Fighting retreat of BEF and French forces towards the coast
continued. Wounded and troops not immediately engaged were
evacuated from Dunkirk with assistance of Allied navies. Both
withdrawal and evacuation screened by the British Royal Air
Force (RAF), whose fighters and bombers were ceaselessly engaged
against the German forces. Dunkirk defences reinforced by
flooding south west and north east.
Paris reported that Vanguard of first French army, cut off
near Cassel, fought its way out and reached Dunkirk.
Germans claimed to have captured its commander, General Prioux.
The British War office announced that small British force
sent last week to hold Calais had rendered invaluable assistance
to the main body of BEF withdrawing towards Dunkirk by heroic
refusal to surrender in the face of violence and continuous
attack.
The British Admiralty announced that the destroyers HMS Grafton,
HMS Grenade and HMS Wakeful had been sunk off France, as well
as small transport HMS Abukir and certain small auxiliary
craft.
Go To: 31st
May
Articles:
The Second Great War.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
The War Illustrated.
Edited by Sir John Hamilton
2194 Days Of War.
ISBN-10: 086136614X
For a complete list of
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