Retreat to Dunkirk Battle of Dunkirk

feature film re-enactment of british troops under fire on beach @ dunkirk.

also on 31 may, general von kuechler assumed command of german forces @ dunkirk. plan simple: launch all-out attack across whole front @ 11:00 on 1 june. strangely, von kuechler ignored radio intercept telling him british abandoning eastern end of line fall dunkirk itself.

the morning of 1 june clear–good flying weather, in contrast bad weather had hindered air operations on 30 , 31 may (there 2 , half flying days in whole operation.) although churchill had promised french british cover escape, on ground french held line whilst last remaining british soldiers evacuated. enduring concentrated german artillery fire , luftwaffe strafing , bombs, french stood ground. on 2 june (the day last of british units embarked onto ships), french began fall slowly, , 3 june germans 2 miles (3 km) dunkirk. night of 3 june last night of evacuations. @ 10:20 on 4 june, germans hoisted swastika on docks many british , french troops had escaped.

the desperate resistance of allied forces, french 12th motorised infantry division fort des dunes, had bought time evacuation of bulk of troops. wehrmacht captured 35,000 soldiers, of them french. these men had protected evacuation until last moment , unable embark. same fate reserved survivors of french 12th motorised infantry division (composed in particular of french 150th regiment of infantry); taken prisoner on morning of 4 june on beach of malo-les-bains. flag of regiment burnt not fall hands of enemy.

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