations: The cynosure of everyone's eyes is the Dunkirk defense and evacuation. The Luftwaffe is able to move more aircraft close to the battlefield, increasing the number of sorties. RAF Bomber Command maintains constant pressure on the encroaching panzers, with 51 sorties during the day and 15 at night.

However, with the RAF giving iron priority to the beachhead, the rest of France is wide open to the Luftwaffe. It establishes aerial dominance, and on a beautiful, cloudless day it shoots "anything that moves."

Hauptmann Werner Mölders, Gruppenkommandeur of III./Jagdgeschwader 53, is mentioned in the Wehrmachtbericht (the Wehrmacht's daily despatches, a huge honor for any serviceman) for achieving his 20th aerial victory. He is awarded the Knight's Cross.

Norway: The British begin evacuating Bodø during the night, sailing to Scapa Flow. To avoid attracting attention, the departure is done without explosive detonations. The weather keeps the Luftwaffe away, and the 2d Mountain Division is having to take the long road around the fjord and remains far to the south.

The Luftwaffe is active over Narvik, tangling with the Hawker Hurricanes based at Bardufoss. The Hurricanes have the upper hand, downing three of the German planes.

General Dietl has been evicted from Narvik, but his force remains intact and morale is high. During the day, the Luftwaffe drops another 125 paratroopers to help him. He is on the rail line to Sweden, watching and waiting for any pursuers.

Holland: Artur Seyss-Inquart takes over his position as Reichskommissar of Holland in The Hague, stating:

"We Germans have not come to subjugate this country and its people, nor do we seek to impose our political system on them."

King Leopold, refusing to leave the country, is arrested by the Wehrmacht and placed under house arrest in one of his castles.

Italy: Mussolini is in a strange mood, wishing to go to war and not really caring about the details. Foreign Minister Count Ciano - who maintains a meticulous diary - notes that Mussolini is ready to jump on board with whichever side appears to be winning. "His blood is up," as the expression goes.

Sweden: The Swedish Government implements its own civil defense force aka Home Guard.

US Navy: The prototype Vought F4U Corsair (XF4U-1) makes its first flight at the hands of Lyman A. Bullard, Jr. The plane has some difficulty with its elevator trim tabs but lands safely. The plane has been in development since June 1938, when the U.S. Navy signed a contract with Vought for the prototype.

British Government: The debate in the cabinet continues, with Foreign Secretary Lord Halifax urging negotiation and Prime Minister Churchill wishing to fight on. Churchill gives a rousing speech to the cabinet in the evening which stops talk of "surrender."

Sir Samuel, 1st Viscount Templewood, flies to take up his position as Ambassador to Spain.

The prototype of the Vought F4U Corsair takes to the skies.

May 1940

May 1, 1940: British Leave Åndalsnes
May 2, 1940: British Depart Namsos
May 3, 1940: Many Norwegians Surrendering
May 4, 1940: Bader Returns
May 5, 1940: HMS Seal Survives
May 6, 1940: Allies Focus on Narvik
May 7, 1940: In The Name of God, Go!
May 8, 1940: Exit Chamberlain
May 9, 1940: Enter Churchill
May 10, 1940: Fall Gelb
May 11, 1940: Eben Emael Surrenders
May 12, 1940: Germans at Sedan
May 13, 1940: Rommel at Work
May 14, 1940: German Breakout in France
May 15, 1940: Holland Surrenders
May 16, 1940: Dash to the Channel
May 17, 1940: Germans Take Brussels
May 18, 1940: Germans Take Antwerp
May 19, 1940: Failed French Counterattack
May 20, 1940: Panzers on the Coast
May 21, 1940: Battle of Arras
May 22, 1940: Attacking Channel Ports
May 23, 1940: British Evacuate Boulogne
May 24, 1940: Hitler's Stop Order
May 25, 1940: Belgian Defenses Creaking
May 26, 1940: Operation Dynamo
May 27, 1940: King Leopold Surrenders 
May 28, 1940: The Allies Take Narvik
May 29, 1940: Lille Falls
May 30, 1940: Operation Fish
May 31, 1940: Peak Day for Dynamo

2020