Aftermath Battle of Dunkirk

troops evacuated dunkirk, dover, 31 may 1940



battle of dunkirk memorial

following events @ dunkirk, german forces regrouped before commencing operation called fall rot ( case red ), renewed assault southward, starting on 5 june. although 2 fresh british divisions had begun moving france in attempt form second bef, decision taken on 14 june withdraw remaining british troops; evacuation called operation ariel. 25 june, 192,000 allied personnel, 144,000 of them british, had been evacuated through various french ports. although french army fought on, german troops entered paris on 14 june. french government forced negotiate armistice @ compiègne on 22 june.

the loss of materiel on beaches huge. british army left enough equipment behind fit out 8 ten divisions. discarded in france were, among other things, huge supplies of ammunition, 880 field guns, 310 guns of large calibre, 500 anti-aircraft guns, 850 anti-tank guns, 11,000 machine guns, 700 tanks, 20,000 motorcycles , 45,000 motor cars , lorries. army equipment available @ home sufficient equip 2 divisions. british army needed months re-supply , planned introductions of new equipment halted while industrial resources concentrated on making losses. officers told troops falling dunkirk burn or otherwise disable trucks (so not let them benefit advancing german forces). shortage of army vehicles after dunkirk severe royal army service corps (rasc) reduced retrieving , refurbishing obsolete buses , coaches british scrapyards press them use troop transports. of these antique workhorses still in use late north african campaign of 1942.

on 2 june, dean of st paul s, walter matthews, first call evacuation miracle of dunkirk .

it remembered archbishop of canterbury had announced day of national prayer might turning point, , obvious many god had answered nation s collective prayer miracle of dunkirk . evidence of god s intervention clear wished see it; papers had written of calm seas , high mist interfered accuracy of german bombers.

a marble memorial battle stands @ dunkirk. french inscription translated as: glorious memory of pilots, mariners, , soldiers of french , allied armies sacrificed in battle of dunkirk, may–june 1940.

the missing dead of bef commemorated on dunkirk memorial.