Battle of Dunkirk
Dunkirk, France
What happened
British commander Lord Gort's army and French troops were trapped by German forces under Gerd von Rundstedt, while Admiral Bertram Ramsay organised a rescue by sea. In May 1940 German armies burst through the Ardennes and raced to the English Channel, trapping British, French and other Allied armies around the port of Dunkirk. German tanks paused for a few days, which gave the Allies time to organise an evacuation. Warships and many small civilian boats carried about 338,000 soldiers across the Channel to Britain.
Why it matters
Result: See aftermath. Why it matters: Saving so many soldiers let Britain keep fighting after France fell. The rescue gave rise to the phrase 'Dunkirk spirit'.
What came next
The British army lost nearly all its equipment. That summer Britain faced the Battle of Britain.
Did you know?
The smallest of the 'little ships' was the Tamzine, a fishing boat less than 15 feet long, which is now kept at the Imperial War Museum.
Timeline
- May 1940German armies break through the Ardennes.
- 26 May 1940The Dunkirk evacuation begins.
- 4 June 1940The evacuation ends.
- 10 July 1940The Battle of Britain begins.