Dunkirk 1940: Operation Dynamo -

Churchill and his advisors originally hoped to save only 20,000 to 30,000 men . The Rescue Effort

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. Dunkirk 1940: Operation Dynamo

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 Churchill and his advisors originally hoped to save

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. The Allies abandoned nearly all their heavy equipment,