This Day in the War in Europe: The Beginning

[parsifal]

2 June 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
MTB 29 MTB 69

MTB 30 was a sister to the MTB29. MTB69 was also a sister ship

Losses
ASW trawlers AMETHYST and KINGSTON PERIDOT were damaged by the LW at Dunkirk and out of action. Tug FOSSA (UK 105 grt) was stranded and abandoned at Bruyne Sands at Dunkirk. She was later salved by German forces for their own use.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

FVs ONZE LIEVE VROUW VAN VLAANDEREN (Be 39 grt), GETUIGT VOR CHRISTUS (Be 39 grt), and ANNA LEOPOLD (Be 52 grt) were lost at Dunkirk. These vessels were sunk by a German PV operating from Dutch Ports.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

ASW trawler BLACKBURN ROVERS (RN 422 grt), of ASW Gp 21 was sunk at 1618 in mining 24 miles E by Sth of Nth Foreland. naval trawler struck a mine and sank Her survivors were ultimately rescued by HMT SAON.

ASW trawler WESTELLA (RN 550 grt) of ASW Gp 10, rescuing survivors of trawler BLACKBURN ROVERS was also sunk by a mine at 1639. ASW trawler SAON rescued 36 men from the two trawlers.

Hospital ship PARIS (RN 1790 grt) on passage to Dunkirk, was badly damaged at 1915 by LW attacks near Dunkirk . Two crew were killed. PARIS sank on the 3rd.

PARIS during the evacuation. Her clear markings as a hospital Ship are marked, and she was only used to evacuate wounded soldiers at the time of her loss. This did not prevent her being attacked though it is not known if such attacks were deliberate.

DD VIVACIOUS with MTB.107 and MA/SB 7 took blockships EDV. NISSEN (UK 2062 grt), WESTCOVE (UK 2735 grt), HOLLAND (UK 1251 grt) from Dover to Dunkirk late on the 2nd. A fourth blockship did not arrive. At 0300 on the 3 June, the blockships were sunk at Dunkirk, but the channel was not completely blocked.
[NO IMAGES PROVIDED]

Trawler EMMA (Fr 255 grt) and steamer HEBE (FN 686 grt) collided two miles east, sw of Sth Foreland light House. The trawler sank.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Trawler GREYNIGHT (UK 96 grt) was sunk by the LW off the Humber. The Master of the trawler was lost.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Steamer CHELLA (Fr 8920 grt) was badly damaged by German bombing. The vessel was moved to the Roads where it was sunk by gunfire from coastal batteries.

LCM 12 (RN 36 grt) and LCM 22 (RN 36 grt) The Type 1 Landing Craft Mechanizeds (LCMs) were abandoned at Dunkerque.

U.101 sank steamer POLYKARP (UK 3577 grt) . The crew from the British steamer was rescued by Fr steamer ESPIGUETTE and was landed at Penzance. Sloops ABERDEEN, ENCHANTRESS, ROCHESTER were hunting for the submarine. All 43 crew were rescued

MV WINGA (UK 1478 grt) The cargo ship collided with JERNLAND ( Norway) in the Nth Sea 4 nautical miles (7.4 km) off Hartlepool, Co Durham and sank with the loss of 14 of her 22 crew

UBOATS
At Sea 2 June 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-62, U-101.
13 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
MSW trawler MILFORD QUEEN , JAMES LAY ,CAPE MELVILLE, MILFORD PRINCESS and unattached CLOTILDE , escorted by Sloop WESTON, departed the Tyne to cut the cables between Newbiggin and Peterhead to Scandinavia in Operation QUIDNUNC. After the operation, the ships proceeded to Yarmouth. OA.160 departed Southend escort corvette ARABIS from 2 to 5 June. The corvette was detached to convoy SL.33. Convoy OB.160 departed Liverpool escorted by sloop SCARBOROUGH from 2 to 4 June. FN.186 departed Southend, escort DD VIVIEN. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 4th. MT.80 departed Methil, escort sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.186 departed the Tyne, escorted by sloop HASTINGS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 4th. Submarine SUNFISH arrived at Rosyth after patrol.


Northern Waters
CVs ARK ROYAL and GLORIOUS arrived off Harstad to provide air cover for the evacuation of Narvik. GLORIOUS was carrying a reduced aircraft complement in order to embark the surviving Gladiators of the 263 Sqn, and as it turned out, the survivors of 46 sqn (Hurri).

British steamer CONCH (8376grt) arrived at Andenes from Scapa escort ASW trawlers JUNIPER and WHITETHORN . Trawler WHITETHORN returned to Scapa.

West Coast UK
CV ILLUSTRIOUS departed the Clyde for Devonport escorted by DDs WARWICK, WESTCOTT, WITCH, AMAZON. DD WESTCOTT arrived at Devonport on the 3rd. After the carrier was safely delivered, the rest of the DDs went on to Portsmouth, to escort the BB NELSON. After outfitting and some modifications from 3 to 21 June, at Plymouth, the ILLUSTRIOUS went to the West Indies for working up in the Caribbean. ILLUSTRIOUS, escorted by DD IMOGEN, departed Plymouth on the 21st and was damaged by weather en route. She returned to England on 23 July when she arrived at Greenock.

Western Approaches
AB 2, consisting of British steamers LYCAON (7350grt), BELLEROPHON (9019grt), DORSET COAST (646grt) and escorted by ASW trawlers NOTTS COUNTY and NORWICH CITY , departed Reykavik for the Clyde. Steamer SICILIAN PRINCE was delayed and did not sail with the convoy. The convoy arrived in the Clyde on the 6th.

Channel
Operation Dynamo
On 2 June, 26,256 troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.
British Force K was formed for the final operations off Dunkirk. The DDs were sent to Dunkirk to embark troops in pairs. DD WINDSOR embarked 493 troops on her first trip and DD ICARUS embarked 677 troops. ICARUS was damaged on the return part , when at 0400, ICARUS was in a collision with a trawler or a drifter at Dunkirk. The DD was damaged, but was not taken out of service. DD CODRINGTON embarked 878 troops and DD SABRE embarked 756 troops. DD SHIKARI embarked 470 troops. DD ESK was to have accompanied her, but was unable to sail. The next pair was destroyers WINCHELSEA and WHITSHED. WINDSOR on her second trip embarked 624 troops. Fr DDs EPERVIER and LEOPARD operated on the patrol line, but withdrew when LW began airborne ops that morning at 1035. Between X and Y buoy, off Bray, CLA CALCUTTA fought off 3 separate, substantial, determined air attacks. She was slightly damaged by near misses. The cruiser was ordered to Sheerness at 1442. DD MALCOLM at 1651 damaged her bow and propellers in a collision at Dunkirk. DDs VENOMOUS, WINDSOR, WINCHELSEA, among others lifted troops from Dunkirk on the 2nd.
DD WHITSHED was damaged in a collision with Tug JAVA at Dover as she was setting out at on the afternoon of the 2nd, but was able to continue. DD WHITSHED departed Dover on the 4th for Portsmouth, so that her her collision damage could be repaired at Portsmouth completing on the 12th. ASW trawler SPURS (RN 399 grt) of ASW Gp010 was badly damaged by the LW off Dunkirk. SPURS was assisted and escorted back to Dover to DD VANQUISHER. Early on the 3rd, these DDs arrived at Dover - CODRINGTON with 344 troops, ESK with 500 troops, SABRE with 500 troops, SHIKARI with 700 troops, VANQUISHER with 370 troops, VENOMOUS with 1500 troops, WHITSHED with 82 troops, WINCHELSEA with 152 troops, WINDSOR with 1022 troops, EXPRESS was not able to embark troops and arrived at Dover. Gunboat LOCUST arrived with 800.

Nth Atlantic
Ne CL SUMATRA departed Milford Haven carrying HRH Princess Juliana and her daughters to Canada. The CL was joined on the 7th by NE CLHEEMSKERCK and both arrived at Halifax on the 11th.

Fr liner PASTEUR (30,447grt) had departed Brest on 30 May for St Nazaire. other ships had already left with the same mission, and several others departed at the same time. She departed on 31 May, carrying French gold, arrived back at Brest on the 1st. The liner departed Brest on the 2nd for Halifax, escort DD GERFAUT until 3 June. The DD arrived back at Brest on the 5th. The liner safely arrived at Halifax on the 8th. HX.47 departed Halifax at 0900 escort RCN DD SAGUENAY and AMC ACADIA, which were detached on the 3rd. The ocean escort for the convoy was AMC ESPERANCE BAY which took over the convoy on the 2nd. The AMC was detached on the 15th. On 14 June, sloops FOWEY and SANDWICH joined the convoy and escorted it to Liverpool, arriving on the 17th.

Med- Biscay
Egyptian steamer EL NID and Greek steamer AENOS were damaged by German bombing at Marseilles. OG.32F was formed from convoys OA.158GF, which departed Southend on 30 May escorted by corvette GLADIOLUS, OB.158GF, which departed Liverpool on 30 May escorted by sloop DEPTFORD, of forty one ships. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 2 to 5 June. DD DOUGLAS joined the convoy on the 6th. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 7th.

 

[parsifal]

XXX 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis


Neutral


Allied


Losses




DKM War Diary
Selected Extracts


UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


Arrivals

Departures


At Sea XXX 1940


OPERATIONS
Baltic
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

North Sea


Northern Patrol


Northern Waters


West Coast UK

Western Approaches

SW Approaches

Channel

UK-France

Nth Atlantic

Central Atlantic

Sth Atlantic

Med- Biscay

Indian Ocean


Pacific/Far East/Australia Station

 

[parsifal]

2 June 1940 RAF Operations
[unfinished]

32 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk Patrol 1 a/c lost, 1 POW, no other mission details

85 sqn (Hurri)
1 KIA, believed lost in the Dunkirk evac

107 sqn (Blen)
Gravelines. 3 a/c lost, 2 shot down by flak, 1 damaged by flak crashed on landing

111 sqn (Hurri)
Patrol. 1 a/c lost At 18.50 hrs, 5 miles West of Dunkirk 111 Sqn. engaged a German formation and brings down 2 LW a/c. Enemy fighters intervene and P/O R.R. Wilson bailed out after a running fight with these enemy fighters. The a/c crashed into the sea, the pilot parachuted inland near MaNston

 

[parsifal]

2 June 1940 - The BEF
Throughout the early hours of June the 2nd the night's evacuation continued and many of I Corps who had reached the beach during the night were got away. It is impossible to give completely accurate figures, or even estimates of the numbers of BEF troops remaining, but it is figured to be about 24000, of which about 9000 were either unable to be moved, or captured. Adm Ramsay suspended daylight evacuation in order to avoid a repetition of the previous day's losses.

French troops holding what has been called the intermediate position had been attacked at a number of points, and although the right of their line had been forced back, counter-attacks had stopped the enemy's advanced for the time being.

During the day a naval demolition party carried out its work on the port equipment and arrangements were made to block the harbour entrance after the last evacuation. The coming night's work (which was expected to be the last) was planned with great care. Movement across the Channel began about 1700, and 11 DDs, 13 passenger ships with MSWs, drifters, schuyts and a host of small craft were sent over with French and Belgian contingents added.

Rear-Admiral Wake-Walker now controlled the ships from a motor boat in the harbour, while Captain W. G. Tennant, who had acted as Senior Naval Officer in Dunkirk through all these gruelling days, directed operations on the shore. The ships as they arrived loaded quickly and took off all the men who reached the harbour or the beach during the night; but fewer French troops came than had been anticipated for and some of the ships that had been sent to fetch them returned empty.

Evacuation went on during the early hours of June the 3rd and when daylight put an end to the night's operations at about 0300. At this point, there were no more British troops to be brought away, though quite a number, mostly wounded too sick to move had to be left behind. In the early hours of the 3rd Gen Alexander and Capt Tennant themselves sailed for England.

There was more fighting during the day that followed. The situation report of Army Group B records that Fr tops were fighting for every house and for every foot of ground, but in spite of counter-attacks their defence was forced back to the line of the Dunkirk–Furnes Canal. There the enemy were less than 2 miles from the beach and that afternoon Admiral Abrial, in a conference with Gen Fagalde, Gen de la Laurencie and others, decided that the coming night must see the final French evacuations.

Naval operations duly restarted with the fall of darkness, 50 vessels being used. The harbour was very congested but order was achieved and every effort was made to embark the remaining French troops quickly. Some arrived late at the jetty and owing to the general confusion were unable to make contact with the control.3 Up to midnight, however, 26,476 were embarked, and a further 26,175.

 

[Njaco]

June 3 Monday
WESTERN FRONT: The last group of British troops at Dunkirk, France were evacuated before the break of dawn. General Harold Alexander commanding British 1st Infantry Division uses a small boat to check no-one is left behind. At 1050 hours, Royal Navy "Beachmaster" Captain William "Dunkirk Joe" Tennant signals;

"Operation completed; returning to Dover"

, after calling on a megaphone for any British soldiers, but Churchill insists on evacuating as many French troops as possible, so the Royal Navy returns in the evening. During the day, the British Admiralty acknowledged that 222 British naval vessels and 665 other craft were employed for the Dunkirk evacuation; 6 destroyers, 24 small armed vessels, and 226 other ships were lost. British ships returned to Dunkirk after night fall. The last day of Operation Dynamo sees the RAF carry out 171 reconnaissance, 651 bombing and 2,739 fighter sorties. During the previous nine days, the RAF has lost 177 aircraft, including 106 fighters and the attrition is such that the first-line strength of Fighter Command stands at 331 Hurricanes and Spitfires with only 36 fighters in reserve. However, the shrinking beachhead and crumbling perimeter allow German forces within 2 miles of Dunkirk.

"Operation PAULA" commences with the intention to neutralize the French Air Force around Paris. Over 300 bombers from KG 1, KG 2, KG 3, KG 4, KG 30, KG 54, KG 76 and LG 1 attack no fewer than fifty targets around the French capital. This bomber force is escorted by Bf 109's and Bf 110's of I./JG 1, I(J)./LG 2, JG 3, JG 26, JG 27, JG 53, JG 54 and JG 77. The German bombers (20 aircraft lost) attempt to destroy aircraft factories and airfields near the capital; 254 people were killed in the suburbs. The French lose 33 fighters. The fighters of I./JG 3 and I./JG 53 attack the airfield at Meaux in advance of Do. 17s of KG 76. Hptm. Werner Mölders of III./JG 53 claims his twenty-second and twenty-third kills during this action, a French Hawk 75 and a British Spitfire. Twenty-four Bf 109's of II./JG 27 attack French Morane 406s and shoot down one aircraft. Fighters of 4./JG 26 shoot down four French aircraft in battles around the city. Totals for the day are sixteen French fighters destroyed on the ground, seventeen in the air and twenty-six German aircraft lost. Geschwader totals are eleven kills for JG 53, six kills for I(J)./LG 2, three kills for JG 26 pilots and twelve kills for II./JG 2. The fighters of II./JG 26 lose a pilot when his Messerschmitt is shot down over enemy territory and he is captured by French forces. Hptm. Adolf Galland of JG 26 continues his rise to fame by claiming his twelfth kill, a French Morane MS 406 north of Paris. The Kommodore of KG 51, Oberst Josef Kammhuber is shot down and captured by the French.

German forces in France move south toward Paris.

French armed merchant cruiser "Ville D'Oran", with 212 tons of gold from the French reserves, departed from Pauillac, France. The gold will journey on to USA for safekeeping.

GERMANY: Famed glider pilot Heini Dittmar makes a successful non-powered first flight of the new rocket powered fighter, the Messerschmitt Me 163 'Komet', at Karlshagen.

The Oak Leaves to the Knights Cross of the Iron Cross award was established in Germany.

NORTHERN EUROPE: After nightfall, the Allies began to evacuate Narvik, Norway. Through the night and the following day's daybreak, British destroyers and Norwegian fishing boats ferried Allied personnel to six troop transports in various fjords nearby.

Norwegian foreign minister Halvdan Koht and Swedish foreign minister Christian Günther sign an agreement at Luleå, for Sweden to take control of the Narvik area of Norway with the withdrawal of Norwegian and German troops. The plan had the approval of Germany's Hermann Göring and the British government.

UNITED KINGDOM: Winston Churchill ordered the formation of commando units for raiding occupied Europe.

The domestic sugar ration was reduced to 8oz.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-37 sank Finnish ship "Snabb" with the deck gun 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre, Spain, killing 1. Greek ship "Kyriakoula" rescued 20 survivors.

EASTERN EUROPE: Soviet troops began the preparation for the invasion of the Baltic States of Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.

.

.

 

[parsifal]

3 June 1940
Known Reinforcements
Neutral
USN Sub TAMBOR

Losses
MV SNABB (FN 2317 grt) Crew 21 (1 dead and 20 survivors) Cargo: Ballast Route Glasgow - Dakar Sunk in the SW Approaches. At 04.56 hours on 3 June 1940, U-37 opened fire with all weapons on the neutral SNABB about 300 miles west of Cape Finisterre. It is evident in this case that the Uboat commander was not observing DKM stanbdig orders to attack all shipping, because as soon asthe Uboat commander (Vikto Oehrn) realized the ship was neutral, he ceased firing. However, this was not clear until the vessel fired a distress flare which illuminated her name and her nationality. Until that point she was blacked out and thethe Finnish flag on the side of the vessel was not illuminated. The U-boat immediately ceased fire to allow the crew to abandon ship, and then sank the ship about one hr later with gunfire (after the crew abandoned ship in two lifeboats). The second officer was killed. The master and 19 crew members (16 of them wounded) were later picked up by the Greek steam merchant KRIAKOULA and landed at Cork on 6 June.

Between 3-4 June 1940, British demolition parties destroyed military material at Dunkirk to deny its use by the enemy. This material included the port's oil storage tanks. Dunkerque was the third-largest port in France and it was imperative that its facilities and its stores were either disabled or destroyed and it ability to be utilised for a cross channel attack be delayed for as long as possible. These demolition and degradation of port facilities are comprehensive and severely impede DKMs ability to use the port in its subsequent SEALION planning. In addition to the demolitions on shore, the RN scuttled blockships in Dunkirk's harbour to render it unusable for some time. These blockships were: SS WESTCOVE (UK 2735 grt) (sunk 3 June), SS HOLLAND (UK 1251 grt) (sunk 3 June), HMS EDWARD NISSEN (RN 1500 grt (est)) (sunk 3 June), SS GOURKO (sunk 4 June), and SS PACIFICO (4 June).

DD SHIKARI, MTB.107, MA/SB 10 left the Downs with blockships GOURKO (1975grt), MOYLE (UK 1791 grt), PACIFICO (UK 687 grt) to complete the Dunkirk channel blocking in Operation CK. En route, blockship GOURKO was sunk in a collision with a Fr personnel ship off Dunkirk (some sources say she struck a mine) and MTB.107 picked up 7 crew and MA/SB 10 picked 10

The GOURKO, EDWARD NISSEN , HOLLAND

Ships off the beaches at Dunkirk, c.3 June 1940. Smoke billows from burning oil storage tanks.

LCM 17 (RN 36 grt) The Landing Craft Mechanized was abandoned at Dunkerque.
[SEE PREVIOUSLY POSTED IMAGES]

Drifter OCEAN LASSIE (UK 96 grt) was sunk on a mine 2.75 cables 55° from Outer Ridge Buoy, Harwich. 6 crew were lost and 3 rescued..
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV PERRAKKIS L CAMBANIS (Gk 3584 grt) The cargo ship was bombed and sunk in the English Channel at Dieppe, France. She was later salvaged by the Germans, repaired and entered service as HERTA ENGELINE FRITZEN, finally lost to a mine June 1945

Trawler MARECHAL FOCH (Fr 103 grt) was sunk in a collision with MSW LEDA off Dunkirk at 0429 on the 4th. LEDA sustained damage to her stem. MSW ALBURY stood by to assist. MSW LEDA was involved in another collision at 0454 1 mile from Nth Goodwin Buoy with a schuit. The MSW was repaired at Sheerness from 6 to 12 June.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Aux MSW EMIL DESCHAMPS (Fr 348 grt) was sunk on a mine 5 miles ENE of Foreness, 3 miles 336°from Elbow Buoy, with 500 French troops from Dunkirk on board. The survivors were picked up by MSW ALBURY and aux MSW SAINTE ELISABETH (Fr 39 grt) and MARIE ANNE (Fr 51grt).
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

PV PURFINA (Fr 603 grt) was sunk on a mine in LeHavre Roads.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
Arrivals
Wilhelmshaven: U-62

Departures
Kiel: U-47
Wilhelmshaven: U-32

At Sea 3 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-101.
14 boats at sea.

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Sub NARWHAL completed minefield FD.16 at 1937 off the Jaederens, which was to sink or damage several enemy vessels in the coming months. Sub SPEARFISH departed Blyth on patrol. Subs SALMON, SEALION, SNAPPER arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub tender WARRIOR II departed Portsmouth escorting submarines H.34, H.49, H.50, H.44 to Harwich. Tender WHITE BEAR departed Portsmouth escorting subs H.28, H.31, O 13 for Blyth and Dundee. FN.187 departed Southend, escort DD WALPOLE. Ne warships NAUTILUS and JAN VAN BRAKEL were in the convoy. When the convoy was delayed by fog, sloop BLACK SWAN relieved DD WALPOLE on the 4th. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 5th. MT.81 departed Methil, escorted by DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.187 departed the Tyne, escort DD WALLACE. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 5th.

Northern Waters
The Home Flt units at Scapa comprised BBs VALIANT and RODNEY, BCs RENOWN and REPULSE, CA SUSSEX, CL NEWCASTLE, DDs TARTAR, MASHONA, BEDOUIN, ASHANTI, MAORI, ZULU, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, KELVIN, INGLEFIELD, ELECTRA, ENCOUNTER, ESCORT. The other units were either repairing or detached for duty elsewhere:a number of ships were operating in the Harstad area and DDs FORTUNE, FORESIGHT, FURY of DesFlot 8 had been detached on 28 May to reinforce the Nore Command and operate under the command of the CruSqn 18. CL NEWCASTLE arrived at Scapa from Rosyth. DD FIREDRAKE embarked troops at Ballangen and took them to Andfjord for evacuation to England. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI departed Scapa Flow at Rosyth meeting with steamers ST MAGNUS and ALSTER enroute and arriving at Rosyth during the forenoon of 4 June. Two Brit steamers and a Fr steamer, escort ASW trawlers LADY ELSA and ST KEENAN arrived at Scapa Flow from the Narvik area. British troopship ROYAL SCOTSMAN (3244grt) escort DD WHIRLWIND arrived at Scapa Flow from Harstad. British trawler MARGARET (260grt) departed Narvik in the tow of British trawler BEN ROSSAL (260grt) escort MSW trawlers NEWHAVEN and STRATHDERRY. The trawlers, less MARGARET scuttled in bad weather, arrived at Thorshavn on the 9th. 4 Brit steamers, escort DD CAMPBELL, arrived at Harstad.
ASW trawler CAPE PORTLAND departed Scapa towing ASW trawler GUAVA to Belfast for repairs.

Channel
Operation Dynamo
During the night of 3/4 June, the last day of DYNAMO, 26,175 troops were evacuated.

DDs ESK embarked 611 troops at Dunkirk, WHITSHED embarked 444, VENOMOUS embarked 1200, VANQUISHER embarked 414, MALCOLM embarked 736, SABRE embarked 592, SHIKARI embarked 383, MSWs KELLET embarked 30, ALBURY embarked 400, HALCYON embarked 501, LEDA embarked 500, PV GUILLEMOT embarked 460, gunboat LOCUST embarked 196. ESK was damaged by a near miss at Dunkirk. She managed to make Dover, and then departed Dover on the 4th for repairs at Portsmouth completing in 8 days. DD SABRE ran aground leaving Dunkirk and lost her asdic dome. After the operation, SABRE departed Dover on the 4th for repairs at Portsmouth. DDs MALCOLM, VENOMOUS, VANQUISHER all departed Dover on the 4th for repairs of various degrees at Portsmouth. Gunboat LOCUST departed Dover on the 4th for Sheerness. MSW KELLET ran aground at the western breakwater and was too damaged to embark more than 30 troops. She got away nevertheless. British steamer ROYAL DIAFFODIL was damaged by the LW at 0131 off Dunkirk. She was was further damaged at 0600 in a collision. British steamer BEN MY CHREE was damaged in a collision at 0600 as she was setting out for Dunkirk. Patrol sloop KINGFISHER was damaged in a collision with a French fishing vessel at 0014 on the 4th. Sloop KINGFISHER had embarked 200 troops at Dunkirk. The troops were transferred to a trawler off Dunkirk.
Sloop KINGFISHER also collided with British steamer KING GEORGE V at Margate, but she did make it home. KINGFISHER was repaired at Lowestoft completing on 8 July. French Adms Jean Abrial, Charles Platon, Marcel LeClerc and General Marie B. A. Fagalde, all of whom had fought with considerable distinction, departed Dunkirk on Fr MTBs VTB.25 and VTB.26 early on the 4th.

Fr MTB VTB.25 damaged her props rescuing MARECHAL FOCH's survivors and was towed to Dover by DD MALCOLM.

General Outline of French MTBs, VTB 23 , a sister to the VTB 25 at speed

A Junior officer from DD SOMALI (under repair), seconded to yacht ROSAURA was lost on the 3rd. DD SHIKARI was the last allied ship to leave the Port area of Dunkirk. SHIKARI arrived at Dover later on the 4th, but departed on the 4th for Portsmouth.

At the completion of DYNAMO, of 94 DDs in Home Waters, only 43 were serviceable. Restructuring of the fleet organisations was required. On 27 May as a result of DYNAMO operations and transfers to the Med Flt, Desflots 5 absorbed Deflot 7. DesFlot 15 was disbanded and with various units completing repairs and unattached DDs it was possible to form DesFlots 21 and 22. DDs WANDERER, VESPER, VEGA, completed repairs and arrived at Dover at 2230 for ops.

Med- Biscay
CL LIVERPOOL departed Aden and arrived at Alexandria on the 10th for duty with the Med Flt.

 

[parsifal]

*** June 1940
Known Reinforcements
Axis


Neutral


Allied


Losses




DKM War Diary
Selected Extracts


UBOATS
Kriegstagebücher (KTB) - War Diary


Arrivals

Departures


At Sea *** 1940


OPERATIONS
Baltic
Eastern Baltic

Western Baltic

North Sea


Northern Patrol


Northern Waters


West Coast UK

Western Approaches

SW Approaches

Channel

UK-France

Nth Atlantic

Central Atlantic

Sth Atlantic

Med- Biscay

Indian Ocean


Pacific/Far East/Australia Station

 

[parsifal]

3 June 1940 - RAF Operations
[UNFINISHED]
17 sqn (Hurri)
Dunkirk 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA. Other details not reported

48 sqn (Anson)
ASW Patrol. 1 a/c lost, 1 WIA, Took off 22.30 hrs from Thorney island. Blinded by searchlight on the approach to Thorney Island and ditched off Hayling Island. Located by another 48 Sqn Anson, who returned to base and reported the position, returning again to the scene of the accident and remaining in the vicinity until the crew were rescued by the Hayling lifeboat.

58 sqn (Whitley)
Unknown mission flown, no losses

73 sqn (Hurri)
Unknown op 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA (no other details)

103 sqn (Battle)
Trier, and Seine, (night)

 

[parsifal]

3 June 1940 - BEF Evacuation
There have been claims made postwar that the French had intended to hold the port Tobruk style as a possible breakout point to retake Northern France. This is inconsistent with the contemporary orders issued by Weygand at the time, who wanted as many French troops evabuated as possible, and that most of the senior French commanders were already gone by dawn 4 June. About 48000 French defenders were left behind as the final rearguard at completion of DYNAMO.

Precise losses just for the Dunkirk evacuation are not known, but to 22 June 1940, when the last British forces left France, The BEF is recorded as having lost 68,000 soldiers (dead, wounded, missing, or captured) from 10 May until the surrender of France on 22 June. 3,500 British were killed and 13,053 wounded, the remainder taken prisoner. All the heavy equipment had to be abandoned. Left behind in France were 2,472 guns, 20,000 motorcycles, and almost 65,000 other vehicles; also abandoned were 416,000 short tons of stores, including more than 75,000 short tons of ammunition and 162,000 short tons of fuel. Almost all of the 445 British tanks that had been sent to France with the BEF were abandoned.

 

[Njaco]

June 4 Tuesday
WESTERN FRONT: The last ship leaves the Dunkirk beaches. British destroyer "Shikari" rescues the final British troops from Dunkirk, plus a French general and 383 French troops. This officially ends Operation Dynamo. Overnight, 26,175 French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk while British destroyers rescued 103,000. At 1020 hours, Germans raise the swastika over Dunkirk, capturing 30,000 to 40,000 French troops, 2,000 British field guns, and 60,000 British vehicles. In total, 338,226 Allied personnel were evacuated through Operation Dynamo. German Luftwaffe planes have sunk six British destroyers, eight transport ships, and over 200 small craft. Hitler orders that bells throughout Germany should toll for three days to signal the victorious end of what he deems;

" …the greatest battle in world history".

With the collapse of the Dunkirk perimeter, several Geschwader move to new airbases, closer to the frontlines. The crew of I./JG 26 move to the airbase at Etaples while the Stab and II./JG 26 take over the airfield at Le Touquet. The crew of the III./JG 26 transfer to an airbase at La Capelle.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Evacuation of Narvik begins. Overnight, British destroyers and Norwegian fishing boats start shuttling Allied troops to 6 fast liners (troop transports) hidden in various small fjords and inlets on the main Ototfjord.

German Admiral Wilhelm Marschall launched Operation Juno, sending "Scharnhorst", "Gneisenau", "Admiral Hipper", and destroyers "Karl Galster", "Hans Lody", "Erich Steinbrinck" and "Hermann Schoemann" from Kiel for Norway, aiming at disrupting the Allied supply lines to Narvik. British supply lines to Narvik are vulnerable to naval as well as air attack.

UNITED KINGDOM: British Prime Minister Winston Churchill gives one of his finest speeches in the House of Commons, reviewing the conduct of the war in France and Belgium.

"The German eruption swept like a sharp scythe around the right and rear of the Armies of the North….. cut off all communications between us and the main French Armies...",

He tells Commons that a week earlier he had anticipated; '…the greatest military disaster in our history." but the Dunkirk Evacuation had transformed the situation.

"We must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory. War's are not won by evacuations. We shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be. We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender…"

http://www.fiftiesweb.com/usa/churchill-fight-beaches.mp3

The United Kingdom banned any recreational camping within 10 miles of the east and southeastern coasts, including the Isle of Wight.

In order to maintain the vital link with North America, British Overseas Airways Corporation commenced a twice-weekly air service between Heston, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom and Lisbon, Portugal, to connect with the scheduled Pan-American Airways New York-Lisbon route.

Shortly after midnight German aircraft made a number of attacks apparently directed at aerodromes in the eastern counties. Civilian damage was very slight and no civilian casualties reported. Bombs were dropped on Thornaby Aerodrome at 00.15 which killed an airman and injured three others. Two Hudson Bombers and two fuel bowsers were destroyed and the runway damaged. At Ashington an RAF bomber, which had apparently fouled a balloon cable, lost control and crashed into houses at Fifth Row. One house, was completely demolished and two others damaged. Three civilians were killed. This aircraft was a Coastal Command Beaufort L9797 of No 22 Squadron returning to North Coates after a bombing run to Ghent. Searchlights dazzled the pilot and in trying to evade the glare, the aircraft, possibly also affected by flak damage, began to vibrate so much that he ordered the crew to bale out. He and the observer bailed out safely but the wireless operator and air gunner, failed to get out and died in the crash.

GERMANY: French l'Armee d'Aire attacked München (Munich) and Frankfurt in Germany in response to the German bombing of Paris, France on the previous day.

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[Njaco]

June 5 Wednesday
WESTERN FRONT: French General Beaufrére surrenders the remaining French troops defending Dunkirk.

At 0500 hours, Germany begins the second phase of the conquest of France ("Fall Rot"), attacking South across the Somme and Aisne rivers with 130 divisions plus 10 Panzer divisions re-equipped with fresh tanks and advancing towards the rear of French forces deployed between Abbeville and the Maginot Line. The German Army with its German panzer divisions advances from Rethel on the Aisne to the Swiss frontier, south from the Somme bridgeheads, and between Amiens and the sea. German Heeresgruppe B (50 divisions) attacks on the Somme while Heeresgruppen A and C are in state of readiness. France has lost 30 of its best divisions (and the BEF) along with most of its vehicles and armor. French CiC General Weygand has only 66 divisions, including 17 in the fortified Maginot Line defenses, to hold a front longer than before the invasion. He organizes a series of strongpoints bristling with artillery and anti-tank guns (the "Weygand Line") in woods and villages along the Somme and Aisne rivers joining the Maginot Line at Montmédy. These 'hedgehogs' confuse the Germans and hold their initial advance to 10km. By nightfall Rommel's 7.Panzerdivison is 13 km south of Somme. To reinforce Weygand, Churchill sends Canadian 1st Infantry Division to France, joining parts of British 1st Armoured Division and 51st Highland Division which avoided encirclement at Dunkirk. The Allies also transport French troops recently evacuated from Dunkirk back into France via ports still under French control.

In its supporting attacks on Paris, the Luftwaffe lose thirty aircraft as opposed to twenty-four French fighters. At around 1700 hours about forty Bf 109s bounce a mixed formation of Dewoitine D.520s of GC I/3 and II/7 over Compiegnes. After two French planes are shot down, the French pilots turn into the German force and Hptm. Werner Mölders, Gruppenkommandeur of III./JG 53 is again shot down – this time by French pilot René Pomier-Layrargues near Compiègne, France - bales out and is taken prisoner. Hptm. Mölders had shot down a Bloch 152 and a Potez 63 earlier in the day, his twenty-fourth and twenty-fifth kills. III./JG 53's totals for the day are four kills for the Gruppe.

Supporting the new offensive, the fighters of I./JG 1 claim eleven Allied aircraft destroyed during the day's battle for the loss of Uffz. Arthur Tismer who is captured after bailing out of his damaged aircraft. Four victories are credited to Hptm. Wilhelm Balthasar and three to Lt. Ludwig Franzisket. Heinkel He 111 bombers from II./KG 55 attack the airfield at Nevers / Sermoise southeast of Bourges, France.

After staying at the airfield at Le Touquet for a day, the crew of the Stab./JG 26 and II./JG 26 move again to the airfield at Bois Jean while I./JG 26 moves to Hesdin from Etaples.

French Premier Paul Reynaud appoints Charles de Gaulle to Undersecretary of State for War in France, and promotes him to provisional Brigadier General. Ex-Prime Minister Daladier leaves Government (at the insistence of Petain and of Reynaud's domineering mistress, Countess de Portes).

UNITED KINGDOM: Small groups of mobile armed men called Ironsides, after the Home Defense Commander, were formed in the United Kingdom to protect against enemy parachutists.

In a BBC radio broadcast the noted author J. B. Priestley berated the British Establishment for its lack of planning and amateurish attitudes.

German forces begin night reconnaissance over Britain.

NORTHERN EUROPE: 4,900 Allied troops boarded transport ships at Narvik, Norway during the evacuation operation.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: German submarine U-48 shelled and sank British armed merchant ship "Stancor" 80 miles northwest of Scotland at 1118 hours. The entire crew of 19 survived.

NORTH AMERICA: US President Franklin Roosevelt ordered US Navy Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Harold Stark to prepare a US Marine Corps brigade for future deployment to Iceland.

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[nuuumannn]

29 May 1940 RAF Operations Unfinished

264 Sqn (Defiants)

37 enemy aircraft claimed without loss to the squadron. This was 264 Sqn's "Day of Glory" on which an impressive tally of enemy aircraft was claimed. Subsequent research states that the actual number of aircraft shot down by 264's Defiants on that day was more likely to be less than ten. Nevertheless, it was a proud day for the men of the unit, who had much faith in their squadron leader, Sqn Ldr Philip Hunter and his tactics that enabled the Defiant to work effectively as a day fighter. Despite the auspicious claim for the day, one Defiant was in fact damaged in combat, P/O Kay, flying Defiant L6957 was hit in the starboard wing and fuselage, his RH aileron being damaged and turret hydraulics put out of action. This caused his gunner, Canadian LAC Jones to bale out, but Kay managed to return safely to Manston and L6957 was eventually repaired. Sadly, Jones' body washed up on a French beach. The Bf 109 that attacked Kay's Defiant was claimed shot down by Flt Lt Eric Barwell's gunner P/O Williams.

This day has been the subject of myth and has fostered the claim that the Germans attacked the Defiants believing them to be Hurricanes, but got a rude shock when their turrets opened fire. This account is somewhat fictional and is the result of the official British account of the RAF at war issued by the Ministry of Information for the Air Ministry. As a result, the claim has been repeated ad nauseum in almost every book and published source on the Defiant ever since. The Germans were well aware of the Defiant and its strengths and weaknesses by this time and the squadron had suffered losses at the hands of Bf 109s previously, including during the day before the 29th.

The facts were that in the opening phase of the day's combat, the 12 Defiants were heading at low level looking for German bombers while Hurricanes of 56, 151 and 213 Sqns were circling above engaging fighters. Six of these detached and headed toward the Defiants, which then engaged. Five were claimed, one each by Sqn Ldr Hunter's gunner LAC King, P/O Welch's gunner LAC Hayden, P/O M.H. Young's gunner (unnamed) and Flt Lt Cooke's gunner, Cpl Lippert and P/O Williams. Having survived the Bf 109 attack, Sqn Ldr Hunter spotted an He 111 at 300 ft and proceeded to attack, but saw a swarm of Ju 87s being escorted by Bf 110s, which he ordered the squadron to attack, the aircraft formating in the standard attack pattern of a line astern spiral dive. Nine Bf 110s, three Bf 109s and a Ju 87 were further claims that afternoon.

Further combat that evening saw 264 put 12 more Defiants into the air over Dunkirk; a squadron of Stukas was spotted and the Defiants were sent after them, at which point the Stukas dived toward the sea, but the Defiants were able to meet then a low altitude and proceeded to pepper them with gunfire. The Defiant gunners found that the Stukas were sitting ducks and were well aware of the fact that they were firing at aircraft being attacked by other Defiants, so over claiming was a certainty during this particular combat. Hunter and King claimed one, Barwell and Williams three and PO Kay, with a new gunner LAC Cox claimed another, but Cooke and Lippert claimed five making them aces, getting below the Stukas and firing into their bellies. P/O Whitley's gunner claimed three Stukas. During an attack against Stukas dive bombing the harbour area attacked at the terminus of their dives, P/O Young and Welch claimed two each and Sgt Thorne one and a probable. A Ju 88 was attacked by the squadron in unison and another damaged before the night was over.

All 12 Defiants returned to Manston, but Sgt Thorne 's undercarriage collapsed on landing. All told the claims were 19 Ju 87s, nine Bf 110s, 8 Bf 109s and one Ju 88, with two Defiants damaged and a single personnel loss. The men of the squadron had reason to be pleased as the day before, three Defiants were shot down over Dunkirk when the squadron was pounced on by some thirty Bf 109s; five Bf 109s were claimed. In this combat the Lufbery Circle tactics that Sqn Ldr Hunter devised as a defensive manoeuvre for when the Defiants were being attacked by superior numbers of enemy fighters were employed and although there were losses, they were kept to a minimum and bearing in mind the fact that the Defiants were heavily outnumbered, the squadron's losses could have been much worse.

 

[parsifal]

4 June 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Flower Class Corvette HEARTSEASE , MA/SB 40 , MA/SB 41, MTB 70

Losses
Aux MSW EMIL DESCHAMPS (Fr 348 grt) struck a mine and sank in the Nth Sea 5 nautical miles ENE of Foreness Pt and sank. She was evacuating over 500 French troops from Dunkirk at the time of her loss. Survivors were rescued by MSW ALBURY, MARIE and SAINTE ELISABETH
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MV RIVER HUMBER (UK 351 grt) collided with DD FOLKESTONE in the Irish Sea north of Holyhead, Anglesey and sank. The sloop, at the time was attached to OB 161.G arrived at Cardiff on the 10th for repairs, completed on the 29th.

UBOATS

At Sea 4 June 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-101.
14 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
Baltic
Western Baltic
For operation JUNO, DKM forces under Adm Marschall departed Kiel to operate off Harstad with BCs SCHARNHORST and GNEISENAU, CA ADMIRAL HIPPER, DDs LODY, STEINBRINCK, SCHOEMANN, GALSTER. This force was screened through the Kattegat by TBs JAGUAR and FALKE, barrage breaker SPERRBRECHER 4 , tender HAI, some R boats. The TBs remained with the force through the Skagerrak.

Colourised photo of BC GNEISENAU during the action against the GLORIOUS

North Sea
Fr SubFlot 10 at Dundee with depot ship JULES VERNE and subs CASABIANCA, SFAX, SYBILLE, ANTIOPE, AMAZONE, THETIS, CIRCE, CALYPSO, which had been recalled to Brest for transfer to the Med, departed Dundee escorted by DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI as far as the Butt of Lewis. U.8, which departed Wilhelmshaven on patrol on 19 May, was attacked by aircraft in 58-06N, 1-45W. The UBoats CO was severely wounded. DD ESCORT departed Scapa to investigate this contact off Moray Firth. DD ENCOUNTER was dispatched at 0915. DDs TARTAR and MASHONA departed Scapa at 1300 to join. DD FORESTER departed Scapa at 1415 and DD ELECTRA departed Scapa Flow at 1635. However, no further contacts were made.

Subs TRIDENT and TRITON arrived at Rosyth after patrol. Sub CLYDE departed the Rosyth for patrol off Stadlandet to relived sub SEVERN on patrol off Stadlandet. Sub PORPOISE was docked at Rosyth for repairs. FN.188 departed Southend, escort sloops LONDONDERRY and EGRET. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 6th.

DKM S Boats attacked Patrol sloops of ASWFlot 1he near West Hinder early on the 4th, with no reported results. .

Northern Waters
BB VALIANT with DDs ZULU, MAORI, FOXHOUND departed Scapa for firings west of the Orkneys. The BB returned to Scapa at 1345 and the DDs joined CA SUSSEX. CA SUSSEX departed Scapa for firings est of the Orkneys. She was joined by DDs ZULU, MAORI, FOXHOUND. All 3 arrived back at Scapa at 1815. BB RESOLUTION departed Scapa at 1312 for Gib escorted by DDs WOLVERINE, WITHERINGTON, and VISCOUNT.

The destroyers escorted the battleship to 13W and then returned to Scapa Flow, arriving at 1501/6th. ASW trawlers LE TIGER and ELM departed Scapa escorting oilers ATHELSULTAN and BRITISH GOVERNOR to the Clyde and Birkenhead, respectively. Hospital ship ABA arrived at Scapa from the Narvik area.

A Convoy, consisting of 3 British and 1 Norwegian steamers arrived off Vestfjord, escort DD VETERAN. The convoy was ordered to Tromso, arriving on the 5th, DD VETERAN was ordered to Harstad. For the Narvik evacuation (Op'n ALPHABET, CV ARK ROYAL with DDs ARDENT and ACASTA which were relieved by DIANA and ACHERON and CV GLORIOUS with DD HIGHLANDER operated to seaward to support the evac. DDs HAVELOCK, BEAGLE, CAMPBELL, DELIGHT, ECHO, FIREDRAKE, FAME, ARROW, WALKER, VANOC, VETERAN operated in an around the Harstad area for the protection of the anchorage and to ferry troops to the troopships. 180 miles from the Norwegian coast, 15 British troopships went to one of two designated rendezvous points. There they were met by CLA COVENTRY and given instructions. Group I for the evacuation of Narvik were 6 large, fast, troopships. DDs WREN and VOLUNTEER, which had been involved in escorting these troopships to Harstad, had been detached and arrived in the Clyde on the 5th. The troopships arrived in turn at Andfjord over the next 3 nights covered by aircraft from ARK ROYAL. On 4 June 4700 troops were embarked, on the 5th 4900 were embarked, on the 6th 5100 troops were embarked on Group I troopships. As the troopships completed embarkation, they were escorted by DD ARROW and sloop STORK to the ocean rendezvous where they were met by repair ship VINDICTIVE. When the last ship of Group I arrived at the ocean rendezvous, repair ship VINDICTIVE gave them ocean escort to the Clyde. En route they were joined on the 8th by DDs VISCOUNT, WITHERINGTON, WOLVERINE, ANTELOPE, ATHERSTONE which came from Scapa. The DDs raised steam to join the convoy on the evening of the 7th. This was cancelled and status reverted to 1 hr's notice until late on the 7th when they departed Scapa.

West Coast UK
CL FIJI, which was completed on 17 May 1940, departed the Clyde for work up in the Caribbean. FIJI arrived at Bermuda on the 10th. On completion of her work up, she arrived back at Greenock on 23 July.

Channel
MSW SPEEDWELL was damaged in a collision off Dover. She was under repair at Devonport from 7 June to 20 June.

Med- Biscay
DD VELOX departed Gib on the 5th with HG.33F and joined BBp RESOLUTION on the 8th. On 7 June, DD ACTIVE departed Gib and met the BB and DD VELOX. The ships arrived at Gibr on the 10th. DD KEPPEL departed Gib to act as additional escort for CVE ARGUS, which departed Toulon on the 4th and Hyeres on the 5th for Gib. On departing Hyeres, the carrier flew off her Swordfish of 767 Sqn to Polyvestre for ops. On 17 June, 18 Swordfish departed Polyvestre for Bone in Algeria. On 20 June, 12 Swordfish flew,via Medjez el Bab in Tunisia for refuelling, to Malta, arriving on the 22nd. The remaining Swordfish proceeded to Gib for duty in CVr ARK ROYAL. ARGUS arrived at Gib on the 7th, escort DDs STURDY and KEPPEL.

Italian sub MICCA departed La Spezia with orders to commence minelaying ops off Alexandria from the 10th.

 

[parsifal]

4th June RAF Operations
Unfinished

1 sqn (Hurri)
After some rest and replacement, 1 sqn, now over the Roen area shoot down 8 LW bombers and claims a further 6

10 sqn (Whitley)
Homberg 1 a/c lost, 1 KIA, Crashed on return flight from target. Encountered thick fog on return and crash landed 0345 4Jun40 at Lower Manor Farm, Battisford, 2 miles WSW of Needham Market, Suffolk

12 sqn (Battle)
?, F. 1 KIA or DOW, No other details.

42 sqn (Bft)
Training sortie, UK. 1 a/c lost, 1 WIA Returning from a training sortie when due to a freshening wind the pilot undershot the approach. Struck the roof of a house and dived into a hay field 100 yds NW of the aerodrome

44 sqn (Hampden)
Emmerich 1 a/c lost, 3 MIA,

58 sqn (Whitley)
Unknown mission flown, no losses

59 sqn (Blen)
transfer, UK. 1 a/c lost, 3 KIA, no other details

77, 102 sqn (Whitley)
Gelsenkirchen 1 a/c lost, 5 POW Bombing - oil plants at Gelsenkirchen. 77 Sqn. 11 a/c to Gelsenkirchen. All bombed, 1 crashed on return. 102 Sqn. 11 a/c to Gelsenkirchen. 2 aborted, 9 bombed

83 sqn (Hampden)
Emmerich 1 a/c lost, 4 KIA Airborne from Scampton. Cause of loss not established. Crashed near Aachen, Germany

103 sqn (Battle)
Dunkirk (Night), no losses

 

[parsifal]

4 June1940 - The BEF

In the early hours of the 4th when daylight put an end to operations the evacuations continued to try and extricate as much of the french rearguard as possible . The troops still in formation maintained fine levels of discipline and esprit de Corps to the end, these were first line troops of the French Army, and it showed. The fine discipline of the French troops left behind when the last ship sailed noted by Commander H. R. Troup who ha been directing evacuation from the centre pier:

"About 1,000 men stood to attention four deep about half-way along the pier, the General and his staff about thirty feet away; and after having faced the troops, whose faces were indiscernible in the dawn light, the flames behind them showing up their steel helmets, the officers clicked their heels, saluted and then turned about and came down to the boat with me and we left at 0320".

Admiral Abrial, General Fagalde, General de la Laurencie and general Berthélemy had crossed to England during the night, and at Dover Admiral Ramsay discussed with Admiral Abrial the possibility of continuing evacuation during yet one more night, notwithstanding the strain of the past 9 days was telling severely on men and ships. The French Admiral held, however, that further evacuation was impossible, for the enemy was now closing in on every side. In fact the remaining French troops surrendered at nine o'clock that morning, June the 4th. No authoritative record of their number is available. The most detailed estimate is that there were approximately 40-48000.

When the operation ended 338,226 had been evacuated—308,888 of them in the ships under Admiral Ramsay's orders. Nearly 100,000 had been liefted from the beaches. Of the British 8,061 were casualties; and of the other Allies 1,230 . However this often quoted figure is actually significantly incomplete, The Dynamo figures alone do not give the figures for personnel evacuated prior to 26 May . On May the 20th Lord Gort had ordered the evacuation of non-fighting troops and men of services no longer needed when the British Expeditionary Force was finally separated from its bases south of the Somme. Five days later General Weygand had issued a similar order that the French First Army were to embark in returning supply ships 'all superfluous Staff elements'. As a result of these orders 26,402 British troops (including 4,992 casualties) and 1,534 Allied troops were evacuated in British ships before Operation Dynamo started. To the Dynamo total of 338,226 there must therefore be added 27,936 making the grand total of those evacuated by this date 366,162. Included in this number are 224,320 men of the BEF.

The evacuation of the northern armies was an undeniable and massive defeat from a continental sense, and led directly to the defeat of france as a result, but in another it was a remarkable victory for the british, or at least an avoidance of total defeat. It enabled vital, irreplaceable cadres to be saved, so that the army could be rebuilt, and enabled, as a direct result of that, for Churchill to continue the fight with no further murmurings of making peace or surrender to the germans. Britiain was now in the fight to the bitter end.

 

[parsifal]

5 June 1940
Known Reinforcements
Allied
Boom defence vessel Barthorpe

Losses
MV STANCOR (UK 798 grt) Crew:19 (0 dead and 19 survivors) Cargo: 300 tons of fish Route: Reykjavik - Fleetwood, sunk about 80 miles nth of the Butt of Lewis. At 2312 5 June 1940 the unescorted STANCOR was shelled by U-48 after the ship had been missed with a G7e stern torpedo at 22.44 and was left burning and sinking after 77 rounds were fired from the deck gun. The master, 16 crew members and two gunners abandoned ship in two lifeboats and were questioned by the Germans. The master and 8 survivors in the first boat were picked up by the trawler KINALDIE and landed at Stornoway on 7 June and 10 survivors in the second boat made landfall at Crowlista near Uig, Isle of Lewis. .

Trawler LAPWING (UK 217 grt) The trawler struck a mine in the Nth Sea 50 nautical miles off Flamborough Head, Yorkshire and sank. All 9 crew were rescued.

Steamer CAPABLE (UK 216 grt) was sunk on a mine 2.8 miles 131° from Horsesand Fort, Spithead. The entire crew of five men and two Territorial guards were all lost on the steamer.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

Coaster SWEEP II (UK 145 grt) was sunk on a mine 1. 4 miles 138° from Landguard Point near Felixstone. 2 crew were lost on the vessel.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

MSW M-11 (DKM 425 grt) The M1 class MSW (dating from 1914) struck a mine off Jæderen, Rogaland, Norway and sank.

Steamer PALIME (Ger 2863 grt) struck a mine near Jaederens and was run aground a total loss.
[NO IMAGE FOUND]

UBOATS
At Sea 5 June 1940
U-8, U-26, U-28, U-29, U-32, U-37, U-43, U-46, U-47, U-48, U-56, U-58, U-60, U-101.
14 boats at sea

OPERATIONS
North Sea
Sub TRIBUNE arrived Rosyth after patrol. Sub TETRARCH departed Rosyth on patrol. Sub NARWHAL arrived Blyth after patrol. Sub SWORDFISH departed Blyth on patrol. The next day, SWORDFISH was attack by friendly a/c in the Nth Sea. No damage was done to the sub. FN.189 departed Southend, escort DD VIMIERA and sloop HASTINGS. Sub L.23 was in the convoy for passage. Off the Tyne, DD VIMIERA escorted sub L.23 to Dundee. The convoy arrived at the Tyne on the 7th with sloop HASTINGS. MT.82 departed Methil, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived in the Tyne later that day. FS.188 departed the Tyne, escort DD VALOROUS. The convoy arrived at Southend on the 7th.

Northern Waters
BB RODNEY with DDs ZULU, MAORI, FOXHOUND departed Scapa for firings at 0645. The ships arrived back at 1800. DDs ESCORT, FORESTER, ENCOUNTER arrived at Scapa from ASW patrol that afternoon. Special services ship CAPE HOWE, disguised as RFA PRUNELLA, reported sighting at 1630 two unidentified warships NW of Norway making for Iceland on course 265 at 20 knots. Adm Forbes ordered the Home Flt to intercept. BCs RENOWN and REPULSE, CA SUSSEX, CL NEWCASTLE, DDs MAORI, FORESTER, FOXHOUND, ZULU, KELVIN departed Scapa at 2130 to intercept. DDs MASHONA, ASHANTI, BEDOUIN, ELECTRA were recalled to Scapa. DDs MASHONA and ELECTRA arrived at Scapa at 2030 from ASW ops in Moray Firth. DDs BEDOUIN and ASHANTI arrived at Scapa at 1920 from escorting the Fr subs. DD TARTAR arrived at Scapa after ASW patrols. A rumour was received on the 7th that a large German force had landed at Seidisfjord. Vice Adm BCs and units of the Northern Patrol were ordered to investigate. CL NEWCASTLE arrived off Iceland on the 7th. BC RENOWN and REPULSE with 4 DDs were to have covered the first group evacuating Narvik with a close screen of 5 destroyers. The diversion to the imagined Iceland threat once again was to cost the RN heavily.

After the sortie towards Iceland, only BBs RODNEY and VALIANT with DDs TARTAR, MASHONA, BEDOUIN, ASHANTI were available for operations, and with the whereabouts of the German battlefleet uncertain, the freedom of movement for this core was restricted. DD ELECTRA was ordered on the 7th to search for a suspicious steamer identified as British steamer BLAIRESK (3300grt), which had been boarded by armed boarding vessel KINGSTON JACINTH. The steamer was visually sighted by BB RODNEY's spotter aircraft and escorted to Noup Head. DD ELECTRA contacted the ship and found her to be CAPE HOWE. She proceeded to Kirkwall and anchored off Kirkwall in thick fog on the 8th. The DD arrived at Scapa late on the 8th from Kirkwall. CinC Home Flt was unaware of CAPE HOWE's deployment.

Convoy "Greek," consisting of 3 British andd 3 French steamers escort ASW trawlers ST ELSTAN and WASTWATER, departed Harstad. Steamer VULCAIN from this gp arrived at Scapa on the 7th. Steamer PAUL EMILE JAVARY from this gp also arrived on the 7th. The remainder of the convoy arrived safely at Scapa on the 10th with the two trawlers.

Western Approaches
CL EMERALD departed Halifax with British troopship EMPRESS OF AUSTRALIA , which was carrying troops for the Iceland garrison.
After safely delivering the troopship, EMERALD proceeded to the Clyde on the 16th and the troopship returned to Halifax. EMERALD arrived in the Clyde on the 18th.

SW Approaches
OA.162 departed Southend escort sloop ENCHANTRESS from 5 to 7 June. OB.162 departed Liverpool escorted by ASW trawler ARSENAL from 5 to 6 June. OG.32 was formed from convoys OA.161G, which departed Southend on the 3rd escorted by sloop ABERDEEN, OB.161G, escorted by sloop FOLKESTONE from 3 to 5 June, with 39 ships. Sloop FOLKESTONE escorted the convoy from 5 to 6 June, being detached to convoy HG.32. Sloop ABERDEEN escorted the convoy from 3 to 9 June until being detached to convoy HG.33. DDs DOUGLAS and VIDETTE joined on the 10th. VIDETTE was detached prior to arriving at Gib. The convoy arrived at Gib on the 11th, escort DD DOUGLAS.

HG.33F with 41 ships departed Gib. Escort provided by DD DOUGLAS from 5 to 6 June. DD VELOX escorted the convoy from 5 to 8 June when she was detached to escort BB RESOLUTION approaching Gib. Sloop DEPTFORD escorted the convoy from 5 to 14 June.
Corvette PERIWINKLE from OG.33F escorted the convoy from 12 to 14 June. The convoy arrived at Liverpool on the 14th.

Channel
During the night of 5/6 June, DDs GALLANT and WALPOLE, on patrol off Lowestoft, engaged German S Boats getting ready to lay mines. There were no casualties, but the DKM operation was thwarted. DD WANDERER, armed yacht GULZAR, some small motor craft departed Dover operation MH, a final sweep along the channel ports. This operation was to principally to evacuate stragglers near Boulogne. No allied troops were located. The operation was repeated the next night by the same ships but only one British officer was picked up. DD CODRINGTON, after DYNAMO operations, was under repair at Dover from 5 to 8 June. On completion of repairs, the DD sailed for Portsmouth. MSWs NIGER, SUTTON, PANGBOURNE, FITZROY, DUNDALK departed Dover for the Humber.
MSW SPEEDWALL departed Dover for Devonport. MSWFlot 10 departed Dover for Portsmouth for reorganisation. MSW HALCYON was damaged by the LW, and was put under repair at Devonport from 8 to 14 June.

German forces attacked Dunkirk after the lull that permitted the allies to evacuate many of their troops. Fr Contre Torpilleur DDs EPERVIER and LEOPARD and sloop SAVORGNAN DE BRAZZA supplied support to the ground forces around Dunkirk. Fr BB PARIS was employed off Le Havre and was damaged by the LW on the 11th. She was taken to Brest, then on to Plymouth arriving on the 19th.

Nth Atlantic
HX.48 departed Halifax escort RCN DD SAGUENAY and aux PV ACADIA. ACADIA was detached on the 5th. The DD was detached on the 6th. AMC RANPURA provided the ocean escort , which was detached on the 16th. Local escort in the Western Approaches was DD VOLUNTEER jon the 17th, corvette GLADIOLUS. The DD was detached on the 19th. The corvette escorted the convoy to Liverpool arriving on the 20th.

Med- Biscay
Italian subs FAA d'BRUNO, MOROSINI, PROVANA, DANDOLO, MARCELLO departed Naples for operations off Oran at the outset of the war. Italian subs FINZI and CAPPELLINI departed Cagliari for operations in the Atlantic.

 

[parsifal]

5th June 1940 RAF Operations
1 sqn (Hurri)
Rouen area, 2 a/c lost, 1 KIA
2 He1111s are brought down. 1 Hurri is shot down in exchanger (Pilot KIA), 1 a/c crashes into a Blen on landing. A/C scrapped , pilot safe

9 sqn (Wellington)
Duisburg 1 a/c lost, 2 KIA, 4 POW Airborne from Honington. Shot down by Flak soon after crossing the Dutch coast. Crashed near Simonshaven (Zuid Holland) in the commune of Geervliet, 16 km SW of Rotterdam, Holland.

22 sqn (Bft)
Ghent, Belgium. 1 a/c lost, 2 KIA (3 UK civilians died in crash) Took off 21.45 hrs on 05/06/1940 for bombing raid on ghent. Returning to Nth Coates searchlights dazzled the pilot and in trying to evade the glare, the a/c, possibly also affected by flak damage, began to vibrate so much that plt ordered the crew to bale out. He and the observer baled out safely but the wireless operator and air gunner, failed to get out and died in the crash. the plane crashed into houses at Fifth Row. One house, (No 77) was completely demolished and two others damaged. Three civilians were killed. All lived in the same house.

26 sqn (Lysander)
Tac Recon 1 a/c lost, 2 KIA, Took off from Lympne. Shot down by Hptman Müller (staffelkapitän) of 4./JG3 south-west of Abbeville and crashed near Ercourt, 12.10 hrs.

83 sqn (Hampden)
Hamburg 1 a/c lost, 4 KIA Airborne from Scampton. Shot down by Flak and crashed at Barnkrug on the W bank of the Elbe, 9 km N of Stade, Germany.

102 sqn (Whitley)
Somme/Aisne Bombing - troops and transport, Fr. 102 Sqn. 6 a/c to Somme/Aisne. All bombed.

103 sqn (Battle)
Guise airfield, (Night)

 

[Njaco]

June 6 1940 Thursday
WESTERN FRONT: The French line along the Somme between Amiens and the coast is broken by the attacks of 15.Panzerkorps after a vigorous struggle. Rommel's 7.Panzerdivision makes the largest gains. Rommel quickly learns to use his tanks to bypass Weygand's hedgehogs. The Panzers make rapid progress as there is no secondary defensive line and infantry contain and reduce the hedgehogs. 5. and 7.Panzerdivisionen make an initial breakthrough between Abeville and Amiens. Between Amiens and Peronne, Kleist's Panzer Group is still being held, but farther inland Guderian's divisions are seizing bridgeheads over the Aisne in preliminary attacks. Elsewhere, camouflaged hedgehogs in wooded areas continue to confound the Germans, with fire coming suddenly from the side or rear. French 75mm field guns (1898 vintage), obsolete as artillery, turn out to be as effective as German 88mm Flak used in flat fire anti-tank role.

21 LeO-451 bombers (11 lost) attack German spearheads at Chaulnes, west of St Quentin, and engage Messerschmitt Bf 109s and Bf 110s.

The Luftwaffe continues with its support of the new offensive and lose thirty-seven aircraft, including two from I./JG 1, one each from JG 2, JG 26, I./JG 51 and two from III./JG 3 and five from JG 27. Among those lost is Heinz Hoffmann, a five victory Experte of JG 2. But not all the news is bad. Hptm. Balthasar of JG 1 destroys another four Allied aircraft while Lt. Gustav Sprick of 8./JG 26 shoots down three Bloch 152s. Single victories are credited to Oblt. Walter Adolph and Hans-Folkert Rosenboom from JG 1. After the day's battles, the Gruppe is ordered to Germany for a rest and by evening leave for the airfield at Jever and Köln.

Hptm. Adolf Galland takes over command of III./JG 26 from Gruppenkommandeur Major Ernst von Berg who leaves the Gruppe because of his poor performance. His combat skills are so bad that many in the Geschwader nicknamed him the "propeller killer".

The fighters of JG 27 pack up their machines and crew and move with the battle front. Oblt. Max Ibel's Stabstaffel and Hptm. Helmut Riegel's I./JG 27 leave the airfield at Guise with the Stabstaffel transferring to St. Quentin and the I Gruppe arriving at St. Pol. Hptm. Walter Andres' II./JG 27 also leave Guise and move to the airfield at Clastres.

Adolf Hitler arrived at the Wolfsschlucht headquarters at Brûly-de-Pesche, Belgium.

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[Njaco]

June 6 1940 (continued)
NORTHERN EUROPE: Evacuation of Narvik. Another 5100 men embark overnight. 5,100 Allied personnel were transported to 6 fast liners ("Monarch Of Bermuda", "Batory", "Sobieski", "Franconia", "Lancastria" and "Georgic") hiding in fjords near Narvik, Norway over the previous night. They then departed the area with about 15,000 troops aboard, escorted by destroyer HMS "Arrow" and sloop HMS "Stork". They rendezvous with WWI-era cruiser HMS "Vindictive" ("Arrow" and "Stork" turn back for Narvik). Only "Vindictive" will escort the troopships back to the Clyde.

In an attempt to address the German air superiority which had bedevilled the earlier Norwegian campaign (see 24th April) Hawker Hurricanes of RAF No. 46 Squadron had flown off the aircraft carrier HMS "Glorious" on 27th May and were now operating from a temporary airfield. In the early hours S/L K.B.B. 'Bing' Cross was preparing for an air patrol:

"I was taxiing my aircraft down to the end of the run way when I saw 4 He.III K.'s approaching the aerodrome from the N.E. I had not my straps done up or my helmet on, but as the He.'s were heading direct for the aerodrome, I pulled the emergency boost control and took off. As the enemy aircraft approached the aerodrome they appeared to see my aircraft and Red 2 and turned away to port onto a more southerly course. Red 2 joined me and we climbed up after the enemy. My speed was 240 mph and I was climbing slightly. I set the sight at 80ft. span and 250 yards range and opened fire at that distance from the dead astern position at the aircraft flying in the 'box', Red 2 attacking the extreme starboard machine. I fired a 4 second burst and there was a burst of black smoke and the undercarriage dropped. Heavy return fire was coming from all four rear upper gun positions and it appeared that the top gunners had twin guns. I had now closed to about 80 yards and broke away downwards to port. As I did so I noticed that my oil pressure had dropped to zero. I turned towards the aerodrome, gradually losing height and landed. There were a total of twelve bullet holes in my aircraft; one in the screen, two in the oil tank, one in the petrol tank, one in the engine, two in the wing and five in the hood behind my head. The He. III K. was dropping behind the formation as I landed, his undercarriage was down and smoke pouring from the starboard engine."

Squadron Leader Cross claimed a 'probable' for this action.

Norwegian submarine B.3 departs Harstad for Tromso but is crippled by an explosion. Unable to reach England, B.3 will be scuttled on June 9 in Gavlfjord near Tromso.

ATLANTIC OCEAN: At 1313 hours, U-46 hits British armed merchant cruiser HMS "Carinthia" (a converted Cunard liner) with one torpedo, west of Galway Bay (4 lives lost). Carinthia stays afloat for another 30 hours, but sink while under tow by rescue tug HMS "Marauder".

UNITED KINGDOM: All Austrian and German citizens in the United Kingdom were ordered to turn in privately-owned radios.

The British government banned the manufacture of a large number of household goods.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill proposes the development of a parachute corps with 5000 men.

ASIA: Japanese Army aircraft attacked Baishi Yi airfield near Chongqing, China. One of the I-15bis fighters of Chinese 21st Pursuit Squadron claimed one Japanese Ki-21 bomber shot down.

EASTERN EUROPE: The Kremlin issued an ultimatum to Latvia, demanding it to allow Soviet occupation.

Sir Stafford Cripps appointed British Ambassador in Moscow (the post has been vacant since January 1940).


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[Njaco]

June 7 1940 Friday

ATLANTIC OCEAN: Between midnight and 0330 hours, U-48 sinks British steamer "Francis Massey" carrying 7500 tons of iron ore (33 dead, Captain rescued by destroyer HMS "Volunteer") and damages British steamer "Eros" (all 62 crew survive) 10 miles North of Ireland.

GERMANY: The French Naval Air Force attempts token bombing raid on Berlin. Converted Centre NC223 4-engined mail*plane makes a 13 1/2-hour flight as the crew claim to have attacked Berlin, but bombs apparently fall in open country.

NORTHERN EUROPE: Evacuation of Narvik. More British troopships (Group II) arrive and embark 5200 troops overnight. Slow container ships with supplies and equipment leave Narvik. Group I troopships (that departed yesterday with 15,000 troops on board) are spotted by German reconnaissance planes but mistaken for empty supply ships returning to England, probably due to the single escort vessel HMS "Vindictive". Three He 111s of 1(F)./122 found the evacuation fleet and called down raids by various Luftwaffe units. Admiral Marschall's German flotilla does not attack the convoy, instead refueling the destroyers and cruiser "Admiral Hipper".

Off Narvik, RAF pilots, untrained in aircraft carrier landings, safely land 10 Gloster Gladiators and 8 Hawker Hurricanes on aircraft carrier HMS "Glorious" (the remaining fighters of RAF No.46 and 263 Squadrons). The Hurricane aircraft of No 46 Squadron had never been flown onto an aircraft carrier and did not have the arrester hooks that were considered necessary to land such a fast aircraft on a carrier (they had been loaded onto the carrier, not flown, for the trip out to Norway). Therefore the orders were for these aircraft to be destroyed before the Squadron's personnel returned. Squadron Leader Cross was having none of it. His entire Squadron volunteered to land their Hurricanes on HMS "Glorious" in order to get them away, in a maneuver that had never been attempted before with this aircraft. None of the pilots had any experience of carrier landings. Using sandbags in their tail planes to give them extra weight, landings were successfully achieved by the entire Squadron. RAF No. 46 Squadron had 14 kills to their credit during the 10 days they were in Norway.

At 2000 hours, Norwegian King Haakon VII, his son Crown Prince Olav and members of the Norwegian government leave Tromsø (in the far North of Norway) for exile in England on British cruiser HMS "Devonshire".

UNITED KINGDOM: At night, German aircraft crossed the East coast at several points. Bombs were dropped in Yorkshire. A twenty-six year old fireman was killed in an incident in Stockton Lane, York. A Heinkel bomber that machine-gunned East Suffolk crashed in town.

The late Captain Warburton-Lee is awarded the first V.C. of WW2 (killed as commander of British destroyers in First Battle of Narvik, see April 10).

WESTERN FRONT: Rommel's 7.Panzerdivision and 5.Panzerdivision continue their drive down the Channel coast towards Rouen. Rommel advances 30 miles to Forges-Ies-Eaux, north of Rouen. In their advance on the coastal region the Germans take Montdidier, Noyon and Fores-les-Eaux. They are now only 20 miles from the Seine at Rouen. Further East, General Kleist's Panzers meet stiff resistance and make no progress between Amiens and Péronne.

Prisoner of War Lt. Wasserzier returns to his unit, 2./JG 1, after German forces over run the Boulogne area.


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