WAR OFFICE REPORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 June 1940, Page 6

WAR OFFICE REPORT

ON DUNKIRK WITHDRAWAL i OUTSTANDING SUCCESS. OF MOST DIFFICULT OPERATION. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 1.2 p.m.) RUGBY, June 4. A War Office communique issued on Tuesday evening states: “The evacuation of the Allied forces from the Dunkirk area has now been successfully completed, the last troops being withdrawn during the night of June 3. The outstanding success of this operation, which must rank as one of the most difficult operations of war ever undertaken, has been due to the magnificent fighting qualities of the Allied troops, to their calmness and discipline in the worst of conditions, to the devotion to duty of the Allied navies and the gallantry and exertions of the R.A.F. “As a result, although our losses have been considerable, they are small in comparison with those which a few days ago seemed inevitable. “South of the Somme, our troops are now operating in conjunction with the French. Today has been quiet on the British front. “On the night of May SI, British forces in the Bodo area were withdrawn by sea, having achieved the purpose of delaying the enemy advance until Allied operations for the capture of Narvik had been completed." HEAVY FIGHTING IN THE LAST HOURS. MUCH MATERIAL DESTROYED. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received This Day. 1.0 p.m.) LONDON, June 4. French troops landed in England today described the heavy fighting in the last hours before the final abandonment of Dunkirk. In addition to the Admiralty’s congratulations to all concerned in the evacuation epic, tributes were exchanged among the leaders of the naval and air forces.

“We owe a deep debt of gratitude to the R.A.F. for their support and protection,” declared the Vice-Admiral of the Dover Command. The curtain has fallen on the Dunkirk drama. Admiral Abrial was the last man to leave the port, aboard a warship at 7 a.m. The Germans claim the capture of much booty at Dunkirk but semi-official French quarters declare the last defenders destroyed war material that could not be moved.

ADMIRALTY SIGNAL CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL CONCERNED. “MAGNIFICENT SPIRIT OF CO-OPERATION.” (Received This Day, 1.15 p.m.) RUGBY, June 4. The following signal was sent from the Admiralty today: “The Admiralty congratulates all concerned on the successful evacuation of the B.E.F. and soldiers of the Allied armies from the Dunkirk area. Their Lordships appreciate the splendid endurance with which all ships’ personnel faced the continuous attack of enemy aircraft and the physical strain imposed by long hours of arduous work in narrow waters, over many days. “The magnificent spirit of co-opera-tion between the Navy, Army and R.A.F. and the Merchant Navy alone brought the operations to a successful conclusion. The ready willingness with which seamen from every walk of life came forward to assist their brother seamen of the Royal Navy will not readily be forgotten. Their Lordships also realise that success was only rendered possible by the great effort made by all shore establishments, and in particular by the Dover Command, who were responsible for the organisation and direction of a difficult operation. The Admiralty’s signal of congratulations to the Navy for the part it played in the successful evacuation of the B.E.F. specially mentions the Dover Command, which again followed the magnificent tradition of this service set up in the last war. The Patrol in those days had to keep well, in mind the German naval power, which at any moment might have attempted to challenge British supremacy. The modern Patrol is more concerned with the Nazi air power, for although it was revealed by the Prime Minister in his House of Commons the statement that, one U-boat was sunk during the operations off Dunkirk, German sea power was not a formidable antagonist. It is yet undisclosed how many ships of the British Navy fell victim, to sea attack, but as out of 224 British naval vessels engaged only thirty—six destroyers and 24 minor craft—had been sunk up to yesterday,' the inference to be drawn from this, naval circles suggest, is that German seapower is largely destroyed and once again it has been demonstrated that superiority in the air is not an answer to sea supremacy.