What was the Dunkirk evacuation?
The Dunkirk evacuation, called Operation Dynamo, was the rescue of more than 338,000 Allied soldiers from the beaches and harbor of Dunkirk in France between 26 May and 4 June 1940, during World War II.
German forces had trapped British, French and Belgian troops near the French port of Dunkirk. The British government feared that most of the army would be captured.
Royal Navy ships, along with hundreds of civilian boats, including fishing boats, pleasure craft and ferries, helped carry soldiers across the English Channel.
The little ships
The civilian vessels became known as the Little Ships of Dunkirk. Many were used to ferry soldiers from the beaches to larger ships waiting offshore.
The evacuation was planned and directed from tunnels beneath Dover Castle. German air attacks sank many ships, and much equipment was abandoned.
Winston Churchill called the evacuation a miracle of deliverance but warned that wars are not won by evacuations. The phrase Dunkirk spirit is used to describe determination in difficult times.
The evacuation inspired several films, including Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk in 2017.