Thanks! Some of the many ships carrying Allied forces across the English Channel from Dunkirk, France, between May 29 and June 3, 1940, are shown en route for England during the successful Operation Dynamo in World War II. The Senior Naval Officer tasked with overseeing the shore end of the Dunkirk evacuation was Captain Bill Tennant. Thank you for subscribing to HistoryExtra, you now have unlimited access. Often they became lost, took too long, or failed to return altogether. Queen of the Channel (1) (New Medway: 1936-1940) Queen of the Channel (1) was built for the New Medway SP Co in 1936, the year that it was taken over by GSN. The official website for BBC History Magazine, BBC History Revealed and BBC World Histories Magazine, Save over 50% on a BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed gift subscription, In 1940, as British troops retreated through France under fire from an advancing German Army, a massive evacuation was launched to bring the soldiers safely home. The famous passenger ship was built in 1932 and requisitioned by the Royal Navy in 1939 for mine-sweeping. On 27th May 1940 HMS Medway Queen received orders to head to the beaches of Dunkirk to embark some troops that would be waiting there. Britain in the early years of the war has often been perceived to have been full of Blimpish commanders, out-of-date equipment and antiquated, stuck-in-the-mud tactics. There was no obvious way of reaching the western mole across the harbour’s mouth, but the eastern mole began from the harbour wall and was easily accessible. On top of that, a staggering 64,000 vehicles were abandoned. This order – which was to be in place for 24 hours – was reinforced by Field Marshal von Rundstedt. Her crew estimated that they had picked up 7000 men and shot down 3 enemy aircraft. And instead of the hoped-for 40,000 or 50,000 troops safely home from Dunkirk, Operation Dynamo resulted in 338,000 British, French, and Belgian troops brought off the beaches. After all, France was an ally with a vast army. The Luftwaffe suffered its worst day. Crew: ?? Hitler, who had been told nothing of all this beforehand, exploded with anger. Her crew estimated that they had picked up 7000 men and shot down 3 enemy aircraft. The reason for defeat in France in 1940 was not a failure in equipment, tactics or training, but the BEF’s small size: just 10 divisions. Tonnage: Gross 1472. This list consists of all major naval and merchant ships involved in Operation Dynamo, the evacuation of allied troops from the Dunkirk area from 26 May to 4 June 1940. At high tide the wreck is at a depth of approximately twenty three metres. Overnight, the transport Queen of the Channel was bombed and sunk. They heard no replies; all that remained were the silhouettes of abandoned vehicles. Thick, black smoke from burning oil storage tanks rose to some 15,000 feet and spread across the entire area. While at first glance it looked as though it was not strong enough to take a moored ship alongside, Tennant felt there was nothing to lose from trying. A lifeline had been discovered and over the next five days and nights, the eastern mole not only remained intact but also undamaged by either the sheer weight of ships mooring alongside or by enemy bombs. Although not a single British soldier was left on the Dunkirk beaches, some 70,000 troops were left behind in France, either dead, wounded, prisoner or still stuck further south. Comments: Queen of the Channel was built to replace a ship of the same name, which had been lost assisting in the Dunkirk evacuations. On May 21st 1940 the Queen of the Channel was assisting troops at Boulogne. Learn about the German invasion of France and the neutral nations of Belgium and Holland and the Dunkirk evacuation. The use of diesels in the marine application had seen considerable successful development in the previous two decades but the initial cost of installation and running costs when compared to coal fired ships had hindered their use in the smaller vessels. • The London-based fireboat Massey Shaw set sail for Dunkirk to help fight fires. The damage sustained by the Queen of the Channel proved fatal and the ship sank on May 28th 1940. The ship was launched on May 3rd 1935 and was the first British diesel engined vessel for cross channel passenger/excursion use, being equipped with two 1,500hp Sulzer Type TS diesel engines. Later that same evening, though, Tennant noticed the Luftwaffe had not hit the two long moles [wooden breakwaters] that extended some 1,600 yards out into the sea. The Queen of the Channel came up and 904 men were disembarked on that night, and that had happened twice more by about 9:30am the following morning. Then they, too, set sail for England. The success of the evacuation strengthened not only Britain’s defences in the face of a German invasion threat, but also Churchill’s position against those like the foreign secretary, Lord Halifax, who favoured discussing peace terms. In May/June 1940 HMS Medway Queen made seven return trips across the channel to rescue the troops from the beaches and the East Mole of Dunkirk under the command of Lt. A. T. Cook RNR. Georgians. Weight: 1,162 tons gross He won the day, but had the BEF been lost, the outcome may well have been very different. ... For more on the Battle for France and the Dunkirk … ... Purchase Now Dollars in advance to pay for On Demand rentals from Video Express First. He hated the Prussian military elites, and was deeply suspicious of the army leadership. During the Battle of Dunkirk from May 26 Britain’s army may have been small in 1940, but on 27 May, the country came its closest to defeat. Although French troops were still heroically defending the town, German artillery was raining down on the harbour. Last Updated May 20th 2011. Motor Vessel QUEEN OF THE CHANNEL built by William Denny & Bros in 1935 for London & Southend Continental Shipping Co. Ltd, London - New Medway Steam Packet Co. Ltd., Rochester, Passenger 28/05/1940 bombed & sunk in 51.15N - 02.40E off Dunkirk while evacuating troops. In fact, of the 135 German divisions used in the attack in the West, only 16 were mechanised; the other 119 used horses and their soldiers’ own two feet. He immediately countermanded all Halder’s decisions and gave the authority to lift the halt order back to von Rundstedt. At 11.30pm, Alexander, along with Captain Bill Tennant, boarded a motor launch and began a last tour of the harbour and then the length of the beaches as far as Bray Dunes, calling out to any last remaining troops. There seems to be a problem, please try again. This caused a minor panic, and the RN began to send as many craft as possible to take troops off the beaches. It's been 80 years since the Battle of Dunkirk was fought in France during the Second World War and troops were evacuated from the beaches. Queen of the Channel would subsequently be sunk by a German bomber, but the newly-energised operation was now underway, with many more men now being plucked from the beaches than the mere 7,669 who’d been removed on the first day. The last British troops began boarding at around 9pm on Sunday 2 June. He did not understand new mobile panzer tactics and feared his armoured tank divisions were getting too far ahead of the foot-slogging infantry. Of her 48 naval crew, seven were given … ... YouTube channel. Ships would come at two abreast, with people walking across one ship onto another ship as it was moored up against the east mole. On June 14th 1935 the ship was recorded as working its first run on a day excursion service between the Thames and the Continent. Most were transports bringing in airborne troops, but these Junkers 52s had only been brought to bear by scouring training schools and their losses severely set back aircrew training. The profitably for this larger vessel would be its use on these cross channel 'no passport' workings from the Thames & North Kent ports following the easing of Government restrictions on this type of travel. He became separated from most of his men, making him among the last in his battalion to be lifted. ... to the French port of Dunkirk. This meant they could only ever play a supporting role in the action. On 10 May 1940, Hitler began his long-awaited offensive in the west by invading neutral Holland and Belgium and attacking northern France. You have successfully linked your account! Ironically, the ship that took him home was a destroyer called the HMS. The crew can hear the frightening sound of machine-gun fire — the Germans are in the suburbs of Dunkirk. Everything you ever wanted to know about... What was Christmas like in Britain during the Second World War? Shortly into the journey the ship came under attack from German dive bombers. The PS Medway Queen is a paddle driven steamship, ... patrolling the Strait of Dover and the English Channel. • The London-based fireboat Massey Shaw set sail for Dunkirk to help fight fires. The Queen of the Channel, under Captain O'Dell was one of the larger ships to use the harbour's eastern breakwater to embark troops early on the morning of May 28th. There was just this constant shuttle of ships. Apr 6, 2019 - Explore Harry's board "WW ll Dunkirk Evacuation", followed by 156 people on Pinterest. The ship is now a floating museum at the Gillingham Pier in Kent, England. In fact, many of them went on to provide sterling service to the Wehrmacht and a large number ended up crossing into the Soviet Union a year later as part of the German invasion, Operation Barbarossa. See more ideas about dunkirk, dunkirk evacuation, world war two. Holland capitulated after only five days of fighting, and the Belgians surrendered on 28 May. Save over 50% on a gift subscription to their favourite history magazine. Mention Dunkirk to most British people and images spring to mind of queues of men on beaches awaiting evacuation, little ships bravely crossing the Channel and naval officers brilliantly marshalling their limited resources to bring home over 338,000 men from northern France in May and early June 1940.. After taking on additional stores Medway Queen departed for Dunkirk along with the HMS Sandown, HMS Thames Queen, HMS Gracie Fields… Compared to the smaller paddle steamers that the Queen of the Channel was replacing, this ship was definately a step up with regard to the appointment of her fixtures and fittings. There was also several Dutch ‘Schuyts’ barges that had first crossed the channel as refugees and had set up temporary camp on Brownsea earlier in May, defiantly they joined the flotilla along with some of the Pooles fishing boats. ... Tennant directed the steamer Queen of the Channel to enter the harbor and tie up at the east mole. Battle of France Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. The PS Medway Queen is a paddle driven steamship, ... patrolling the Strait of Dover and the English Channel. A staggering 353 German planes crashed or were shot down. There are many other stories about those desperate weeks as the Germans swept across … Stuart Discoveries and Inventions. Initially the harbour facilities at Dunkirk provided the obvious means to bring in the larger ships and embark the weary troops. May 27, 2017 - Explore Kenneth Magnuson's board "WW II Miracle at Dunkirk", followed by 268 people on Pinterest. Image credit: Press Association Images. Inevitably, the French Army ground to a halt, unable to move or respond to the rapidly unfolding situation. The Second World War. Although many of those left at Dunkirk had sand poured into the radiators and fuel tanks, a large proportion were salvageable and were used again. Constructed under special survey in accordance with the requirements of Lloyd's Register of Shipping and Classification, Mona's Queen was classed as A.1 "with freeboard for Irish Channel Service." Queen of Thanet - Note the wheel in the bow for the bow rudder . There are many other stories about those desperate weeks as the Germans swept across … It was an amazing operation. The ship is now a floating museum at the Gillingham Pier in Kent, England. But when the call went out in May 1940 for every available sea-going vessel to help in the evacuation of Dunkirk, the Silver Queen was one of the thousands of "little ships" who … In fact, the Luftwaffe had still not made good on its losses by the time they invaded the Soviet Union the following June. The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) was also entirely mechanised, which was certainly not the case for the German Army. Approximately 950 troops were on the ship when she left Dunkirk at about 4.00am headed for Dover. By the end of the day 11,874 soldiers were taken … However the larger dimensions of the Queen of the Channel when compared with the existing excursion/cross channel vessels allowed Denny's to install diesel engines. Queen of the Channel was built to replace a ship of the same name, which had been lost assisting in the Dunkirk evacuations. Mention Dunkirk to most British people and images spring to mind of queues of men on beaches awaiting evacuation, little ships bravely crossing the Channel and naval officers brilliantly marshalling their limited resources to bring home over 338,000 men from northern France in May and early June 1940.. British ships evacuated nearly 100,000 men of the BEF from the beaches, and over 200,000 from harbours. They were there, nonetheless, and managed to shoot 326 enemy aircraft during the operation, while losing of 121 of their own. Among those rescued at Dunkirk was former England cricketer, Jardine served well, but was wounded in fighting near Dunkirk. The ship would become a regular visitor to Ostend. Return to Ship menu Shortly into the journey the ship came under attack from German dive bombers. Needless to say, of those British vehicles that did make their way to the USSR, very few ever headed west again. Image credit: Press Association Images. On the 28th May the passenger steamer Queen of the Channel successfully became the first ship to dock against the mole, 950 troops boarding her, and within a hour she was bound for England. Page added February 22nd 2009. By entering your details, you are agreeing to HistoryExtra terms and conditions and privacy policy. Of the 338,226 men lifted from Dunkirk, 239,555 – the vast majority – were taken from the eastern mole. Please enter your number below. By then, the German Army was using some 2,000 different vehicles, all of which required different parts, from gaskets and distributors to fuel pumps. Builder: William Denny & Brothers, Dumbarton. The Queen of the Channel was the result and, as Shippick was unable to pay for her outright, ... before long both ships would be back in the Navy minesweeping again during WW2 and taking part in the evacuation of Dunkirk. Churchill insisted that even putting out feelers would be crossing a Rubicon from which there could be no return. The Queen of the Channel was so successful on her first season that Shippick was able to buy back Denny’s half share and NMSPCo became the sole owner. Seamew was part of a cobbled collection of some 700 civilian vessels that sailed across the Channel to rescue allied soldiers. The idea was that Britain would take the lead at sea, France on land, and both would contribute to air power. You will shortly receive a receipt for your purchase via email. In May 1940 Operation Dynamo was launched to rescue the retreating British Army soldiers from Dunkirk in northern France. This longer distance working would provide better useage of the ship rather than the expected sailings between London, Southend and Clacton. Queen of Kent In the evening on the 27th, fears began to develop that the British forces inland might be cut off from Dunkirk. Pre-war rearmament had sensibly focussed on naval and air power. 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