How a fleet of civilian boats helped save 338,000 soldiers
In short: In May 1940, Allied forces were trapped against the sea by a rapid German advance. This video explores the massive evacuation from the French seaport of Dunkirk that relied on both the Royal Navy and a fleet of civilian 'little ships'.
Following the German blitzkrieg through the Low Countries and the Ardennes Forest, British, French, and Belgian troops were forced into a retreat toward the English Channel. The evacuation, which took place between May 26 and June 4, 1940, became a massive maritime operation.
The effort successfully rescued approximately 198,000 soldiers of the British Expeditionary Force along with 140,000 French and Belgian troops. To achieve this, the Royal Navy worked alongside hundreds of civilian fishing boats and lifeboats, famously known as the 'little ships'.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Dunkirk Evacuation (1940)
- Also: www.britannica.com — Dunkirk evacuation | Facts, Map, Photos, Numbers, Timeline, & Summary | Britannica
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