Operation Dynamo

[canveyshrimper]

Today sees the 70th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, the operation to evacuate around 350,000 British troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. The operation saw 100's of "little ships" sailing across the Channel to help stranded troops off the beaches and to the safety of Royal Navy vessels standing by, or to sail them back to an English port. A lot of the little ships were from close to home and among them were Leigh cockle fishermen. A tribute to the bravery of a generation who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. A generation as we saw with the demise of Henry Allingham & Harry Patch last year (the last WWI veterans) which is sadly dying out.

Ultimately Dunkirk was a huge defeat which left all of Western Europe in the hands of the Nazis, but also it was a victory of spirit and determination led by Churchill that we would never be defeated.

I will raise a glass of Spitfire to salute them at lunch today.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Would if I could too Harry, dread to think how this would be if it were needed today - the Elf 'n' Safety lot would step in or people just couldn't be arsed in the main. Those who did so back then must really despair of the mess the country is in today.

 

[steveo]

And don’t forget the ones that stayed and sacrificed their lives or liberty so the others could escape

 

[osymandus]

Would if I could too Harry, dread to think how this would be if it were needed today - the Elf 'n' Safety lot would step in or people just couldn't be arsed in the main. Those who did so back then must really despair of the mess the country is in today.

No, there is something ingrained in the people of the British Isles that makes us rouges and rebels when teh world has need (as Tir Nan Og will also fight no matter what and the Norwegians for liberty ).

But today is a day to remember the bravery and spirit of those who pulled off a miracle , Churchill though rescuing 50,000 men would be the best that could be expected .

Thank you to you all and may Valhalla open its doors to you on this day :D

 

[TrueBlue]

Today sees the 70th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, the operation to evacuate around 350,000 British troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. The operation saw 100's of "little ships" sailing across the Channel to help stranded troops off the beaches and to the safety of Royal Navy vessels standing by, or to sail them back to an English port. A lot of the little ships were from close to home and among them were Leigh cockle fishermen. A tribute to the bravery of a generation who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. A generation as we saw with the demise of Henry Allingham & Harry Patch last year (the last WWI veterans) which is sadly dying out.

Ultimately Dunkirk was a huge defeat which left all of Western Europe in the hands of the Nazis, but also it was a victory of spirit and determination led by Churchill that we would never be defeated.

I will raise a glass of Spitfire to salute them at lunch today.

Cant help wonder what would have happened had we stood firm at Dunkirk any thoughts?

 

[MK Shrimper]

Cant help wonder what would have happened had we stood firm at Dunkirk any thoughts?

Thousands of British troops would have been slaughtered probably though as Hitler turned his attentions away from us to Russia, I guess it's a moot point if it would have affected the final outcome of the war.

And much respect to the little ships that sailed the Channel 70 years ago.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Cant help wonder what would have happened had we stood firm at Dunkirk any thoughts?

We would almost have certainly lost the war, 350,000 men would have been killed or captured, a blow the country most probably would not have recovered from. It's possible the Americans may have tried to come to our recue, but with defeatists like Joe Kennedy (then Ambassador to the UK) it's likely we would have been left to our fate, and conducting this messageboard in German.

 

[osymandus]

Cant help wonder what would have happened had we stood firm at Dunkirk any thoughts?

A frontal assault we would have lost . Though oddly the guy who did War Walks Professor Richard Holmes said there was a massive opportunity to smash the Blitzkrieg due to a large panzer division over streching itself and exposing its flank had it been attacked and most likley defeat the impact would have been huge against the German army , also oddly the old Matilda tanks had better Armour then the panzers (just crapperier guns)!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_II

BLimey the armour was nearly twice that of the Panzer Mk III and IV and they could only be blown up by 88's at short range thats insane !!
But hindsight is a wonderful thing

 

[TrueBlue]

A frontal assault we would have lost . Though oddly the guy who did War Walks Professor Richard Holmes said there was a massive opportunity to smash the Blitzkrieg due to a large panzer division over streching itself and exposing its flank had it been attacked and most likley defeat the impact would have been huge against the German army , also oddly the old Matilda tanks had better Armour then the panzers (just crapperier guns)!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_II

BLimey the armour was nearly twice that of the Panzer Mk III and IV and they could only be blown up by 88's at short range thats insane !!
But hindsight is a wonderful thing

Yes but have as much armour as you like but if you can blow the tracks on a tank it renders its movement useless

 

[osymandus]

Yes but have as much armour as you like but if you can blow the tracks on a tank it renders its movement useless

It then becomes a field gun ;) i really would blow the turret up first you know . Many a German tank commander admited to never successfully stopping the Russian T-35 . They blew its traks off didnt stop it from "killing" their tanks ;)

 

[TrueBlue]

It then becomes a field gun ;) i really would blow the turret up first you know . Many a German tank commander admited to never successfully stopping the Russian T-35 . They blew its traks off didnt stop it from "killing" their tanks ;)

becomes a field gun but then you just out flank them

 

[southend4ever]

Long Live the Queen.

 

[osymandus]

becomes a field gun but then you just out flank them

In Stalingrad yes , in the middle of Dunkirk not so much ;)

 

[MrB]

Today sees the 70th anniversary of Operation Dynamo, the operation to evacuate around 350,000 British troops from the beaches of Dunkirk. The operation saw 100's of "little ships" sailing across the Channel to help stranded troops off the beaches and to the safety of Royal Navy vessels standing by, or to sail them back to an English port. A lot of the little ships were from close to home and among them were Leigh cockle fishermen. A tribute to the bravery of a generation who fought for the freedoms we enjoy today. A generation as we saw with the demise of Henry Allingham & Harry Patch last year (the last WWI veterans) which is sadly dying out.

Ultimately Dunkirk was a huge defeat which left all of Western Europe in the hands of the Nazis, but also it was a victory of spirit and determination led by Churchill that we would never be defeated.

I will raise a glass of Spitfire to salute them at lunch today.

This quote came directly from Harry's new book, '365 days of War based anniversaries to give you an excuse for lunchtime drinking'.

 

[Strykr]

Would if I could too Harry, dread to think how this would be if it were needed today - the Elf 'n' Safety lot would step in or people just couldn't be arsed in the main. Those who did so back then must really despair of the mess the country is in today.

They'd probably insist on painting the boats HI-Vis yellow! If it wasnt so tragic you could laugh at how weak our country's become

 

[southend4ever]

del boy and rodney go to France...

 

[canveyshrimper]

This quote came directly from Harry's new book, '365 days of War based anniversaries to give you an excuse for lunchtime drinking'.

I didn't think you needed an excuse for lunchtime drinking.