Operation Dynamo was the emergency evacuation of over 330,000 Allied troops from Dunkirk, France in May 1940 during World War II. Civilian boats known as the Dunkirk Little Ships joined military vessels to rescue soldiers trapped on the beaches, enabling them to fight another day. The operation remains one of history's most remarkable feats of improvised maritime rescue.
·The evacuation began May 26, 1940, as German forces closed in on trapped Allied troops at Dunkirk
·Hundreds of civilian fishing boats and pleasure craft answered the call to assist official military vessels
·RNLI lifeboats played a crucial role in ferrying soldiers from beaches to larger ships waiting offshore
·Over 330,000 troops were rescued across nine days of continuous, dangerous operations
·Survivors of Operation Dynamo regrouped to continue fighting the war after the evacuation
drawn from British Cinematographer, World of Cruising, TheCollector, HistoryNet · updated 10d ago