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.
It was reportedly named after the room at Dover Castle that contained the building’s electric dynamo . Dunkirk 1940: Operation Dynamo
Churchill and his advisors originally hoped to save only 20,000 to 30,000 men . The Rescue Effort Over two-thirds of the rescued troops actually boarded
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. The Rescue Effort The operation was launched after
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
While nearly 40 Royal Navy destroyers carried the bulk of the troops, over 800 small civilian vessels —including fishing boats, yachts, and ferries—helped ferry soldiers from shallow beaches to larger ships or directly back to England.