BATTLE OF DUNKIRK
THE NINE DAYS OF DUNKIRK, by David Divine; Faber & Faber, English price 21/-. BOUT half the space of this book is taken up with a detailed account of the "nine days" during which 338,000 British and French troops were evacuated in an extraordinary variety of British and Allied shipping-de-stroyers, mechant vessels, ferry steamers, Dutch barges, and about 600 small craft of all kinds. Since then the myth has grown up that this was mainly accompplished by "the spontaneous action of innumerable small craft sailing independently under the influence of an enormous enthusiasm from the ports of south-eastern England." Arctually the operation was carefully pldnned and controlled by Admiral Ramsay from his headquarters at Dover. Mr Divine’s very full and critical version of the Dunkirk story includes ani account of the battle that opened on May 10, 1940, and ended with the overwhelming defeat of the Allied armies with a rapidity for which victor and vanquished were alike unprepared. The errors of strategy made by each high command are carefully weighed in the balance. Gamelin’s failure to anticipate that the German main thrust would come through the Ardennes at the weakest part of the French line sets the scene for a disaster which the vacillating Weygand, called upon at the eleventh hour to save France, can do nothing to retrieve. Fortunately for Britain, General Runstedt halts his Panzer divisions on May 23---his order being confirmed b Hitler the following day-and thus allows the greater portion of the B.E.F. to escape. "Because the German High Command had not believed its achievement possible, there was no plan for the immediate further use of the armoured columns once they had reached the sea." For many years I have waited expectantly for someone to take up the cause of .Lord Gort, whose reputation had been left largely to look after itself. The British Commander-in-Chief now has an ‘able champion in Mr Divine, who presents much well supported argument
to show that his handling of the B.E.F. was masterly throughout, and _ that General Brooke (later Lord Alanbrooke) has claimed and received more of the credit than he deserves.
R. M.
Burdon
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 41, Issue 1052, 23 October 1959, Page 12
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358BATTLE OF DUNKIRK New Zealand Listener, Volume 41, Issue 1052, 23 October 1959, Page 12
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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