DK - World War II Map by Map

52 GERMANY TRIUMPHANT 1939–1941

Dover

Ramsgate

Margate

Calais

Boulogne

Gravelines

Nieuport

Ostend

Lille

Wytschaete

Dunkirk

Saint

Omer

Malo-les-Bains

(Dunkirk

harbor)

Soex

Bergues

Rexpoëde

West-Cappel

Wormhoudt

Ledringhem

Cassel

Caëstre

Strazeele

Comines

Ypres

Poperinghe

Dixmude

Furnes

Merville

Hazebrouck

Noordschote

F R A N C E

U

N

IT

E

D

K

IN

G

D

O

M B E L G I U M

Stroo

m^ B

ank

D

ov

er

S

tr

a

it

Lys

Ys

er

Goodwin

Sands

Rou

te X

: (^55)
(^) nau
tica
l (^) mi
les
Route Y: (^87) nautical miles
Rout
e (^) Z:
(^39) na
utica
l mil
es
(^4) t
h
(^) A
rm
y
4 t
h^
A
rm
y
(^4) t
h
(^) A
rm
y
(^6) t
h
A
rm
y
Pa
nz
er
G
ro
up
K
le
ist
Pa
nz
er
G
ro
up
K
le
ist
18 th Army
18 th
Arm
y
May 20 Preparations
for the evacuation
begin in Dover.
May 27 The shortest
evacuation route (Z) closes
after the fall of Calais.
May 29 Route X opens after
Route Y is targeted by German
E-boats. Shallow areas mean it can
only be used in daylight.
May 27 The port
town of Calais falls
to German forces.
May 29 Dunkirk harbor is heavily
bombed by the Luftwaffe; the town is
destroyed by the end of the campaign.
May 28 Battle of the
Ypres–Comines Canal; British
forces help to maintain the
Dunkirk corridor for
retreating soldiers.
May 26–Jun 4
The RAF flies over 3,500
sorties over Dunkirk,
losing 145 aircraft.
May 26–Jun 4 More than
200,000 men are picked up
from the Dunkirk East Mole.
May 27 Route Y becomes
the quickest route after the
fall of Calais.
Rearguard fighting May 28
Rearguard fighting May 29
THE FINAL RETREAT
MAY 28–JUNE 4, 1940
Tens of thousands of soldiers were captured or
killed fighting a rearguard action, and by June 1,
the Allies had withdrawn to an inner perimeter.
The last troops were evacuated on June 3, and all
resistance in Dunkirk ceased at 9:30 am on June 4.
In total, 338,000 men (including several French
divisions) were carried to safety by a fleet of
around 800 boats. However, the more than 70,000
men left behind were captured by the Germans.
4
Inner
perimeter
▽ Spreading division
German propaganda about the
Dunkirk evacuation showed British
soldiers preventing French troops
from boarding the last boats during
Operation Dynamo.
May 22 German 10th
Panzer Division moves
toward Calais, starting
their attack on May 24.
May 25 German
2nd Panzer Division
takes Boulogne.
German 4th Army
pushes the Allied
forces toward
Dunkirk.
Panzer Group Kleist turns
toward Dunkirk.
US_052-053_Evacuation_of_Dunkirk.indd 52 22/03/19 2:38 PM