Open Site - Society: History: Wars and Conflicts: World War II: Dunkirk

Top: Society: History: Wars and Conflicts: World War II: Dunkirk

[ history ]

Dunkirk

Dunkirk or Dunkerque (French), is a small port stretching 10 miles along the North West coast of France. It stretches to Mardyck to the South West and La Panne in the North East.

The French army which was the largest in Europe, collapsed under the German invasion, which took amazingly, only 24 days. Paris was captured and Germany was heading to Britain. They captured the major ports of Boulogne and Calais and the next stop was the port of Dunkirk.

Members of the French army along with the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) which were in fact, under the orders of the French government at the time, retreated to Dunkirk.

That was an order by the Commander in Charge Lord J. Gort, of the British army. The French wanted to stay and resist the incredible German advance.

There are many accounts of the events at Dunkirk, some of heroism, some of neglect. Some say it was a miracle, some say it was a disaster.

[ history ]

Chronology of Dunkirk

1939

1 September - Germany invades Poland
3 September - Britain and France declare war on Germany. BEF sent to France

1940

9 April - Germany incades Denmark and Norway
15 April- British Forces land in Norway
10 May - Germans invade Low countries. BEF advance to neutral Belgium
11 May - W. Churchill forms National Government in Britain
12 May - H. Guderian's 19th panzer corps reaches River Meuse
13 May - Germans cross Meuse by Sedan
14 May - Surrender of the Dutch. RAF suffer heavy losses counter-attacking Germans at Sedan
16 May - BEF starts retreat from Belgium to avoid being cut off and trapped by panzers coming from Sedan. Fall of Antwerp. Germans cut through the North-West extension of the Maginot Line
17 May - H. Guderian's panzers advance 55 miles. Hitler worried about vulnerability of German southern flank, believing the French to be much stronger and better led than they are
18 May - Germans reach St.Quentin
19 May - Allied Chief in Command Gamelin, replace by Weygand but French still in command. Gort, British C-in-C believes a retreat to Dunkirk may be inevitable
20 May - Amiens falls. Germans reach Abbeville
21 May - British tanks counter-attack at Arras
22 May - Germans attack Boulogne
23 May - Von Runstedt (with Hitler's agreement) halts panzer columns outside Dunkirk, which is to be left to the Luftwaffe. Attacks against Calias and Boulogne continue
25 May - Boulogne falls
26 May - Hitler allows Panzers to advance again
27 May - Calais falls. Evacuation starts from Dunkirk
28 May - Belgium surrender
29 May - Lille, Ostend and Ypres fall
29 May to 3 June - Dunkirk evacuation
4 June - End of Dunkirk evacuation
5 June - Strong French resistance to Germans south of Peronne and Amiens.
10 June - Mussolini declares war on Allies
14 June - Paris surrenders
15 June - Reynaud, French leader resigns and is replaced by Petain. He asks Germany for an armistice.
22 June - Frace accepts German surrender terms.

[ history ]

Forces of Combatants

German Forces (Total)

3,706,104 men (103 divisions); 3,195 tanks, over 7,000 guns; 4,093 planes including 1,176 fighters, 335 Stukas; 2 old battleships, 2 battlecruisers, 3 pocket battleships, 8 cruisers, 22 destroyers and 56 U-boats.

British Forces (Total)

897,000 men (26 divisions); 1,146 tanks, about 2,600 guns; 15 capital ships, 6 carriers, 61 cruisers, 181 destroyers, 59 submarines, 1,911 planes including 871 bombers and 747 fighters.

French Forces (Total)

5,000,000 men (99 divisions); 2,600 tanks, about 11,000 guns; 7 capital ships, 1 carrier, 19 cruisers, 70 destroyers, 75 submarines; 2,754 planes including 1,114 fighters and 1,002 bombers.

These statistics come from an average of two sources.