Zusammenfassung der Ressource
Dunkirk
- Poland were
defeated in 1
month. (Blitzkrieg)
- Germany took
Paris early may
1940.
- Britain sent 300,000 men
who were forced to retreat
to the beaches at Dunkirk.
- 26th May - 4th June 1940.
- How Britain
wanted to portray
the battle:
- That the British
were doing well and
it was ongoing.
- Well organised, no
chaos - implying the
government were
instructing them well.
- Boats were being sunk
from the air - shows
heroism.
- The danger (smoke and
explosions) were far away, and the
soldiers weren't being harmed - for
morale.
- People from home were
bringing their boats
(rowing boats...) to help
bring the army home.
- FACTS
- 338,000 British and French
troops evacuated from
Dunkirk. The original target
was 50,000.
- 860 naval + privately owned
vessels (ships) carried troops to
Dover + South Coast.
- RAF provided air cover against
Goering's Luftwaffe - saving BEF
lives.
- Luftwaffe + artillery bombardment
troops: heroically evacuated and a
morale booster for the British.
- DISASTER?
- 68,000 BEF casulties
- 1,200 field guns, 1,250
anti-aircraft guns, 11,000
machine guns and 75,000
vehicles abandoned (inc.
475 tanks) were taken
from the British.
- Germans fully expected Britain
to make peace.