The Royal Air Force (RAF) flew thousands of sorties to defend the perimeter from the German Luftwaffe , though many soldiers on the beach felt they were being abandoned because most dogfights happened out of sight. Evacuation Timeline & Numbers Date (1940) Key Events Troops Rescued May 26 Operation Dynamo officially ordered to commence. 7,669 May 28 Belgian Army surrenders; first "Little Ships" arrive. 17,804 May 29 Heavy Luftwaffe attacks; French army joins evacuation. 47,310 May 31 Biggest day of the evacuation; Lord Gort departs. 68,014 June 4 Last night of operation; Germans occupy Dunkirk docks. 26,175 Total 338,226 Allied soldiers (including ~140,000 French) . Historical Significance
Although the mission saved the core of the British Army, it was a major military defeat. The Allies abandoned nearly all their heavy equipment, including over and 2,400 field guns . In his famous "We shall fight on the beaches" speech, Winston Churchill cautioned the public that "wars are not won by evacuations," but the successful rescue created a "Dunkirk Spirit" that galvanized British morale. Dunkirk Evacuation World War 2 - What You Need To Know Dunkirk 1940: Operation Dynamo
While nearly 40 Royal Navy destroyers carried the bulk of the troops, over 800 small civilian vessels —including fishing boats, yachts, and ferries—helped ferry soldiers from shallow beaches to larger ships or directly back to England. The Royal Air Force (RAF) flew thousands of