Dunkirk 1940: Operation Dynamo Review

The operation was launched after German "Blitzkrieg" tactics trapped the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and elements of the French and Belgian armies against the English Channel.

Churchill and his advisors originally hoped to save only 20,000 to 30,000 men . The Rescue Effort Dunkirk 1940: Operation Dynamo

Although the mission saved the core of the British Army, it was a major military defeat. The Allies abandoned nearly all their heavy equipment, including over and 2,400 field guns . In his famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, Winston Churchill cautioned the public that "wars are not won by evacuations," but the successful rescue created a "Dunkirk Spirit" that galvanized British morale. Dunkirk Evacuation World War 2 - What You Need To Know The operation was launched after German "Blitzkrieg" tactics

It was reportedly named after the room at Dover Castle that contained the building’s electric dynamo . The Allies abandoned nearly all their heavy equipment,

Vice Admiral Bertram Ramsay directed the mission from naval headquarters beneath Dover Castle .

Over two-thirds of the rescued troops actually boarded from the East Mole , a long stone sea wall that allowed larger ships to dock despite the harbor's destruction.