War and Military Atlas

How Battles Were Fought
Military Operations

Operation Dynamo

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Operation Dynamo was the emergency evacuation of Allied forces trapped at Dunkirk, France, between 26 May and 4 June 1940 during the Battle of France. Using a hastily assembled fleet of more than 800 vessels, including Royal Navy destroyers and hundreds of civilian small craft, the operation rescued more than 338,000 British, French, Belgian and other Allied troops from the beaches and harbour, though nearly all heavy equipment and vehicles were abandoned.

Facts
Operation Type
Evacuation 1
Start Date
1940-05-26 1
End Date
1940-06-04 1
Location
Dunkirk, France, and the English Channel 1
Participants
British Expeditionary Force, French, Belgian, Dutch and Polish forces; Royal Navy and a fleet of civilian 'little ships' 1
Objective
Evacuate trapped Allied forces across the English Channel before capture or destruction by advancing German forces 1
Outcome
More than 338,000 soldiers were evacuated, though the British Expeditionary Force suffered 68,000 casualties overall and abandoned nearly all tanks, vehicles and heavy equipment 1
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Operation Dynamo
WikipediaAftermath section (quoting Churchill's 4 June 1940 Commons speech)
Quote, Aftermath section (quoting Churchill's 4 June 1940 Commons speech)
Wars are not won by evacuations.
View the Source
1. Wikipedia: Operation Dynamo
WikipediaIn Category: Military OperationsView the Source
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