Operation Dynamo - Dunkirk

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The story of the evacuation of the British Army from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940 is one that turned a potential disaster into a miracle. On 10th May 1940 Hitler launched his Blitzkrieg attack west into Luxembourg, the Low Countries and France.

The German Army, led by tanks and overwhelming air superiority, cut through the opposing armies like a hot knife through butter. The French army was quickly beaten and a wedge was driven between the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and the French army. The decision was taken to withdraw the BEF via the Channel Ports and on 27th May the first troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.

Suggested Itineraries

1-day Dunkirk by coach
Day 1: Retreat to Dunkirk & evacuation

2-day Dunkirk & Occupied France by coach
Day 1: Retreat to Dunkirk & evacuation
Day 2: Life in occupied France

By 4th June some 337,000 British and French soldiers had been evacuated from the beaches and around the town, many with only the uniforms they stood up in, without even their personal weapons. The bulk of their heavy equipment - tanks and artillery - were left on the beaches and the roads leading to Dunkirk.

The Royal Navy alone could not cope with the evacuation, as they had not the means to get the men off the beaches. Small boat owners throughout the south of England volunteered to take their boats inshore and transport the men to the Royal Navy ships offshore. The tour gives an excellent insight into the Fall of France.

 

Specifications/topics supported by this tour

AQA Specification B > Britain at War

Edexcel Specification A > War and the Transformation of British Society 1931-1951 > The impact of War on Britain 1914-1955

Themes

  • Hitler’s Foreign Policy
  • The Origins of World War II
  • Britain at War
  • The impact of war and transformation of British society
  • The development of warfare – tactics and technology in the Second World War