The History of WWII Podcast XX
[0] Welcome to True Spies, the podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.
[1] Suddenly out of the dark, it's a bit in love.
[2] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.
[3] What do they know?
[4] What are their skills?
[5] And what would you do in their position?
[6] Vengeance felt good seeing these.
[7] People paid for what they'd done, felt righteous.
[8] True Spies, from Spyscape Studios, wherever you get your podcasts.
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[15] What's not to love about that?
[16] This go -around, I would like to recommend Wild Bill Donovan, the spymaster who created the OSS and modern American espionage, by Douglas Waller.
[17] He was one of America's most exciting and secretive generals.
[18] The man Franklin Roosevelt made his top spy in World War II.
[19] He would become the father of the CIA.
[20] This larger -than -life character was born poor, but married wealth.
[21] After World War I, Donovan made millions as a lawyer in Wall Street, until FDR tapped him to be his strategic intelligence chief.
[22] Yet, at times, he was reckless, risking his life unnecessarily in war zones and engaging in extramarital affairs that became fodder for his political enemies.
[23] Wild Bill Donovan reads like an action -packed spy novel.
[24] with stories of daring young men and women in Donovan's OSS sneaking behind enemy lines for sabotage, breaking into Washington embassies to steal secrets and plotting to topple Hitler, and suffering brutal torture and death when they were captured by the Gestapo.
[25] It is also a tale of political intrigue, of infighting at the highest levels of government, and of powerful men pitted against one another.
[26] Isolationist America did not want to get involved in the war and certainly didn't want to know anything about the dark arts of covert warfare.
[27] But it had to be done, and this man, for better or worse, helped create it.
[28] Hello, and thank you for listening to a History of World War II podcast, episode 30.
[29] The end of the miracle.
[30] Back to the war.
[31] At 5 p .m. on June 2nd, the slowest of the mass ships left Britain.
[32] They consisted mostly of fishing boats.
[33] Next came six scoots, then coasters, tugs, yachts, cabin cruisers, and ferries.
[34] Then the mail steamers and minesweepers and French torpedo boats came.
[35] Finally, the great British destroyers headed south.
[36] There were 11 of them in all.
[37] The plan was for the ships to leave based on their speed.
[38] The slowest left first, and the quickest would leave last.
[39] By 9 .15 p .m., the last of the ships were gone from the British coast.
[40] There was a rumor that some British troops were trapped at Mallow -les -Bains, so a few of the ships went there first, but the crews saw no one and made their way back to the mole.
[41] At 9 .30 p .m., Captain Tennant's chief assistant, Commander Guy Mond acted as a traffic cop on the Eastern Mole.
[42] Everyone prayed he had the same force of character as Commander Clauston when he started ordering men and ships about.
[43] But as a few people had predicted at Dover earlier that day, the schedule of departing ships based on speed had the exact opposite result than intended.
[44] The ships showed up at the Mole roughly at the same time.
[45] Soon the sheer number of ships Their proximity and the despairing men on the shore ruined all the planning, so Mund did things his way.
[46] The eastern mole would be used first.
[47] Now was not the time to change tactics, but this time the tide was not cooperating.
[48] The rough English channel was back to normal, so Wade Walker used his boat as a tug to help the destroyers moving closer.
[49] On the beaches and at the entrance of the mole, the Green Howards, with bayonets fixed, kept the queues orderly.
[50] The only light the men and the ships had were coming from the fires from the nearby village.
[51] Things happened very quickly for the men of the BEF.
[52] Besides the crews having experienced the process many times before, everyone had the sense that this was their last chance to be rescued.
[53] So by 9 p .m., the last of the BEF were on the mole.
[54] The second Coldstream guards boarded the destroyer's saber.
[55] Then the Green Howards collapsed their man -made corridor and embarked as well.
[56] But it was the 1st King Shopshire Light Infantry that was the last unit to board his ship.
[57] It's worth noting that these units mentioned refused to leave their wounded behind as ordered and helped them to embark.
[58] Among the men loading up was General Alexander, Gord's replacement, resplendent in his spotless uniform.
[59] Of course, his departure had been prearranged with Wake Walker.
[60] So Wake Walker's boat came alongside the mole, picked up Alexander, and they set off for the destroyer Venomous.
[61] The British commander was aboard, but Venomous would not be departing until she was full.
[62] But she finally left the mole at 10 p .m. that night, packed so tight with men, she listed dangerously, but then righted herself and headed for home.
[63] At 10 .30 p .m., the destroyer Winchester was taking on men, and Monde noticed they were all French.
[64] Clearly, his job was done.
[65] Soon, he joined the French soldiers in line to get on the destroyer.
[66] Captain Tennant loaded his staff at 10 .50 p .m. onto the speedboat MTB -102.
[67] Being last, he jumped aboard with relief.
[68] But right before leaving, he radioed Ramsey.
[69] But the radio operator, wanting to leave as much as everyone else, translated Tennant's paragraph to simply, BEF evacuated.
[70] The only British officer left on land was Sub -Lieutenant Roger Wake.
[71] He was more or less alone on the mole, but there were at least six ships waiting, and 3 a .m. was coming fast.
[72] What followed next has to be seen as a humorous occurrence, although many more men were rescued because of it.
[73] The skipper of one of the waiting ships told his sub -lieutenant to go find him some men to rescue.
[74] There was no way he was heading home empty -handed.
[75] Everyone knew it was inevitable that men would be left behind, and so no one wanted to show up at Dover without troops.
[76] So the sub -lieutenant walked off the mole and headed inland on the beach.
[77] The mole was relatively quiet, actually eerily quiet, after the last few days.
[78] However, shells were still coming down on the beach, so the sub -lieutenant had to shout, once there, that he had a ship ready to pick up whoever hurt him.
[79] This had the desired result, and soon representatives from the other ships were walking around the beach hawking their wares of having a ship that was ready and waiting.
[80] Soon the shouting men were trying to outdo each other with whose ship was faster or whose could hold more men.
[81] It wasn't long before there was a question of whether the men were yelling at the French soldiers or at each other.
[82] After all, when a ship was full, it could head for home.
[83] Unfortunately, there were few men on the beach to be picked up.
[84] Sadly, a huge car ferry and three destroyers left empty.
[85] But Wake Walker was not ready to give up, just yet.
[86] He moved his boat westerly and came upon many anxious Frenchmen.
[87] It was once again a case of the men not being where the ships were, and vice versa.
[88] Wake Walker at once radioed what ships were left and gave out the troops' location.
[89] Soon numerous boats were loading men and taking them to whatever remaining ships there were.
[90] But as the men were concentrated in a small area, so too were the ships.
[91] Soon there were collisions and near collisions.
[92] By the time they were all done, all, or mostly all, of the French troops not manning the perimeter were on their way to Britain.
[93] As always, the perimeter was shrinking, but certainly not due to the Frenchmen being afraid of taking on the Germans.
[94] They were certainly outnumbered, and would have no choice in moving back.
[95] even if they had not been ordered to.
[96] But the retreat was organized, and their courage frustrated the Germans.
[97] To the east of Dunkirk, the 12th Division kept the Germans out of Bray Dunes, but just barely.
[98] In the center of the defensive perimeter, south of Dunkirk, the 137th Infantry Regiment held Tatangam, which is just southeast of Dunkirk.
[99] To the west, the 68th Division held together and backed up in an organized fashion.
[100] The key for the attackers was Berghese, which was located in the center of the French defensive line.
[101] It had two roads that led to Dunkirk, only five miles away.
[102] The Germans needed that town, but again, the thick walls of the medieval town held.
[103] Besides the walls, it contained artillery, was protected by naval guns, and was supported by the RAF Bomber Command.
[104] The Germans were eagerly moving men and materials south.
[105] to start the second part of their plan for France.
[106] But the infantry still pushing on the perimeter needed different tactics if they were to succeed.
[107] Clearly, Goering's promise to his Fuhrer was not being kept.
[108] The French, who had allowed themselves to be pushed back since May 10th, were now fighting back, standing their ground as best they could and giving the Germans casualties they had not had to deal with before.
[109] So General Kugler got personally involved and came up with something for his men to try.
[110] At 3 p .m. on June 2nd, Stukas bombed a specific section of the wall around the old fort, creating a giant hole.
[111] Next, specially trained shock troops, which the Germans seemed to have in abundance, moved in with flamethrowers and assault ladders.
[112] But the specialized troops were not needed.
[113] The defenders, still stunned by the bombing, were unable to stop the invaders.
[114] The garrison surrendered, and Berghese fell.
[115] At last, some real forward movement for the Germans was possible.
[116] They were only now five miles away from Dunkirk.
[117] Pushing north, they came upon Fort Valliere and captured it.
[118] Now, they were only three miles away.
[119] Of course, the French were retreating as planned, but they had to get to Dunkirk not only before the Germans did, but with enough time to safely board the ships.
[120] The German systematic attack was dovetailing a little too well with the French retreat.
[121] The time difference needed between when the French and when the Germans would reach the beach was not going to happen.
[122] Something had to be done, so General Fagal gathered every man possible and counterattacked.
[123] Normally this would have been a suicide mission.
[124] He certainly didn't have the men or material needed to push the Germans back.
[125] Those days were long gone, but that wasn't his goal.
[126] He needed to jab them enough so, as a unit, They found themselves back on their heels, if only for a few hours, as opposed to always driving forward.
[127] Although men were lost, his plan worked.
[128] That night, the French pulled back, and the Germans did not immediately pursue.
[129] Of course, there were many reasons the Germans were unable to crush the Allies, and nothing should be taken from the brave French soldiers who stood up to the 18th Army.
[130] But for the German soldiers and their officers, it was mostly felt this war in northern France was over.
[131] The Germans involved saw themselves as merely mopping up the boring but still deadly business of making the enemy physically stop resisting.
[132] Certainly the Luftwaffe had its mind further south.
[133] Their first serious raid would take place the following day, on June 3rd.
[134] June 3rd.
[135] At 2 .30 a .m. on that day, the first troops of Fagal's counterattack made their way to the mole.
[136] Unfortunately for the defenders, Most of the ships had departed, some of them empty, but a few remained.
[137] But again, and one can't help but think it came down to poor communication, the French troops made the embarkation more complicated than it had to be.
[138] Most Pully, or Frenchmen, insisted on bringing their gear or staying together as a unit, when what was called for was the men to board a ship until it was full and then start again with the next boat, no matter if they came from the same unit or not.
[139] But in defense of the French, it's most likely they assumed they would be needed in fighting the Germans at some location further south, between the River Somme and Paris.
[140] If that were true, they would certainly need everything they had left, which, like the BEF, wasn't much.
[141] But what no one wanted to say was that, if looked at dispassionately, the war for France was over.
[142] These troops could possibly help in North Africa or in Britain as French freedom fighters, one day.
[143] But the idea of picking these men up and just moving them down the coast a few miles to join in the defense of the rest of France was simply not going to happen.
[144] They would go to Britain and be put back together there.
[145] But for now, their fighting was over, and frustratingly, Sub -Lieutenant Wake's French was way too limited to convey any of this.
[146] 3 a .m. approached, and so dawn was coming.
[147] Wake Walker ordered all remaining ships to leave.
[148] It was then that Sub -Lieutenant Wake jumped on a steamer headed for Dover.
[149] The Scoot Hilda, still trying, swung by Mallow -les -Bain one more time, but the beaches were empty.
[150] At 3 .10 a .m., the ships left, but they crossed paths with three more ships heading into the harbor.
[151] The plan was to sink these ships in such a way as to block the harbor, thereby nullifying the Germans' ownership of it.
[152] but the English Channel was finished being nice to these seafaring people.
[153] As the ships tried to line up, readying themselves to be sunk, the tide pushed one of them out of line, giving the Germans plenty of room to use the harbor once it was repaired.
[154] The tide figuratively and literally turned against the Allies this night.
[155] They had wanted to embark 37 ,000, but only managed 24 ,000.
[156] Most agreed that at least 25 ,000 French were still on the continent.
[157] General Vaigant wasted no time in telling London he wanted another night, and Churchill agreed.
[158] But, not letting Vaigant off so easily, Churchill reminded the French general that ships waited for hours and no one showed.
[159] The French were to abandon the perimeter tonight and find a way, any way they could, to embark.
[160] So at 10 .09 a .m. June 3rd, Ramsey sent a message out that he probably hated doing as much as the men hated hearing it.
[161] I hoped and believed that last night would see us through, but the French, who were covering the retirement of the British rearguard, had to repel a strong German attack, and so were unable to send their troops to the pier in time to be embarked.
[162] We cannot leave our allies in the lurch, and I call on all officers and men, detailed for further evacuation tonight, to let the world see that we never let down our ally.
[163] This meant that when night came, the destroyer Malcolm would be making its eighth trip.
[164] As morning came in northern France, the Germans pressed their attack, assisted by the Luftwaffe, who did not fear hitting their own men.
[165] They had practiced, were experienced, and proud of their abilities.
[166] So the perimeter kept shrinking as the French were running out of everything needed to sustain themselves and fight off the Germans.
[167] At 3 .25 p .m. that day, Admiral Abriel, still at Bastion 32, sent his last message.
[168] It read, Enemy is reaching the outskirts.
[169] There was no time to lose.
[170] At 4 p .m., the fleet, and it was now considered a rescue fleet, headed out.
[171] The British focused their ships on the Eastern Mole.
[172] It had served them well, so no one saw a reason to change the game plan.
[173] This was the last night.
[174] Everything had to work.
[175] To help make sure this happened, a large birthing party was on its way to the Mole.
[176] Commander Buchanan, along with 54 of his men and four French officers, made up the party that was to get the French on board and off the continent.
[177] Their goal was to lift 14 ,000 troops between 10 .30 p .m. and 2 .30 a .m. Another part of the plan was for the smaller ships to head for the Western Mole.
[178] It was hoped they would be able to save about 5 ,000 men.
[179] The little ships could go further inside the harbor.
[180] and pick up anyone they found and take them to the waiting larger ships.
[181] That night, many French trawlers and fishing smacks were seen crawling all over the harbor, and they were a welcome sight to all those on land.
[182] Ramsey wanted to lift everyone's spirits by making sure they knew this would be the last night.
[183] In a bit of politics, he wanted those above him to know it as well.
[184] For the crews and their ships were now certainly beyond the breaking point.
[185] They needed something to hang on to.
[186] He made this clear in a message he sent to the Admiralty.
[187] Quote, If, therefore, evacuation has to be continued after tonight, I would emphasize in the strongest possible manner, Once again, the ship MTB -102 was Wake Walker's flagship.
[188] He made for the Eastern Mole at 10 p .m. and was delighted to see many Frenchmen waiting.
[189] But once again, the tide and wind were against the Allies when trying to take the ships alongside the Mole and keeping them there.
[190] The process of loading men and then moving out of the way for the next waiting ship, or boat, would be difficult, to say the least.
[191] But Wake Walker and the crews kept at it, and by 11 .30 p .m., the process started in earnest.
[192] But an hour had been lost in dealing with the tide, and it could not be made up on the next night.
[193] By the schedule established, the Allies had about three hours left to gather as many of the courageous French resistors as they could, and it was going to be a close call.
[194] But fortunately, most of the German artillery and armor were already heading south.
[195] And the artillery that remained was not used as it had been before, in fear of hitting their own men.
[196] Still, the Germans pressed on, and small arms fire could be heard from the beach.
[197] The small ships going deep inside the harbor paid off.
[198] About 350 French Marines were picked up away from the mole.
[199] As can be expected, with all the ships and boats working in a constrained area within and just outside the harbor, there followed many collisions and many more near collisions.
[200] And of course, there was the tide and surf.
[201] Several boats had to be left behind due to damage.
[202] Welcome to True Spies.
[203] The podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.
[204] Suddenly out of the dark it's appeared in Laden.
[205] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.
[206] What do they know?
[207] What are their skills?
[208] And what would you do in their position?
[209] Vengeance felt good.
[210] Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.
[211] True Spies from Spyscape Studios.
[212] Wherever you get your podcasts.
[213] June 4th.
[214] Wick Walker scooted tirelessly around in his MTB -102 flagship, directing the ships to where he found waiting men.
[215] The process was going slower than hoped for, but it was working.
[216] By 1 .45 a .m., the French 32nd Infantry was lifted.
[217] Of course, having the French officers there to translate made a big difference.
[218] Around 2 a .m., the translators got about 400 men to break from their unit and board a separate ship.
[219] and because they left their equipment behind, they were able to board in just 30 minutes.
[220] At 2 a .m. on June 4th, the French boats left the harbor.
[221] At 2 .25 a .m., Admiral Abriel and his staff and General Fagal had abandoned Bastion 32 and loaded onto the gunboat Locust and made for the mouth of the harbor.
[222] But the last French ship, a trawler, left the harbor at 2 .30 a .m. It was carrying men who had, until recently, been manning the perimeter.
[223] At 2 .40 a .m., the British destroyer Malcolm let loose her lines from the mole.
[224] At 3 a .m., the destroyer express followed and was the last naval vessel to leave the mole.
[225] It carried Commander Buchanan and his birthing party home.
[226] At 3 .20 a .m., General Lucas of the French 32nd Division boarded the pigeon.
[227] while a thousand French soldiers stood at rigid attention.
[228] As a pigeon exited the harbor, she was passed by the destroyer Kakiri and three old freighters.
[229] The Allies were going to try to block the harbor again, but again, the tide worked against them, and this attempt, too, would fail.
[230] It's duty done.
[231] The Shakiri was about to leave, but saw some waiting men nearby and managed to pick up 400 more Frenchmen.
[232] Finally, at 3 .20 a .m., the Shaqiri left the harbor, the last military ship to leave.
[233] As dawn broke over Dunkirk on June 4th, what had been nine days of explosions, fire, shells, anti -aircraft fire, broken masonry, and shattered glass was now quiet.
[234] The glow from the fires gave away to the brighter sun.
[235] The little boat MTB -102 made a quick pass around the harbor.
[236] They could still see many exhausted Frenchmen standing around, staring at their boat, but there was no way they could have taken a chance to pick up a few more lucky men.
[237] Wake Walker knew the boat would have been swamped in seconds, and they would have all ended up prisoners of the Werkmarkt.
[238] The BEF was gone, except the wounded.
[239] Men on stretchers, if loaded, would have taken up space that could fit four men, and it couldn't be done, and so they were left behind.
[240] Many of the wounded were at a makeshift hospital that was really a converted Victorian house outside of town.
[241] It was soon called the Chapeau Rouge.
[242] With the massive amount of men on the Allied side and the fierce fighting since the perimeter was established, the large house quickly filled with Allied wounded.
[243] Soon the halls and stairway were covered with bandaged men.
[244] After that, the grounds were covered with French soldiers who had been manning the perimeter.
[245] Just to give you an idea of the numbers involved, about 265 British were delivered there on June 3rd.
[246] Taking care of all those who showed up were medical officers and their orderlies.
[247] But since Dynamo was coming to a close, the medical staff had to decide who would stay behind, thereby becoming POWs.
[248] So they drew lots.
[249] Three officers and 30 orderlies stayed, and the rest started heading towards the mole.
[250] Major Philip Newman, chief of surgery, did not draw the lot.
[251] and would remain behind.
[252] There was nothing for it.
[253] He went into the house, laid out his cleanest uniform, gave word to be wakened when the Germans showed up, and drifted off, exhausted, just like every other man around him.
[254] The Germans were just outside the house at 6 a .m. that morning of June 4th.
[255] Newman was told, and although still exhausted, got up, dressed, and went to the front door.
[256] But before he could introduce himself as the highest rank in Britain, the Germans, who looked just as tired as Newman, had met a wounded man right outside the gate.
[257] When the invaders were asked what they wanted by the wounded, the reply, strangely enough, was marmalade.
[258] The German infantry spread out and after searching the place, convinced themselves it was indeed a hospital.
[259] After talking and exchanging stories with their wounded prisoners, the regulars moved off towards the sea.
[260] The men who replaced them and organized the prisoners would be less nice.
[261] By 8 a .m., the Germans had come to within sight of the sea.
[262] It was a great moment for them.
[263] At that same moment, a group of German Marines took over Bastion 32.
[264] Sometime after, around 9 a .m., General Bouffray, commander of the 68th French Infantry, met with General Lieutenant Kranz of the German 18th.
[265] The city was formally turned over.
[266] to the victorious German army.
[267] At 9 .30 a .m., a few German units made it to the base of the Eastern Mole.
[268] It was still so packed with hopeful Frenchmen, it would take the conquerors a long time to organize everyone.
[269] And at 10 .20 a .m., the swastika was raised over the Eastern Mole.
[270] Joseph Goebbels, the minister of propaganda, had men combing all over the French wounded, looking for British prisoners.
[271] They finally found them...
[272] and the camera started flashing.
[273] More than 26 ,000 French were on the ships heading to Dover, but as with everything else connected to Dunkirk and Dynamo, even this last voyage could not be uneventful.
[274] As the numerous packed ships got closer to the British coast, they came closer to each other.
[275] There was a fog, and some of the ships rammed each other, and hundreds of Frenchmen were thrown into the sea, only to be rescued by the nearby ships.
[276] By now, The crews had it down to a science.
[277] As if to remind everyone, this was not a victory, and death was still nearby.
[278] The auxiliary dredge Emile Deschamps hit a magnetic mine just off Margate, and she sank in less than 30 seconds.
[279] Most of the 500 men aboard did not survive.
[280] The Emile Deschamps was a 243rd vessel lost during Operation Dynamo.
[281] 861 ships and boats had participated.
[282] Admiral Abriel soon met with Ramsey, and they both agreed it was time to end Dynamo.
[283] There were about 30 ,000 to 40 ,000 French troops left, but they were truly surrounded, and besides, had run out of everything.
[284] Some of France's best were still on the mole and on the beaches, but it wouldn't matter much longer.
[285] Paris agreed to ending the embarkation of the French First Army at 11 a .m. and the British Admiralty officially ended Operation Dynamo at 2 .23 p .m. on June 4th.
[286] Ramsey, a man of action and not of words, drove straight to a golf course at Sandwich and had his best round of golf ever.
[287] He would receive many letters of gratitude from everyone who was related to or knew someone who had been saved from Dunkirk.
[288] And although Dunkirk was about more than one man, he felt vindicated for having been put out on the retired list after a confrontation with an admiral back in 1935.
[289] But his determination to run his own show and confidence in himself was exactly what was needed at Dover.
[290] The haggard, starving, and defeated men expected to be vilified when they got home.
[291] But to their amazement, they were treated like conquering heroes.
[292] The public was happy to have their men back.
[293] even though they left almost every piece of equipment they took with them on the continent.
[294] This grateful nation listened to their Prime Minister deliver a speech of praise to those who went over and made it back, and to those who did not.
[295] That speech, given on the evening of June 4th in the House of Commons, was mostly filled with bad news.
[296] But somehow, Churchill, in the face of everything, still left the British people with hope.
[297] He would get a lot of practice at it.
[298] So what follows is Churchill's entire 12 -minute speech.
[299] Like Shakespeare, we all know the highlights, but I wanted to share what the British people heard and had to cling to.
[300] When a week ago today, Mr. Speaker, I asked the House to fix this afternoon.
[301] At the occasion for a statement, I feared it would be my hard lot to announce...
[302] the greatest military disaster in our long history.
[303] I thought, and some good judges agreed with me, that perhaps 20 ,000 or 30 ,000 men might be re -embarked.
[304] But it certainly seemed that the whole of the French First Army and the whole of the British Expeditionary Force, north of the Amiens, Abdel, Yap, would be broken up in the open field, or else would have to capitulate for lack of food and ammunition.
[305] These were the hard and heavy tidings for which I called upon the House and the nations to prepare themselves a week ago.
[306] The whole root and core and brain of the British Army, on which and around which we were to build and are to build, The great British armies in the later years of the war seemed about to perish upon the field or be led into an ignominious and starving captivity.
[307] The enemy attacked us on all sides with great strength and fierceness.
[308] And their main power, the power of their far more numerous air force, was thrown into the battle or else concentrated.
[309] upon Dunkirk and the beaches.
[310] Pressing in upon the narrow exit, both from the east and from the west, the enemy began to fire with cannon upon the beaches by which alone the shipping could approach on depart.
[311] They sold magnetic mines in the channels and seas.
[312] They sent repeated waves of hostile aircraft, sometimes more than a hundred strong in one formation.
[313] to cast their bombs upon the single pier that remained and upon the sand dunes on which the troops had their only shelter.
[314] Their U -boats, one of which were sunk, and their motor launches took the toll of the vast traffic which now began.
[315] For four or five days an intense struggle reigned.
[316] All their armored divisions, or what was left of them, together with great masses of infantry and artillery, hurled themselves in vain upon the ever -narrowing, ever -contracting appendix within which the British and French armies fought.
[317] Meanwhile, the Royal Navy, with the willing help of countless merchant seamen, strained every nerve to embark the British and Allied troops.
[318] 220 light warships...
[319] and 650 other vessels were engaged.
[320] They had to operate upon the difficult coast, often in adverse weather, under an almost ceaseless hail of bombs and an increasing concentration of artillery fire.
[321] Nor were the seas, as I have said, themselves free from mines and torpedoes.
[322] It was in conditions such as these that our men carried on.
[323] with little or no rest, for days and nights on end, making trip after trip across the dangerous waters, bringing with them, always, men whom they had rescued.
[324] The numbers they have brought back are the measure of their devotion and their courage.
[325] The hospital ships which brought off many thousands of British and French wounded, being so plainly marked, were a special target for Nazi bombers, but the men and women on board them never faltered in their duty.
[326] Meanwhile, the Royal Air Force, which had already been intervening in the battle, so far as its range would allow, from our home bases, now used part of its main metropolitan fighter strength and struck at the German bombers.
[327] and at the fighters, which in large numbers protected them.
[328] This struggle was protracted and fierce.
[329] Suddenly, the scene had cleared.
[330] The crash and thunder, and for the moment, but only for the moment, died away.
[331] A miracle of deliverance achieved by valor, by perseverance, by perfect discipline, by faultless service.
[332] By resource, by skill, by unconquerable fidelity, it manifests to us all.
[333] The enemy was hurled back by the retreating British troops.
[334] He was so roughly handled that he did not carry their departure seriously.
[335] Sir, we must be very careful not to assign to this deliverance the attributes of a victory.
[336] Wars are not won by evacuations.
[337] But there was a victory inside this deliverance, which should be noted.
[338] It was gained by the Air Force.
[339] Many of our soldiers coming back have not seen the Air Force at work.
[340] They saw only the bombers, which escaped its protective attack.
[341] They underrated its achievements.
[342] I've heard much talk of this.
[343] And that is why I go out of my way to say this.
[344] I will tell you about it.
[345] This was a great trial of strength between the British and German air forces.
[346] Can you conceive a greater objective for the Germans in the air than to make evacuation from these beaches impossible and to sink all these ships which were displayed almost to the extent of thousands?
[347] Could there have been an objective of greater military importance and significance for the whole purpose of the war?
[348] They tried hard, and they were beaten back.
[349] They were frustrated in their task.
[350] We got the army away, and they have paid fourfold for any losses which they have inflicted.
[351] Sir, when we consider how much greater would be our advantage in defending the air above this island against an overseas attack, I must say that I find in these facts a sure basis upon which practical and reassuring thoughts may rest.
[352] I will pay my tribute to these young airmen.
[353] The great French army was very largely, for the time being, cast back and disturbed.
[354] for the onrush for a few thousands of armored vehicles may it not also be that the cause of civilization itself will be defended by the skill and devotion of a few thousand airmen there never has been i suppose in all the world in all the history of war such an opportunity for use the knights of the round table The Crusaders all fall back into the past, not only distant, but protégue.
[355] These young men going forth every morn to guard their native land and all that we stand for, holding in their hands these instruments of colossal and shattering power, of whom it may be said that every morn brought forth a noble chance.
[356] and every chance brought forth a noble knight, deserve our gratitude.
[357] Yes, to all the brave men, in so many ways and on so many occasions, are ready and continue ready to give life and all for their native land.
[358] Nevertheless, our thankfulness at the escape of our army and so many men whose loved ones have passed too.
[359] an agonizing week but not blind us to the fact that what happened in france and belgium is a colossal military disaster the french army has been weakened the belgian army has been lost a large part of those fortified lines upon which so much faith has been reposed is gone many valuable mining districts and factories have passed into the enemy's possession The whole of the channel ports are in its hands and all the tragic consequences that follow from that.
[360] And we must expect another blow to be struck almost immediately at us or at France.
[361] We are told, sir, that Herr Hitler had a plan for invading the British Isles.
[362] This has often been thought of before.
[363] When Napoleon laid Boulogne for a year...
[364] with his fat bottom boats and his grand army he was told by someone there are bitter weeds in england there are certainly a great many more of them since the british expeditionary force returned so i have myself full confidence that if all do their duty if nothing is neglected and if the best arrangements are made as they are being made we shall prove ourselves once more able to defend our island home, to ride out the storm of war, and to outlive the menace of tyranny, if necessary for years, if necessary alone.
[365] At any rate, that is what we are going to try to do.
[366] That is the resolve of His Majesty's government, every man of them.
[367] That is the will of Parliament and the nation.
[368] The British Empire and the French Republic, linked together in their cause and in their need, will defend to the death their native soil, aiding each other like good comrades to the utmost of their strength.
[369] We shall go on to the end.
[370] We shall fight in France.
[371] We shall fight on the seas and oceans.
[372] We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air.
[373] We shall defend our island, whatever the cross may be.
[374] We shall fight on the beaches.
[375] We shall fight on the landing grounds.
[376] We shall fight in the fields and in the streets.
[377] We shall fight in the hills.
[378] We shall never surrender.
[379] And if, which I do not for a moment believe, this island or a large part of it was subjugated and starving, then our empire...
[380] beyond the seas, armed and guarded by the British fleet, would carry on the struggle until, in God's good time, the new world, with all its power and might, steps forth to the rescue and the liberation of the old.
[381] The British would resist and go on to replace the 2 ,472 guns lost.
[382] These 63 ,879 vehicles lost.
[383] And they would start with the 224 ,686 troops that were returned to them from their defeat in the Low Countries and in northern France.
[384] The miracle of Dunkirk brought the country together.
[385] They would resist together, fight together, and labor hard to re -equip their soldiers together.
[386] But it was not over for France either.
[387] It's true that 123 ,095 French troops were evacuated from Dunkirk.
[388] But now, on June 4th, one day before the Germans launched the next part of their attack to vanquish their hated enemy, there were 143 German divisions, which included 10 armored divisions, against only 65 French divisions.
[389] The attack would come along a 400 -mile -long front from Abbeville to the Upper Rhine.
[390] that would simply overwhelm the defenders.
[391] The Germans would soon be getting in each other's way while pushing back the demoralized remaining second -rate French troops.
[392] And soon, with the war for France all but won, Mussolini was about to stab at the prostrate French body.
[393] But to his embarrassment, he would find his Italian dagger unable to meet the challenge.
[394] Welcome to True Spies, the podcast that takes you deep inside the greatest secret missions of all time.
[395] Suddenly out of the dark, it's a bit in love.
[396] You'll meet the people who live life undercover.
[397] What do they know?
[398] What are their skills?
[399] And what would you do in their position?
[400] Vengeance felt good.
[401] Seeing these people pay for what they'd done felt righteous.
[402] True Spies, from Spyscape Studios, wherever you get your podcasts.