Happy D-Day All

[warchariot]

I'm not sure that "happy" is the right word, but D-Day was the largest naval operation of any war, so Happy D-Day.

[Bluebear]

"Largest naval operation" . . . in terms of "Navy" ships, maybe . . . but in terms of total vessels I submit that the evacuation of Dunkirk probably surpassed it by a bunch.

Nevertheless, that takes nothing away from all of those who participated in D-Day . . . and I most certainly salute them.


-- Jeff

[warchariot]

Well you could say that the Greeks going to Troy was bigger-the face that launched a 1,000 ships...

[Bluebear]

While the "thousand ships" that Helen's face launched is considered to be hyperbole, the "Little Ships" of the Dunkirk evacuation numbered some 700 of the 850 vessels that succeeded in rescuing over a third of a million men cut off on the beaches of Dunkirk.

Without the "Little Ships", very few could have been rescued . . . the British government hoped to save 45,000 . . . but the various small private craft were able to get much closer to shore than the navy's destroyers . . . allowing the troops to wade out to them. Some of these small craft (many of whom were sunk) made as many as seven round trips.

All-on-all 338,226 troops were successfully evacuated to Britain. Helen's face never did anything like that.


-- Jeff

[TheDreadnought]

Wow. I had no idea it was that many. How long was the operation?

[shigure]

Most sources list the evacuation of Dunkirk (Operation Dynamo) as starting on 27-28 May through June 4, 1940. One of my sources states 848 ships of every kind and size. 72 ships were lost including 9 DD's.

On June 4-10, 1940 was Allied evacuation of Narvik in Norway. This was a dark time for the Allies.